McMurdo Station

American scientists and support personnel who are scheduled to work in the Transantarctic Mountains or on the polar plateau of East Antarctica, in Marie Byrd Land in West Antarctica, and at South Pole Station will, in most cases, depart from Christchurch, New Zealand, and fly to McMurdo Station which is located at the tip of the Hut Point Peninsula on Ross Island in Fig. 2.8 (Section 1.2). This site was originally selected in 1955 by Admiral George J. Dufek as a logistics base for Operation Deep Freeze in preparation for research to be carried out by American scientists during the IGY (1957-1958). The site was chosen because it is located in a broad basin adjacent to a deep harbor where supply ships can unload cargo either onto a floating ice dock or directly to the shore. These favorable conditions also caused Robert Scott in 1901 to select this site for his winter-over base where he set up his Discovery Hut in Fig. 2.9 which still contains some of the equipment and supplies that he and his men left behind (Section 1.4.1). 

The US Antarctic Research Program (USAP) is administered by a representative of the National Science Foundation (NSF Rep) who occupies a promi- 

Discovery Hut of Robert Scott (1901-1904) and Observation Hill in the background on the right. Arrival Heights is the basalt plateau on the left. The green building half-way up the slope of Obs HiU used to house the nuclear reactor that has since been 

All activities related to on-going scientific research are supervised by the NSF Rep and his or her staff who have offices in the modem Chalet. 

Former residents of McMurdo Station will also recall the windstorms that suddenly reduce visibility to less than 100 ft (30.48 m), with wind speeds in excess of 55 knots (101.9 km/h), and wind-chill temperatures that drop below -100°F (-73.3°C). Under these conditions, all personnel in McMurdo are required to remain in-doors (Condition 1) and all travel is suspended for the duration of the storm that may last several days. The classification of weather conditions detailed in Table 2.3 is the responsibility of the McMurdo Weather Office (Mac Weather). Condition 1 storms can occur anywhere within the Transantarctic Mountains during the austral spring and fall especially on major outlet glaciers, such as the Reedy Glacier in Fig. 2.11, that channel the katabatic winds from the polar plateau to the Ross Ice Shelf or to the Ross Sea. Field parties that experience such storms learn first-hand that weather still rules in Antarctica. 

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McDonald, S.J., M.C. Kennicutt II, H. Liu, and S.H. Safe. 1995. Assessing aromatic hydrocarbon exposure in Antarctic fish captured near Palmer and McMurdo stations, Antarctica. Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 29 232-240. 

Jaramillo, M, DeZafra RL, Barrett J, et al. 1989. Measurements of stratospheric hydrogen cyanide and McMurdo Station, Antarctica Further evidence of winter stratospheric subsidence J Geophys Res 94 16,773-16,777. 

Figure 12.17 shows the ozone profiles over the U.S. Amundsen-Scott Station at the South Pole in 1993 on August 23 prior to formation of the ozone hole and on October 12 after the ozone hole had developed. The total column ozone decreased from 276 DU on August 23 to only 91 DU on October 12, and, in addition, there was essentially no ozone in the region from 14 to 19 km (Hofmann et al., 1994a). During the same period at the McMurdo Station in Antarctica, the total column ozone decreased from 275 to 130 DU (B. J. Johnson et al., 1995). While similar profiles have been observed since the discovery of the ozone hole, these data show some of the most extensive ozone destruction ever observed, although 1994 and 1995 showed almost as much 03... 

FIGURE 12.20 Vertical profile of CIO on September 19-20, 1992, at McMurdo Station, Antarctica (adapted from Emmons et al., 1995). 

TABLE 12.3 Characteristics of Particles over McMurdo Station, Antarctica, in 1992 ... 

Deshler, T B. J. Johnson, D. J. Hofmann, and B. Nardi, Correlations between Ozone Loss and Volcanic Aerosol at Altitudes below f4 km over McMurdo Station, Antarctica, Geophys. Res. Lett., 23, 2931-2934 (1996). 

Nardi, B T. Deshler, M. E. Hervig, and L. D. Oolman, Ozone Measurements over McMurdo Station, Antarctica during Spring 1994 and 1995, Geophys. Res. Lett., 24, 285-288 (1997). 

Lubin, D J. E. Frederick, and A. J. Krueger, The Ultraviolet Radiation Environment of Antarctica McMurdo Station during September-October 1987, J. Geophys. Res., 94, 8491-8496 (1989b). 

Stamnes, K., J. Slusser, and M. Bowen, Biologically Effective Ultraviolet Radiation, Total Ozone Abundance, and Cloud Optical Depth at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, September 15, 1988 through April 15, 1989, Geophys. Res. Lett., 17, 2181-2184 (1990). 

Mount, G.M., R.W. Sanders, A.L. Schmetekopf and S. Solomon (1987) Visible and near ultraviolet spectroscopy at McMurdo station Antarctica 1 Overview and daily variations of NO2 and 05 during austral spring 1986.Journal of Geophysical Research 92 8320-8340. 

Crockett AB. 1997. Water and wastewater quality monitoring, McMurdo Station, Antarctica. Environ Monit Assess 47 39-57. 

H. S. Lenihan, J. S. Oliver, J. M. Oakden, M. A. Stephenson, Intense and localized benthic marine pollution at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, Mar. Pollut. Bull., 21 (1990), 422-430. 

P.J. Neale, M.P. Lesser, J.J. Cullen (1994). Effects of ultraviolet radiation on the photosynthesis of phytoplankton in the vicinity of McMurdo station, Antarctica. In C.S. Weiler, P.A. Penhale (Eds), Ultraviolet Radiation in Antarctica Measurements and Biological Effects (pp. 125-142). American Geophysical Union, Washington DC. 

Adriani, A., T. Deshler, G. Di Donfranceso, and G.P. Gobbi, Polar stratospheric clouds and volcanic aerosol during spring 1992 over McMurdo Station Actarctica Lidar and particle counter comparison. J Geophys Res 100, 25,877, 1995. 

Solomon, S., R.W. Sanders, M.A. Carroll, and A.L. Schmeltekopf, Visible and nearultraviolet spectroscopy at McMurdo Station, Antarctica 5. Observations of the diurnal variations of BrO and OCIO. J Geophys Res 94, 11,393, 1989b. 

This hut in Fig. 1.10 still stands at the tip of Hut Point Peninsula about 1 km from McMurdo Station of the USA at 77°51 S, 166°40 E. This station was initially estab-hshed in 1955 by Rear Admiral George J. Dufek of the US Navy and was named after Lieutenant A. McMurdo who served with Captain Crozier on the HMS Terror. 

Fig. 1.14 Scott s hut at Cape Evans on Ross Island from which he started his trek to the South Pole during the British (Terra Nova) Expedition of 1910-1913. Cape Evans in Figure 1.11 is located only 24 km from McMurdo Station compared to 35 km for Cape Royds. Scott s hut at Cape Evans was later occupied by...

Today, Cape Crozier is reachable by helicopter from McMurdo Station in less than 1 h, but it is off limits to visitors because it is a Specially Protected Area (SPA) that can only be entered with a permit. Cape Crozier is also a Historic Site and Monument (HSM) because of a message post and a stone hut erected by members of Scott s expeditions of 1901-1904 and 1910-1913, respectively. 

Atkinson read a Burial Service after which the tent was collapsed and a large snow cairn was erected on top of it. The members of the search party returned to Cape Evans on November 26 and were greatly relieved that Campbell and his men had returned in their absence from their winter-over on Inexpressible Island. The Terra Nova arrived at Cape Evans on January 18,1913, but before the remainder of Scott s second Antarctic expedition left Cape Evans, Atkinson and a group of men erected a cross on the summit of Observation Hill located directly behind McMurdo Station in order to commemorate the five men who died after reaching the geographic South Pole of Antarctica. The cross in Fig. 1.16 carries the names of the men who went to the pole (Captain Scott, Wilson, Bowers, Oats, and Evans) and an inscription selected by Cherry-Garrard (Bull and Wright 1993) ... 

The cross still stands on the summit of Obs Hill and new arrivals to McMurdo Station are encouraged to visit it at least once during their stay to pay their respects and to enjoy the view of McMurdo Station, Mt. Erebus, and the Royal Society Range on the mainland of Antarctica. 

Fig. 1.16 The cross on the summit of Observation Hill overlooks McMurdo Station and is a popular destination for visitors to Antarctica. It was constructed of Australian Jarrah wood by the ship s carpenter of the Terra Nova. After some discussion, the survivors of Scott s expedition at Cape Evans decided to inscribe the cross with the concluding line of Tennyson s Ulysses To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield. When the cross was finished, Atkinson, Wright, Lashly, Crean, Debenham, Keohtme, Cherry-Garrard, and the ship s carpenter transported the cross to Hut Point and then carried it to the top of Observation Hill where they erected it. At five P.M. on January 22, 1913, the job was done. The men gave three cheers and one more before returning to Cape Evans (Cherry-Garrard, 1922, p. 586/7) (Photo by G. Faure)...

During the IGY the USA also maintained Ellsworth Station (77°43 S, 041°08 W) on the Filchner Ice Shelf from 1957 to 1962. A personal account of life at this station was later published by Behrendt (1998). Following the IGY, the USA opened Siple Station (75°33 S, 083°33 W) in 1969 and occupied the site, which is located 2,450 km from McMurdo Station, until 1989 when the last version of Siple Station was closed. Eights Stations at75°14 S, 077°10 W in southwestern Palmer Land was operated by the USA from... 

There is no shortage of Antarctic adventure stories such as the reports by Siple (1931,1936) about his participation in Byrd s two expeditions to Antarctica, the excellent account of life at Ellsworth Station during the IGY by Behrendt (1998), and the story by Dewart (1989) of how in 1960 he spent 1 year with the Russians at the Mimyy research station. Another book by a geologist is the account by Doumani (1999) of the trials and tribulations of scientists and military personnel who were trying to live and work together in Antarctica from 1958 to 1965. In addition, Neider (1974) published an astute account of life in McMurdo Station during the austral summer of 1970/71 that included a helicopter crash near the summit of Mt. Erebus. Other eye-witness accounts of travel to and within Antarctica were published by Neider (1972), Parfit (1985), and Pyne (1986). 

The highest average monthly temperature at the South Pole is only -32.3°C which occurs in December, whereas the highest average monthly temperature at McMurdo Station of -3.1°C occurs in December and January (Stonehouse 2002, p. 61). The highest average monthly temperatures at both locations in Antarctica are below the freezing temperature of water. 

Fig. 2.3 The average monthly temperatures at McMurdo Station range from -26.9°C (August) to -3.1°C (December and January) compared to only -59.9°C (July) and -27.7°C (December) at the South Pole Station. The low seasonal temperature profile of the South Pole is partly attributable to its high southern latitude (90°S) and the high elevation of this site (2,835 m above sea level), whereas McMurdo Station is located at 77°50 S latitude at sea level on Ross Island. Nevertheless, the average annual temperatures at both sites are below the freezing temperature of water (Data from Stonehouse 2002)...

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