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McMurdo Station from Observation Hill.
McMurdo Station from Observation Hill.
McMurdo Station from above
McMurdo Station from above

McMurdo Station is an Antarctic research center located on the southern tip of Ross Island on the shore of McMurdo Sound, 2,200 miles (3,500 km) due south of New Zealand. Ross Island is an island formed by four Volcanoes in the Ross Sea by Antarctica, off the coast of Victoria Land in McMurdo Sound The ice-clogged waters of Antarctica's McMurdo Sound extend about 55 km (35 mi long and wide To help compare different Orders of magnitude this page lists Lengths starting at 106 m (1 Mm or 1000 km) New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island It is operated by the United States through the United States Antarctic Program, a branch of the National Science Foundation. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the United States Antarctic Program (or USAP; formerly known as the United States Antarctic Research Program or USARP and the United States Antarctic The National Science Foundation (NSF is a United States Government agency that supports fundamental Research and Education in all the non-medical The station is the largest community in Antarctica, capable of supporting up to 1,258 residents,[1]) and serves as America's Antarctic science facility, and the logistics base for half the continent. All personnel and cargo going to or coming from Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station first pass through McMurdo. Description and history The Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station is the southernmost continually inhabited place on the planet

Contents

History

The station owes its designation to nearby McMurdo Sound, named for Lieutenant Archibald McMurdo of HMS Terror, which first charted the area in 1841 under the command of British explorer James Clark Ross. Archibald McMurdo ( 24 September 1812) - was a British naval officer for whom McMurdo Sound was named War service Terror saw service in the War of 1812 against the United States. Sir James Clark Ross ( April 15, 1800 &ndash April 3, 1862) was a British naval officer and explorer. British explorer Robert Falcon Scott first established a base close to this spot in 1902 and built Discovery Hut, still standing adjacent to the harbour at Hut Point. Scott's Hut is a building located on the north shore of Cape Evans on Ross Island in Antarctica. The volcanic rock of the site is the southern-most bare ground accessible by ship in the Antarctic ("Facts About the United States Antarctic Program"). Volcanic rock is an Igneous rock of volcanic origin Texture Volcanic rocks are usually fine-grained or Aphanitic to glassy in The United States officially opened its first station at McMurdo on February 16, 1956. Events 1249 - Andrew of Longjumeau is dispatched by Louis IX of France as his ambassador to meet with the Khan of the Mongols Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Founders initially called the station Naval Air Facility McMurdo.

McMurdo became the center of scientific and logistical operations during the International Geophysical Year, an international scientific effort that lasted from July 1, 1957, to December 31, 1958. The International Geophysical Year or IGY was an international scientific effort that lasted from July 1, 1957, to December 31, 1958 "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Antarctic Treaty, now signed by over 45 nations, regulates international relations with respect to Antarctica and governs the conduct of daily life at McMurdo for USAP participants. The Antarctic Treaty and related agreements collectively called the Antarctic Treaty System or ATS, regulate International relations with respect to The Antarctic Treaty and related agreements, collectively called the Antarctic Treaty System or ATS, was opened for signature on December 1, 1959, and officially entered into force on June 23, 1961. The Antarctic Treaty and related agreements collectively called the Antarctic Treaty System or ATS, regulate International relations with respect to Events 800 - Charlemagne judges the accusations against Pope Leo III in the Vatican The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1180 - First Battle of Uji, starting the Genpei War in Japan 1305 - The Flemish Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

On March 3, 1962 operators activated a nuclear power plant at the station. Events 1284 - Statute of Rhuddlan incorporated the Principality of Wales into England 1575 - Indian Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The plant, like nearby Scott's Discovery Hut, was prefabricated in modules. Engineers designed the components to weigh no more than 30,000 pounds (13,608 kg) pounds each and to measure no more than 8 ft 8 inches by 8 ft 8 inches by 30 feet. The pound or pound-mass (abbreviation lb, lbm, or sometimes in the United States #) is a unit of Mass The size restriction allowed, if necessary, shipment by the Hercules LC-130 aircraft via an ice runway at the adjacent Williams Field. The LC-130 is a Ski -equipped variant of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules used in the Arctic and Antarctic. Williams Field or Willies Field is the United States Antarctic Program 's principal airfield in Antarctica. A single core no larger than an oil drum served as the heart of the nuclear reactor. A drum is a cylindrical container used for shipping bulk goods This article is a subarticle of Nuclear power. A nuclear reactor is a device in which Nuclear chain reactions are initiated controlled Reportedly, the reactor replaced the need for 1,500 US gallons (1,200 imp gal/5,700 L) of oil daily. US customary units, also known in the United States as English units or Imperial units (in reference to the British Empire) (but see English A gallon is a measure of Volume. It is in current use in the United States and still has limited use in many other English-speaking countries Imperial units or the Imperial system is a collection of units first defined in the British Weights and Measures Act of 1824 A gallon is a measure of Volume. It is in current use in the United States and still has limited use in many other English-speaking countries The litre or liter (see spelling differences) is a unit of Volume. An oil is a substance that is in a viscous Liquid state ( "oily") at ambient temperatures or slightly warmer and is [2] Engineers applied the reactor's power, for instance, in producing steam for the salt water distillation plant. The U. S. Army Nuclear Power Program decommissioned the plant in 1972. The Army Nuclear Power Program (ANPP was a program of the United States Army to develop small pressurized water and boiling water nuclear power reactors

A 10K-AT "Adverse Terrain" forklift moves a loaded cargo sled as part of Operation DEEP FREEZE resupply mission.
A 10K-AT "Adverse Terrain" forklift moves a loaded cargo sled as part of Operation DEEP FREEZE resupply mission.

Contemporary function and history

A scene at McMurdo Station.
A scene at McMurdo Station.

Today, McMurdo Station is Antarctica's largest community and a functional, modern day science station, which includes a harbor, 3 airfields[3] (2 seasonal), a heliport and over 100 buildings, including the Albert P. Crary Science and Engineering Center and a bowling alley with an antique Brunswick manual pinset machine. A harbor or harbour (see spelling differences) or haven, is a place where ships may shelter from the Weather or are stored The Albert P Crary Science and Engineering Center (CSEC located at McMurdo Station, was dedicated in November 1991 by the National Science Foundation There is even a 9-hole disc golf course on site. Disc golf (also called Frisbee Golf is a disc game in which individual players throw a Flying disc into a basket or at a target The primary focus of the work done at McMurdo Station is science, but most of the residents (approximately 1,000 in the summer and fewer than 200 in the winter) are not scientists, but station personnel who are there to provide support for operations, logistics, information technology, construction, and maintenance. Science (from the Latin scientia, meaning " Knowledge " or "knowing" is the effort to discover, and increase human understanding

Scientists and station personnel at McMurdo are participants in the United States Antarctic Program (USAP), which co-ordinates research and operational support in the region. Reports on the life and culture of McMurdo Station from the point of view of residents are rare.

This 1983 image of the USNS Southern Cross at McMurdo Station depicts cargo operations on a floating ice pier. Such piers have been in use since 1973.
This 1983 image of the USNS Southern Cross at McMurdo Station depicts cargo operations on a floating ice pier. Deep Freeze]] personnel constructed the first floating ice pier at Antarctica’s southern-most sea port at McMurdo Station in 1973 Such piers have been in use since 1973.
The M/V American Tern being led by the Russian icebreaker Krasin to McMurdo Station during Operation Deep Freeze 2006. Mount Erebus can be seen in the background.
The M/V American Tern being led by the Russian icebreaker Krasin to McMurdo Station during Operation Deep Freeze 2006. An icebreaker is a special purpose Ship or Boat designed to move and navigate through Ice -covered waters History The ship was built at the Helsinki New Shipyard in Helsinki, Finland in 1976. Operation Deep Freeze (OpDFrz or ODF is the codename for a series of United States missions to Antarctica, beginning with "Operation Deep Freeze Mount Erebus can be seen in the background. Mount Erebus in Antarctica is the southernmost active Volcano on Earth
The supply ship M/V American Tern during cargo operations at McMurdo Station during Operation Deep Freeze 2007.
The supply ship M/V American Tern during cargo operations at McMurdo Station during Operation Deep Freeze 2007.

An annual sealift by cargo ships as part of Operation Deep Freeze delivers 8 million US gallons (6. Operation Deep Freeze (OpDFrz or ODF is the codename for a series of United States missions to Antarctica, beginning with "Operation Deep Freeze 6 million imperial gallons/42 million L) of fuel and 11 million pounds (5 million kg) of supplies and equipment for McMurdo residents. [4] The ships are operated by the U. S. Military Sealift Command and are crewed by civilian mariners. Mission The United States Military Sealift Command has the responsibility for providing Sealift and ocean transportation for all US military services as well as for other Cargo may range from mail, construction materials, trucks, tractors, dry and frozen food, to scientific instruments. United States Coast Guard icebreakers break a ship channel through ice-clogged McMurdo Sound in order for supply ships to reach Winter Quarters Bay at McMurdo. An icebreaker is a special purpose Ship or Boat designed to move and navigate through Ice -covered waters Winter Quarters Bay is a small cove of McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, located 2200 miles (3500 km due south of New Zealand at 77°50'S Additional supplies and personnel are flown in to nearby Williams Field from Christchurch, New Zealand. Christchurch International Airport is the main Airport that serves Christchurch, New Zealand. A variety of fruits and vegetables are grown in a hydroponic green house at the station. Hydroponics (from the Greek words hydro (water and ponos (labour is a method of growing Plants using mineral Nutrient solutions without [5]

McMurdo Station is about 3 miles (5 km) from Scott Base, the New Zealand science station, and the entire island is located within New Zealand's Ross Dependency Antarctic claim. Scott Base may also refer to Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. The Ross Dependency comprises an area of Antarctica (and other land masses in the Southern Ocean) claimed by New Zealand. This is an alphabetical list of Antarctic territories and territorial claims. Recently there has been criticism leveled at the base regarding its construction projects, particularly the McMurdo-South Pole highway. McMurdo-South Pole highway is a 900-mile (1450 km road in Antarctica to link the United States McMurdo Station on the coast to the Amundsen-Scott [1]

McMurdo has attempted to improve environmental management and waste removal over the past decade in order to adhere to the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, which was signed 4 October 1991 and entered into force 14 January 1998. The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, also known as the Antarctic-Environmental Protocol is part of the Antarctic Treaty System. Events 610 - Heraclius arrives by ship from Africa at Constantinople, overthrows Byzantine Emperor Phocas Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Events 1129 - Formal approval of the Order of the Templar at the Council of Troyes. Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) This agreement prevents development and provides for the protection of the Antarctic environment through five specific annexes on marine pollution, fauna, and flora, environmental impact assessments, waste management, and protected areas. Fauna is all of the Animal life of any particular region or time In Botany, flora ( Plural: floras or florae has two meanings The first meaning flora of an area or of time period, refers to all It prohibits all activities relating to mineral resources except scientific. Adhering to the Protocol, a new waste treatment facility was built at McMurdo in 2003. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. McMurdo (nicknamed "Mac-Town" by its residents) continues to operate as the hub for American activities on the Antarctic continent.

McMurdo, for a time, had Antarctica's only television station, AFAN-TV, running vintage programs provided by the military. The station's equipment was susceptible to "electronic burping" from the diesel generators that provide electricity in the outpost. The station was profiled in a 1974 article in TV Guide magazine. Now, McMurdo receives four channels by satellite through satellite receivers at Black Island, 25 miles (40 km) away; the signals are relayed to McMurdo by digital microwave. Black Island ( is an island in the Ross Archipelago immediately west of White Island.

Like the Australian and New Zealand stations in the Antarctic, McMurdo Station has direct-in/direct-out telephone connections to the outside world, in this case functioning as part of the New Zealand telephone system. The Antarctic station is also home to the continent's only ATM.

McMurdo Station briefly gained global notice when an anti-war protest was held on February 15, 2003. Events 590 - Khosrau II is crowned as king of Persia 1637 - Ferdinand III becomes Holy Roman Emperor Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. During the rally, about 50 scientists and station personnel gathered to protest the coming invasion of Iraq by the United States. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. McMurdo Station was the only Antarctic location to hold such a rally.

In popular culture

McMurdo Station is referred to in the science fiction movies Dark Star and Alien as being the site of a major space-traffic control center. Dark Star is a 1974 Sci-fi Tongue-in-cheek comedy Motion picture directed by John Carpenter and co-written with Dan O'Bannon Alien is a 1979 science fiction / Horror film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Sigourney Weaver. McMurdo is mentioned in John Carpenter's The Thing and in the American adventure film Eight Below. The Thing is a 1982 science fiction and Horror film directed by John Carpenter, written by Bill Lancaster and starring Adventure Film is a Film genre. History The adventure film reached its peak of popularity in 1930s and Eight Below is a Walt Disney Pictures Film directed by Frank Marshall and written by David DiGilio which was released on February 17

Much of Kim Stanley Robinson's science fiction novel Antarctica takes place at McMurdo Station. Kim Stanley Robinson (born March 23 1952) is an American Science fiction Writer, probably best known for his award-winning Antarctica (1997 is a novel written by Kim Stanley Robinson. It deals with a variety of characters living at or visiting an Antarctic research station

In Stargate SG-1 McMurdo is mentioned as a staging area for Earth's squadrons of F-302 fighters. Also in the same series, 50 miles (80 km) from the station is the location of Earth's second Stargate, left over from an Ancient site that was once the location of Atlantis. A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand A Stargate is fictional device that allows practical rapid travel between two distant locations In the Science fiction Television series Stargate Atlantis, the spin-off of Stargate SG-1, Atlantis isa city-sized

In Matthew Reilly's novel Ice Station McMurdo Ice Station is mentioned throughout the storyline. Matthew John "Matt" Reilly (born 2 July, 1974 in Sydney) is an Australian action/thriller Writer. Ice Station is Australian thriller writer Matthew Reilly 's second novel released in 1998.

The main character of the comic book Whiteout (created by writer Greg Rucka and artist Steve Lieber), is named Carrie Stetko. Gregory Rucka (born November 29, 1969) is an American Writer of novels and Comic books He is married to fellow comic writer Steve Lieber (born May 19, 1967) is a Comic-book illustrator His best known work includes runs on Detective Comics and She works as a U. S. Marshal at the McMurdo station.

McMurdo Station is featured in William Brinkley's novel, The Last Ship. The Last Ship is a post-apocalyptic novel written by William Brinkley

Points of interest

Facilities worthy of note at the station include:

See also

References

  1. ^ 4.0 Antarctica - Past and Present
  2. ^ Clarke, Peter McFerrin (1966). ANDRILL ( AN tarctic DRILL ing Project is a scientific drilling project in Antarctica gathering paleoclimatological information about past periods The Antarctic Sun an online and print newspaper with "News about the USAP, the ice and the people" it is funded by the National Science Foundation Marble Point, Antarctica is a rocky promontory on the coast of Victoria Land located at 77° 26' S latitude and 163° 50' E longitude Mount Erebus in Antarctica is the southernmost active Volcano on Earth Operation Deep Freeze (OpDFrz or ODF is the codename for a series of United States missions to Antarctica, beginning with "Operation Deep Freeze On the ice. Burdette.  
  3. ^ Miguel Llanos (2007-01-25). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 41 - After a night of negotiation Claudius is accepted as Roman Emperor by the Senate Reflections from time on 'the Ice'. MSNBC. MSNBC is a 24-hour cable television news channel based in the United States and available in Canada. Retrieved on 2008-01-11. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1055 - Theodora is crowned Empress of the Byzantine Empire.
  4. ^ Modern Marvels: Sub-Zero. The History Channel.
  5. ^ Antarctic Hydroponics web site

External links

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