Palmer Station
Encyclopedia
Palmer Station, on Anvers Island
, is Antarctica's only US station north of the Antarctic Circle
. Initial construction of the station finished in 1968. The station, like the other US Antarctic stations, is operated by the United States Antarctic Program
.
The station is named for Nathaniel B. Palmer
, usually recognized as the first American to see Antarctica. The maximum population that Palmer Station can accommodate is 46 people. The normal austral summer contingent varies but is generally around 40 people. Palmer is staffed year-round, however, and the population drops to between 15 and 20 people for the winter maintenance after the conclusion of the summer research season. There are science labs located in the Bio-Lab building (pictured), as well as a pier and a helicopter pad.
The facility is the second Palmer Station; "Old Palmer" was about a mile to the northwest adjacent to the site of the British Antarctic Survey "Base N", built in the mid fifties. The site is on what is now known as Amsler Island
. Old Palmer was built about 1965, and served as a base for those building "new" Palmer, which opened in 1968. Old Palmer was designated as an emergency refuge for the new station in case of disaster, though this perceived need disappeared over time. It was dismantled and removed from the Antarctic as part of the National Science Foundation's environmental cleanup efforts in the early 1990s.
Most of the station's personnel are seasonal employees of the US Antarctic Program's main support contractor, Raytheon Polar Services
. The summer support staff is usually 23 people. Previous main support contractors were Holmes and Narver of Orange CA, ITT Antarctic Services of Paramus NJ, and Antarctic Support Associates of Englewood CO. Over time many support staff have worked for two or more of these firms.
Palmer Station is located near penguin colonies—Adélie, Gentoo and Chin-strap penguins are in abundance during summers, but small numbers can be found in the area at all times of the year.
The area is also home to several types of seals: Fur seals, Elephant seals, Crabeater seals and Leopard seals. The area is often visited by Minke, Orca and Humpback whales.
Other research is conducted from the R/V Laurence M. Gould. Science cruises cover physical oceanography, marine geology and marine biology. The ship also carries field parties to sites around the Antarctic Peninsula to study glaciology, geology and paleontology.
Palmer Station also hosts an IRLP (Internet Radio Linking Project) Amateur Radio node #8838 for ham radio communications.
's other research vessel, has also made port calls to Palmer Station — Hero Inlet, where the pier is located, is too shallow for the Palmer to dock at the station, though. Both ships are staffed and leased to the USAP by Edison-Chouest Offshore.
Hero inlet is named for the R/V Hero, a 125 foot wood trawler type vessel built to conduct research and supply Palmer Station from ports in Argentina and Chile. The Hero was owned by the National Science Foundation and built in 1968 by the Harvey Gamage shipyard in Maine. Palmer Station is located on Gamage Point, named for the shipbuilder.
After years of service the Hero was retired in 1984 and replaced by the R/V Polar Duke, a larger and more modern ice strengthened vessel under charter from Rieber Shipping, based in Bergen, Norway. The Duke was replaced by the R/V Laurence M. Gould in 1997.
Additionally, throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the United States Coast Guard icebreakers Polar Star and Polar Sea alternated assisting in Palmer Station resupply and retrograde.
There is no routine air access to Palmer. Over the years small ski equipped aircraft have occasionally landed on the glacier to the east of the station.
USAP participants travel aboard the Laurence M. Gould from Punta Arenas, Chile
. The course follows the Straits of Magellan to the east, then south along the coast of Argentina, past Cape Horn, then directly south across the Drake Passage and on to Anvers Island. The entire journey usually takes four days, however sea ice and storms can slow the journey down.
(Virus) revolves around Palmer Station as the gathering place for humanity's last survivors of a deadly virus. The film stars George Kennedy as Admiral Conway, the station's commanding officer and features Glenn Ford
as the President of the United States. Much of the footage for the film was shot in the vicinity of Palmer Station, though none was actually filmed at the station.
Anvers Island
Anvers Island or Antwerp Island or Antwerpen Island or Isla Amberes is a high, mountainous island long, which is the largest feature in the Palmer Archipelago, lying southwest of Brabant Island at the southwestern end of the group. Anvers Island is located at...
, is Antarctica's only US station north of the Antarctic Circle
Antarctic Circle
The Antarctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs south of the Equator.-Description:...
. Initial construction of the station finished in 1968. The station, like the other US Antarctic stations, is operated by the United States Antarctic Program
United States Antarctic Program
United States Antarctic Program is an organization of the United States government which has presence in the continent of Antarctica. It co-ordinates research and the operational support for research in the region...
.
Station description
Nathaniel Palmer
Nathaniel Brown Palmer was an American seal hunter, explorer, sailing captain, and ship designer. He was born in Stonington, Connecticut.-Sealing career and Antarctic exploration:...
, usually recognized as the first American to see Antarctica. The maximum population that Palmer Station can accommodate is 46 people. The normal austral summer contingent varies but is generally around 40 people. Palmer is staffed year-round, however, and the population drops to between 15 and 20 people for the winter maintenance after the conclusion of the summer research season. There are science labs located in the Bio-Lab building (pictured), as well as a pier and a helicopter pad.
The facility is the second Palmer Station; "Old Palmer" was about a mile to the northwest adjacent to the site of the British Antarctic Survey "Base N", built in the mid fifties. The site is on what is now known as Amsler Island
Amsler Island
Amsler Island is located off the coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. It is named after American marine biologists Charles and Margaret Amsler of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The island is a triangular rocky plot of granite land approximately long and wide at its widest point...
. Old Palmer was built about 1965, and served as a base for those building "new" Palmer, which opened in 1968. Old Palmer was designated as an emergency refuge for the new station in case of disaster, though this perceived need disappeared over time. It was dismantled and removed from the Antarctic as part of the National Science Foundation's environmental cleanup efforts in the early 1990s.
Most of the station's personnel are seasonal employees of the US Antarctic Program's main support contractor, Raytheon Polar Services
Raytheon Polar Services
Raytheon Polar Services Company is a division of Raytheon, which provides logistics, operations, and staffing for the National Science Foundation's operations in Antarctic and the Antarctic waters.-Operational Role:...
. The summer support staff is usually 23 people. Previous main support contractors were Holmes and Narver of Orange CA, ITT Antarctic Services of Paramus NJ, and Antarctic Support Associates of Englewood CO. Over time many support staff have worked for two or more of these firms.
Science
The majority of the science research conducted at Palmer Station revolves around marine biology. The station also houses year-round monitoring equipment for global seismic, atmospheric and UV monitoring networks. Palmer also hosts a radio receiver that studies lightning over the Western Hemisphere.Palmer Station is located near penguin colonies—Adélie, Gentoo and Chin-strap penguins are in abundance during summers, but small numbers can be found in the area at all times of the year.
The area is also home to several types of seals: Fur seals, Elephant seals, Crabeater seals and Leopard seals. The area is often visited by Minke, Orca and Humpback whales.
Other research is conducted from the R/V Laurence M. Gould. Science cruises cover physical oceanography, marine geology and marine biology. The ship also carries field parties to sites around the Antarctic Peninsula to study glaciology, geology and paleontology.
Palmer Station also hosts an IRLP (Internet Radio Linking Project) Amateur Radio node #8838 for ham radio communications.
Station supply and transport
Palmer Station is re-supplied by the Research Vessel (R/V) Laurence M. Gould, a ship with an ice-strengthened hull that makes routine science research cruises around the Peninsula. The R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer, the USAPUnited States Antarctic Program
United States Antarctic Program is an organization of the United States government which has presence in the continent of Antarctica. It co-ordinates research and the operational support for research in the region...
's other research vessel, has also made port calls to Palmer Station — Hero Inlet, where the pier is located, is too shallow for the Palmer to dock at the station, though. Both ships are staffed and leased to the USAP by Edison-Chouest Offshore.
Hero inlet is named for the R/V Hero, a 125 foot wood trawler type vessel built to conduct research and supply Palmer Station from ports in Argentina and Chile. The Hero was owned by the National Science Foundation and built in 1968 by the Harvey Gamage shipyard in Maine. Palmer Station is located on Gamage Point, named for the shipbuilder.
After years of service the Hero was retired in 1984 and replaced by the R/V Polar Duke, a larger and more modern ice strengthened vessel under charter from Rieber Shipping, based in Bergen, Norway. The Duke was replaced by the R/V Laurence M. Gould in 1997.
Additionally, throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the United States Coast Guard icebreakers Polar Star and Polar Sea alternated assisting in Palmer Station resupply and retrograde.
There is no routine air access to Palmer. Over the years small ski equipped aircraft have occasionally landed on the glacier to the east of the station.
USAP participants travel aboard the Laurence M. Gould from Punta Arenas, Chile
Punta Arenas, Chile
Punta Arenas is a commune and the capital city of Chile's southernmost region, Magallanes and Antartica Chilena. The city was officially renamed Magallanes in 1927, but in 1938 it was changed back to Punta Arenas...
. The course follows the Straits of Magellan to the east, then south along the coast of Argentina, past Cape Horn, then directly south across the Drake Passage and on to Anvers Island. The entire journey usually takes four days, however sea ice and storms can slow the journey down.
On film
The 1981 Japanese film Fukkatsu no hiFukkatsu no hi
, literally Day of Resurrection is a 1980 post-apocalyptic science fiction movie directed by Kinji Fukasaku and based on a novel written by Sakyo Komatsu. The movie starred Masao Kusakari, George Kennedy, Robert Vaughn, Chuck Connors, Olivia Hussey, Edward James Olmos, Ken Ogata, Glenn Ford and...
(Virus) revolves around Palmer Station as the gathering place for humanity's last survivors of a deadly virus. The film stars George Kennedy as Admiral Conway, the station's commanding officer and features Glenn Ford
Glenn Ford
Glenn Ford was a Canadian-born American actor from Hollywood's Golden Era with a career that spanned seven decades...
as the President of the United States. Much of the footage for the film was shot in the vicinity of Palmer Station, though none was actually filmed at the station.
External links
- Blog of on-going research project based at Palmer Station July-September 2008
- Website about Palmer Station
- Map of the area
- Report from an adventure trip to Anvers Island with pictures
- British Antarctic Survey
- Stanford Very Low Frequency Research at Palmer Station
- Website about Palmer Station with picture.
- Picture
- A Palmer Station visit diary with pictures
- Another Palmer Station visit diary with pictures
- Long term ecological research on Palmer Station
- NSF (National Science Foundation) Ultraviolet (UV) Monitoring Network with picture
- Scientists map ocean floor near Palmer Station
- US icebreakers
- Usap Palmer Station webcam
- COMNAP Antarctic Facilities
- COMNAP Antarctic Facilities Map
- USGS Seismic station data
