Mr. Blog's Tepid Ride

August 9, 2011

This eerie picture was taken from a webcam in Antarctica. It looks like a sci-fi base but it is a real research base, Neumayer Station. Here is the summary from

http://www.antarcticconnection.com/antarctic/stations/neumayer.shtml

Nationality: Germany

Location: Ekström Shelf Ice, Atka Bay, northeast Weddell Sea

Position: 70°39’S, 08°15’W

History: The first “Georg von Neumayer” Station in the Antarctic was established in 1981 on the Ekström Shelf Ice as a research observatory for geophysical, meteorological and air chemistry measurements, as well as a logistics base for summer expeditions. Georg von Neumayer, whom the station is named after, was an important promoter of Germany’s research activities in Antarctica. The new station, inaugurated on February 20th, 2009, was built to modern standards and with state-of-the-art technology, will enable the continuation of long-term measurements by the scientific observatories for meteorology, geophysics and atmospheric chemistry, as well as the establishment of new research projects.

Information: The snow-covered Neumayer Station is located on shelf ice that is 650′ (200m) thick and almost completely flat. All that can be seen from the distance are the towers of the station entrance, which project 6-7′ over the snow. The shelf ice margin, where supply ships moor, is 6 miles (10k) away. The station consists of two parallel steel tubes, each of which is 26′ (8m) in diameter and around 300′ (90m) long, in which containers are inserted to accommodate living quarters, kitchen, mess, hospital, various laboratories, workshops, radio operator’s room, sanitary facilities, two power supply stations and a snow melting plant.

Science: A research observatory for geophysical, meteorological and air chemistry measurements as well as atmospheric ozone monitoring.

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