Palmer Station
McMurdo Station on the Ross Island in McMurdo Sound; Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station at the geographic South Pole and Palmer Station on the Antarctic Peninsula. Additional temporary field stations are set up during the austral summer.
Palmer’s climate is milder than that of the other stations, primarily because of the influence of a polar-maritime air mass. Average temperatures range between 2°C (36°F) in the summer to a cool minus 10°C (14°F) in the winter when we will be there.
The station is built on Anvers Island’s solid rock and sits at 64°46’South, 64°03’West. It is relatively isolated and relies heavily on the LMG to transport passengers and supplies.
It is not regularly served by airplane and does not maintain a landing field. Our ship will deliver a highly anticipated cargo, ranging from fresh vegetables to fuel.
The base is made up of several buildings, fuel tanks and a dock. With a population of about 44 in the summer and 20 in the winter, housing is college dorm-style, so most people have a roommate.
When scientists are not conducting lab or field-based research, two of the highlights are chartering a boat for wildlife watching and relaxing in the open air hot tub. A long-standing Palmer tradition is to warm up in the hot tub, then jump into the freezing ocean for a refreshing blast!
Our crew spends just 5 days days at Palmer Station. In addition to providing science support, I will use this opportunity to soak in the hot tub, shoot penguin video and try to understand the Antarctic addiction.