Palmer Station

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Palmer Station

Palmer Station, located on Anvers Island (64.77° S 64.05° W), is Antarctica's only U.S. station north of the Antarctic Circle. Although it is on an island, permanent ice often connects it with the mainland. Construction finished in 1968.

1 Station Description
2 Science
3 Station Supply and Transport
4 In Film
5 External links

[edit] Station Description

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, which is the normal austral summer contingent. Palmer is staffed year-round, however, and the population drops to between 15 and 20 people for 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 current facility is the second Palmer Station; "Old Palmer" was located about a mile to the northwest adjacent to the site of the British Antarctic Survey "Base N", built in the mid fifties. 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 Foundations environmental cleanup efforts in the early 1990's.

Most of the station's personnel are seasonal employees of the U.S. Antarctic Program's main support contractor, currently Raytheon Polar Services Company. A representative of the National Science Foundation is always on-station as the station manager.

[edit] Science

The vast majority of the science research conducted at Palmer Station centers around zoology. Palmer Station is located adjacent to several large penguin rookeries -- adelie, 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.

Underwater research is conducted from the R/V Laurence M. Gould, which routinely docks at the station so that the marine biologists on board can use the station's laboratories.

[edit] Station Supply and Transport

Palmer Station is regularly re-supplied by the Research Vessel 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 USAP'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 arduous 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 an operator based in Norway. The "Duke" was replaced by the "Laurence M. Gould" in 1997.

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.

[edit] In Film

The 1981 Japanese film Fukkatsu no hi (Virus) takes place largely at Palmer Station, with George Kennedy as Admiral Conway, the station's commanding officer.