Where is mcmurdo station

Status: Live. Refreshing in 30 seconds Arrival Heights. Observation Hill. RIES Construction. McMurdo Station Weather. Fetching Weather Data More Antarctic Webcams. When visitors arrive in Mac Town, they have to take a full-day safety class before they can step off solid ground onto the sea ice. Besides the obvious dangers—severe weather or unseen crevasses in the ice—there are less obvious ones.

Fire and a scarcity of water are ever-present threats. McMurdo relies on distilled seawater for its water supply; it has the only large-production saltwater distillation plant on the continent. This is a container of some x 90 m flooded with sea-water that freezes, topped by gravel to form a driving surface, and secured in place by hawsers.

After years it needs replacing, and the old one is towed away and left to drift and melt, with a beacon to warn off shipping until it sinks. Beneath the bay is a ridge which keeps icebergs away, but traps pollution. The ice here was long used as the island's refuse tip, so every spring it melted and the trash went out-of-sight, out-of-mind. A survey revealed 15 vehicles, 26 shipping containers, fuel drums and much else down there. There were also bilge-oil discharges from docked ships, and runoff from dumping sites on land.

The station's eco-rhetoric will ring hollow until this is remedied. It's compacted snow with crevasses filled in and marked by flags. It can only be traveled by specialized tractors, hauling sleds with fuel and supplies. These aren't very nimble so the trail takes a long swerve around the Transantarctic Mountains to come onto the plateau. Ski treks from coast to Pole are partly along this route, but take short-cuts through the mountains to bring the distance below km. They're one-way treks and you fly back.

No one has yet marketed the reverse trek from Pole to McMurdo, but presumably for enough money a bespoke trip could be arranged. The dog-sleds finally retired in so transport close to the bases is on foot, skis, skidoos, bus or tractors, while helicopters and light ski-aircraft venture further out. The road between McMurdo and Ross bases is a firm dirt track.

Snow tracks cross the ice to the airfields and onto the mainland, climbing into the mountainous interior. It runs whenever needed to the harbour, Scott Base and out to the airstrips to meet the flights. Conditions can turn from sparkling daylight to howling blizzard in an instant. Looking for a totally out-of-the-box experience? Then head there to work! Take a closer look at the Ice formations in Antarctica from a zodiac.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock. But we have an even better option for you. Why not join us on an Antarctica expedition cruise to the spectacular Ross Sea? This is one of the least-visited and most beautiful parts of the southern continent.

Awe-inspiring and unforgettable, a cruise to Antarctica is a bucket-list adventure everyone should experience at least once in life. What ticks her fancy most? Animal encounters in remote wilderness, authentic experiences off the beaten trail and spectacular Autumn colours in Patagonia.

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