McMurdo Antarctica on the map. McMurdo Antarctic Station. Life at McMurdo Station

Mac Murdo, Archibald, a British naval officer who took part in the exploration of the Antarctic. McMurdo Strait is a strait off the coast of Antarctica. McMurdo (ice shelf) ice shelf. Mac Murdo... ... Wikipedia

McMurdo (Antarctic station) is the largest Antarctic station. McMurdo Strait is a strait off the coast of Antarctica. McMurdo (glacier) ice shelf. See also McMurdo Highway South Pole road in Antarctica connecting McMurdo Station... ... Wikipedia

View of McMurdo from Overlook Hill McMurdo is the largest settlement and research center in Antarctica, owned by the United States. McMurdo also serves as the largest port and transportation hub in Antarctica, serving other stations and... ... Wikipedia

Archibald McMurdo (eng. Archibald McMurdo; September 24, 1812 (18120924)) officer of the Royal Navy of Great Britain, after whom a strait, an Antarctic station, an ice shelf, and also ... ... Wikipedia are named in Antarctica

Coordinates: 90°00′00″ S w. 139°16′00″ W long / 90° S w. 139 ... Wikipedia

Third voyage of the Fram Fram in Antarctica ... Wikipedia

Coordinates: 90° S w. 0°E long / 90° S w. 0°E d. ... Wikipedia

Its ice-covered waters extend approximately 55 km in length and width. In the north, the strait opens into the Ross Sea. On the western shore of the strait rises the Royal Society Range mountain, 4205 meters above sea level, and on the southern side the strait ends with the McMurdo Ice Shelf. The eastern border is Ross Island, the starting point of many early Antarctic expeditions. On the island there is an active volcano Erebus, which has a height of 3794 meters, and on the southern side are the largest scientific bases in Antarctica: McMurdo Base (USA) and Scott Base (New Zealand). Less than 10% of McMurdo Sound's coastline is ice-free. The strait is located approximately 1,300 km from the South Pole.

The strait was discovered by Captain James Clark Ross in February 1841 and was named after Lieutenant Archibald McMurdo of the expedition ship HMS Terror. Today, McMurdo Sound serves as the final route for support cargo ships and aircraft landing on the floating ice near McMurdo Station. The constant presence of scientists and technical personnel at the station since 1957-1958 has transformed Winter parking bay into an extremely polluted harbor.

Cold circumpolar currents reduce the flow of warm waters from the Southern and Pacific Oceans reaching McMurdo Sound and other Antarctic coastal waters. Strong katabatic winds blowing down from the Polar Plateau make Antarctica the windiest continent in the world. In winter, McMurdo Sound is covered with ice, the thickness of which varies between 3 meters. In the summer, pack ice breaks off, and then wind and strong currents can move it further north, creating cold deep currents that penetrate the world's ocean basins. During the polar night, temperatures at McMurdo Station can drop to −51 °C. December and January are the warmest months, the average temperature maximum is around −1 °C.

Meaning

The role of McMurdo Sound as a strategically important waterway dates back to the early 20th century. British explorers Ernest Shackleton and Robert Scott built bases on the shores of the strait, which served as starting points for their expeditions to the South Pole.

McMurdo Sound continues to be important today. Cargo and passenger planes land on the airfield's icy runway Williams Field located on the McMurdo Ice Shelf. In addition, every year cargo ships and tankers enter the strait to carry out the necessary supplies for the needs of the continent's largest scientific base - McMurdo Station. Both the American base and New Zealand's Scott Base are located on the southern tip of Ross Island.

Ross Island is the southernmost point of Antarctica, located in the zone of navigable accessibility, and Winter mooring bay in McMurdo Sound - the southernmost seaport in the world. However, its availability depends on favorable ice conditions in the strait.

During the winter months, McMurdo is almost completely covered in ice. Even in summer, ships entering it are sometimes blocked by one-year-old ( solder) and multi-year ice, which necessitates the use of icebreakers. However, ocean currents and strong Antarctic winds can carry pack ice north into the Ross Sea, temporarily freeing the gulf waters from ice.

(this is why the strait is sometimes called a bay). The eastern border is Ross Island, the starting point of many early Antarctic expeditions. On the island there is an active volcano Erebus, which has a height of 3794 meters, and on the southern side there are scientific bases: McMurdo Base (USA, the largest on the continent) and Scott Base (New Zealand). Less than 10% of McMurdo Sound's coastline is ice-free. The strait is located approximately 1,300 km from the South Pole.

Cold circumpolar currents reduce the flow of warm waters from the Southern and Pacific Oceans reaching McMurdo Sound and other Antarctic coastal waters. Strong katabatic winds blowing down from the Polar Plateau make Antarctica the windiest continent in the world. In winter, McMurdo Sound is covered with ice, the thickness of which varies between 3 meters. In the summer, pack ice breaks off, and then wind and strong currents can move it further north, creating cold deep currents that penetrate the world's ocean basins. During the polar night, temperatures at McMurdo Station can drop to −51°C. December and January are the warmest months, the average temperature maximum is around −1 °C.

Meaning

The role of McMurdo Sound as a strategically important waterway dates back to the early 20th century. British explorers Ernest Shackleton and Robert Scott built bases along the shores of the strait, which served as their starting points on expeditions to the South Pole.

McMurdo Sound continues to be important today. Cargo and passenger planes land on the airfield's icy runway Williams Field located on the McMurdo Ice Shelf. In addition, every year cargo ships and tankers enter the strait to carry out necessary supplies for the needs of the continent's largest scientific base, McMurdo Station. Both the American base and New Zealand's Scott Base are on the southern tip of Ross Island.

Ross Island is the southernmost point of Antarctica, located in the zone of navigable accessibility, and Winter mooring bay in McMurdo Sound - the southernmost seaport in the world. However, its availability depends on favorable ice conditions in the strait.

During the winter months, McMurdo is almost completely covered in ice. Even in summer, ships entering it are sometimes blocked by one-year-old ( solder) and multi-year ice, which necessitates the use of icebreakers. However, ocean currents and strong Antarctic winds can carry pack ice north into the Ross Sea, temporarily freeing the waters of the strait from ice.

Archibald McMurdo(eng. Archibald McMurdo; September 24, 1812 - November 14, 1875) - officer of the Royal Navy of Great Britain, after whom a strait, an Antarctic station, an ice shelf, as well as an area and a highway in Antarctica are named. Biography Archibald McMurdo was born on September 24, 1812, and entered the Navy on October 6, 1824, at the age of 12, becoming a cadet. In 1836 he received the rank of lieutenant, commander in 1843 and captain in 1851. His career included two exploration expeditions, the first of which took place on HMS Terror. During it, McMurdo Strait was discovered and named after Archibald.

From 1838 McMurdo served as a lieutenant on HMS Volage in eastern India. In 1846, with the rank of commander, he commanded HMS Contest off the coast of West Africa. Archibald McMurdo retired with the rank of vice admiral.

McMurdo Base

(MacMurdo) main base for US Antarctic expeditions. Named after Admiral McMurde. Located on Victoria Land (West Antarctica), on the southern tip of Ross Island, attached to the mainland by the ice shelf (77° 51" S, 166° 37" E). It has existed since 1956. Systematic meteorological and geophysical observations are carried out at the base. The largest populated area (with a changing population) in Antarctica (in winter the base staff is 200-250 people, in summer it increases to 3-4 thousand people). The village has residential buildings, scientific laboratories, a radio station, 2 power plants (one nuclear). In the area of ​​the village there are runways (on the ice shelf and fast ice) and places for mooring and unloading expedition ships. The base is used to supply US inland Antarctic stations, as well as to conduct field scientific research during the summer on Mary Byrd Land, Victoria Land and central Antarctica.

McMurde Strait Named after the British Admiral McMurde. A strait in Antarctica whose ice-covered waters extend approximately 55 km in length and width. In the north, the strait opens into the Ross Sea. On the western shore of the strait rises the Royal Society Range mountain, 4205 meters above sea level, and on the southern side the strait ends with the McMurdo Ice Shelf. The eastern border is Ross Island, the starting point of many early Antarctic expeditions. The island is home to the active volcano Erebus, which has a height of 3,794 meters, and on the southern side are the largest scientific bases in Antarctica: McMurdo Base (USA) and Scott Base (New Zealand). Less than 10% of McMurdo Sound's shoreline is ice-free. The strait is located approximately 1,300 km from the South Pole.

Often called “the last corner of civilization,” McMurdo Station is located in a remote part of the south polar region of the globe. The American Research Center is the largest camp of its kind. It is the last accessible place on the White Continent that can be reached by ship. Research is conducted here in the fields of aeronomy and astrophysics, biology and medicine, geology and geophysics, glaciology and glacial geology, oceanic and climate systems. Antarctic Biennial participants, artists and writers also work near McMurdo Station.

US scientific base

The station was built on the edge of McMurdo Sound next to the Ross Glacier near New Zealand. The research center owes its name to this strait, which in turn was named in honor of Lieutenant Archibald McMurdo. He mapped out the area in 1841 under the command of a British explorer. British explorer Robert Scott first established a base near the site in 1902 and built the open hut that still stands next to the harbor at Hut Point.

The United States officially opened its first station here on February 16, 1956. The founders originally called it the McMurdo Naval Air Facility. It evolved from a camp within "Operation Deep Freeze". The station was simply a collection of tents before the buildings were built.

House for scientists and tourists

It explores everything from climate change to Antarctic wildlife, shifting ice shelves and everything else that can help us better understand this most mysterious part of the world. Over the past two decades, there have been tens of thousands of polar underwater hyperbaric chamber expeditions. McMurdo serves as the final support base for extreme exploration missions.

Despite the fact that most of the work is carried out during the sunny “summer” months, McMurdo does not slow down in the winter. During the peak season, about 1,200 people live here, while about 250 residents remain during the quiet period.

Grocers stock international cuisine, carpenters and construction workers maintain the place, bus drivers transport passengers and cargo, gardeners maintain greenhouses, and everyone, oddly enough, eats ice cream.

This is its own separate world with special intentions and goals. It boasts a chapel, several ATMs, a golf course, three landing strips, a fire station, a post office and two bars. Of course, McMurdo Station is too remote a place to come here for a drink. However, visiting this incredibly beautiful and interesting place is one of the highlights for guests on Antarctic cruises. McMurdo is perhaps one of the most exciting cities you could visit.

Life at McMurdo Station

Antarctica is often described as a fascinating place. Its magnetic pull, dramatic beauty of landscapes, incredible wildlife and surreal experiences will captivate you and keep you coming back for more. McMurdo Station is no exception. Many of the residents and scientists who work and live here return year after year.

Recorded extreme temperatures in these parts reached -50 degrees and +8 degrees Celsius. The average value is -18 °C. Drifting snow can accumulate up to 1.5 meters per year, although the station thaws in the summer. The average wind is about 5.1 meters per second, with a gust of 52 meters per second recorded in July 1968.

McMurdo Station

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In such conditions, station residents need reliable equipment. Maximum protection from precipitation, cold and wind is often provided by the Canada Goose brand. But in addition to the Canadian brand, The North Face also produces warm clothes for expeditions. They even named one of their models after the Antarctic station. Their McMurdo parka, made from durable nylon with a HyVent membrane, symbolizes exploration and complete protection, even at the pole.

Life on McMurdo today is calm and extraordinary at the same time. Enthusiasts hold art exhibitions, head to the pub to listen to live music and take part in marathons. Although Antarctica is a huge laboratory that attracts many scientists, it also attracts people from the arts. The National Science Foundation, which supports much of the research, has a program for artists and writers. It featured science fiction writer Kim Stanley Robinson and musician Henry Kaiser. The program's goal: to increase people's understanding of the continent and document America's Antarctic heritage.

In recent years, new programs have emerged aimed at studying the environment of the Southern Ocean, monitoring climate changes, temperature, composition and dynamics of the middle and upper atmosphere of McMurdo.