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Antarctica Webcams
Antarctica (/ænˈtɑːrktɪkə/) is Earth's southernmost and least populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Antarctic Ocean (also known as the Southern Ocean), and contains the geographic South Pole. It is the fifth-largest continent, being about 40% larger than Europe, and has an area of 14,200,000 km2 (5,500,000 sq mi). Most of Antarctica is covered by the Antarctic ice sheet, with an average thickness of 1.9 km (1.2 mi).
Antarctica is on average, the coldest, driest, and windiest of all continents, and has the highest average elevation. It's mainly a polar desert, with annual precipitation of 200 mm (8 in) along the coast, with far less inland. It holds the record for the lowest ever measured temperature on Earth, −89.2°C (−128.6°F). The coastal regions can reach temperatures over 10°C (50°F) in the summer. Antarctica is colder than the Arctic region, as much of Antarctica is over 3,000 m (9,800 ft) above sea level, where air temperatures are colder. Native species of animals include mites, nematodes, penguins, seals and tardigrades. Where vegetation occurs, it is mostly in the form of lichen or moss.
Antarctica is governed by about 30 countries, all of which are parties of the 1959 Antarctic Treaty System. During the summer months, about 5,000 people reside at research stations, a figure that drops to around 1,000 in the winter. Thousands of expeditions have taken place across the continent, for adventure as well as science. However, due to the challenging terrain and extreme temperatures, many areas of Antarctica have not yet been fully explored, including most of East Antarctica.
At all locations in Antarctica, the sun rises and sets based on seasons rather than days as it does in mid-latitudes; hence the famous polar six months of daylight and six months of darkness.
Do note that sometimes when temperatures become too low (i.e. too cold), the webcams might have problems producing usable images. Plus, you will find that many of the cams in Antarctica don't update as often as most live webcams elsewhere do, in part because of the extreme cold environment.
(Note: This page may need reloading on some browsers for new views)
We currenty have 7 webcams from Antarctica:
McMurdo U.S. Station, Antarctica
McMurdo Station, the main U.S. station in Antarctica, is a coastal station at the southern tip of Ross Island, about 2,415 miles (3,864 km) south of Christchurch, New Zealand, and 850 miles(1,360 km) north of the South Pole. The original station was built in 1955 and 1956 for the International Geophysical Year. Today's station is the primary logistics facility for supply of inland stations and remote field camps, and is also the waste management center for much of the U.S. Antarctic Program. Year-round and summer science projects are supported at McMurdo. The mean annual temperature is 0⁰F (-18⁰C). Temperatures may reach 46⁰F (8⁰C) in summer and -58⁰F (-50⁰C) in winter. The average wind is 14 mph (12 knots), but winds have exceeded 115 mph (100 knots).
Scott Base, a New Zealand Antarctic research station, is located on a low volcanic headland called Pram Point, at the southern end of Ross Island. It is 1350km/839 miles from the South Pole. Mt Erebus, an active volcano, sits north-east and to the west. From October to February, Scott Base is a very active hub of scientists, staff and visitors. Up to 86 people can be accommodated at any one time; during the summer season, and more than 300 people stay on base.
Scott Base weather facts: Wind:
Mean speed 11.9 mph (19.1 km/h), Max speed 110.5 mph (177.8km/h), Dominant
wind direction: NE; Temperature:
Mean annual temp: -3.6⁰F (-19.8⁰C), mean temp in February: 11.7⁰F (-11.3⁰C),
Mean temp in July: -20.2⁰F (-29.0⁰C), Lowest recorded temperature at Scott
Base: -70.6⁰F (-57.0⁰C (25 September 1968). To see real time weather updates from
Scott Base, click here.
Ross Island Windfarm,
Antarctica
(From Antarctica
NZ)
Located on Ross Island's Crater Hill, the wind farm has three wind turbines that supply renewable energy for New Zealand's Scott Base and the American base at McMurdo Station. The wind farm has had a big impact since it was built in 2008-9 and started up in '09. The base’s annual fuel consumption has been cut by approximately 463,000 liters/122,312 gallons, and greenhouse gas production from both bases has been reduced by 1,242 metric tons/27,381 pounds of carbon dioxide. The Crater Hill site was selected because it has a high average annual wind speed of 28.4 kilometers/18 miles per hour, at a height of 39 meters/128 feet (the height of the wind turbine’s hub). It’s also one of the few ice-free areas on Ross Island.
Rothera, Antarctica
(From
British Antarctic Survey)
Rothera Research Station, the largest British Antarctic facility, is a center for biological research and a hub for supporting deep-field and air operations. Situated on Adelaide Island, just to the west of the Antarctic Peninsula (see the second map below) the site includes the Bonner research laboratory. Rothera station was established in 1975 to replace Adelaide station (1961–1977) after the skiway (airstrip) had deteriorated at Adelaide. The station is open throughout the year with a maximum population of 160 in the summer and an average winter population of 27.
Rothera is located just South of the Antarctic Circle. Climate wise, the mean yearly temperature here is −5.3⁰C (22.4⁰F), mild for Antarctica.
Progress station, Antarctica
Progress (Russian: Прогресс) is a Russian research station. It is located at the Larsemann Hills Antarctic oasis, on the shore of Prydz Bay, in East Antarctica. Climate data for this site shows that due to orographic features, the climatic conditions here are less severe compared to the nearest coastal stations. With that noted, the mean yearly temperature is −11.8⁰C (10.7⁰F).
Troll research station, Antarctica
(From Norwegian Polar Institute)
Troll is a Norwegian research station located at Jutulsessen, 235 kilometers (146 miles) from the coast in the eastern part of Princess Martha Coast in Queen Maud Land, Antarctica. Norway's only all-year research station in Antarctica, it is supplemented by a summer-only station Tor. Unlike most other research stations on the continent, Troll is constructed on the snow-free slope of solid rock breaking through the ice sheet at Jutulsessen, at an elevation of 1,275 meters (4,183 feet) and is located 235 kilometers (146 mi) from the coast. It has an winter population of just six people and in summer there's 70.
Being located in a desert, the station has a cold, dry climate. The annual mean temperature is −25°C (−13°F), with the summer temperature reaching to about 0°C (32°F) with the lowest temps during the winter at −50°C (−58°F). Storms, can occur throughout the year and can occasionally make outdoor activity impossible. Located south of the Antarctic Circle, Troll has nighttime sun in the summer (from about November 9th to February 1st) and a polar night during the winter (from about May 15th to July 27th).
- Maps -
This map from https://gisgeography.com/
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