SANAE IV
Encyclopedia
SANAE IV is the current research base of the South African National Antarctic Expedition
and is part of the South African National Antarctic Program (SANAP). The other two bases in SANAP are Gough Island
and Marion Island.
region of Eastern or Greater Antarctica, SANAE IV is on top of a distinctive flat-topped nunatak
, Vesleskarvet
, on the fringe of the Ahlmann Range of mountains. The base is approximately 80 km from the edge of the continent (also known as the grounding line or hinge zone) and 160 km from the edge of the ice shelf
. Vesleskarvet is completely surrounded by the glacial ice sheet
.
research stations were located on the Fimbul Ice Shelf
near to the coast, and were subject to the gradual snow burial and eventual crushing that occurs with all stations constructed in this fashion. With a vision of creating a more permanent station, SANAE IV was completed in 1997 using a design which was revolutionary at the time - a structure raised on stilts which allows snow to blow through underneath and thus limits deposition.
By constructing the base near the cliffs of Vesleskarvet, the concept was advanced further: snow that would collect downwind of the base and eventually advance to cover it is instead blown off the 250 m high cliffs into the wind-scoop beyond. By virtue of this clever design, the station should far exceed the short useful life of its predecessors, and the raised design has since been applied to newer stations, such as the British Antarctic Survey
's new Halley Research Station
and Germany's new Neumayer
III.
The station has an orange coloured roof for better visibility from the air. The underside of the station used to be painted in a blue colour which in theory was warmed somewhat by the sun and contributed to reducing the build-up of ice undernearth the station. In 1999 the South African minister of Environment and Tourism decided that this colour scheme is too reminiscent of South Africa's old flag, and ordered the orange roof to be painted bright red. Eventually, the roof remained orange but the blue underside was painted red.
used for communications and the diesel fuel bunkers. Joined end-on-end in a north-south orientation, the base modules are complemented on the northern end by a large raised helicopter landing area with a lifting section allowing vehicles to be brought up into the hangar for maintenance.
C-block, the northern-most module, contains the large hangar, generator room, workshop, water storage, sewage processing plant, equipment stores, offices of the mechanical and electrical engineers, flight operations office, gymnasium and sauna. The neutron monitor
s of the North-West University
are also housed in this area.
B-block, the middle module, contains the kitchen, dining area, two TV lounges, bar, games room, smoker's room, library, a laundry and accommodation units.
A-block, the southern module, contains the radio room and communications hub, medical facility, darkroom, various research project offices, leader's office, two physics labs, wet lab, store-rooms, another laundry, and accommodation units.
The modules are linked by single-story connections that also serve as entrances with stairways down to the surface 4m below the base. Each link contains an entrance hall with two sets of doors (creating a rudimentary 'air-lock' to prevent excessive cooling when entering and exiting the base) as well as a change-room, ablution facility and electronic distribution boards.
Although the base is well insulated by its half-meter thick walls and triple-glazed windows, the internal areas have to be actively warmed. This is accomplished by three means. Firstly, the heat generated by the diesel generators is used to heat water for the taps and showers, which is then circulated through the base. Secondly, the same generator heat is used to heat air which is distributed by the climate control system. Thirdly, small electric wall and fan heaters are available in all indoor areas. Efforts are made to maintain the interior temperature at 18 °C, although some areas (such as the hangar) do cool well below this in winter.
SANAE IV has advanced communications capabilities using both satellite and radio systems. A permanent satellite connection to the SANAP headquarters in Cape Town
provides three telephone lines and one fax line, and near-broadband internet access. Team members in Antarctica enjoy fast internet access which allows them to correspond with colleagues and stay in contact with friends and family.
, stays at the base through the austral winter and returns to South Africa at the end of the next summer season - an expedition of approximately 16 months. The summer expedition and re-supply team (excluding ship's crew) consists of 80–100 persons, and includes administrative staff, heavy vehicle operators, helicopter crew, maintenance staff, the new overwintering team and a large scientific contingent. During the brief summer (typically December/January to February/March) the base must be resupplied with food, equipment and fuel, all waste products must be removed for transport back to South Africa, the new overwintering team must receive on-site training, and scientific investigations which cannot be undertaken in the winter months (such as extended field-work) must be completed.
The overwintering team remains at the base alone and isolated between the months of March and December. To be fully self-sufficient, the team typically consists of the following personnel:
An expedition leader is selected from the overwintering team prior to the departure of the expedition, and a deputy elected to serve in his place should the need arise. The expedition leader is responsible for administrative tasks and reports to the South African National Antarctic Programme headquarters in South Africa.
, biology
, geology
and geomorphology
. Recent projects have also focused on sources of renewable energy
such as solar and particularly wind power
generation. There is not currently any formal medical research being undertaken.
Ongoing physical science research programs includes the Antarctic Magnetospheric and Ionospheric Ground-based Observation (AMIGO
), Southern Hemisphere Auroral Radar Experiment (SHARE
) and Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN), Antarctic Research on Cosmic Rays (ANOKS), very low frequency
(VLF) radio research and various International Polar Year
projects.
Detailed information about the research projects may be found under the research section of the SANAP webpage
SANAE
SANAE is the South African National Antarctic Expedition. The name refers both to the overwintering bases, and the team spending the winter . The current base, SANAE IV, is located at Vesleskarvet in Queen Maud Land, Antarctica...
and is part of the South African National Antarctic Program (SANAP). The other two bases in SANAP are Gough Island
Gough Island
Gough Island , also known historically as Gonçalo Álvares or Diego Alvarez, is a volcanic island in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is a dependency of Tristan da Cunha and part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha...
and Marion Island.
Location
Located in the Queen Maud LandQueen Maud Land
Queen Maud Land is a c. 2.7 million-square-kilometre region of Antarctica claimed as a dependent territory by Norway. The territory lies between 20° west and 45° east, between the British Antarctic Territory to the west and the Australian Antarctic Territory to the east. The latitudinal...
region of Eastern or Greater Antarctica, SANAE IV is on top of a distinctive flat-topped nunatak
Nunatak
A nunatak is an exposed, often rocky element of a ridge, mountain, or peak not covered with ice or snow within an ice field or glacier. The term is typically used in areas where a permanent ice sheet is present...
, Vesleskarvet
Vesleskarvet
Vesleskarvet is a nunatak in Queen Maud Land, Antarctica. Its western side consists of a series of cliffs, approximately 250 m high, while the eastern side slopes more gradually down to the icefields...
, on the fringe of the Ahlmann Range of mountains. The base is approximately 80 km from the edge of the continent (also known as the grounding line or hinge zone) and 160 km from the edge of the ice shelf
Ice shelf
An ice shelf is a thick, floating platform of ice that forms where a glacier or ice sheet flows down to a coastline and onto the ocean surface. Ice shelves are only found in Antarctica, Greenland and Canada. The boundary between the floating ice shelf and the grounded ice that feeds it is called...
. Vesleskarvet is completely surrounded by the glacial ice sheet
Ice sheet
An ice sheet is a mass of glacier ice that covers surrounding terrain and is greater than 50,000 km² , thus also known as continental glacier...
.
Concept
The first three SANAESANAE
SANAE is the South African National Antarctic Expedition. The name refers both to the overwintering bases, and the team spending the winter . The current base, SANAE IV, is located at Vesleskarvet in Queen Maud Land, Antarctica...
research stations were located on the Fimbul Ice Shelf
Fimbul Ice Shelf
Fimbul Ice Shelf is an ice shelf about 120 miles long and 60 miles wide, nourished by Jutulstraumen Glacier, bordering the coast of Queen Maud Land from 3° W to 3° E...
near to the coast, and were subject to the gradual snow burial and eventual crushing that occurs with all stations constructed in this fashion. With a vision of creating a more permanent station, SANAE IV was completed in 1997 using a design which was revolutionary at the time - a structure raised on stilts which allows snow to blow through underneath and thus limits deposition.
By constructing the base near the cliffs of Vesleskarvet, the concept was advanced further: snow that would collect downwind of the base and eventually advance to cover it is instead blown off the 250 m high cliffs into the wind-scoop beyond. By virtue of this clever design, the station should far exceed the short useful life of its predecessors, and the raised design has since been applied to newer stations, such as the British Antarctic Survey
British Antarctic Survey
The British Antarctic Survey is the United Kingdom's national Antarctic operation and has an active role in Antarctic affairs. BAS is part of the Natural Environment Research Council and has over 400 staff. It operates five research stations, two ships and five aircraft in and around Antarctica....
's new Halley Research Station
Halley Research Station
Halley Research Station, run by the British Antarctic Survey, is located on the Brunt Ice Shelf floating on the Weddell Sea in Antarctica. It is a British research facility dedicated to the study of the Earth's atmosphere...
and Germany's new Neumayer
Neumayer-Station III
Neumayer-Station III, also known as Neumayer III after geophysicist Georg von Neumayer, is a German South pole research station of the Alfred-Wegener-Institut in the Antarctic. It is located on the approximately 200-metre thick Ekstrom Ice Shelf several kilometres south of Neumayer-Station II. The...
III.
The station has an orange coloured roof for better visibility from the air. The underside of the station used to be painted in a blue colour which in theory was warmed somewhat by the sun and contributed to reducing the build-up of ice undernearth the station. In 1999 the South African minister of Environment and Tourism decided that this colour scheme is too reminiscent of South Africa's old flag, and ordered the orange roof to be painted bright red. Eventually, the roof remained orange but the blue underside was painted red.
Base layout
SANAE IV consists of three linked modules, each double-story, 44 metres (144.4 ft) long and 14 metres (45.9 ft) wide. Two smaller nearby structures contain the satellite dishSatellite dish
A satellite dish is a dish-shaped type of parabolic antenna designed to receive microwaves from communications satellites, which transmit data transmissions or broadcasts, such as satellite television.-Principle of operation:...
used for communications and the diesel fuel bunkers. Joined end-on-end in a north-south orientation, the base modules are complemented on the northern end by a large raised helicopter landing area with a lifting section allowing vehicles to be brought up into the hangar for maintenance.
C-block, the northern-most module, contains the large hangar, generator room, workshop, water storage, sewage processing plant, equipment stores, offices of the mechanical and electrical engineers, flight operations office, gymnasium and sauna. The neutron monitor
Neutron monitor
A neutron monitor is a ground-based detector designed to measure the number of high-energy charged particles striking the Earth's atmosphere from outer space. For historical reasons the incoming particles are called "cosmic rays", but in fact they are particles, predominantly protons and Helium...
s of the North-West University
North-West University
The North-West University is a newly merged institution from 1 January 2004 onwards with four campuses at Potchefstroom, Mafikeng, Vanderbijlpark and Mankwe. The Potchefstroom Campus is the largest, and the head office of the University is situated at this location...
are also housed in this area.
B-block, the middle module, contains the kitchen, dining area, two TV lounges, bar, games room, smoker's room, library, a laundry and accommodation units.
A-block, the southern module, contains the radio room and communications hub, medical facility, darkroom, various research project offices, leader's office, two physics labs, wet lab, store-rooms, another laundry, and accommodation units.
The modules are linked by single-story connections that also serve as entrances with stairways down to the surface 4m below the base. Each link contains an entrance hall with two sets of doors (creating a rudimentary 'air-lock' to prevent excessive cooling when entering and exiting the base) as well as a change-room, ablution facility and electronic distribution boards.
Facilities
The base generates power using three diesel generators. Water is generated by manually shovelling snow into a snow smelter, which then melts the snow and ice and pumps water automatically into the holding tanks. Waste water and sewerage is treated within the base, with the only by-product being clean water which is then released back into the environment. All refuse is sorted, crushed and sealed in empty fuel drums for return to South Africa.Although the base is well insulated by its half-meter thick walls and triple-glazed windows, the internal areas have to be actively warmed. This is accomplished by three means. Firstly, the heat generated by the diesel generators is used to heat water for the taps and showers, which is then circulated through the base. Secondly, the same generator heat is used to heat air which is distributed by the climate control system. Thirdly, small electric wall and fan heaters are available in all indoor areas. Efforts are made to maintain the interior temperature at 18 °C, although some areas (such as the hangar) do cool well below this in winter.
SANAE IV has advanced communications capabilities using both satellite and radio systems. A permanent satellite connection to the SANAP headquarters in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
provides three telephone lines and one fax line, and near-broadband internet access. Team members in Antarctica enjoy fast internet access which allows them to correspond with colleagues and stay in contact with friends and family.
Staff
The base is staffed and maintained year-round by a team of scientists and support personnel. Each overwintering team arrives during the summer expedition and take-over period aboard the research and logistics vessel SA AgulhasSA Agulhas
The SA Agulhas is an ice-strengthened research vessel. She was built in 1977, by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Shimonoseki, Japan. The SA Agulhas is South Africa's polar research vessel...
, stays at the base through the austral winter and returns to South Africa at the end of the next summer season - an expedition of approximately 16 months. The summer expedition and re-supply team (excluding ship's crew) consists of 80–100 persons, and includes administrative staff, heavy vehicle operators, helicopter crew, maintenance staff, the new overwintering team and a large scientific contingent. During the brief summer (typically December/January to February/March) the base must be resupplied with food, equipment and fuel, all waste products must be removed for transport back to South Africa, the new overwintering team must receive on-site training, and scientific investigations which cannot be undertaken in the winter months (such as extended field-work) must be completed.
The overwintering team remains at the base alone and isolated between the months of March and December. To be fully self-sufficient, the team typically consists of the following personnel:
- An electronic engineer who doubles as communications technician,
- A mechanical engineer responsible for the base systems
- An electrical engineer who manages power generation and distribution
- Two diesel mechanics responsible for maintenance of the diesel generators, heavy vehicles and skidoos
- A meteorologist who performs both observations and forecasting
- A cosmic rayCosmic rayCosmic rays are energetic charged subatomic particles, originating from outer space. They may produce secondary particles that penetrate the Earth's atmosphere and surface. The term ray is historical as cosmic rays were thought to be electromagnetic radiation...
physicist/engineer responsible for various research projects - A high frequency radarRadarRadar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
physicist/engineer responsible for the auroral radarSouthern Hemisphere Auroral Radar ExperimentThe Southern Hemisphere Auroral Radar Experiment , started 1988, is an Antarctic research project designed to observe velocities and irregularities of electrical fields in the ionosphere and magnetosphere...
projects - A third scientist responsible for the International Polar YearInternational Polar YearThe International Polar Year is a collaborative, international effort researching the polar regions. Karl Weyprecht, an Austro-Hungarian naval officer, motivated the endeavor, but died before it first occurred in 1882-1883. Fifty years later a second IPY occurred...
projects and other installations - A medical doctor
An expedition leader is selected from the overwintering team prior to the departure of the expedition, and a deputy elected to serve in his place should the need arise. The expedition leader is responsible for administrative tasks and reports to the South African National Antarctic Programme headquarters in South Africa.
Research
SANAE IV's reason for existence is to provide a permanent year-round base for scientists undertaking research projects under the auspices of SANAP. Investigations carried-out year-round are predominantly in the physical sciences, while the summer months allow research in more diverse fields such as oceanographyOceanography
Oceanography , also called oceanology or marine science, is the branch of Earth science that studies the ocean...
, biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
and geomorphology
Geomorphology
Geomorphology is the scientific study of landforms and the processes that shape them...
. Recent projects have also focused on sources of renewable energy
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
such as solar and particularly wind power
Wind power
Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electricity, windmills for mechanical power, windpumps for water pumping or drainage, or sails to propel ships....
generation. There is not currently any formal medical research being undertaken.
Ongoing physical science research programs includes the Antarctic Magnetospheric and Ionospheric Ground-based Observation (AMIGO
Amigo
Amigo is the Portuguese and Spanish word for "friend" in the masculine and may refer to:-People with the name:* fabian amigo , a Spanish Roman Catholic archbishop emeritus of Seville-Businesses and products:...
), Southern Hemisphere Auroral Radar Experiment (SHARE
Southern Hemisphere Auroral Radar Experiment
The Southern Hemisphere Auroral Radar Experiment , started 1988, is an Antarctic research project designed to observe velocities and irregularities of electrical fields in the ionosphere and magnetosphere...
) and Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN), Antarctic Research on Cosmic Rays (ANOKS), very low frequency
Very low frequency
225px|thumb|right|A VLF receiving antenna at [[Palmer Station]], Antarctica, operated by Stanford UniversityVery low frequency or VLF refers to radio frequencies in the range of 3 kHz to 30 kHz. Since there is not much bandwidth in this band of the radio spectrum, only the very simplest signals...
(VLF) radio research and various International Polar Year
International Polar Year
The International Polar Year is a collaborative, international effort researching the polar regions. Karl Weyprecht, an Austro-Hungarian naval officer, motivated the endeavor, but died before it first occurred in 1882-1883. Fifty years later a second IPY occurred...
projects.
Detailed information about the research projects may be found under the research section of the SANAP webpage
See also
- Antarctica
- South African National Antarctic ProgrammeSouth African National Antarctic ProgrammeThe South African National Antarctic Programme is the South African government's program for research in the Antarctic and Subantarctic. Three research stations fall under this program, the Antarctica research station SANAE IV, and two stations named after the subantartic island that they can be...
- South African National Antarctic ExpeditionSANAESANAE is the South African National Antarctic Expedition. The name refers both to the overwintering bases, and the team spending the winter . The current base, SANAE IV, is located at Vesleskarvet in Queen Maud Land, Antarctica...
- List of research stations in Antarctica
- List of Antarctic expeditions
- Demographics of AntarcticaDemographics of AntarcticaAntarctica has no indigenous inhabitants, but there are permanently and seasonally staffed research stations, field camps, and former whaling settlements. The largest of these, McMurdo Station, has a population of about 1200 residents...
External links
- South African National Antarctic Programme - Official site
- SANAE IV at the Polar Conservation Organisation
- SANAE IV at the South African Council for Geoscience
- COMNAP Antarctic Facilities
- COMNAP Antarctic Facilities Map
- Physical environment surrounding SANAE IV http://www.doctorross.co.za/sanae-iv-physical-environment
- Link to a Google Earth way-point file for SANAE IV and surrounds http://www.doctorross.co.za/sanae-medical-facility
- Walk-through of the base with photographs of major areas http://www.doctorross.co.za/sanae-iv-base-walkthrough
- The SANAE IV medical facility http://www.doctorross.co.za/sanae-medical-facility
- The current (2008) expedition team, SANAE 47 http://www.doctorross.co.za/sanae-47-overwintering-team
- AARDDVARK research collaboration http://www.physics.otago.ac.nz/space/AARDDVARK_homepage.htm