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Station
Camp
Shelter
Laboratory
Station
Camp
Shelter
Laboratory

Background

Cap Prud'homme

http://www.institut-polaire.fr/ipev-en/support-for-science/antarctica/dumont-durville/

Antarctic

Open

Camp

France

None

1994

January; February; November; December

Introduction

Cap Prudhomme Station is a French-Italian station managed by the (French Polar Institute Paul-Emile Victor (IPEV) and the Programma Nazionale di Ricerche in Antartide (PNRA)

The station was established in the early 1990’s on the Antarctic continent, close to the sea and at about 5 km far from Dumont d’Urville station. It is the point of departure of the traverses to Concordia station. There is no ice free area around the station. There is no protected area in the immediate vicinity.

The station is built on a rock near the coast but its surroundings are entirely covered by ice or snow. There is no fauna or flora.

The joint French-Italian station Cape Prud'homme forms an integral part of the Concordia project. It offers a gateway to Concordia for the transport of heavy tools and equipment, following delivery by the resupply vessel L’Astrolabe to Dumont d'Urville station. In this context, and because Dumont d’Urville station is not on the continent itself, Cap Prudhomme was established for the development and maintenance of the traverse equipment (tractors, trailers, accommodation caravans), its winter storage, and preparation of transport convoys. The site was selected because it was used from 1955 as Antarctica Gateway for French expeditions.

Few scientific activities are conducted at Cap Prudhomme station, except some glaciological studies of the Astrolabe Glacier. Since 2012, scientific traverses have been developed for pure scientific purposes.

The station is open in summer only. The staff is mainly composed of technicians working on the maintenance of the traverse equipment, as well as drivers in charge of the 3 convoys per year.

Access to Cap Prudhomme station is mainly by ship (L’Astrolabe) via Dumont d’Urville Station. A runway on snow allows landing of small aircrafts (Twin Otter or Basler) for the links between Concordia and the Italian station Mario Zucchelli.

Operator

Institut Polaire Francais (IPEV)

Government

Institut Polaire Francais (IPEV)

http://www.institut-polaire.fr/language/en/

Data Source

Partner Institution

Yes

ENEA / PNRA

Italy

Location

CO1104

66° 41' 25.6'' S

139° 54' 43'' E

Continental Antarctica

L - Continental coastal-zone ice sheet

13 Adelie Land

10

0

2700

2700

10

10

Ice-free ground

Climate

None

Coastal Antarctica

Snow

43

SE

-12

-6

-18

January; February; March; December

January; February

Features

Crevasse; Ice cap or glacier; Ice tongue

Disciplines

Glaciology

Human Activities

No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Infrastructure

CO1104

830

20

None

810

22

Yes

Yes

Fossil fuel; Renewable

230

24

No

Staff Capacity

22

8

0

0

30

0

Scientific Equipment

Glacier mass balance

Medical Facilities

Yes

15

Medical doctor

2

Basic

Other

None

10

1

0

1500

2700

No

Yes

Vehicles

Dumont d'Urville boats are also available in Cap Prudhomme: 1 barge 13 m x 280 HP, 1 pontoon 50 T, 2 dinghys 80 HP, 2 dinghys 10 HP

2 Kassbohrer Flexmobile, 2 Bull Cat D4, 1 excavator Cat 330, Kassbohrer grading machines, 7 Cat Challenger 65x, 6 Cat Challenger MT 865x

Workshop facilities

Mechanical; Metal workshop

Communications

E-mail; Internet; Satellite phone; Telephone; VHF

Access

Air; Sea

Aircraft landing facilities

1

1300

50

NW - SE, Landing with skis

Airstrip at 15 km from the station, on the Continent, at D10 (close to Cap Prudhomme station)

Snow

Yes

Transport and freight

Airplane; Helicopter; Ship; Other

barge

5

January; February; November; December

Floating dock/Pontoon; Pier/Jetty

15

January; February; October; November; December

Access To The Facility

Pictures

Prud'Homme Base (Credits: Bruno et Marie Cusa

Prud'homme Base (Credits: Eduardo Daforno)

Prud'homme Base (Credits: Pierre Katell)

Prud'homme Base (Credits: Pierre Katelle)

Prud'homme Base (Credits: Pierre Katelle)

Prud'Homme Base (Credits: Bruno et Marie Cusa)

Prud'homme Base (Credits: Pierre Katell)

Prud'homme traverse (Credits: Pierre Katell)

Prud'homme Open workshop (Credits: Yves Frenot)

Prud'homme Twin Otter landing (Credits: Pierre Katell)

Prud'homme Weather station (Credits: Vincent Favier)

Prud'Homme Workshop (Credits: Bruno et Marie Cusa)