Gondwana

Antarctic

Open

Station

Germany

None

1983

January; February; March; October; November; December

Gondwana, Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe (BGR)

Gondawana Station is located on a small peninsula at Gerlache Inlet, in the Terra Nova Bay area. The Terra Nova Bay is part of the Ross Sea and is surrounded by Campbell Glacier Tongues and the Drygalski Ice Tongue along the coast of Victoria Land. The Terra Nova Bay is designated as a Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA 116).

The region is characterized by a high diversity at both species and community levels (sponge, anthozoan).

The Terra Nova Bay region has a well established and long-term scientific history. The first station building was erected in 1983during the GANOVEX-III (German Antarctic North Victoria Land Expedition) experiment as a bivouac hut. Gondwana was enlarged and upgraded from a bivouac hut to a summer station. During GANOVEX IX (2005/06) the station was restored. The main building consists of two rows of eight 20ft-containers which are connected by a corridor to which all rooms open, i.e. workshop, food store, kitchen, mess and sanitary rooms, the radio room, a lounge and further rooms for scientific programs. In a separate building, the generators are positioned, as well as a seawater desalination plant and the biological sewage treatment. During expeditions, most of the expedition members use tents for sleeping.

Gondwana Station is used as a logistic base for field parties. The station is operated by the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR). Field parties will start from Gondawana Station to obtain extensive geoscience studies on the evolution of the Antarctic continent.

Gondwana Station is located in the Terra Nova Bay region. In this region the Italien permanent Station Mario Zucchelli (ca. 7km distance) and the South Korean station Jang Bogo (1.4 km distance).

The station can be reached either by ship or airplane. The sea ice conditions are generally favourable for aircraft operation (including Hercules C-130) early in the season. Later in the season landings are only possible on Browning Pass west of Gondwana. In this case helicopter shuttle flights have to provide the linkage to the Gondwana Station.

Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe (BGR)

Government

Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe (BGR)

http://www.bgr.bund.de/EN/

0000-00-00

No