Palmer Station Timeline

1985-95

Summer 1985-86

The BAS vessel John Biscoe was beset near Adelaide Island (13 November); after the trapped ship started drifting towards icebergs, Polar Duke was called to help. It could not free the British ship, and 64 passengers were taken to Palmer Station. Later Polarstern was able to free John Biscoe, which then returned to Palmer to pick up the personnel there.

Four-year Washington State air chemistry (clean air) project ends (December)

Construction completed on boathouse and aquarium buildings

Winter 1986

Manager: Gary Heimark; population 7 (list and photo)

Summer 1986-87

Coast Guard icebreaker Glacier completes final year of Antarctic service with science cruises and calls at Palmer Station and McMurdo--Glacier when new participated in IGY. She was decommissioned in July 1987.

Winter 1987

Manager: Rich Dunning; population 6 (list and photo)

Summer 1987-88

Winter 1988

Manager: Tom Brutscher; population 9 (list and photos)

UV monitor (Biospherical Instruments) originally installed in roof of Clean Air vestibule

Original 150 KW generators (342's) replaced with new 250 KW 3406's

Summer 1988-89

Argentine Navy vessel Bahia Paraiso hits a rock 2 miles from Palmer Station and runs aground (28 January)...

When the 430-foot vessel initially ran aground, a 30' gash was torn in the hull below the waterline. All power was soon lost, the ship rapidly listed, and the rescue efforts proceeded. Along with 300+ crew and tourists (who ended up at Palmer Station), the vessel carried an estimated 250,000 gallons of petroleum products which immediately started to become evident on the surface of Arthur Harbor. Several days later the vessel floated free and drifted closer to Palmer Station before running aground near DeLaca Island and capsizing as shown in the picture at right.

I wasn't at Palmer when this happened, but many friends were...including 1989 w/o Dave Gallas who published his amazingly detailed story of the event (link updated 30 July 2006)! (NSF photo by Ted DeLaca, Antarctic Journal 6/89)

Winter 1989

Manager, Tom Brutscher; Population 7-10 (list and photos)

T-5 further upgraded to house satellite imaging system (Seaspace/Terascan), first data received (August)

Summer 1989-90

NSF sends a preliminary site investigation to Stonington Island, site of East Base (US Antarctic Service Expedition 1939-41 and Ronne's 1947-48 expedition (March/April); the first such visit since 1976 (yes, I was along, photos coming soon). This was the first of three NSF ventures to the base, all supported by the French workboat Erebus.

Winter 1990

Manager: Andy Deering; population 11-12 (list and photo)

Summer 1990-91

Old Palmer building removed, debris from US and British occupation cleaned up

Second NSF trip made to Stonington Island, this one, to plan the future conservation efforts, included two National Park Service (NPS) preservation experts, Cathy and Robert Spude. Here is their report, extracted from the NPS publication Cultural Resource Management (Vol. 15, No. 2, 1992).

Winter 1991

Manager: Fred Fredricks; population 10-11 (list and photos)

Platform built on roof of T-5 for all-sky camera

Summer 1991-92

Bonaparte Point AWS installed (December)

Here's a 1995 photo from the AWS group in Madison. This unit, as well as the ones at Hugo Island and RACER Rocks, are regularly monitored on station using the Terascan system. Here's the LTER view, slightly different but still with the same interesting icebergs.

East Base visited, conserved, and documented by NSF archaeological team

The base on Stonington Island (south of Palmer and Rothera in Marguerite Bay), was built by the US Antarctic Service Expedition in 1939-41, and later occupied by Finn Ronne's private expedition in 1947-48. In 1991-92 an eight-man team spent 2 weeks on site in February/March collecting artifacts, cleaning and stabilizing buildings, and removing hazardous materials. The group was led by archaeologist Noel Broadbent and included OAE Mark Melcon as well as writer Michael Parfit and photographer Robb Kendrick. They documented the trip in the March 1993 National Geographic (source of this photo and this National Archives photo of the original base construction). Displays and signage were erected for future visitors.

Winter 1992

Manager: Fred Frederick; population 10-11 (list and photos)

Summer 1992-93

UV monitor relocated to new addition constructed on side of T-5

This view is from the front of the buildings; this 1996 photo is from the UCSD Keeling air sampling project. Here's another good view of the addition from the backyard side of the building.

USGS personnel install first seismic equipment, on line 3 March, in new backyard vault

The back view looking toward the station and a couple of very interesting icebergs. Too bad the photo wasn't bigger... The 3 seismometers were mounted on an existing concrete pad (old antenna foundation) on bedrock, and the structure was built around it. The original instruments were under bell jars maintained at a vacuum--something that had to be checked periodically. Data is recorded in T-5 (and now sent north by satcom). About that iceberg... it collapsed shortly after this photo was taken, and the shock caused several of the Duke's mooring lines to part. This USGS/IRIS photo was taken during the original installation visit.