Mt. Erebus is a 13,000 foot high active volcano about 25 miles from McMurdo Station; both are on Ross Island off the coast of Antarctica at the edge of the Ross Ice Shelf.
Mt. Erebus is a 13,000 foot high active volcano about 25 miles from McMurdo Station; both are on Ross Island off the coast of Antarctica at the edge of the Ross Ice Shelf.
McMurdo Station, the largest of the three main US bases in Antarctica, has a summer population of about 1200 people, including scientists and military and civilian support personnel. In the winter (April-October), the population drops to about 200, and except for emergencies, there are no flights in or out during those six months of twilight and darkness.
At the beginning of the summer, large aircraft (C-141's and C-5's) can land on a temporary ice runway, which melts away by December. At that point, air traffic is restricted to the smaller LC-130's, equipped with skis, that land on a snow runway at Williams Field, about 6 miles from McMurdo. Helicopters and small planes such as Twin Otters are also used.
After the annual sea ice has begun to melt, a Coast Guard ice-breaker cuts a channel for a resupply ship.
McMurdo Station:
Williams "Willy" Field:
Other Stuff:
