NSF PR 96-34 - June 12, 1996
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NSF Ship Delivers Emergency Provisions to Russian
Antarctic Base
Tonight and during the early hours of Thursday morning
(EST), the National Science Foundation research vessel
Nathaniel B. Palmer, plans to deliver approximately
four tons of food to Russia's Mirny station. Thirty-eight
people are spending the dark Antarctic winter on the
Russian base, where temperatures are currently approximately
15 degrees Celcius below zero.
"Without NSF's aid, the Russian station's supplies
would run out within several days," said Erick Chiang.
The Russian resupply ship, Akademik Federov normally
supplies the station, but is behind schedule due to
mechanical problems. It is expected to reach another
Russian station, Molodezhnayav within a week and to
arrive at Mirny within several weeks. Currently, the
Akademik Federov is operating at only about 70 percent
of its propulsion capacity.
The U.S. National Science Foundation, which runs the
U.S. Antarctic Research Program, has agreed for humanitarian
reasons to provide emergency provisions to Mirny.
The Nathaniel B. Palmer routinely carries extra provisions
because of the uncertainty of conditions in the Antarctic
winter. The ship, one of two ice-breaking research
vessels operated by NSF, was in the vicinity of Mirny
on a scientific cruise to study circulation of the
world ocean as part of the World Ocean Circulation
Experiment (WOCE). The cruise began in South Africa
and will end in Hobart, Australia; the cruise track
follows the edge of Antarctica's sea ice. The humanitarian
diversion to Mirny, requires only a minor (about 5
degrees of longitude) deviation from the planned course.
Mirny is the logistics base for a Russian inland station,
Vostok, home of a U.S.-Russian-French ice core project
which has produced the world's longest ice core for
climate studies. Mirny is essential for Vostok's maintenance.
Vostok is currently closed for the winter due to budget
constraints. If Mirny is not resupplied, and if an
emergency evacuation is necessary, next summer's research
at Vostok could be threatened.
The NSF funds and manages the U.S. Antarctic Research
Program. Each year, some 2,500 Americans support research
on the Southern most continent. The NSF operates three
year- round research stations and two research ships.
On U.S. bases, the summer population exceeds 1,000
residents; about 250 people winter over.
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