NSF/OPP Antarctic Treaty Report- Expedition Dates- 2004-2005 Plans

Section II of the 2004-2005 season plan includes information concerning vessel and aircraft operations along with estimated dates of expeditions and other significant events.

Winfly Activities

Annual augmentation of the U.S. Antarctic Program (USAP) begins with austral winter flights (WINFLY), departing Christchurch, New Zealand, and arriving McMurdo Station, Antarctica, about 20 August 2004. The aircraft will carry scientists and support personnel to start early pre-summer projects, to augment maintenance personnel, and to prepare skiways and ice runways at McMurdo Station. This will involve 4 U.S. Air Force C-17 flights and will increase station population from the winter-over level of about 154 to a transition level of about 580 (285 personnel expected to deploy at WINFLY).

Mainbody Activities

Austral summer activities will be initiated on 05 October 2004with wheeled aircraft operations between Christchurch, New Zealand and the sea-ice runways at McMurdo Station, Antarctica. This will involve approximately 19 C-141 flights, and 20 C-17 flights of transport aircraft of the U.S. Air Force Air Mobility Command (AMC), and 15 flights by C-130 transport aircraft of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. The sea-ice runway operations will cease about mid December 2004. Williams Field will open for the ski-equipped LC-130 aircrafts and at the same time approximately 2 days pass the Ice Runway closure, Pegasus Blue Ice Runway will be open for wheeled aircraft from Christchurch to McMurdo. From approximately early January to the end of the season 10 USAF C-141 flights and 10 USAF C-17 flights will finish out the airlift movement. The 109^th ANG Airlift Wing will fly north from McMurdo to Christchurch on Saturdays and south from Christchurch to McMurdo on Sundays from 30 October through 6 February.
The 109th Air Wing of the Air National Guard in Schenectady, New York will provide six LC-130 aircraft and six crews for intra-continental flights from late October 2004 through mid-February 2005 when McMurdo Station closes.

Significant Dates

Other significant dates for the summer season include:

1.       28 September 2004 - Palmer Station – Summer Operations Commence

2.       05 October 2004 - McMurdo Station – Summer Operations Commence

3.       06 October 2004 - Marble Point opens

4.       11 October 2004 - Copacabana Field Camp opens

5.       11 October 2004 -Lake Hoare Camp opens

6.       12 October 2004 -Lake Bonney Camp opens

7.       13 October 2004 - F6 Camp opens

8.       13 October 2004 - Lake Fryxell Camp opens

9.       23 October 2004 - South Pole Station – Summer Operations Commence

10.    25 October 2004 - Byrd Camp opens

11.    2 November 2004 -Thwaites Glacier Camp opens

12.    5 November 2004 -Siple Dome Camp opens

13.    10 November 2004 - Cape Shirreff Field Station opens

14.    12 November 2004 - Odell Glacier Camp opens

15.    15 November 2004 -Taylor Dome Camp opens

16.    4 December 2004 -Vega Island Camp opens

Ship Movements

Resupply Vessel
The resupply vessel (American Tern) is scheduled to complete one trip to McMurdo this season. The ship will depart Port Hueneme, California, early January 2005 after on loading cargo and transit directly to Port Lyttelton, New Zealand. The Resupply Vessel will again on load additional cargo and depart New Zealand for McMurdo Station, Antarctica. Cargo will be off-loaded between 02 – 10 February, after which the ship will depart McMurdo and proceed to Lyttelton, New Zealand to offload cargo destined for New Zealand. It will depart on approximately 20 February for Port Hueneme, CA to off-load waste and recyclable materials from McMurdo Station, approximately 09 March 2005 arrival at Port Hueneme, CA.

R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer

The R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer will conduct cruises in the Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica; both a north and southbound research transect between Punta Arenas, Chile and San Diego, California; and a cruise supporting the first NBP cruise to sediment cores via a shipboard drill rig mounted over the vessel’s moon pool. Scientific research conducted onboard includes the following disciplines: Marine Biology, Marine Geology and Geophysics, and Physical and Chemical Oceanography.
The vessel is scheduled for work in the Antarctic polar regions as well as in the mid-latitudes of the Pacific Ocean during the 2004-2005 season, including the Pacific and Southern Oceans and Ross Sea. Ports of call include: Lyttelton, New Zealand; McMurdo Station, Antarctica; Punta Arenas, Chile, and San Diego, California. The NBP will sail in support of approximately six science cruises during the 2004-2005 season.
R/V Laurence M. Gould

The R/V Laurence M. Gould will conduct cruises in the Antarctic Peninsula area of the Southern Ocean and Drake Passage. Research projects supported during the 2004-2005 season will include Marine Biology, Chemical and Physical Oceanography, and Marine Geology and Geophysics. The R/V Laurence M. Gould will also provide logistics support to transport scientists, cargo, and personnel to and from Palmer Station from its primary port of Punta Arenas, Chile.
The R/V Laurence M. Gould will provide transport as described above and provide oceanographic and field camp research support in and around the Bransfield Strait area of the Antarctic Peninsula. Ports of call include: Punta Arenas, Chile; Palmer Station, Antarctica; and San Diego, California. The vessel will sail in support of eight science cruises, two peninsula research field camp openings and Palmer Station staff and resupply shuttles in the Antarctic Peninsula area during the 2004-2005 season. In addition, the LMG will sail to San Diego in July of 2005 to transport hazardous waste from Palmer Station.