After the coursework we need to round up Antarctica, and very fast, with a review of the scientific work being done. This strange space-age image, is in fact the new design for the British Antarctic Survey’s research centre, Halley. The present Halley has two problems, the first is that it needs to be constantly moved, because obviously the ice sheet is moving and this means the station drifts by about half a kilometre a year; this is a difficult and time consuming process. The second is that the station is now on a major potential calving point; the design of the present Halley (V) has made it hugely successful, meaning that it hasn’t been relocated. There is a nice little page here showing the evolution of Halley overtime, I particularly like the image of Halley III emerging from the ice sheet at a calving point, this steel tube Halley was built to be buried by the snow, but was eventually crushed!
 Halley VI has some great advantages, it will be raised above the snow and will also be on ski-type legs, allowing it to be moved over several kilometres. The website tells you more, and there is a great little fly through movie of the design.
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Posted in Extreme Environments
Written on Thu, 23 November 2006 at 7:21 pm
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