McMurdo LTER Environmental Issues
Background
Because the main purpose of the long-term ecological research (LTER) in the McMurdo Dry Valleys is to
come to a better understanding of the natural phenomena of the area, human impact to the region is
intentionally kept to a minimum. As a result, the MCM LTER program is operating under the guidelines
of several environmental assessments that have been done for specific activities. This portion of the
MCM LTER web site deals with environmental issues that have arisen in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, and
contains any environmental assessments that were required to conduct the studies in the unique
ecosystem of Antarctica's Dry Valleys.
Since funding for the McMurdo Dry Valley long-term ecological research comes from the National Science Foundation (NSF), environmental assessments related
to this research go through their Office of Polar Programs for
approval. Through a contract with NSF, Antarctic Support Associates
(ASA) provides a wide range of logistical and science support operations to the United States
Antarctic Program, and is involved in the processing of McMurdo Dry Valley environmental assessments.
Proposals & Findings
Proposals and/or findings for the following McMurdo Dry Valleys environmental actions and dates are
available by selecting from the list below:
- All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) Use for Science Support at Lake Bonney
-
Installation of a Portable Communications Repeater System (July 29, 1992)
-
Use of a Remotely-Operated Vehicle at Lake Hoare (October 20, 1992)
- Replacement of Facilities at Lake Hoare
-
Construction of a Laboratory Facility & Generator Building at the New Harbor
Camp Site (June 23, 1994)
-
All-Terrain Vehicle Use at New Harbor, Antarctica
(August 10, 1994)
-
Continued Implementation of Hydrologic Investigations in the Dry Valleys, Antarctica - Project S-024
(November 17, 1994)
-
Clearing Ice Blockages Within the Dry Valley Drilling Project Boreholes
(December 12, 1994)
-
All-Terrain Vehicle Use at Lake Hoare, Antarctica
(August 24, 1995)
-
Hydrologic Data Collection, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica
(November 9, 1995)
- Record of Environmental Review (ROER) regarding
Antenna installation with tower
(September 18, 1996)
- Record of Environmental Review (ROER) regarding
GPS Monument Sites, Rock Drilling & Steel Tube Emplacement
Throughout Dry Valleys, Ross Island, & McMurdo Sound Region
(October 4, 1996)
- Record of Environmental Review (ROER) regarding
Placement of passive sensors (THERMISTOR STRING) into the lake ice of Lake Vida
(November 15, 1996)
- Record of Environmental Review (ROER) regarding
Placement of passive sensors in Allan Hills, near McMurdo
(November 19, 1996)
-
Improvement of the Helicopter Pad at the Lake Bonney Field Camp
(December 18, 1996)
-
Removal of Geophysical Equipment at Don Juan Pond & Site Reclamation at Lake Vida
(December 5, 1997)
- Record of Environmental Review (ROER) regarding
Time Lapse Photography At Lake Hoare
(December 17, 1997)
-
Modifications to Ongoing Hydrologic Data Collection in the
McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica
(September 30, 1998)
-
Vehicle Transport of Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) Gear on
McMurdo Dry Valleys Ice and Snow Surfaces and
GPR-Antenna Movement on Sediment-Surfaces During Traverses
(October 13, 1998)
-
Field Study to Determine the Stability of Land Surfaces
in the Dry Valleys, Antarctica
(October 13, 1998)
- Research Diving in Dry Valleys Lakes (October 20, 1998)
-
Acquisition and Operation of the AFTAC Southern Network Antarctic Power System
(November 13, 1998)
- Remaining Assessments: Not yet available
Modified on 3-8-2001 by JLH