The USAP Portal: Science and Support in Antarctica

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The Laurence M. Gould Docked at Palmer Station

The Palmer Station Webcam

The Palmer Station Webcam is mounted on the Terra Lab building, overlooking the smallest of the United States Antarctic stations and includes views of Arthur Harbour and the Bismarck Strait beyond. Storage containers, dormitories, and research facilities can all be seen in the image. In addition to regular visits by the research vessel Laurence M. Gould, cruise ships and other visitors to Antarctica can often be seen.

Most research at Palmer Station is conducted during the austral summer (October to March), when days are long, ice cover is low, and organisms are abundant. Scientists study many of the marine and terrestrial organisms that inhabit the local area, including bacteria, algae, invertebrates, fish and birds.

The area is part of the U.S. National Science Foundation's Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Program. Since 1990, this multi-disciplinary project has focused on studying the effects of changing sea-ice cover, a potential indicator of global climate change, on the structure and function of the region's marine ecosystem. Palmer Station also participates in data collection for worldwide environmental monitoring networks. Onsite instruments measure seismic activity, atmospheric characteristics, and very-low-frequency (VLF) radio waves. Satellite images processed at Palmer Station are used to understand and map regional sea ice conditions, weather patterns, and phytoplankton concentrations in the ocean.

An Adelie parent guards a newly-hatched chick

An Adélie parent guards a newly-hatched chick

The Torgersen Island Penguin Webcam

The Penguin Webcam is located on Torgersen Island (64°46°S, 64°04°W), off the coast of Anvers Island and less than a mile from Palmer Station. Torgersen Island is home to a colony of Adélie penguins numbering approximately 2,500. This webcam is seasonal and operates primarily from October to February, the Adélie breeding season. The webcam is solar-powered and may sometimes experience brief outages due to inclement weather.

Torgersen Island Location map

During the webcam's operational period, both adult birds and chicks can be seen. An Adélie breeding pair will often take turns caring for chicks while the other takes to the sea to feed on krill. While primarily home to Adélies, other penguins can sometimes be seen on Torgersen Island, including Gentoo and Chinstrap penguins.

For more information on the penguin colonies on Torgersen Island, see the Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Program, Penguin Science, and Oceanites web sites. Also see the Torgersen Island Visitor Site Guide at the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat pages. Educational materials can be found at the LTER Outreach pages.

Palmer Station Weather

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More Antarctic Webcams

McMurdo Station Webcams
South Pole Station Webcams

NOTE: The webcam image is often obscured due to harsh and unpredictable weather conditions.

Located on Anvers Island near the Antarctic Peninsula, Palmer Station (64° 46°S, 64° 03°W) is named for Nathaniel B. Palmer, who in 1820 on a sealing expedition in his 47-foot (14-meter) ship the Hero became the first American to record sighting Antarctica. The original station was built in 1965. In 1967, the U.S. Navy began construction of the current larger and more permanent station approximately a mile east of the original site. The first building at the new station, the biology laboratory, opened its doors to science in 1970. Today, two main buildings and several smaller structures make up Palmer Station and provide housing and research facilities for scientists and support personnel. Of the three U.S. Antarctic stations, Palmer is the only one that is accessed routinely during the winter.

With ice cliffs rising above Arthur Harbor and the station, the Marr Ice Piedmont covers Anvers Island. The highest mountains on the island are Mt. Francais (9,055 feet/2,760 meters) and Mt. Agamemnon (8,438 feet/2,572 meters).

Additional Links and Resources

NSF - Office of Polar Programs
NSF in the Antarctic
Significant U.S. Science Discoveries from Antarctica
The Antarctic Sun, Science Section

Average temperatures are 36° F (2° C) in austral summer and 14° F (-10° C) in austral winter. The station frequently experiences high winds, sometimes reaching 70 knots or more. Average annual precipitation is 13 feet (4 meters) of snow and 30 in (76 cm) of rain. Palmer Station lies outside the Antarctic Circle, so in the middle of austral winter there are five hours of light during each day. Conversely, the austral summer brings long days of 19 hours of light and 5 of twilight. These changes in light influence seasonal cycles of temperature, weather, sea ice formation, and the organisms that live in this area. The station supports science year-round and accommodates about 20 people in the winter and up to 44 in the austral summer. There are dormitory bedrooms, communal bathrooms, and a cafeteria-style kitchen. Everyone helps clean, and many participate in weekly science lectures and social events.

To find out more about life at U.S. Antarctic research stations, see the Around the Continent section of The Antarctic Sun.

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