Princess Elisabeth Station

1. Introduction
2. Location
3. Station description
4. Staff and logistic support
5. Access to the station
6. Research projects
7. Related information

1. Introduction

In 2007-2008, Belgium constructed a new research station in Antarctica. This station replaces the former Belgian Roi Baudouin base, built in 1958 at Breid Bay in Dronning Maud Land, closed in 1967. The short operational period associated with the Roi Baudouin base, situated on the ice shelf, and with the nearby Asuka station (1986-1992), situated on the inland ice slope, both subject to high snow accumulation rates and strong katabatic winds, resulted in the decision to construct the new station on bedrock and in the protected western part of the Sør Rondane mountain range.

2. Location

The station was erected on the Utsteinen Ridge (71°57’S; 023°21’E), situated at the foot of the Sør Rondane Mountains, Dronning Maud Land, 173 km inland from the former Roi Baudouin base (1958-1967) and 55 km from the former Japanese Asuka station (1986-1992). Positioned halfway between the Japanese Syowa station (684 km) and the Russian Novolazarevskaya station (431 km) it fills in a 1072 km unoccupied stretch between these two stations in one of the least occupied sectors of Antarctica that has only been intermittently investigated since the International Geophysical Year (IGY).

Research station situation map (click to enlarge)

MODIS image displaying the Sør Rondane Mountains and Breid Bay.
Situation of the former Belgian Baudouin Base,
the former Japanese Asuka station and the proposed Belgian Utsteinen site.
The size of the image is approximately 250 by 250 km. (click to enlarge)

3. Station description

The Belgian government commissioned the International Polar Foundation (IPF) to coordinate the design and construct phases of the station project. The construction of the station was done in the austral summer of 2007-2008. In april 2010 it was handed over to the Belgian Science Policy Office.

Characteristics of the station:

• Austral summer station: open from November to February.
• Full-year monitoring and remote sensing capability.
• The station is designed for optimal use by 12 people accommodated in the main building.
• The use of a station “extension” will make it possible to accommodate another 8 people. This extension consists of heated shelters used for sleeping only.
• The station’s facilities (kitchen, the sanitary installations, offices …) are designed to cope with the larger occupation as mentioned above.
• Expected design life: 25 years minimum.
• Accommodation (living, technical, research, storage): 900 m².
• There will be laboratory facilities as well as mobile units to be used for field work

Building concept: impression of the building integration on-site.

More details about the design and construction phases can be found on www.polarfoundation.org.

4. Staff and logistic support

Four staff personnel will be present during the whole summer season:

• Station leader
• Electrical engineer/electrician
• Mechanic
• Cook / Field support guide

Current logistic support present on site:

• four skidoos incl. 3 sledges;
• two Prinoth Everest Antarctic version snow tractors incl. eight 20 ft cargo sledges (25000kg payload) both with crane; one with emergency cabin;
• 2 bulldozers recuperated from Asuka station.

Logistic functions and tasks of the station will grow depending on the needs of the research work.

5. Access to the station

The station personnel and scientists use the DROMLAN air link for access to the station and the Sør Rondane region and to bring in small items of equipment. DROMLAN foresees in flights from Cape Town to Novolazarevskaya or Troll station (± 6 hour flight), from which feeder flights are foreseen to the different stations in Dronning Maud Land. An extra 2-3 hour feeder flight is necessary to reach Utsteinen.

The yearly station provisioning by ship (Ice class) - via unloading at Breid Bay and overland tractor transport via Romnaesfjellet - will be as much as possible co-organised and shared with the other nations active in Dronning Maud Land.

DROMLAN-ALCI map giving an overview of research stations
in Dronning Maud Land and the distance
to all stations from Novo Air Base. Source: Antarctic
AVHRR satellite image mosaic, USGS, 1989. (click to enlarge)

6. Research possibilities

After a call of Expressions of interest issued by BELSPO in 2005 6 research projects have been funded:

• EA/1A: Belgian monitoring of ozone and related trace gases, UV radiation, and aerosol particles in support of Atmospheric chemistry and climate research (BELATMOS)
• EA/2A: Geodesy for ice in Antarctica/Lithospheric and Intraplate Structure and Seismicity in Antarctica (GIANT/LISSA)
• EA/3A: BELgian Ice Sheet-Shelf Ice Measurements in Antarctica (BELISSIMA)
• EA/4A: The atmospheric branch of the hydrological cycle in Antarctica (HYDRANT)
• EA/5A: Belgian Microbial Diversity Project in Antarctica (BELDIVA)
• EA/6A: Search for Antarctica Meteorites : Belgium activities (SAMBA)

7. Related information