The Mawson Station, commonly called Mawson, is one of three permanent bases and research outposts in

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest contine ...

managed by the

Australian Antarctic Division The Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) is a division of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. The Division undertakes science programs and research projects to contribute to an understanding of Antarctica and the ...

(AAD). Mawson lies in

Holme Bay Holme Bay is a bay in Antarctica in Mac. Robertson Land, wide, containing many islands, indenting the coast north of the Framnes Mountains. Holme Bay is largely snow-free and was mapped by Norwegian cartographers from aerial photographs taken by ...

in Mac. Robertson Land, East Antarctica in the

Australian Antarctic Territory The Australian Antarctic Territory (AAT) is a part of East Antarctica claimed by Australia as an external territory. It is administered by the Australian Antarctic Division, an agency of the federal Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Env ...

, a

territory A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, particularly belonging or connected to a country, person, or animal. In international politics, a territory is usually either the total area from which a state may extract power resources or a ...

claimed "Claimed" is the eleventh episode of the The Walking Dead (season 4), fourth season of the Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, post-apocalyptic Horror fiction, horror television series ''The Walking Dead (TV series), The Walking Dead'', wh ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. Established in 1954, Mawson is Australia's oldest Antarctic station and the oldest continuously inhabited Antarctic station south of the

Antarctic Circle The Antarctic Circle is the most southerly of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of Earth. The region south of this circle is known as the Antarctic, and the zone immediately to the north is called the Southern Temperate Zone. So ...

. Mawson was named in honour of the Australian

Antarctic explorer This list of Antarctic expeditions is a chronological list of expeditions involving Antarctica. Although the existence of a southern continent had been hypothesized as early as the writings of Ptolemy in the 1st century AD, the South Pole was n ...

Sir

Douglas Mawson Sir Douglas Mawson OBE FRS FAA (5 May 1882 – 14 October 1958) was an Australian geologist, Antarctic explorer, and academic. Along with Roald Amundsen, Robert Falcon Scott, and Sir Ernest Shackleton, he was a key expedition leader during ...

. Mawson was listed on the

Register of the National Estate The Register of the National Estate was a heritage register that listed natural and cultural heritage places in Australia that was closed in 2007. Phasing out began in 2003, when the Australian National Heritage List and the Commonwealth Heritag ...

in 2001 and listed on the

Commonwealth Heritage List The Commonwealth Heritage List is a heritage register established in 2003, which lists places under the control of the Australian government, on land or in waters directly owned by the Crown (in Australia, the Crown in right of the Commonwealth ...

on 22 June 2004, reflecting the post-World War Two revival of Australia's scientific research and territorial interests in Antarctica.

Purpose

Mawson Station is a base for scientific research programs including an underground

cosmic ray Cosmic rays are high-energy particles or clusters of particles (primarily represented by protons or atomic nuclei) that move through space at nearly the speed of light. They originate from the Sun, from outside of the Solar System in our own ...

detector, various long-term meteorological

aeronomy Aeronomy is the scientific study of the upper atmosphere of the Earth and corresponding regions of the atmospheres of other planets. It is a branch of both atmospheric chemistry and atmospheric physics. Scientists specializing in aeronomy, known a ...

and

geomagnetic Earth's magnetic field, also known as the geomagnetic field, is the magnetic field that extends from Earth's interior out into space, where it interacts with the solar wind, a stream of charged particles emanating from the Sun. The magnetic ...

studies, as well as ongoing

conservation biology Conservation biology is the study of the conservation of nature and of Earth's biodiversity with the aim of protecting species, their habitats, and ecosystems from excessive rates of extinction and the erosion of biotic interactions. It is an int ...

studies, in particular of nearby

Auster rookery Auster Rookery is an Emperor penguin rookery on sea-ice, sheltered by grounded icebergs, east of the Auster Islands, and about ENE of Mawson Station in Antarctica. It was discovered in August 1957 by Flying Officer D. Johnston, RAAF, from an ...

, a

breeding ground In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

for emperor penguins and Adélie penguins. Mawson Station houses approximately 20 personnel over winter and up to 60 in summer. It is the only Antarctic station to use

wind generator A wind turbine is a device that wind power, converts the kinetic energy of wind into electrical energy. Hundreds of thousands of list of most powerful wind turbines, large turbines, in installations known as wind farms, now generate over 650 gi ...

s for over 70% of its power needs, saving over of

diesel fuel Diesel fuel , also called diesel oil, is any liquid fuel specifically designed for use in a diesel engine, a type of internal combustion engine in which fuel ignition takes place without a spark as a result of compression of the inlet air and ...

per year. It is accessible by sea for only a short period each austral summer, between February and March. Mawson's infrastructure includes an ANARESAT satellite antenna

Earth station A ground station, Earth station, or Earth terminal is a terrestrial radio station designed for extraplanetary telecommunication with spacecraft (constituting part of the ground segment of the spacecraft system), or reception of radio waves fr ...

for communication.

Geography

Mawson Station is located at Holme Bay in Mac Robertson Land, East Antarctica, named in January 1930 by Sir Douglas Mawson during the first

British Australian and New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition The British Australian (and) New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition (BANZARE) was a research expedition into Antarctica between 1929 and 1931, involving two voyages over consecutive Austral summers. It was a British Commonwealth initiative, dr ...

(BANZARE) voyage, aboard ''Discovery''. It is in a region which Mawson proclaimed as British territory on several occasions in 1930 and 1931 (including at

Proclamation Island Proclamation Island is a small rocky island west of Cape Batterbee and close east of the Aagaard Islands of Antarctica. Historic site The island was discovered by the British Australian New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition (BANZARE), led by ...

, Scullin Monolith and Cape Bruce), and later became Australian Antarctic Territory. Some notable geographic features in the region include the

Framnes Mountains The Framnes Mountains are an Antarctic mountain range consisting of Casey Range, Masson Range, David Range, and Brown Range, and adjacent peaks and mountains. The three major ranges and other lesser features were sighted and named in February 19 ...

, which form the dramatic backdrop to Mawson Station. The Framnes Mountains were named in the 1930s by Norwegian explorers financed by the shipowner and whaling magnate

Lars Christensen Lars Christensen (6 April 1884 – 10 December 1965) was a Norwegian shipowner and whaling magnate. He was also a philanthropist with a keen interest in the exploration of Antarctica. Career Lars Christensen was born at Sandar in Vestfold, No ...

Climate

Mawson Station experiences a Polar climate:

Research

During March and April 1960, an

ANARE The Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE ) is the historical name for the Australia: Antarctic Program#Australian Antarctic program, Australian Antarctic Program (AAp) administered for Australia by the Australian Antarctic D ...

survey party from Mawson Station carried out a barometric mapping control traverse along the route of a dog sledge journey from

Cape Batterbee Cape Batterbee is a small, rocky point on the coast, the most northerly cape of Enderby Land. It is located 92 km north of Mount Elkins. Discovery and naming Cape Batterbee was discovered by BANZARE (1929–31) on 13 January 1930. Named ...

through the

Napier Mountains The Napier Mountains are a group of close set peaks, the highest being Mount Elkins, at about 2,300 meters above sea level. This mountain range is located in Enderby Land, in the claimed Australian Antarctic Territory, East Antarctica. Location ...

to Martin Island in

Edward VIII Bay Edward VIII Bay is a bay about in extent, located between Edward VIII Plateau (a dome-shaped, ice-covered peninsula near Magnet Bay) and the Øygarden Group of islands in Antarctica. The head of the bay is occupied by the Edward VIII Ice Shel ...

. The members of this survey party — led by Syd Kirkby — were the first people to set foot in the Napier Mountains. The highest peak of this small range —

Mount Elkins Mount Elkins, also known as Jökelen (which means "The Glacier") is a dark, steep-sided mountain with three major peaks, the highest above sea level, in the Napier Mountains of Enderby Land. Enderby Land is part of East Antarctica, and is claimed ...

— was identified and named at this time for Terence James Elkins. Many other terrain features were mapped, visited or named as a result of this expedition, including

Armstrong Peak Armstrong Peak is a peak, high, standing southeast of Mount Codrington in Enderby Land of East Antarctica. Discovery and naming Armstrong Peak was mapped by Norwegian cartographers from aerial photographs taken by the Lars Christensen Expediti ...

, Bird Ridge,

Mount Griffiths Mount Griffiths () is an elongated mountain with two prominent peaks of , standing northwest of the Wilkinson Peaks and northwest of Mount Elkins in the Napier Mountains of Enderby Land, Antarctica. Discovery and naming The mountain was plotte ...

, Newman Nunataks,

Wilkinson Peaks The Wilkinson Peaks, also known as Langnabbane, is a group of peaks in the Napier Mountains standing southeast of Mount Griffiths and northeast of Mount Elkins in Enderby Land. Discovery and naming The Wilkinson Peaks were mapped by Norwegian c ...

, and the

Young Nunataks Young Nunataks () is a group of nunataks in the Napier Mountains standing 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) south of Mount Elkins, Antarctica. Mapped by Norwegian cartographers from aerial photos taken by the Lars Christensen Expedition, 1936–37. ...

. In 2018, astronaut and academic

Jay C. Buckey Jay Clark Buckey, Jr. (born June 6, 1956, in New York City) is an American physician and astronaut who flew aboard one Space Shuttle mission ( STS-90) as a Payload Specialist. Buckey briefly ran for the Democratic nomination to challenge New Hamp ...

conducted research using

virtual reality Virtual reality (VR) is a simulated experience that employs pose tracking and 3D near-eye displays to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video games), e ...

, at the

’s Mawson Station, wherein the expeditioners used VR headsets to view Australian beach scenes, European nature scenes, and North American nature scenes of forests and urban environments, which were different from the isolation of the whiteness and silence of Antarctica. The research will inform psychological techniques to support long-duration spaceflight such as for astronauts going to Mars.Virtual reality beaches in Antarctica beating isolation and helping future astronauts
Carla Howarth,

ABC News Online ABC News, or ABC News and Current Affairs, is a public news service produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Broadcasting within Australia and the rest of the world, the service covers both local and world affairs. The division of ...

, 2018-10-10

History

In 1946, the Minister for External Affairs, H.V. Evatt indicated his support for a proposal by Douglas Mawson for the establishment of a permanent Australian base in Antarctica. It was another seven years before a suitable ship, the ''Kista Dan'' could be chartered to set up facilities on the southern continent. The station site was chosen in 1953 by

Phillip Law Phillip Garth Law, AC, CBE, FAA, FTSE (21 April 1912 – 28 February 2010) was an Australian scientist and explorer who served as director of Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE) from 1949 to 1966. Early life Law was ...

, the first director of the AAD, who drew aerial photographs taken during the U.S. Operation Highjump (OpHjp) of 1946-1947 to select the site for its large natural harbour (Horseshoe Harbour) and permanently exposed rock for building. The station was built during 1954. Some of the small pre-fabricated huts used in the first years remain on the station, but these are overshadowed by large steel-framed modular buildings dating from a major rebuilding program that started in the late 1970s. By 1959, the facilities at Mawson Station had expanded significantly. Personnel at that time included 6 scientists, 4 technicians, 2 pilots, 2 weather observers, and 10 others. Scientific disciplines represented included

cartography Cartography (; from grc, χάρτης , "papyrus, sheet of paper, map"; and , "write") is the study and practice of making and using maps. Combining science, aesthetics and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality (or an im ...

geology Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ear ...

and geomagnetism,

glaciology Glaciology (; ) is the scientific study of glaciers, or more generally ice and natural phenomena that involve ice. Glaciology is an interdisciplinary Earth science that integrates geophysics, geology, physical geography, geomorphology, c ...

seismology Seismology (; from Ancient Greek σεισμός (''seismós'') meaning "earthquake" and -λογία (''-logía'') meaning "study of") is the scientific study of earthquakes and the propagation of elastic waves through the Earth or through other ...

ionospheric The ionosphere () is the ionized part of the upper atmosphere of Earth, from about to above sea level, a region that includes the thermosphere and parts of the mesosphere and exosphere. The ionosphere is ionized by solar radiation. It plays a ...

and

aurora An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...

l physics,

meteorology Meteorology is a branch of the atmospheric sciences (which include atmospheric chemistry and physics) with a major focus on weather forecasting. The study of meteorology dates back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not ...

, and

physiology Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a sub-discipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out the chemical ...

. Vehicles included 2

de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver The de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver is a single-engined high-wing propeller-driven short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft developed and manufactured by de Havilland Canada. It has been primarily operated as a bush plane and has been used ...

aircraft, 3 Caterpillar D4 tractors, 1 TEA-20 Ferguson, and 1

Sno-Cat The Tucker Sno-Cat is a family of tracked vehicles for snow conditions, manufactured in Medford, Oregon by the company of the same name. Different models have been used for expeditions in the Arctic and the Antarctic during the second half of ...

. Between 1953 and 1987, Mawson was supplied by the ice-strengthened polar

research vessels A research vessel (RV or R/V) is a ship or boat designed, modified, or equipped to carry out research at sea. Research vessels carry out a number of roles. Some of these roles can be combined into a single vessel but others require a dedicated ...

, including '' Kista Dan'', ''

Magga Dan The Buddhist path (''marga'') to liberation, also referred to as awakening, is described in a wide variety of ways. The classical one is the Noble Eightfold Path, which is only one of several summaries presented in the Sutta Pitaka. A number of ...

'', ''

Thala Dan Thala may refer to: Places * Thala Hills, Antarctica * Thala Island, Antarctica * Thala Rock, Antarctica * Thala, Tunisia, a town in Kasserine Governorate Other uses * ''Thala'' (gastropod), a genus of sea snails * Ajith Kumar (born 197 ...

'', and ''

Nella Dan MV ''Nella Dan'' was one of the famous 'Dan' ships of the Danish J. Lauritzen A/S Lines that were almost synonymous with ANARE (Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions) shipping through the early years of Australia's official Antarct ...

''. This period came to an end when ''Nella Dan'' ran aground and sank at

Macquarie Island Macquarie Island is an island in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, about halfway between New Zealand and Antarctica. Regionally part of Oceania and politically a part of Tasmania, Australia, since 1900, it became a Tasmanian State Reserve in 197 ...

on 3 December 1987.

References

External links

Official website Australian Antarctic Division

Australian Antarctic Division's Mawson Station page

Mawson Station webcam

Restoration of Biscoe Hut, one of the original 1954 buildings

COMNAP Antarctic Facilities

COMNAP Antarctic Facilities Map
* * {{Authority control Australian Antarctic Territory East Antarctica Outposts of Antarctica 1954 establishments in Australia Commonwealth Heritage List Earth stations in the Antarctic Territory Australia 1954 establishments in Antarctica