Fossil Bluff
Encyclopedia
British Antarctic Survey
The British Antarctic Survey is the United Kingdom's national Antarctic operation and has an active role in Antarctic affairs. BAS is part of the Natural Environment Research Council and has over 400 staff. It operates five research stations, two ships and five aircraft in and around Antarctica....
forward operating station. The bluff is a collection of buildings and facilities, at the centre of which lies the hut.
Fossil Bluff hut lies at the foot of a scree
Scree
Scree, also called talus, is a term given to an accumulation of broken rock fragments at the base of crags, mountain cliffs, or valley shoulders. Landforms associated with these materials are sometimes called scree slopes or talus piles...
covered ridge overlooking George VI Sound
George VI Sound
George VI Sound or Canal Jorge VI or Canal Presidente Sarmiento or Canal Seaver or King George VI Sound or King George the Sixth Sound is a major bay/fault depression, 300 miles long in the shape of the letter J, which skirts the east and south shores of Alexander Island, separating it from the...
which separates mountainous Alexander Island
Alexander Island
Alexander Island or Alexander I Island or Alexander I Land or Alexander Land is the largest island of Antarctica, with an area of lying in the Bellingshausen Sea west of the base of the Antarctic Peninsula, from which it is separated by Marguerite Bay and George VI Sound. Alexander Island lies off...
from Palmer Land
Palmer Land
Palmer Land is that portion of the Antarctic Peninsula which lies south of a line joining Cape Jeremy and Cape Agassiz. This application of Palmer Land is consistent with the 1964 agreement between US-ACAN and UK-APC, in which the name Antarctic Peninsula was approved for the major peninsula of...
. George VI Ice Shelf occupies the sound and provides a north-south route for travelling parties except in high summer when the surface of the ice shelf is flooded with extensive areas of meltwater. To the west and north-west lie Planet Heights, an extensive range of mountains rising to over 1500 m.
Fossil Bluff is a forward facility for refuelling aircraft and is operated by Rothera station
Rothera Research Station
Rothera research station is a British Antarctic Survey base on the Antarctic Peninsula, located at Rothera Point, Adelaide Island. Rothera also serves as the capital of the British Overseas Territory, the British Antarctic Territory....
during the Antarctic summer season between October and March. There is a 1200 m unprepared snow runway (skiway) marked by drums 1 km south of the station.
De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter
The DHC-6 Twin Otter is a Canadian 19-passenger STOL utility aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada and currently produced by Viking Air. The aircraft's fixed tricycle undercarriage, STOL abilities and high rate of climb have made it a successful cargo, regional passenger airliner and MEDEVAC...
aircraft ferry drums of fuel from Rothera to Fossil Bluff each summer to maintain the size of the fuel depot. The station is 90 minutes flying time from Rothera. It is used extensively as a jumping off point for further operations into Antarctica. The next 'traditional' stop for the Twin Otters is Sky Blu
Sky Blu
Sky Blu is a forward operating station for the British Antarctic Survey in southern Palmer Land, Antarctica. It is in an area of Blue Ice...
, a further 85 minutes on.
Fossil Bluff houses four people in comfort but is normally operated by 2 to 3.
The base has been in use intermittently since 20 February 1961. Occupied during the winters of 1961, 1962, 1969-75. It has been used every summer since 1975. The first people to overwinter in 1961 were Cliff Pearce and John Smith (meteorologists) and Brian Taylor (geologist) who carried out a thorough and systematic investigation of the local geology.