Schirmacher Oasis
Encyclopedia
The Schirmacher Oasis is a 25 km long and up to 3 km wide ice-free
plateau with more than 100 fresh water lakes. It is situated in the Schirmacher Hills
on the Princess Astrid Coast
in Queen Maud Land
in East Antarctica
, and is on average 100 metres above sea level. With an area of 34 km², the Schirmacher Oasis ranks among the smallest Antarctic
oases and is a typical polar desert
.
and the Novolazarevskaya Nivl Ice Shelf.
The approximately 100 m high plateau
of the Schirmacher Oasis is a barrier to the northwards running ice stream
.
On the northern edge of the oasis are so-called epishelf lakes, bays separated from the ocean, which are connected with the ocean underneath the surface of the ice. Thus, tidal effects can be observed in the lakes. The epishelf lakes can contain either mere freshwater or saltwater which is overlaid by freshwater.
The Antarctic Ice Sheet
, southwards of the Schirmacher Oasis, reaches heights of 1500 m. The nunataks Skaly Instituta Geologii Arktiki (Skaly IGA) and Basisny-Kit protrude from the ice sheet
. Between the offshore ice sheet
and the Wegener Ice Sheet Plateau are the Wohlthat Mountains
with the 3.900 m high Mount Mentzel.
The highest part of the Schirmacher Oasis is Mount Rebristaya with a height of 228 m. With its 34.5 m Lake Glubokoye
is the deepest inland lake of the oasis. Spatially the largest lake within the oasis is Lake Sub with 0.5 km².
A number of theories exist about the formation of the oasis that include geothermal heating
, intense insolation, or the hypothesis that the ice flow is blocked by a geological feature such as a mountain.
of the Schirmacher Oasis is relatively mild for Antarctic conditions. The annual average temperature is -10.4 C (summer, 0.9 °C (33.6 °F) to winter -22 C), the annual average wind speed is 9.7 m/s, the annual average precipitation
is 264.5 mm, and there are 350 hours of sunshine per month.
Because of the positive radiation balance, the Schirmacher Oasis is regionally classified as a 'coastal climate zone'.
Animals are also rare at the Oasis. Exceptions are the Antarctic Skua, the Antarctic Petrel
, the Snow Petrel
, and the Wilson's Storm Petrel. Occasionally, Adélie Penguins can be seen at the oasis.
launched an expedition under the command of captain Alfred Ritscher
to explore an uncharted area of the Antarctic
. They surveyed an area between latitudes 69°10’ S and 76°30’ S and longitudes 11°30 W and 20°00’ E, totaling 600,000 km² and called it Neuschwabenland, or New Swabia
. The area was surveyed by two Dornier
hydroplanes, Boreas and Passat one piloted by Richardheinrich Schirmacher who on 3 February 1939, spotted both the oasis and the lake at its centre. Schirmacher named both after himself.
set up the research station Lazarev on the shelf ice in the region of the Schirmacher Oasis. The station was reinstalled in 1961 into the Oasis and was named Novolazarevskaya
. In summer, up to 70 crew members reside at the station. In winter, on average 30 scientists and technicians work at the Novolazarevskaya Station
. Research in natural sciences includes geodesy
, glaciology
, limnology
, geomagnetism, geology
, biology
, meteorology
, seismology
, and other areas of expertise.
On 20 December 2007 the Russian Bath
was built near the station. It is the only glued timber building in Antarctica.
, the first German research station - the Georg Forster Station - was launched in Antarctica. In 1987, the station, which was run by the GDR, was named after the German naturalist
Georg Forster
. During its 17 years of existence, more than 100 scientists had worked at the station. In particular, their ozone measurements gained international recognition.
The station withdrew service in February 1993 and by 1996 the entire station had been dismantled and disposed of.
After the dissolution of the Eastern Bloc
, parts of the Schirmacher Oasis counted among the heaviest polluted regions in Antarctica. Polar explorers from the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research
in Bremerhaven
and from the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute
in Saint Petersburg
disposed of 1016 tons of scrap metal
and refuse from the former GDR polar station and the Russian Novolazarevskaya Station.
launched the Indian Antarctic Program
. In 1983, the Dakshin Gangotri Station was set up on the shelf ice, about 10 km from the Schirmacher Oasis, but was decommissioned in 1989 due to excessive snow accumulation. In 1988, the Maitri Station
was installed in the Schirmacher Oasis, approximately 5 km from Novolazarevskaya.
Maitri is equipped with a meteorological station, as well as a geomagnetic and seismological
observatory, and accommodates up to 26 scientists and technicians.
Antarctic oasis
An Antarctic oasis is a large area naturally free of snow and ice in the otherwise ice-covered continent of Antarctica.-Geology:In Antarctica there are, in addition to mountain tops and nunataks, other natural snow- and ice-free areas often referred to as "Antarctic oases" or "dry valleys"...
plateau with more than 100 fresh water lakes. It is situated in the Schirmacher Hills
Schirmacher Hills
Schirmacher Hills is a line of low coastal hills, 11 nautical miles long, with numerous meltwater ponds , standing 40 nautical miles north of the Humboldt Mountains along the coast of Queen Maud Land...
on the Princess Astrid Coast
Princess Astrid Coast
Princess Astrid Coast is that portion of the coast of Queen Maud Land lying between 5° and 20° E. The entire coast is bordered by ice shelves. Discovered by Capt. H. Halvorsen of the Sevilla in March 1931 and named for Princess Astrid of Norway....
in Queen Maud Land
Queen Maud Land
Queen Maud Land is a c. 2.7 million-square-kilometre region of Antarctica claimed as a dependent territory by Norway. The territory lies between 20° west and 45° east, between the British Antarctic Territory to the west and the Australian Antarctic Territory to the east. The latitudinal...
in East Antarctica
East Antarctica
East Antarctica, also called Greater Antarctica, constitutes the majority of the Antarctic continent, lying on the Indian Ocean side of the Transantarctic Mountains...
, and is on average 100 metres above sea level. With an area of 34 km², the Schirmacher Oasis ranks among the smallest Antarctic
Antarctic
The Antarctic is the region around the Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica and the ice shelves, waters and island territories in the Southern Ocean situated south of the Antarctic Convergence...
oases and is a typical polar desert
Polar desert
Polar deserts are areas with annual precipitation less than 250 millimeters and a mean temperature during the warmest month of less than 10°C and in the coldest month has a mean temperature of 56degress Polar deserts on Earth cover nearly 5 million square kilometers and are mostly hard bedrock or...
.
Geography
The oasis is located between the edge of the Antarctic Ice SheetAntarctic ice sheet
The Antarctic ice sheet is one of the two polar ice caps of the Earth. It covers about 98% of the Antarctic continent and is the largest single mass of ice on Earth. It covers an area of almost 14 million square km and contains 30 million cubic km of ice...
and the Novolazarevskaya Nivl Ice Shelf.
The approximately 100 m high plateau
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
of the Schirmacher Oasis is a barrier to the northwards running ice stream
Ice stream
An ice stream is a region of an ice sheet that moves significantly faster than the surrounding ice. Ice streams are a type of glacier. They are significant features of the Antarctic where they account for 10% of the volume of the ice...
.
On the northern edge of the oasis are so-called epishelf lakes, bays separated from the ocean, which are connected with the ocean underneath the surface of the ice. Thus, tidal effects can be observed in the lakes. The epishelf lakes can contain either mere freshwater or saltwater which is overlaid by freshwater.
The Antarctic Ice Sheet
Antarctic ice sheet
The Antarctic ice sheet is one of the two polar ice caps of the Earth. It covers about 98% of the Antarctic continent and is the largest single mass of ice on Earth. It covers an area of almost 14 million square km and contains 30 million cubic km of ice...
, southwards of the Schirmacher Oasis, reaches heights of 1500 m. The nunataks Skaly Instituta Geologii Arktiki (Skaly IGA) and Basisny-Kit protrude from the ice sheet
Ice sheet
An ice sheet is a mass of glacier ice that covers surrounding terrain and is greater than 50,000 km² , thus also known as continental glacier...
. Between the offshore ice sheet
Ice sheet
An ice sheet is a mass of glacier ice that covers surrounding terrain and is greater than 50,000 km² , thus also known as continental glacier...
and the Wegener Ice Sheet Plateau are the Wohlthat Mountains
Wohlthat Mountains
Wohlthat Mountains is a large group of associated mountain features consisting of the Humboldt Mountains, Petermann Ranges, and the Gruber Mountains, located immediately east of the Orvin Mountains in Fimbulheimen in the central Queen Maud Land. Discovered by the Third German Antarctic Expedition ,...
with the 3.900 m high Mount Mentzel.
The highest part of the Schirmacher Oasis is Mount Rebristaya with a height of 228 m. With its 34.5 m Lake Glubokoye
Lake Glubokoye (Antarctica)
Lake Glubokoye is a small lake situated just east of Lake Lagernoye and Molodyozhnaya Station in the Thala Hills, Enderby Land. Mapped and named "Ozero Glubokoye" by the Soviet Antarctic Expedition, 1961-62....
is the deepest inland lake of the oasis. Spatially the largest lake within the oasis is Lake Sub with 0.5 km².
A number of theories exist about the formation of the oasis that include geothermal heating
Geothermal heating
Geothermal heating is the direct use of geothermal energy for heating applications. Humans have taken advantage of geothermal heat this way since the Paleolithic era. Approximately seventy countries made direct use of a total of 270 PJ of geothermal heating in 2004...
, intense insolation, or the hypothesis that the ice flow is blocked by a geological feature such as a mountain.
Climate
The climateClimate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
of the Schirmacher Oasis is relatively mild for Antarctic conditions. The annual average temperature is -10.4 C (summer, 0.9 °C (33.6 °F) to winter -22 C), the annual average wind speed is 9.7 m/s, the annual average precipitation
Precipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
is 264.5 mm, and there are 350 hours of sunshine per month.
Because of the positive radiation balance, the Schirmacher Oasis is regionally classified as a 'coastal climate zone'.
Flora and fauna
The rocky soil at the Oasis allows growth only for a limited amount of undemanding plants like mosses and lichens.Animals are also rare at the Oasis. Exceptions are the Antarctic Skua, the Antarctic Petrel
Antarctic Petrel
The Antarctic Petrel is a boldly marked dark brown and white petrel, found in Antarctica, most commonly in the Ross and Weddell seas. They eat Antarctic krill, fish, and small squid...
, the Snow Petrel
Snow Petrel
The Snow Petrel is the only member of the genus Pagodroma. It is one of only three birds that breed exclusively in Antarctica and has been seen at the South Pole. It has the most southerly breeding distribution of any bird.-Taxonomy:...
, and the Wilson's Storm Petrel. Occasionally, Adélie Penguins can be seen at the oasis.
History
At the beginning of 1939 GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
launched an expedition under the command of captain Alfred Ritscher
Alfred Ritscher
Alfred Ritscher was a German polar explorer. A captain in the German Navy, he led the third German Antarctic Expedition in 1938-39, which mapped the New Swabia area of Queen Maud Land. Ritscher Peak and Ritscher Upland there are named for him.-External links:*...
to explore an uncharted area of the Antarctic
Antarctic
The Antarctic is the region around the Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica and the ice shelves, waters and island territories in the Southern Ocean situated south of the Antarctic Convergence...
. They surveyed an area between latitudes 69°10’ S and 76°30’ S and longitudes 11°30 W and 20°00’ E, totaling 600,000 km² and called it Neuschwabenland, or New Swabia
New Swabia
New Swabia is a cartographic name sometimes given to an area of Antarctica between 20°E and 10°W in Queen Maud Land, which within Norway is administered as a Norwegian dependent territory under the Antarctic Treaty System...
. The area was surveyed by two Dornier
Dornier
Dornier may refer to:* Claudius Dornier , German aircraft designer and builder** Dornier Flugzeugwerke, German aircraft manufacturer founded in 1914 by Claudius Dornier* Dornier Consulting, international consulting and project management company...
hydroplanes, Boreas and Passat one piloted by Richardheinrich Schirmacher who on 3 February 1939, spotted both the oasis and the lake at its centre. Schirmacher named both after himself.
Novolazarevskaya Station
On March 10, 1959, the Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
set up the research station Lazarev on the shelf ice in the region of the Schirmacher Oasis. The station was reinstalled in 1961 into the Oasis and was named Novolazarevskaya
Novolazarevskaya Station
Novolazarevskaya Station is a Russian, formerly Soviet, Antarctic research station. The station is located at Schirmacher Oasis, Queen Maud Land, 75 km from the Antarctic coast, from which it is separated by Lazarev Ice Shelf. It was opened on January 18, 1961 by the 6th Soviet Antarctic...
. In summer, up to 70 crew members reside at the station. In winter, on average 30 scientists and technicians work at the Novolazarevskaya Station
Novolazarevskaya Station
Novolazarevskaya Station is a Russian, formerly Soviet, Antarctic research station. The station is located at Schirmacher Oasis, Queen Maud Land, 75 km from the Antarctic coast, from which it is separated by Lazarev Ice Shelf. It was opened on January 18, 1961 by the 6th Soviet Antarctic...
. Research in natural sciences includes geodesy
Geodesy
Geodesy , also named geodetics, a branch of earth sciences, is the scientific discipline that deals with the measurement and representation of the Earth, including its gravitational field, in a three-dimensional time-varying space. Geodesists also study geodynamical phenomena such as crustal...
, glaciology
Glaciology
Glaciology Glaciology Glaciology (from Middle French dialect (Franco-Provençal): glace, "ice"; or Latin: glacies, "frost, ice"; and Greek: λόγος, logos, "speech" lit...
, limnology
Limnology
Limnology , also called freshwater science, is the study of inland waters. It is often regarded as a division of ecology or environmental science. It covers the biological, chemical, physical, geological, and other attributes of all inland waters...
, geomagnetism, geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
, biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, meteorology
Meteorology
Meteorology is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere. Studies in the field stretch back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not occur until the 18th century. The 19th century saw breakthroughs occur after observing networks developed across several countries...
, seismology
Seismology
Seismology is the scientific study of earthquakes and the propagation of elastic waves through the Earth or through other planet-like bodies. The field also includes studies of earthquake effects, such as tsunamis as well as diverse seismic sources such as volcanic, tectonic, oceanic,...
, and other areas of expertise.
On 20 December 2007 the Russian Bath
Russian Bath in Antarctica
The Russian Bath in Antarctica is the Russian bath of Novolazarevskaya Station, Schirmacher Oasis, Queen Maud Land, Antarctica . It is the only glued timber building in Antarctica.-History:...
was built near the station. It is the only glued timber building in Antarctica.
Georg Forster Station
On April 21, 1976, approximately two kilometres from the Russian station Novolazarevskaya and about 120 m ASLAbove mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
, the first German research station - the Georg Forster Station - was launched in Antarctica. In 1987, the station, which was run by the GDR, was named after the German naturalist
Naturalist
Naturalist may refer to:* Practitioner of natural history* Conservationist* Advocate of naturalism * Naturalist , autobiography-See also:* The American Naturalist, periodical* Naturalism...
Georg Forster
Georg Forster
Johann Georg Adam Forster was a German naturalist, ethnologist, travel writer, journalist, and revolutionary. At an early age, he accompanied his father on several scientific expeditions, including James Cook's second voyage to the Pacific...
. During its 17 years of existence, more than 100 scientists had worked at the station. In particular, their ozone measurements gained international recognition.
The station withdrew service in February 1993 and by 1996 the entire station had been dismantled and disposed of.
After the dissolution of the Eastern Bloc
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
, parts of the Schirmacher Oasis counted among the heaviest polluted regions in Antarctica. Polar explorers from the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research
Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research
The Alfred Wegener Institute of Polar and Marine Research is a scientific organization located in Bremerhaven, Germany. The institute was founded in 1980 and is named after revolutionary meteorologist climatologist, and geologist Alfred Wegener...
in Bremerhaven
Bremerhaven
Bremerhaven is a city at the seaport of the free city-state of Bremen, a state of the Federal Republic of Germany. It forms an enclave in the state of Lower Saxony and is located at the mouth of the River Weser on its eastern bank, opposite the town of Nordenham...
and from the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute
Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute
The Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, or AARI is the oldest and largest Russian research institute in the field of comprehensive studies of Arctic and Antarctica...
in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
disposed of 1016 tons of scrap metal
Scrap Metal
Scrap Metal were a band from Broome, Western Australia who played rock music with elements of country and reggae. The members had Aboriginal, Irish, Filipino, French, Chinese, Scottish, Indonesian and Japanese heritage. The band toured nationally as part of the Bran Nue Dae musical and with...
and refuse from the former GDR polar station and the Russian Novolazarevskaya Station.
Maitri Station
In 1981, IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
launched the Indian Antarctic Program
Indian Antarctic Program
The Indian Antarctic Program is a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional program under the control of the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India. It was initiated in 1981 with the first Indian expedition to Antarctica...
. In 1983, the Dakshin Gangotri Station was set up on the shelf ice, about 10 km from the Schirmacher Oasis, but was decommissioned in 1989 due to excessive snow accumulation. In 1988, the Maitri Station
Maitri
Maitri is India's second permanent research station in Antarctica. It was built and finished in 1989, shortly before the first station Dakshin Gangotri was buried in ice and abandoned in 1990-91...
was installed in the Schirmacher Oasis, approximately 5 km from Novolazarevskaya.
Maitri is equipped with a meteorological station, as well as a geomagnetic and seismological
Seismology
Seismology is the scientific study of earthquakes and the propagation of elastic waves through the Earth or through other planet-like bodies. The field also includes studies of earthquake effects, such as tsunamis as well as diverse seismic sources such as volcanic, tectonic, oceanic,...
observatory, and accommodates up to 26 scientists and technicians.