United States Antarctic Program
Encyclopedia
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
government which has presence in the continent
Continent
A continent is one of several very large landmasses on Earth. They are generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, with seven regions commonly regarded as continents—they are : Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia.Plate tectonics is...
of Antarctica. It co-ordinates research and the operational support for research in the region. The body's goals are
"...to expand fundamental knowledge of the region, to foster research on global and regional problems of current scientific importance, and to use the region as a platform or base from which to support research."
The U.S. Antarctic Program, funded by the National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
's Office of Polar Programs, supports only that research that can be done exclusively in Antarctica or that can be done best from Antarctica.
Currently, the USAP maintains 3 year round research stations in Antarctica (McMurdo Station
McMurdo Station
McMurdo Station is a U.S. Antarctic research center located on the southern tip of Ross Island, which is in the New Zealand-claimed Ross Dependency on the shore of McMurdo Sound in Antarctica. It is operated by the United States through the United States Antarctic Program, a branch of the National...
, Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station
Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station
The Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station is the American scientific research station on the high plateau of Antarctica. This station is located at the southernmost place on the Earth, the Geographic South Pole, at an elevation of 2,835 meters above sea level.The original Amundsen-Scott Station was...
, and Palmer Station
Palmer Station
Palmer Station, on Anvers Island, is Antarctica's only US station north of the Antarctic Circle. Initial construction of the station finished in 1968. The station, like the other US Antarctic stations, is operated by the United States Antarctic Program....
), as well as several seasonal field camps. Additionally, the USAP maintains research vessels that sail in the Antarctic waters.
The program's fiscal budget for 2008 was 295 million.
The Canada Goose Expedition parka
Canada Goose (clothing)
Canada Goose is a Canadian manufacturer and retailer of cold weather outerwear. The company was founded in 1957 by Sam Tick, under the name Metro Sportswear Ltd.-History:...
is standard issue for all participants in USAP.