Stations - EPB

Antarctic
Arctic

Station

Camp

Shelter

Laboratory

Station

Camp

Shelter

Laboratory

Background

Facility Name	Sky Blu
Location	Antarctic
Current status of facility	Open
Type	Camp
Operating country	United Kingdom
INTERACT Status	None
First opened/Opening year	1997
Operational period	January; February; March; October; November; December

Introduction

Facility name and Operator	Sky Blu, British Antarctic Survey (BAS)
Location	Sky Blu is located in an area of snow free /blue ice near Lanzarote Peak, Ski Hi Nunataks in the southern Antarctic Peninsula.
Biodiversity and natural environment	Apart from a few lichens flora is very sparse and not very diverse.
History and Facilities	The facilities were intitially established in 1997 to operate as a forward air hub for deep field operations form Rothera Research Station. Taking fuel deployment one Twin Otter step further into the deepfield. The initial infrastructure was pyramid tents, a melon hut and a tracked gator with a blade. A considerably larger infrastructure with a range of snow clearing equipment is now available on site, which is staffed by three staff summer long. Considerable numbers of field scientific staff transit through Ski Blu into deep field locations. This transit hub stores considerable quantities of drummed aviation fuel for support to science operations.
General research and databases	This is a logistics transit hub, very little science activitiy is carried out on site.
Human dimension	Occassional visits by aircraft and science teams through 1970s and 80s until establishing an ice runway in 1997. Staff run this logsitics hub in support of UK research science in west Antarctica.
Access	It is accessible by aircraft from deepfield locations using ski equippped aircraft or from smaller wheel only aircraft transittign from Rothera Research Station. Also accessible byoverland tractor traverse from distant coastal access sites. The nearest such access site is about 900 kms to the west, on the Abbott Ice Shelf.

Operator

Facility operator/manager	British Antarctic Survey (BAS)
Type of entity	Government
Institution managing/operating the facility	British Antarctic Survey (BAS)
Website (operator/manager)	http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/

Data Source

Partner Institution

Partnership

No

Location

Station code	CO2807
Geographical coordinates - Latitude	74° 51' 38.1'' S
Geographical coordinates - Longitude	71° 35' 11.2'' W
Region	Continental Antarctica
Antarctic Environmental Domain	C - Antarctic Peninsula southern geologic
Antarctic Conservation Biogeographic Region	4 Central south Antarctic Peninsula
Altitude of facility (m)	1400
Min. altitude within study area (m)	1370
Max. altitude within study area (m)	1500
Nearest town/settlement	2500
Distance to nearest town/settlement (km)	2500
Distance to nearest transport facility (airstrip/helipad/dock - km)	815
Distance to nearest station (km)	815
Type of surface facility built on	Ice-sheet

Climate

Permafrost	Continuous
Climate zone	Inland Antarctica
Precipitation type	Snow
Dominant wind direction	N
Snow free period	None

Features

Disciplines

Other science disciplines

None

Human Activities

Human activity	Yes
History of human presence in the area	Occassional visits by aircraft and science teams through 1970s and 80s until establishing an ice runway in 1997
Long term monitoring	Yes
Waste management	Yes
Hazard[ous] management	Yes
Fuel spill response capability	Yes

Infrastructure

Station code	CO2807
Area under roof (m2)	45
Scientific laboratories (m2)	0
Type of scientific laboratories	None
Logistics (m2)	120
Number of beds	12
Showers	No
Laundry facilities	No
Power supply (type)	Fossil fuel; Renewable
Power supply (V)	230
Power supply (hours per day)	6
Hydroponics facilities	No

Staff Capacity

Number of staff on station (peak/summer season)	3
Number of scientists on station (peak/summer season)	0
Number of staff on station (off peak/winter season)	0
Number of scientists on station (off peak/winter season)	0
Max number of personnel at a time (staff, scientists and other)	6
Number of tourists (annual average)	0

Scientific Equipment

Specific devices / Scientific equipment)	Automatic weather station transferring data to WMO
Scientific services	This is a logistics transit hub, very little science activitiy is carried out on site.

Medical Facilities

Medical facilities	No
Area of medical facility (m2)	0
Distance to hospital (km)	2500
Staff with basic medical training or doctor (summer)	0
Staff with basic medical training or doctor (winter)	0
Closest emergency facility in Antarctica (km)	815
Closest emergency facility external (km)	2500
Medical research capabilities	No
Medical screening requirements	No

Vehicles

Workshop facilities

Workshop facilities

Mechanical

Communications

Communications

Computer; E-mail; Satellite phone; VHF

Access

Access

Air

Aircraft landing facilities

Number of airstrips	1
Length (m) of longest runway	900
Width (m) of longest runway	30
Description of airstrips	Wheel
Airstrip surface	Other
Other surface	Blue ice
Helipad	Yes

Transport and freight

Transport to facility	Airplane; Skidoo; Other
Other transport	Snow grooming/clearing equipment for air field
No. of ship visits per year	0
No. of flight visits per year	104
Period of flight visits per year	January; February; November; December

Access To The Facility

Pictures

Sky Blu Field Station