Scott Base
Scott Base, New Zealand's only Antarctic research station, perches on a low volcanic headland called Pram Point at the southern end of Ross Island. It is 3800km south of Christchurch and 1350km from the South Pole. Mt Erebus, an active volcano, sits north-east and to the west, across McMurdo Sound, is the Royal Society Range. Here, lies the boundary between the Ross Ice Shelf and the sea ice that forms every winter. From October to February, Scott Base is a bustling hub of scientists, staff and visitors. Up to 86 people can be accommodated at any one time; during the summer season, more than 300 people stay on base.
Tour of Scott Base
Location of Scott Base
- Pram Point, Hut Point Peninsula, Ross
- Island in McMurdo Sound
- 77° 51' S, v 166° 46' E
- 10 m above sea level
Scott Base News
Let the science begin!
Personnel tasked with keeping Scott Base running over the summer science season have arrived on the ice. The first group of Antarctica New Zealand and New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel landed yesterday on the Royal New Z… Read More
Robots race against climate change on seafloor
New Zealand’s Antarctic scientists are racing to document life on the seafloor in the Ross Sea before ecosystems change, possibly forever, as the world warms. Underwater robots have been deployed to conduct ‘speed sampling’, cove… Read More
Better connected thanks to Antarctica
Not many Kiwis know that we connect to Antarctica every time we open a map on our phones – thanks to data collected by the Scott Base Geomagnetic Observatory! As well as supplying data for smartphone orientation, geomagnetic meas… Read More