Living in iciness - the Drescher Station in Antarctica
Riiser Larsen Ice Shelf, Antarctica
Position: 72° 50' S, 19° 02' W; 28 metre above sea level
The research station was named after the biologist Dr. Eberhard Drescher (26. 11. 1944 - 26. 6. 1983). As one of the first members of the Alfred Wegener Institute and as the head of the working group "Marine Endotherms" he particularly attended to the ecology and protection of Antarctic seals.
Research: Drescher Station is a mobile ice-camp which is only erected on need. For safety reasons a team of at least four persons is necessary. The longest campaign with five scientists lasted 53 days. A safe camp site is the hindermost part of a 25-km-long and up to 3-km-wide crack in the Riiser Larsen Ice Shelf, the Drescher Inlet at the eastern coast of the Weddell Sea.
The station is mainly used by zoologists because their working conditions at the nearby colonies of Weddell seals and emperor penguins are excellent. The scientists mainly concentrate their research on the diving and feeding behaviour of both animal species. Since 1986 six field campaigns were conducted, the last one in the 2003/04 season. In recent years biological programmes in the area of Drescher Inlet have developed to an important research topic because here the studies of different scientific disciplines can be synchronized by combining field-camp and ship activities. This is a worldwide unique approach being based on close collaboration of scientists of the section "Comparative Ecosystem Research" and of the project group "Ocean Acoustics".
Logistics: Red fibreglass-igloos, also called tomatoes, are already assembled onboard the research vessel "Polarstern" and then dropped-off by helicopters onto the ice. Within a few hours the igloos are completely equipped and at the end of the field campaign removed. In order to guard against strong snowdrifts, the igloos are lined-up across the main wind direction.
Station facilities comprise three igloos as living quarters, one common igloo with kitchen and provisions, one workshop igloo for radio and computers and one toilet tent. For the power supply two 5kW-generators are used alternately . Main consumers of electricity are two deep fryers, two snowmelts for producing water and several fan heaters to dry the working clothes and snow boots. During snowdrift, cooking and heating is done with gas. Two snow-mobiles and Nansen-sledges are used for the field work. Depending on weather conditions, the daily energy consumption amounts up to 25 litres of fuel and 1,5 kilograms of gas. All wastes of glass, plastic, metal, paper and food are kept in separate tubs which are then brought back to the ship. Except sewages and faeces being discharged into the shelf ice, nothing is left.