The Long View

LV Sketchbook Page 009

LV Sketchbook Page 009 takes France’s Dumont d'Urville research station for its subject. The base was established in 1956 and named after 19th-century explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville. Situated off the Antarctic coast on Île des Pétrels in the archipelago of Pointe Géologie in Adélie Land, the station accommodates about 120 summer personnel and 30 winter-overs. Science conducted at the base includes the study of wildlife, notably that of Emperor penguins which reproduce there in winter. It is also a summer home to Adélie penguins, Giant petrels, Snow petrels, Cape petrels, and skuas. Various species of penguins, killer whales, and rorquals also make appearances, inviting studies in ornithology, ichthyology, and microbiology. Other fields of research include atmosphere chemistry, polar ozone, meteorology, geophysics, seismology, human immunology, psychology, and sleep studies. In addition to scientific work, Dumont d'Urville serves as a conduit for supplying Concordia Station, France’s Antarctic inland base. Logistics support is provided by a team of contractors that make up about half of the crew at any given time and the program is operated by the French Polar Institute (Institut Polaire Français Paul Émile Victor - IPEV), a governmental support agency. A chronological sequence of weekly pictures shot by IPEV’s webcam at Dumont d'Urville can be found on their website here.