Casey is the closest permanent Antarctic station to
Australia, just 3880 kilometres due south of Perth. The station is located on
the shores of the Windmill Islands group.
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| Source: http://www.antarctica.gov.au/living-and-working/stations |
The Station is situated on the edge of the Antarctic ice cap
where rocky peninsulas meet the Windmill Islands group. The Windmill Islands comprise over 50 islands
which are home to sea bird populations of snow petrels, skua and giant petrels,
as well as Adélie penguin colonies. Approximately only 1% of the Antarctic
landmass comprises exposed rock. The
rock around Casey Station supports a high density of significant moss beds,
many of which are protected within Antarctic Specially Protected Areas (ASPAs).
Law Dome ice cap rises to an elevation of 1395 metres approximately
110 km to the east of Station. Law Dome plays a major influence on the local
weather patterns experienced here at Casey. The icecap is approximately 200 km
in diameter, and was measured to be 1200 m thick in 1993.
Originally the US established and operated a station on the
adjacent Clark Peninsula. Australia took over operation of the site from the US
in 1959. It became quickly evident that the placement of the Station left it
subject to burial by snowdrifts which threatened the facility, and works commenced
in 1964 on a replacement station.
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| Handover at Wilkes, 1959. Photo: Alan Campbell-Drury. Source:http://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/history/ stations/casey |
In 1969 the replacement station called ‘Repstat’ was opened,
close to the site of the modern Casey Station, on the Bailey Peninsula. Repstat
used an innovative concept of buildings constructed in a tunnel like structure,
hence it also being known as the Casey Tunnel. The elevated steel tunnel failed
to withstand the onslaught of salt laden winds, and began to deteriorate by the
mid 1970’s.
The building blocks of the modern Casey station were opened
in 1988. This modernised building structure comprised 100 mm thick panels of
steel clad polystyrene foam on a steel frame and concrete foundation. These
brightly coloured lego-like buildings form the station that we live and work in
today.
As well as the Station facility on the Bailey Peninsula, a
small number of field huts are located in the vicinity of Station to provide
recreational opportunities, and shelter in the field.
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| Casey tunnel building. Photo: Robert (Bob) Allen. Source: http://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/history/ stations/casey |
Major science projects currently being supported from Casey
station include ICECAP - 'International Collaboration for Exploration of the
Cryosphere through Aerogeophysical Profiling’. ICECAP is using airborne
geophysical instruments (radar, laser, geomagnetic and gravity instruments)
mounted in a Basler aircraft, to study the bedrock geology and
structure of the East Antarctic ice sheet, and its glaciological processes.
The team from the Free Ocean Carbon Enrichment Experiment
(FOCE), have been based from Casey since 2014-15, studying the changes to polar
benthic communities when exposed to varying CO2 levels.
Long term seabird monitoring, particularly of Adélie
penguins is undertaken from Casey, in addition to research on the region’s moss
beds in response to climate change and human impact.
An Antarctic Meteorological Centre, was established at Casey
in 1993 to provide high resolution satellite imagery to the World
Meteorological Centre in Melbourne, is now becoming the focus for weather and
climate research in this vital part of the global weather system.
Casey also provide logistic support to the operation of
Wilkins Aerodrome, which is the gateway for aviation support of Australia’s
Antarctic Program (AAp).
