Scott Base and McMurdo Proximity
Scott Base is about 5 km (3 miles) from McMurdo station. Scott Base was originally built for the Commonwealth Transantarctic Expedition of Edmund Hillary, of 1955 – 58 and was in use as a research station during the International Geophysical Year of 1957 – 58.
The Antarctic Expedition History of Scott Base
The Commonwealth Transantarctic Expedition was the first expedition that successfully crossed the Antarctic Continent via the South Pole. This was only the third expedition to reach the South Pole overland, after those of Amundsen and Scott in 1911 and 1912. One of the original buildings of the Commonwealth Transantarctic Expedition still stands at the station and is now an official historic site.
Scott Base Specifics
Scott Base consists of interconnected green huts on a rocky slope close to the shore. It can accommodate up to 86 people in summer, but during winter there are only about 10 to 15 people on Scott Base. The station is used for meteorological observations, higher atmospheric studies, aurora studies, and Earth studies, such as biology and climatology.
Editorial credit: / Shutterstock.com