download a PDF of the full March 2011 issue - Wattnow

WWatt’s ScienceSA’s newest weather station on a rockSouth Africa has opened its new multi-million rand weatherstation, situated on a bleak piece of rock in the SouthernAtlantic Ocean known as Marion Island.Many thousands of birds and small mammals live on the islandthat was formed about 500 000 years ago by an undersea volcaniceruption. It covers a total area of 290km 2 and there are no roadscrossing it.Most hikers would be able to trek around the rugged shores inabout a week.Normally just 18 people live here during the harsh winter seasonwhere temperatures range from -8 to -15°C and gale-force winds ofup to 120km/h occur several times a year. It generally rains for about317 days out of 365.South Africa has occupied this part of the world for more thansixty years when it was formally annexed by the country in 1947.Marion Island and its neighbouring Prince Edward Island havebeen the preserve of weather men and women and scientists whostudy anything from climate change to the biology of sea lions or themating habits of albatrosses.The voyage to Marion Island takes about two weeks to cover the2000km in the rough Southern Atlantic Ocean. The polar supply ship,SA Agulhas, is used to ferry people to and from the island usually forabout six months at a time.A new weather base station costing R200-million has beensuccessfully built on the island to replace the ramshackle collectionof buildings that date back to the 1950s.The new complex will be able to house up to 980 people and isequipped with modern scientific laboratories, excellent kitchen anddining facilities and additional scientific infrastructure to support thework done by scientists at the base station.It also has a small gymnasium, sauna and whirlpool bath for theresidents. All electricity is produced using diesel generators andtelephone and e-mail links are via a satellite link.More than 6000t of construction equipment was carried to theisland using a short-haul helicopter. About 9000 helicopter flightswere needed to get the construction materials to the base station.The new base station can be viewed via a website set up by theweather bureau. It can be reached at http://marion.sanap.org.za.16