SANAE-IV station

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Coordinates: 71 ° 40 ′ 0 ″  S , 2 ° 51 ′ 0 ″  W.

Relief Map: Antarctica
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SANAE-IV station​
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Antarctic
The SANAE-IV station

South Africa maintains the SANAE IV station on the coast of Antarctica as part of its Antarctic research program South African National Antarctic Program (SANAP) .

Like all other stations built on ice, their predecessors had to be renewed at regular intervals due to the movement of the ice. The first station (SANAE I) was built near the Norwegian station in 1962; it was a simple wooden hut and served as a supply base for the camp 350 km south in the Borga Mountains from 1969 to 1976. In 1971 it was replaced by SANAE II. With the SANAE III built in 1979, steel pipes were used for the first time for stabilization. SANAE III served as a supply base for the “Sarie Marais” expedition camp in the Grunehogna Mountains 200 km away .

The current base SANAE IV was built in compliance with the Madrid Protocol of 1991 in a four-year construction period on Vesleskarvet and consists of three steel blocks with a total area of ​​3300 m². South African research teams have been wintering here since it was completed in 1997. The winter crews consist of nine people, while the number of crews is significantly larger in the summer months. Sanae IV is located about 225 km southeast of Neumayer Station II .

Research focuses on oceanography , astronomy , biology and geology , which are mainly carried out in summer.

The station also serves as a telemetry station for the Swedish Astrid 2 satellite and the collection of meteogeological data and is part of the global network of International GPS Service .

The station is supplied by the SA Agulhas II icebreaker . Light goods and people are flown from the ship to the station with Oryx helicopters, while heavy loads and diesel are hauled over the 160 km route in 14 hours with caterpillar vehicles (Caterpillar Challenger).

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