McMurdo Station (77°51'S, 166°40'E), the main U.S. station in Antarctica, is a coastal station on the volcanic hills at the southern tip of Ross Island, about 3,864 km (2,415 miles) south of Christchurch, New Zealand, and 1,360 km (850 miles) north of the South Pole. The original station was built in 1955 to 1956 for the International Geophysical Year. Today's station is the primary logistics facility for supply of inland stations and remote field camps, and is also the waste management center for much of the U.S. Antarctic Program. Year-round and summer science projects are supported at McMurdo.

The station has a harbor, landing strips on the sea ice and shelf ice, and a helicopter pad. The three airfields-the annual sea-ice runway, Pegasus White Ice Runway, and Williams Field Skiway-are used at different times of the year for different reasons. The station's 85 or so buildings range in size from a small radio shack to large, three-story structures. Repair facilities, dormitories, administrative buildings, a firehouse, power plant, water distillation plant, wharf, stores, clubs, warehouses, a science support center, and the first-class, 4,320 square-meter Crary Lab are linked by above-ground water, sewer, telephone, and power lines.

The mean annual temperature is -18°C (0°F). Temperatures may reach 8°C (46°F) in summer and -50°C (-58°F) in winter. The average wind is 12 knots, but winds have exceeded 100 knots.

McMurdo Station began the first phase of austral summer operations on August 20, 2009 with the first flights of the Winter Fly-in, or WinFly. During the week-long operation, the U.S. Air Force will fly five round-trip flights between Christchurch, New Zealand, and McMurdo Station to bring people and supplies in preparation for the 2009-2010 field season. About 350 people, including 24 scientists, will join the 153 wintering population on Ross Island. To find out more about life at U.S. Antarctic research stations, see the Around the Continent section of The Antarctic Sun.

Additional Links and Resources
National Science Foundation - Office of Polar Programs
NSF in the Antarctic
International Polar Year (IPY) 2007-2008
International Geophysical Year (IGY)

For another view of Antarctica, see the South Pole Station Webcam