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Winter Quarters Bay is a small cove of McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, located due south of New Zealand at 77°50'S. The harbor is the southern-most port〔(U.S. Polar Programs ), National Science Foundation FY2000.〕 in the Southern Ocean and features a floating ice pier for summer cargo operations. The bay is approximately 250m wide and long, with a maximum depth of 33m. The name Winter Quarters Bay refers to Robert Falcon Scott's National Antarctic Discovery Expedition (1901–04) which wintered at the site for two seasons.〔(Discovery Hut, Hut Point," New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust )〕 A small peninsula on the southern tip of Ross Island forms the natural harbor at Winters Quarters Bay which offers shelter for ships. The harbor has served the few ships able to penetrate McMurdo Sound's pack ice ever since the Discovery Expedition (1901–04).〔(Discovery Hut, Hut Point," New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust )〕 Today, two ships assisted by an icebreaker annually arrive at Winter Quarters Bay with fuel and cargo to re-supply the adjacent U.S. McMurdo Station at . The cargo operations also support nearby Scott Base and field stations throughout Antarctica. More than 50 years of activity at McMurdo Station has severely polluted the bay.〔("Thaw puts husky hazards in the path of Scott's successors: ) Melting Antarctic ice unveils decades of rubbish buried on Earth's cleanest continent," The Guardian. November 17, 2001. Decades of pumping thousands of gallons of raw sewage generated by McMurdo residents directly into the bay came to an end in 2003 when a treatment plant became operational.〕 ==Bay water characteristics== A shallow submarine ridge marks the mouth of Winter Quarters Bay. Water depths in the bay range from 13m along the ridge to a maximum depth of 33m at the bay's center.〔("Comprehensive Characterization Report on Winter Quarters Bay, McMurdo Station, Antarctica," ) National Science Foundation report by Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory; Environmental Assessment Technologies; and Lockheed Martin Idaho Technologies Report. January 1997.〕 The submarine ridge and Hut Point Peninusula temper the effect of McMurdo Sound ocean currents. Current meters indicate such minimal currents that the bay can be considered essentially stagnant. In addition the submarine ridge tends to provide a buffer against icebergs moving into the bay and damaging the ice pier and shoreline. Physical barriers created by such land forms have also concentrated toxic pollutants introduced into the bay from operations at McMurdo Station, according to a 1997 U.S. National Science Foundation sponsored study.〔("Comprehensive Characterization Report on Winter Quarters Bay, McMurdo Station, Antarctica," ) National Science Foundation report by Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory; Environmental Assessment Technologies; and Lockheed Martin Idaho Technologies Report. January 1997.〕 The combination of sun and sufficiently warm air temperatures a few days during midsummer can produce snowmelt on adjacent Ross Island. The subsequent runoff is largely diverted by ditches and culverts into McMurdo Sound, rather than the bay, according to the National Science Foundation report. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Winter Quarters Bay」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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