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Proposed Construction and Operation of a Gravel Runway in the Area of Mario Zucchelli Station, Terra Nova Bay, Victoria Land, Antarctica

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Proposed Construction and Operation of a Gravel Runway in the Area of Mario Zucchelli Station, Terra Nova Bay, Victoria Land, Antarctica ATCM XXXIX, CEP XIX, Santiago 2016 Annex A to the WP presented by Italy Draft Comprehensive Environmental Evaluation Proposed construction and operation of a gravel runway in the area of Mario Zucchelli Station, Terra Nova Bay, Victoria Land, Antarctica January 2016 Rev. 0 (INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK) TABLE OF CONTENTS Non-technical summary ...................................................................................................................... i I Introduction ........................................................................................................................ i II Need of Proposed Activities .............................................................................................. ii III Site selection and alternatives .......................................................................................... iii IV Description of the Proposed Activity ............................................................................... iv V Initial Environmental Reference State .............................................................................. v VI Identification and Prediction of Environmental Impact, Mitigation Measures of the Proposed Activities .......................................................................................................... vi VII Environmental Impact Monitoring Plan ........................................................................... ix VIII Gaps in Knowledge and Uncertainties ............................................................................. ix IX Conclusions ...................................................................................................................... ix 1. Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 1 1.1. History of PNRA activities and logistic structures at MZS .............................................. 1 1.2. Necessity of a new gravel airstrip and site selection work (IPs) ....................................... 2 1.3. Preparation and submission of the Draft CEE .................................................................. 4 1.4. Laws, standards and guidelines ......................................................................................... 4 1.5. Project management system .............................................................................................. 5 2. Description of the Proposed Activity ...................................................................................... 6 2.1. Scope ................................................................................................................................. 6 2.2. Location of the activity ..................................................................................................... 7 2.3. Airstrip design ................................................................................................................. 11 2.3.1. General specifications.................................................................................................. 11 2.3.2. Project description ....................................................................................................... 12 2.3.3. Runway facilities ......................................................................................................... 15 2.3.4. Mechanical properties of soil ...................................................................................... 18 2.4. Airstrip construction and maintenance ............................................................................ 26 2.4.1. Engineering design ...................................................................................................... 26 2.4.2. Embankment design .................................................................................................... 26 2.4.3. Numerical modelling ................................................................................................... 37 2.4.4. Material requirements and quarries ............................................................................. 39 2.4.5. Construction Method ................................................................................................... 43 2.4.6. Maintenance and Repair of Surface Layer .................................................................. 46 2.5. Aeronautic characteristics ............................................................................................... 47 2.5.1. Runway geometric characteristics ............................................................................... 47 2.5.2. Runway Considerations ............................................................................................... 50 2.5.3. Flight approach and take off ........................................................................................ 50 2.6. Operation plan and international profits ......................................................................... 52 2.6.1. Airstrip operation plan ................................................................................................. 52 2.6.2. International profits ..................................................................................................... 53 2.7. BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................... 54 3. Alternatives to the Proposed Activity ................................................................................... 55 3.1. Situation of skiway operations at Mario Zucchelli Station ............................................. 55 3.2. Non proceeding alternative: evaluation of the naval operations ..................................... 58 3.3. Alternative airstrip sites .................................................................................................. 60 3.3.1. Efficiency of intercontinental operations at MZS ....................................................... 60 3.3.2. The Nansen ice sheet airstrip ....................................................................................... 60 3.4. An alternative site for the gravel runway: Campo Antenne ............................................ 62 3.4.1. Description of the alternative site ................................................................................ 63 3.4.2. Feasibility of the alternative airstrip ............................................................................ 64 3.4.3. Aeronautical flight clearances at the site ..................................................................... 66 3.4.4. Climate and meteorology............................................................................................. 67 3.5. Alternative methods for the realization of the Boulder Clay embankment .................... 68 3.6. BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................... 69 4. Initial Environmental Reference state on the Boulder Clay site ........................................ 70 4.1. Geomorphological and Geological framework ............................................................... 70 4.1.1. The Boulder Clay Moraine features ............................................................................ 74 4.1.2. Boulder Clay GPR survey ........................................................................................... 78 4.1.3. Geodetic survey ........................................................................................................... 86 4.1.4. Moraine deformation by satellite SAR interferometry ................................................ 87 4.2. Climate and meteorology ................................................................................................ 92 4.2.1. Temperature ................................................................................................................. 94 4.2.2. Wind ............................................................................................................................ 95 4.2.3. Wind shear ................................................................................................................... 97 4.2.4. Precipitation ............................................................................................................... 100 4.3. Biology and natural environment .................................................................................. 100 4.3.1. Fauna ......................................................................................................................... 101 4.3.2. Flora, vegetation and land use ................................................................................... 104 4.4. Antarctic protected areas ............................................................................................... 114 4.4.1. ASPAs in the Ross Sea region ................................................................................... 114 4.4.2. ASPA n°161 .............................................................................................................. 115 4.5. Air quality monitoring................................................................................................... 117 4.5.1. Air quality data at Terra Nova Bay ........................................................................... 117 4.6. Research activities ......................................................................................................... 122 4.6.1. Scientific activities and long-term monitoring
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