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United States Antarctic Program Participant Guide 2016-2018 Edition NSF NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION 4201 WILSON BOULEVARD ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA 22230 i ii www.usap.gov 1-800-688-8606 U.S. Antarctic Program Participant Guide, 2016-2018 U.S. ANTARCTIC PROGRAM NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION 4201 WILSON BOULEVARD ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA 22230 The United States Antarctic Program Welcome to the U.S. Antarctic Program. The U.S. Antarctic Program Participant Guide was revised and updated for 2016- 18. I think you will find it useful to read the entire publication well in advance of your deployment date. The Guide provides practical information about the Program, which NSF manages; about preparing for deployment; about transporting people and cargo; and about living and working in Antarctica. The Guide also may be used as a reference since it contains answers to the many questions that may arise during deployment. It is available online at www.usap.gov at any time. Ensuring the safety and health of all of its participants is a priority for the U.S. Antarctic Program. Harsh Antarctic conditions present numerous challenges to safety. Some are obvious, some not so obvious. Even routine tasks can be poten- tially hazardous. Medical care on "The Ice" is limited. Reducing the risk of injury and illness depends on a combination of systematic risk assessment, hazard elimina- tion or control, appropriate use of personal protective equipment, and safe work practices. Please pay close attention during training on how to live and work safely in Antarctica. Report unsafe conditions promptly. Your safety and the safety of those around you will depend on your conduct on the Ice. Intoxication of any kind in the harsh Antarctic environment can be particularly dangerous and will not be tolerated. Note as well that you are responsible for full compliance with measures to protect the Antarctic environment. Failure to meet these obligations may result in penalties under U.S. law. On behalf of the U.S. Antarctic Program leadership team, I wish you a pro- ductive and safe deployment. Kelly K. Falkner, Director Division of Polar Programs National Science Foundation iii www.usap.gov 1-800-688-8606 SOME ANTARCTIC BASICS… U.S.U.S. Antarctic Antarctic Program Program Participant Participant Guide, Guide, 2016-2018 2016-2018 Some Antarctic Basics… Antarctica… This continent is the highest, driest, coldest, windiest, and emptiest place on earth. An ice sheet covers more than 99% of Antarctica. At its thickest point the ice sheet is 4,776 m (nearly 3 mi.) deep. This ice is approximately 90% of all the world’s ice (by volume) and is 70% of all the world’s fresh water. There are many penguins and abundant sea life along the coast – but there is little life on the continent, and there are no indigenous people. Temperatures… The mean annual temperature at South Pole Station is minus 49°C (-56°F). Temperatures at McMurdo Station may reach as high as 8°C (46°F) in summer, while at South Pole Station, the record high summer temperature -l2.3°C. (9.9°F.) was recorded in December 2011. Palmer Station's sum- mer temperatures will reach above 4°C (40°F). Daylight and Darkness… Simply put, much of the area above 66.5 degrees south enjoys one long day and one long night each year – with weeks of sunrise and sunset in between. There are spectacular displays of aurora aus- tralis (southern lights) during the winter darkness. Ownership… No nation owns Antarctica. The Antarctic Treaty, which has been recognized by 50 countries, reserves the area south of 60 degrees South as a zone for the peaceful conduct of research. Treaty nations coordinate and cooperate to maximize research results and minimize logistics requirements. Size and Distance… The continent is roughly 14 million sq. km. (5.4 million sq. mi.). The United States is smaller at 9.36 million sq. km. (3.6 million sq. mi.). The area of sea ice around Antarctica varies from 4 million sq. km. (1 million sq. mi.) in summer to 20 million sq. km. (7.7 million sq. mi.) in winter. The distance from Washington, D.C., to McMurdo Station is approximately 14,830 km. (9,920 mi.). Science… Antarctica provides excellent conditions for scientific research on such topics as global climate change, ozone depletion, UV radiation, earth sciences, glaciology, astronomy, oceanic and atmo- spheric circulation, marine ecosystems, meteorite studies and biology, among others. History… The existence of Antarctica was only a hypothesis until it was first sighted in 1820-21. No one set foot on the continent until 1895. The South Pole was first reached in 1911, and a year-round research station was established in 1956. Antarctica’s history is packed full of extraordinary stories of heroism and survival. iv www.usap.gov 1-800-688-8606 U.S. Antarctic Program Participant Guide, 2016-2018 U.S. Antarctic Program Participant Guide, 2016-2018 Welcome… WELCOME… NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION 4201 WILSON BOULEVARD ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA 22230 Congratulations. As a U.S. Antarctic Program participant you are among a select few thousand people in the world who deploy each year to stations and field camps or aboard ships and aircraft to conduct or facilitate the research supported by the National Science Foundation in Antarctica and in the Southern Ocean. The privilege of participating in the program also comes with individual responsibility for environmental stewardship. Actions required of you as an individual help to ensure the Program’s and the nation's compliance with the Antarctic Treaty and with U.S. public law and program procedures. Noncompli- ance can result in removal from Antarctica and in substantial civil or criminal penalties. This guide is designed to alert you to those responsibilities and to help you meet to them as you work toward achieving your professional objectives. In Antarctica, you represent not only yourself, but your institution, or your employer, and your nation. It is therefore imperative that you also adhere to the Program’s Code of Conduct. Your safety and health and environmental stewardship are among the pro- gram’s highest priorities. Continuous vigilance and appropriate action in these areas are essential to maintain a safe, healthy and productive work environment in Antarctica. Eric Saltzman, Head Scott Borg, Head Section for Antarctic Sciences Section for Antarctic Division of Polar Programs Infrastructure and Logistics Division of Polar Programs (This U.S. Antarctic Program Participant Guide is revised every two years.) This Participant Guide pants. It covers McMurdo, Palmer is the initial and Southsource Pole of information stations, field for campsU.S. Antarctic and the Programresearch particivessels. The information will help you prepare for your Antarctic experience and point you toward other sources. Be sure to work closely with your - tion and the particular requirements related to your objectives. The U.S. Antarctic Program website point of contact (POC) (www.usap.gov ) will contain more current deployment information than for this more book. detailed If you informa are reading this online, you can click on websites listed in this book and be taken to that site. - All U.S. Antarctic Program participants – including grantees, Antarctic Support Contract (ASC) employees, visitors and military – should use this handbook for general reference only. Authoritative guidance is provided in grant instruments, employment contracts or other legally binding documents. www.usap.govwww.usap.gov 1-800-688-8606 v USAP LOGISTICS U.S. AntarcticU.S. Antarctic Program Program Participant Participant Guide, Guide, 2016-2018 2016-2018 Transportation Map This map represents the routing of most USAP participants. Your exact route may differ. vi www.usap.govwww.usap.gov 1-800-688-8606 U.S. Antarctic Program Participant Guide, 2016-2018 CONTENTS Contents Chapter 1 Permits and Reporting ..................... 36 U.S. Role in Antarctica Other Import-Export Regulations.............. 37 History.................................... 1 Controlled Drugs, New Organisms, Genetically U.S. Expeditions, International Geophysical Modified Organisms, Importing Samples into Year, Antarctic Treaty New Zealand, Transhipping Samples Through United States Antarctic Program .............. 3 New Zealand, Radioactive Materials U.S. Antarctic Policy Science Cargo ............................ 41 Antarctic Program Structure.................. 6 Sea and Air, Retrograde (Return) Science Cargo National Science Foundation, Support Travel within Antarctica..................... 43 Contractors, Department of Defense, Air Transport Department of Homeland Security, Chapter 5 Department of the Interior, Department of Travel Guidelines State, International Cooperation Travel Advice ............................. 45 Science Proposals and Grants................. 9 Customs and Mail Warning, Stay in Contact, Chapter 2 Be Patient, Currency Exchange, Electrical Before You Leave Home Compatibility, Pre-Deployment Personal Vacations, Program Requirements ..................... 11 Post-Deployment Personal Vacations Medical and Dental Examinations, Travel Through New Zealand ............... 47 Immunizations, Privacy Act Compliance, Extreme Cold Weather Clothing Issue, To Deployment Paperwork, Travel Arrangements, McMurdo Station, Return to New Zealand Expenses Travel Through Chile....................... 50 Passports, Visas and Permits................. 14 ECW Clothing, Baggage, To Palmer Station, Passports, Visas, Permits and Approvals Return to Chile Customs ................................. 17 Chapter 6
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