Bonney Camp (PS04): R-910 - McMurdo Dry Valley Management Plan Revisions
Project: McMurdo Dry Valley Management Plan Revisions (R-910)
- PI: Colin Harris
- Project Lead: Erika Schreiber
- Funding Source: NSF-OPP Antarctic
Description
The McMurdo Dry Valleys are approximately 100 kilometers west of McMurdo Station, across McMurdo Sound. They comprise a series of mostly unglaciated valleys within the Transantarctic Mountains. The ground is primarily covered in loose gravel and a series of meltwater lakes. The lakes’ surfaces are persistently frozen aside from moats along their shores that melt out each summer. No vegetation is present aside from algae and lichen in limited quantities. One of the dry valleys, Taylor Valley runs approximately east-west and is the most active with four research camps located on the shores of its three largest lakes. Taylor Valley is accessible from McMurdo Station via a ~30 minute helicopter flight. Lake Bonney Camp is located on the south shore of the east lobe of Lake Bonney. The camp is on a fairly steep slope, and the main hut is close to shore – of particular concern due to recent rises in lake levels.
Objective
The purpose of this UAS survey was to collect high-resolution imagery of the facility zone, to create an accurate three-dimensional model. During the survey, an area of particular interest (relatively flat compared to the rest of the area) was found to the northeast of the initial region, and an additional flight was completed to include this ‘bench’.