Dumont d'Urville

Dumont d’Urville station is located on the coastal area of Terre Adélie, in the Pointe Géologie Archipelago, on Petrel Island, a short distance from the Antarctic continent. The Glacier of l’Astrolabe, close to the station, produces large icebergs which have a strong impact on the bottom of the sea floor and its biodiversity. All the islands of the archipelago except for Ile des Pétrels constitutes the Antarctic Specially Protected Area 120 which includes also the Emperor penguin breeding colony on sea ice in winter.

After the fire which destroyed the first French Antarctic Station (Port-Martin) in Terre Adélie in January 1952, a team of six expeditioners decided to stay during winter on Ile des Pétrels, in a small hut called “Base Marret” (HSM 47). In 1956, Dumont d’Urville station was built on this island, as a temporary station for the International Geophysical Year (1957-58). The station has been continually occupied since that time. The facility includes living quarters: sleeping accommodation, refectory, kitchen, library and hospital; laboratories – biology, geophysics, meteorology; technical areas: power generating plant, workshops, and garages.

Located on a small island at 5 km from the continent, the Dumont d’Urville station is entirely surrounded by sea ice in winter whereas the sea is usually open from December to March. A huge colony of breeding Emperor penguins is present close to the station in winter, and several sea bird species, including numerous Adélie penguins and seals breed in the area. Local conditions are characterized by temperatures varying from 0°C to -35°C, blizzard, long polar nights and winds sometimes exceeding 300 km/h.

There is no permanent population in Terre Adélie and the number of staff and scientists vary from about 24 in winter up to 90 in summer. The nearest station is Concordia (1100 km inland the continent) and, on the coast, the Australian Station Casey (1250 km).

The research station is mainly accessible by ship. TAAF and IPEV chartered L’Astrolabe, an ice class vessel owned by P&O Maritime Services, for the resupply of the station and transport of staff. Access by air is occasional, using intracontinental aircrafts chartered by Italian Partner PNRA for the logistics of Concordia station.