The US Cape Crozier hut at 77° 27′ 41″ South, 169° 11′ 13″ East, is situated on the NW side of a low peak (675 m) NW of Post Office Hill. A message post from Scott’s National Antarctic Expedition (1901-04) is situated in West Colony (169° 14′ 37.5″ E, 77° 27′ 16.7″ S) and was designated as Historic Site and Monument (HSM) No.69 through Measure 4 (1995). The area is Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA) No. 124.
An Automatic Weather Station (AWS) named Laurie II is istalled at Cape Crozier, situated on the Ross Ice Shelf 35 km east of Cape Crozier. Air temperatures recorded at Laurie II between 2009-13 showed December as the warmest month over this period, with a mean temperature of -5.8º C, and August as the coolest with a mean temperature of -33.1º C.
Location of other protected areas within close proximity of the Area
The nearest protected areas to Cape Crozier are on Ross Island: Lewis Bay (ASPA No.156), the site of the 1979 DC-10 passenger aircraft crash is the closest and 45 km west; Tramway Ridge (ASPA No.130) near the summit of Mt. Erebus is 55 km west; Discovery Hut on the Hut Point Peninsula (ASPA No.158 and HSM No.18); Arrival Heights (ASPA No.122) is 70 km to the SW adjacent to McMurdo Station; Cape Royds (ASPA No.121), Backdoor Bay (ASPA No.157 and HSM No.15) and Cape Evans (ASPA No.155) are 75 km west; and New College Valley (ASPA No.116) are 75 km NW at Cape Bird.
The primary helicopter landing site preferred for most access to the Area, is located at 169° 11.19′ E, 77° 27.64′ S (elevation 240 m). This landing site is below and 150 m northwest of the US Cape Crozier Field Hut, and outside of the Area approximately 430 m west of the western ASPA boundary (Map 2). The site is marked by a circle of bright orange painted rocks. An alternative, secondary, landing site may be used when necessary, located at 169° 11.28′ E, 77° 27.72′ S. The landing site is 150 m above the Hut and approximately 450 m west of the ASPA boundary.
Read more about the US Field Hut at Cape Crozier at:
Cape Crozier: 5th Largest Adelie Colony | A Southern Migration (wordpress.com)
Cape Crozier Field Hut is listed on WAP-WADA Directory as WAP USA-NEW. On next article we’ll see another historical one at Cape Crozier; the Rock Hut (aka Wilson Stone Hut) , HSM 21, which will enter on WAP-WADA Directory as WAP MNB-NEW