Dumont d'Urville Station facts for kids
The Dumont d'Urville Station (which in French is Base antarctique Dumont-d'Urville) is a French science base in Antarctica. It is located on Île des Pétrels, which is part of the Pointe-Géologie archipelago in Adélie Land. The station is named after the famous explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville. His team landed nearby on Débarquement Rock in the Dumoulin Islands on January 21, 1840. The "French Polar Institute Paul-Émile Victor" runs this important station.
History of the Station
The first French research base in Antarctica was at Port Martin. This base was about 62 kilometers (38 miles) east of where Dumont d'Urville is now. Sadly, a fire destroyed it on January 23, 1952.
In 1952, a smaller base called Base Marret was built on Île des Pétrels. Its main purpose was to study a large group of emperor penguins. After the Port Martin station burned down, Base Marret became the main base for the winter of 1952/1953.
A new, larger main base, the Dumont D'Urville station, was then built on the same island. It officially opened on January 12, 1956. This new station became the center for all French scientific research during the special worldwide science event called the Antarctic International Geophysical Year in 1957 and 1958. The station has been used actively for science ever since!
Life and Supplies at the Station
The station can host about 30 people in winter and up to 120 people during the summer months. Getting to the station can be tricky. Ice and very strong winds, called katabatic winds, often make it hard for boats or helicopters to land.
The icebreaker ship L'Astrolabe brings supplies and people to the station. It travels from the port of Hobart, Tasmania, in Australia. The ship makes five trips between November and March each year.
The famous Academy Award-winning documentary movie La Marche de l'empereur, known in English as March of the Penguins, was filmed in the area around this base.
Images for kids
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This graph shows the average air temperatures at D'Urville Station from 1950 to 2012.
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A group of Adélie penguins living near the station.
See also
In Spanish: Base Dumont d'Urville para niños
