Kunlun Station

Kunlun Station
昆仑站
Antarctic base
Location of Kunlun Station in Antarctica
Location of Kunlun Station in Antarctica
Kunlun Station
Location of Kunlun Station in Antarctica
Coordinates: 80°25′02″S 77°06′58″E / 80.417139°S 77.116111°E / -80.417139; 77.116111
Country China
Location in AntarcticaEast Antarctica
Administered byPolar Research Institute of China
Established27 January 2009 (2009-01-27)
Elevation
[1]
4,087 m (13,409 ft)
Population
 (2017)[1]
 • Summer
26
 • Winter
0
TypeSeasonal
PeriodSummer
StatusOperational
Activities
List
  • Core drilling
  • Astronomy
  • Geomagnetism
  • Seismology
WebsiteChinese Arctic and Antarctic Administration
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Kunlun Station (simplified Chinese: 昆仑站; traditional Chinese: 崑崙站; pinyin: Kūnlún Zhàn) is the southernmost of five Chinese research stations in Antarctica. When it is occupied during the summer, it is the second-southernmost research base in Antarctica, behind only the American Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station at the geographical South Pole. When Kunlun is not in operation, the year-round Russian Vostok Station is the second-southernmost base in Antarctica.

It is located at 4087 m above sea level on the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, making it the highest base in Antarctica.[2] It is only 7.3 km southwest of Dome A, the highest point on the Antarctic Plateau. The station was officially opened on January 27, 2009. Fully constructed the station is planned to cover an area of 558 m2. The main building, covering 236 m2, is planned erected in April 2009.[3]

The site is one of the coldest in the world, with temperatures occasionally reaching −80 °C (−112 °F) in the winter. It is indicated from satellite measurements that places nearby could reach a world record −90 °C (−130 °F) temperature.[citation needed]

In April 2012 the first of three Antarctica Schmidt telescopes (AST3) was installed at Kunlun Station. The other two were planned for installation in 2013 and 2014. A bigger optical telescope, Kunlun Dark Universe Survey Telescope (KDUST), is planned to be installed by 2025.

  1. ^ a b Antarctic Station Catalogue (PDF) (catalogue). Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs. August 2017. p. 61. ISBN 978-0-473-40409-3. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 October 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  2. ^ "China to build two more Antarctic bases". Phys.org. March 29, 2013.
  3. ^ "China sets up 3rd Antarctic research station". 2009-01-28. Archived from the original on 31 January 2009. Retrieved 28 January 2009.