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The Summer Camp for scientific work has been fully operational since 1995. Several scientific projects and experiments have been carried out using this facility. The most important research project, carried out so far at Dome C, is the European Programme for Ice Coring in Antarctica (EPICA), but several other preliminary studies were performed in the past Austral summer campaigns in areas such as astrophysics, atmospheric sciences, astronomy, earth sciences and human physiology and behaviour. For more details see the scientific programme. With the facilities available at Dome C it has been possible to provide adequate accommodation for more than fifty people per day during the summer.
BuildingsThe total covered area of the summer camp is almost 1,500 m2, of which 1,000 m2 are heated. The other 500 m2 are made up of cold labs and storage tents or containers.
Main building is composed of two sections:
- one night area, with 7 containers, 2 of which are dedicated to an infirmary and an operating theatre;
- one day area, with 12 containers used as kitchen, canteen, toilets, food storage, offices and a radio room.
Three Weatherhaven shop shelters. The dimensions of this type of tent are: 6.70m x 12m x 5.4m in height. One of them, called "garage", is used as a workshop and as a garage. The second one, called "workshop", is reserved for the needs of the drilling team. The third one is used for carpentry, clothing storage and fast storage space for cargo arriving and departing by Twin Otter; it was moved near the station.
Two tents, series Weatherhaven 4A storage shelter measuring 5.48m x 15.84m. One tent is used as a free time area, available for various social activities. The second one is used as an office area. In this last tent 7 desks for scientists are available. All positions are equipped with a local area network (LAN) to receive and send E-mails and to communicate with each other. There is a link tent between the office tent and the free time tent.
A caravan: this "Rebusco" caravan, located near the sleeper tents, is equipped with six beds and a kitchen for emergencies. Normally it is used as a sleeping room with four beds.
Five sleeper tents, type Weatherhaven 4A sleeper shelter: the dimensions of this kind of tent are 5.48m x 7.31m. They are used as bedrooms: two with six beds, two with eight beds in each one and one with seven beds. A little hall protects the bedroom from the outside.
Five storage tents, type Ferrino "Montana": are used to store food-stuffs, goods, small machinery.
One drilling tent measuring 22m x 6m x 6.8m in height. This tent is used to shelter the drilling activities. It is not heated except for a small closed area which is protected and heated for the sake of the instrumentation and the people working there.
Cold laboratory building measuring 43.30m x 3.40m x 2.40m in height. It contains instruments and tools for the analysis of ice samples.
Ice storage: close to the above building there is a "buffer" where ice core samples are stored while waiting to be analysed. It has the following dimensions 13.40m x 4.40m x 2.40m in height.
Warm laboratory building: contains instruments for chemical analysis. It has the following dimensions 23.40m x 3.40m x 2.40m in height.
One underground cold storage room with a small insulated space; it is divided in two sections: the first section was obtained by assembling together three containers and is used as the underground ice-core storage; the second section was built with curved metal sheets and is used as the underground garage for the crane and the tractors. At the same depth of the other sections there is an insulated ISO 20 container kept warm by a number of electric heaters powered by a 3 kW wind generator. It is used as storage for delicate electronic equipment unable to withstand to the very low temperatures reached during the winter.
Other buildings.
There are a few other storage buildings in the camp. The most important ones are:
-a waste compactor container;
-one ISO 20 container as a fresh-water tank;
-one ISO 20 container as a waste-water tank;
-eight containers for storage of equipment, tools, spare parts, hydraulic and electrical parts;
-two containers for the storage of food-stuffs;
-one container for storage of scientific equipment;
-one ISO 20 container as a fuel tank;
-one pilot tent (3 beds).
Facilities
Canteen area:
-1 kitchen in the day area of the main building + 1 emergency kitchen in the Rebusco caravan. The canteen area is self service for the flexibility in the service and food quality;
-1 dining room with 24 seating places;
-1 industrial dish washer.
Sleeping accommodation:
-35 beds in 5 dormitory tents;
-4 beds in the Rebusco caravan (+ 2 beds in emergency);
-16 beds in the main building;
-in addition, in a tent equipped with oxygen masks, there are three beds reserved for the Twin Otter pilots; another bed is available in the infirmary.
Laundry
-2 washing machines and 3 dryers are in the daytime area of the main building;
Toilets and showers
There are 6 toilets conveniently placed in various areas of the summer camp and 5 showers: 3 in the Day Zone of the Summer Camp and 2 in the Baruzzi service container.
Telecommunication facilities:
-1 Inmarsat C used for fax, telex and e-mail;
-1 fixed Iridium for intercontinental communication;
-1 HF radio transceiver: used for communication with other Antarctic stations and Twin Otter;
-1 VHF radio transceiver.
Water Production
One snow melter for fresh water production. Energy to melt snow is produced by using a cogeneration system connected to the main electrical diesel generators. Taking in account the normal working conditions, this system has the potential to produce up to 4,000-5,000 litres of water per day.
Diesel electrical generators
One power station with 2 x 180 kVA diesel generators; in addition there are the following emergency generators:
-1 x 16 kVA Alsthom Dieselair diesel generator, installed in the Rebusco caravan;
-1 x 16 kVA ONAN diesel generator, installed in a ISO 10 container;
-1 x 10 kVA HONDA gasoline generator;
-2 x 5 kVA HONDA gasoline generators.
There is also a start-up generator which is a 16 kVA SAME diesel generator installed in a ISO 10 container, used only at the beginning of the season.
Vehicles
These are the tractors and snowmobiles present at the Camp:
-1 Caterpillar 953 B SLGP;
-1 Caterpillar D4 LGP;
-1 Kassbohrer PB 270;
-1 Kassbohrer Flexmobil;
-1 Toyota pick-up;
-1 Merlo telescopic elevator;
-3 Alaska skidoos with sledges;
-2 Polaris skidoos; ;
-1 Heila "Concord 35" crane;
-1 Italmec basket;
-1 snow-removing machine with rotating tools.