Rothera BaseRothera is the main British research station on the Antarctic Peninsula, located on the heavily glacierised Adelaide Island, at 67°34’S, 68°08’W. It was opened in 1975. The promontory on which it is located provides a magnificent 360° panorama of icy mountains, islands, icebergs and sea ice. The station has a 900 m long runway, and serves as a staging post for the numerous aircraft that serve temporary camps further south. It is home to four Twin Otters that deploy UK field parties and serve international operations. It also has a wharf that provides safe mooring for ships. The base has beds and bunks for just over a hundred scientists and support staff, occupancy reaching a peak in December and January, whilst approximately 20 staff remain over the winter. Further information can be found on the British Antarctic Survey website.The research undertaken here encompasses marine and terrestrial biology, geology, glaciology, meteorology and upper atmosphere physics. | |||
 First view of Rothera Station from the air on arrival from South America. The snow-covered area with tracks above the airstrip is Wormald Ice Piedmont. Grounded icebergs litter the bay to the lower right. |  Rothera Station viewed from Wormald Ice Piedmont with Laubeuf Fjord and the mountains of Pourquoi Pas Island in the background. These French names are from an early 20th Century expedition led by J. B. Charcot. |  The main building at Rothera with Mt Gaudry in the background. It contains the mess, recreational rooms, meeting rooms, a bar and a library. |  The Bonner Laboratory houses biological laboratories and equipment for diving. Partially in view on the left is a laboratory built for scientists from The Netherlands. |
 A spartan, but comfortable office, provided for our group. Here, Dr Bethan Davies is working up results following our field programme. |  Sewage treatment plant for Rothera Station, with Wormald Ice Piedmont in the background. Only clean water is discharged into the bay as solids are incinerated, and the ash returned to the UK. Environmental protocols under the Antarctic Treaty System require nations to keep pollution to an absolute minimum. |  Mid-summer at Rothera, with deep drifts still banked up against an accommodation block named "Giants" after a dog team on the left, and workshops on the right. |  The UK flag flutters in the breeze. Its ragged appearance testifies to the fierce storms that affect the station in winter. Gales occur on 70 days a year. |
 The main building for communications, logistics and science groups. |  Looking up the steep ramp onto Wormald Ice Piedmont above the runway. This is the route to the locations for field training, as well as an emergency snow airstrip. |  Marine biology is one of the main scientific activities at Rothera. Here a rigid inflatable boat is being launched from the wharf. |  A general early spring view of the jetty at Rothera. It is here that supply ships dock later in the season, although sometimes hindered by icebergs. |
 Marine biologists travelling out to a diving location, ready dressed for the icy plunge. |  Checking each other’s kit is essential for safe diving operations. |  A cross and memorials on the hill above the station serve as a salutary reminder of the hazards of working in Antarctica. |  Dog teams were used by several nations in Antarctica until environmental protocols forced their withdrawal in 1993. This plaque commemorates the many dog teams that served the post-war British Antarctic operations. |
 Rothera Station is a photographer’s paradise. Apart from stunning scenery and wildlife, the light is ever-changing. Here, the near-midnight alpenglow lights up the glacierised slopes of Mt Liotard (2235 m). |  Residual light following sunset lights up the clouds above Sheldon Glacier, Mt Liotard (left) and Mt Gaudry (2565 m) (right). |  Telephoto view of the heavily crevasses Horten Glacier which descends from Mt Gaudry. |  The setting sun catches the upper slopes of Mt Gaudry, with Wormald Ice Piedmont in the foreground. |
 Peaks and glaciers on Pourquoi Pas Island, looking across ice-infested Laubeuf Fjord. |  Icebergs surrounded by old and new sea ice off Rothera Station. |  Icebergs and sea ice in Laubeuf Fjord, looking towards Pourquois Pas Island from Rothera. |  A well-developed ice foot formed where sea ice forms in contact with the coast, edge of Laubeuf Fjord. Sea ice floes and icebergs also dominate the scene. |
 Calving of the ice foot at Rothera. |  Large grounded icebergs dwarf the person walking by. |  On a still day, Mt Liotard is reflected in the waters of North Cove at Rothera. |  Dozens of icebergs and remnants of sea ice are floating in Laubeuf Fjord, whilst the low sun also emphasizes the mountains of Pourquois Island. |
| Photos Michael Hambrey, November and December 2012. | |||