5. Marble Point Station

ID#: 
	8906
Date: 	
	8 December 1980.  Julian day 343.
Time: 	
	Departed McMurdo 0600 Z.  Arrived Marble Point 0630 Z.
	Departed Marble Point 0730 Z.  Arrived McMurdo 0800 Z.

Background:  
	The station has been in operation since November 1978 and has been working well.

Equipment:  
	See section VI for 3-man visit to already established site.
Weather:  
	Weather had been poor all day and we were uncertain if we would be able to go at all.  Estimated ceiling 3000 feet with stratus but good visibility below the ceiling.  Would have liked to go to Asgard after finishing at Marble Point, but ceiling was prohibitive.  

Trip:  
	Evans, Smith and Savage aboard.  Nice flight over the Sound.  Found site easily and set down in clear area about 100 meters away.  Evans surveyed RTG.  Replaced aerovane and confirmed proper match with boom.  Verified that station was transmitting using hand-held receiver.

Observations:	
	Thermometer was calibrated -30 to +50 C mercury-in-glass.  Microbarometer was Paulin PMB-1.

	time		temperature		pressure
	0700 Z					969.5 mb
	0704 Z		-1.2 C
	0707 Z		-1.6 C

	estimated wind speed:  10-12 knots
	estomated wind direction:  South

AWS Output:  
	time		temperature	pressure	wind
	0710 Z		0.0 C		968.0 mb	152 deg at 10.5 kt
	0700 Z		0.0 C		968.1 mb	
	0650 Z		0.1 C		968.1 mb
	0640 Z		0.1 C		967.8 mb
	0630 Z 		0.1 C		967.7 mb

	mean wind speed:  10.5 knots
	mean wind direction:  162 degrees true
	signal strength:  -118 dbm

How to Find:
	The site is located 2.5 kilometers soutwest of the tip of Marble Point, near the top of the 122 m hill shown on the USGS map of Ross Island.  If the site cannot be found, fly inland into the valley near the base of the Wilson Piedmont Glacier.  Then flying at low level the tower can be seen outlined against the sky.