Marble Point
Marble Point is a rocky promontory on the coast of Victoria Land, Antarctica. The United States operates a station at the point. The outpost is used as a helicopter refueling station supporting scientific research in the nearby continental interior, such as the McMurdo Dry Valleys. Dependent upon the weather conditions at the time, helicopters are able to fly in and out of the station 24 hours a day during the summer research season.
Marble Point | |
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Fuel depots and refuge at Marble Point | |
Marble Point Location of Marble Point Station in Antarctica | |
| Coordinates: 77°26′00″S 163°50′00″E | |
| Country | United States |
| Location in Antarctica | Marble Point Antarctica |
| Administered by | United States Antarctic Program |
| Established | 1956 |
| Population | |
| • Total |
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| Type | Seasonal |
| Period | Summer |
| Status | Operational |
Marble Point Heliport | |||||||||||
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A U.S. Navy UH-1N at Marble Point, 15 June 1988 | |||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Private | ||||||||||
| Location | Marble Point Victoria Land | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 77°24′47″S 163°40′44″E | ||||||||||
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Marble Point Heliport Location of airfield in Antarctica | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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The station's remote location and adjoining frozen sea have largely discouraged tourism in the area. However, the Russian icebreaker Kapitan Khlebnikov conducts cruises in the Ross Sea and McMurdo Sound. In 1993, the icebreaker docked at fast ice offshore Marble Point. Tourists aboard helicopters launched from the icebreaker flew excursions into the McMurdo Dry Valleys.