SANAE IV
| SANAE IV | |
|---|---|
| Antarctic base | |
| South African National Antarctic Expedition IV | |
SANAE IV on top of the southern buttress of Vesleskarvet.
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 SANAE IV
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| Coordinates: 71°40′22″S 2°50′26″W / 71.67278°S 2.84056°WCoordinates: 71°40′22″S 2°50′26″W / 71.67278°S 2.84056°W | |
| Country |
 South Africa
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| Location in Antarctica | Vesleskarvet, Queen Maud Land |
| Administered by | South African National Antarctic Program |
| Established | 1997 |
| Elevation | 856 m (2,808 ft) |
| Population | |
| • Total |
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| Type | All year-round |
| Period | Annual |
| Status | Operational |
SANAE IV is a current South African Antarctic research base located in Vesleskarvet, Queen Maud Land. The base is part of the South African National Antarctic Program (SANAP) and is operated by the South African National Antarctic Expedition.
The other two SANAP bases in Antarctica are located on the Gough and Marion islands.
Located in the Queen Maud Land region of Eastern or Greater Antarctica, SANAE IV is on top of a distinctive flat-topped nunatak, Vesleskarvet, on the fringe of the Ahlmann Range of mountains. The base is approximately 80 kilometres (50 mi) from the edge of the continent (also known as the grounding line or hinge zone) and 160 kilometres (99 mi) from the edge of the ice shelf. Vesleskarvet is completely surrounded by the glacial ice sheet.
The first three SANAE research stations were located on the Fimbul Ice Shelf near to the coast, and were subject to the gradual snow burial and eventual crushing that occurs with all stations constructed in this fashion. With a vision of creating a more permanent station, SANAE IV was completed in 1997 using a design which was revolutionary at the time - a structure raised on stilts which allows snow to blow through underneath and thus limits deposition.
By constructing the base near the cliffs of Vesleskarvet, the concept was advanced further: snow that would collect downwind of the base and eventually advance to cover it is instead blown off the 250 m high cliffs into the wind-scoop beyond. By virtue of this clever design, the station should far exceed the short useful life of its predecessors, and the raised design has since been applied to newer stations, such as the British Antarctic Survey's new Halley Research Station and Germany's new Neumayer-Station III.
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