United States Antarctic Program

The United States government program that organizes and supports American scientific research in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, including logistics, infrastructure, and field operations.

National Science Foundation: An independent U.S. federal agency that funds and supports research and education across science and engineering. The foundation manages the program and funds its scientific research.
Ice core: A cylinder of ice extracted from a glacier or ice sheet, preserving layers of past snowfall and atmospheric material. Program-supported drilling retrieves climate records extending hundreds of thousands of years.
Operation Highjump: A large U.S. Navy Antarctic expedition conducted in 1946–1947. The expedition expanded U.S. mapping and operational experience before the permanent program took shape.
Antarctic Treaty System: The agreements and institutions governing international relations and activities in Antarctica. It governs the continent internationally, while the program organizes U.S. research operations.
McMurdo Station: The largest U.S. research station in Antarctica, located on Ross Island. It is the program’s principal logistics hub and largest research station.
Antarctic meteorite: A meteorite recovered from Antarctica, where ice movement and surface conditions make such rocks conspicuous. U.S. field teams collect meteorites that reveal the composition of other Solar System bodies.
International Geophysical Year: A global scientific collaboration conducted from July 1957 through December 1958. Its Antarctic research stations established a foundation for sustained U.S. scientific presence.
British Antarctic Survey: The United Kingdom’s national organization for Antarctic science and polar operations. It provides a national-program comparison with different institutions and research infrastructure.
Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station: A U.S. research station located at the geographic South Pole. The program operates this year-round station for research and polar observations.
Antarctic krill: A small, shrimp-like crustacean that forms a major part of the Southern Ocean food web. Long-running research at Palmer Station tracks krill and the ecosystem changes affecting them.

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