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McMurdo Station
McMurdo Station, Antarctica (77 ° 51' S, 166° 40' E) Click on image for larger view (400k) is the largest facility in Antarctica and has been operating continually since its construction by the US Navy in 1955. McMurdo is located on the Hut Point peninsula, Ross Island, which is on the edge of the Ross Ice Shelf. Mt. Erubus, which is an active volcano, is also located here. The station itself is constructed on barren volcanic rocks consisting of pyroclastic deposits. The soil derived from the weathering of volcanic rocks contains virtually no organic matter. The ground is frozen with permafrost underlying the station to a depth of 15-45 cm. The diagram depicts the layers of the cryosphere (the layer of ice covering the surface), and the lithospere (the rock-covered surface of the earth) that compose the Antarctica landscape. 
The population of McMurdo Station varies throughout the year, but is especially concentrated during the austral summer months (November-January). The station's population, science and logistical activities are significantly reduced during the winter months. In recent years the average population typically ranges from about 1,000 during the austral summer to around 250 during the austral winter months. The graph represents these shifts in population over the four seasons. The National Science Foundation 's (NSF) Office of Polar Programs and the Antarctic Support Associates (ASA) provide the station personnel and grantees with a diverse array of support in the following: research laboratory operations, remote camps, logistics, communications, medical operations, supplies, transportation, power, and field support and rescue.