An area at Arrival Heights was originally protected because its geographical characteristics, such as its elevated position and broad viewing horizon, as well as the volcanic crater morphology, made it useful as a “quiet” site for atmospheric studies. It has the logistic support of McMurdo Station 1.5 km to the south, and Scott Base 3 km to the south-east, and continues to be protected as Antarctic Specially Protected Area No.122 for its value in upper atmospheric research and boundary layer air sampling studies.
Atmospheric research
Upper atmospheric research started at Arrival Heights in 1959 with the establishment of an unmanned auroral radar station by the New Zealand's Department of Scientific and Industrial Research in partnership with Stanford University. This was to coincide with other Antarctic atmospheric research activities as part of the 1957 IGY programme including the establishment of a full geomagnetic observatory, vertical incident ionosonde station and AZA transmitter at Scott Base. Over the next 10–15 years a variety of additional DSIR equipment was added, including an auroral camera along with American scientific investigations. In 1982 a MF-radar was installed by the Physics Department at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand to measure D-region winds in the ionosphere. Coincidentally, also in 1982 the first stratospherictrace gas remote sensing uv/vis grating spectrometer was installed by DSIR, New Zealand to measure nitrogen dioxide abundance in the polar atmosphere. With the discovery of the Antarctic ozone hole a cascade of remote sensing instrumentation was installed by the DSIR over the next 10–15 years focusing on taking measurements for stratospheric heterogeneous chemistry and ozone depletion research. In 1988 DSIR started a research programme to obtain in situ flask samples for greenhouse gas and carbon isotope analysis. Both the in situ and remote sensing measurements are an important part in global atmospheric monitoring networks such as GAW and the NDACC. The laboratory has expanded in size since its initial construction in 1959. Two atmospheric research laboratories operate in the Arrival Heights ASPA. These are owned and operated by Antarctica New Zealand and the United States Antarctic Program. In 2007 Antarctica New Zealand constructed a purpose-built atmospheric research laboratory. It houses both New Zealand and United States instrumentation.
