View of basecamp from "The Fortress"

Twin Otter plane landing on airstrip

Large file, best resolution
  MPEG-1 (7.6 Mb)

Medium file, moderate resolution
  WMV (4.0 Mb)

Small file, low resolution
  WMV (955 Kb)

Large file, best resolution
  MPEG-1 (17.3 Mb)

Medium file, moderate resolution
  WMV (9.1 Mb)

Small file, low resolution
  WMV (2.1 Mb)

  Windows Media Player --- Windows or Macintosh     Real Player --- Windows or Macintosh or Linux

Basecamp just outside of the Haughton impact structure
Photo: G. Osinski, Canadian Space Agency
Location: Northwest rim of the structure
Scale: Width of tents in the background is approximately 2 meters

Basecamp of the Haughton-Mars Project, located on the northwestern rim of the Haughton impact structure. In the foreground is "Tent city" where individual tents are setup for the duration of the stay. "Downtown" is where people spend time when they are not in the field. The dirt "Airstrip" where Twin Otter planes land is next to "The Fortress", an eroded castle-like outcrop of dolomite.

So, you want to do arctic field work.....
Photo: G. Osinski, Canadian Space Agency
Location: Northwest rim of the structure
Scale: Width of ATVs is approximately 2-2.5 meters

Haughton lies well above the Arctic Circle and the weather even in July (shown above), can often be harsh. Temperatures can dip down to -50 C (-58 F) with strong winds (70 km/hr or 44 mi/hr). Bringing the appropriate gear to work and live under these conditions is critical. In the foreground are All-Terrain Vehicles (ATV). These are essential for getting around the impact structure, considering its area covers many tens of square kilometers!