Dome A

Dome A (Dome Argus) is the highest ice dome on the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, located on the high Antarctic plateau and noted for extreme cold and high elevation. Its summit elevation is about 4,093 metres above sea level.

This location is not a tourist destination but a platform for scientific research - notable for exceptionally low atmospheric moisture and stable conditions useful to astronomy and glaciology. Surface temperatures on winter nights commonly fall below -80 degrees Celsius and satellite analyses have identified some of the lowest terrestrial surface temperatures here.

Dome A was identified from aerial and satellite surveys as a high point on the East Antarctic Plateau; in recent decades it has become a focus for polar science. The Chinese Kunlun research station was established in the area to support scientific campaigns and year-round observations.

Dome A sits on the interior East Antarctic Plateau at roughly 80.37°S, 77.35°E, well inland from the Antarctic coast on the frozen ice sheet.

• Elevation and temperature extremes: Summit of the Antarctic ice plateau at roughly 4,093 metres above sea level and one of the coldest places on Earth, with winter surface temperatures commonly below -80 C and satellite minima near -90 C.
• Access and use: Access is strictly logistical and scientific - reached by polar logistics operations using ski-equipped aircraft or long overland traverses rather than public transport.

What to See #

• Kunlun Station: Chinese research facility established near Dome A to support year-round and seasonal science programs, focused on astronomy, glaciology and meteorology.