RRS James Clark Ross
RRS James Clark Ross was built by Swan Hunter, Wallsend, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, UK and is operated by the British Antarctic Survey.
It was launched by HM The Queen on 1 December
1990.
The vessel was named after Admiral Sir James Clark Ross, RN (1800-1862)
who discovered the North Magnetic Pole in 1831. During 1840-43 he made
three voyages to Antarctica in an attempt to reach the South Magnetic Pole,
and to undertake a range of scientific studies of the region.
The vessel can be driven at a steady two knots through level sea ice one metre thick. To assist passage through heavy pack ice a compressed air system rolls the ship and prevents the ice from squeezing the hull.
RRS James Clark Ross is equipped for geophysical studies, with a compressor bank to power a large seismic air gun array, a large aft deck for deploying a wide range of equipment and a midships gantry.
For biological studies, the vessel can deploy a wide range of sampling gear and benefits from modern underway instrumentation.
The ship is designed with an extremely low noise signature to allow sensitive underwater acoustic equipment to operate effectively.