Alfred Faure

Alfred-Faure or Port Alfred is a permanent French scientific station on Île de la Possession of the subantarctic Crozet Archipelago of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands in the South Indian Ocean.

Research station

The station is located at the eastern end of the island on a plateau 143 m above sea level. Depending on the season, there are 15 to 60 personnel living and working at the base. Their scientific work includes meteorological, seismic, biological and geological research. It was first established during the summer of 1963–1964, replacing a temporary scientific base built in 1961. The new station was named after Alfred Faure, the site's leader in the early 1960s. Alfred-Faure is visited a few times a year by the Marion Dufresne, an oceanographic research vessel which delivers supplies and rotating crews of scientists. There is a 1.6 km road that connects the research station to the coast.

Climate

Alfred Faure Station has a very mild tundra climate with cool to cold summers and cold winters. Due to its oceanic location near the subpolar low, it has a very cloudy and rainy climate with just 600 hours of bright sunshine per year and over 70 inches of rain a year. Similar to other subpolar oceanic islands in the southern hemisphere it is also very windy.