METRIC SYSTEM

NSF encourages use of the metric system, and this manual uses metric where practical. Here are some conversions:

The Metric System
1 centimeter	2.54 inches
1 meter	3.28 feet
1 kilometer	0.621 mile
1 kilometer	0.540 nautical mile
1 kilogram	2.20 pounds
1 kilowatt	1.34 horsepower
1 square meter	10.8 square feet
1 meter per second	2.24 miles per hour
1 foot	0.305 meter
1 inch	2.540 centimeters
1 mile	1.609 kilometers
1 nautical mile	1.151 miles
1 nautical mile	1.852 kilometers
1 pound	0.454 kilogram
1 horsepower	0.746 kilowatt
1 square foot	0.093 square meter
1 mile per hour	0.447 meter per second

GLOSSARY

• ASA--Antarctic Support Associates, the National Science Foundation's antarctic support contractor

• CCAMLR--Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, a part of the Antarctic Treaty system

• CD-ROM--Compact disk, read-only memory: a high capacity storage medium for electronic data

• CNSFA--Commander, Naval Support Force, Antarctica: the senior Navy official in the U.S. Antarctic Program

• Continental system--The part of the USAP that centers on McMurdo Station, including South Pole and field camps supported from McMurdo

• EPA--Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Government

• IAC--International Antarctic Center, Christchurch, New Zealand

• IGY--International Geophysical Year, 1957-1958

• LC-130--Ski-equipped four-engine Lockheed Hercules turboprop airplane

• NASU--Naval Antarctic Support Unit, Christchurch, New Zealand

• NGA--Nongovernmental activity

• NSF--National Science Foundation, an agency of the U.S. Government

• NSFA--Naval Support Force, Antarctica

• OPP--Office of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation

• Peninsula system--The part of the USAP that includes Palmer Station, Polar Duke, and other operations in the Antarctic Peninsula area

• SCAR--Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, of the International Council of Scientific Unions, a nongovernmental organization

• SEH--Safety, environment, and health: specifically, a 5- year initiative, begun in 1990, to improve these functions in the U.S. Antarctic Program

• SPA--Specially Protected Area, an Antarctic Treaty designation

• SSSI--Site of Special Scientific Interest, an Antarctic Treaty designation

• SUREPA--Senior U.S. Representative, Antarctica, appointed by the Director of NSF to oversee U.S. Government activities in Antarctica

• UH-1N--Twin-turbine Bell Huey helicopter

• USAF--United States Air Force

• USAP--United States Antarctic Program, the U.S. Government's program for research and related activities regarding Antarctica

• USARP--United States Antarctic Research Program, the program of scientific research supported in USAP

• USCG--U.S. Coast Guard

• USGS--United States Geological Survey

• USN--United States Navy

• VHF--Very high frequency: VHF radios are used locally around stations and ships

• VXE-6--Antarctic Development Squadron 6, U.S. Navy, the USAP aviation unit