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About the
University of California
White Mountain Research Station

The White Mountain Research Station has a 60-year history of fostering scientific advancement and has played an important role in scientific milestones including measurement of cosmic background radiation, physiology of breathing, ecophysiology of hibernation, paleoclimate in ancient bristlecone pines, and more (see WMRS history pages). Research in these and diverse other subjects continues vigorously today (see 2006 and 2007 brochures). The station has also hosted thousands of students in field classes and is prominent in the field training of geologists nationally and world-wide. See the WMRS user database (excel file) for a partial listing of over 2000 projects and classes hosted at the station since 1950.

WMRS is a multicampus research unit (MRU) of the University of California Office of Research, with a campus office and Station Director located at UC San Diego. The WMRS President's Advisory Committee advises the Station Director on WMRS Programs and Operations. The balance of the WMRS staff are located on site in Bishop California and surrounding areas.

WMRS includes a three full-service field stations with room, board, lab and work space available: a base station near the town of Bishop (Owens Valley Lab; elevation 4000'/1220m), a montane station at Crooked Creek (elev. 10,200'/3110m), and an alpine station at Barcroft (elev. 12,470'/3800m). There is also an unmanned high alpine summit lab on White Mountain Peak (elev. 14,250'/4340m). The combination of facilities, geologic exposure, steep topography, high elevation and winter access make the station uniquely valuable for scientific study and education (mission statement ).