Belgrano II Base
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This article may be expanded with text translated from the corresponding article in the Spanish Wikipedia. (June 2012)
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| Belgrano II Base | |
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 Belgrano II Base |
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 Location of Belgrano II Base within Antarctica
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| General information | |
| Location | Coats Land |
| Coordinates | 77°52′S 34°38′W / 77.867°S 34.633°WCoordinates: 77°52′S 34°38′W / 77.867°S 34.633°W |
| Elevation | 250 m (820 ft) |
| Current tenants | 19 (October 2010) |
Belgrano II is an Argentine scientific research station in Antarctica located at 77°52′S 34°37′W / 77.867°S 34.617°W
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History [edit]
In 1955, General Hernan Pujato founded the first Belgrano station, remaining for years as the southernmost base. On February 5, 1979 the Belgrano II was opened as replacement of the previous base. A third base, Belgrano III worked from 1980 to 1984, but the second one is the only one running, and its as of 2010[update] the southernmost permanent Argentine base on the continent.
Although maintained by the Argentine Armed Forces, as all Argentine bases on Antarctica, it is operated by the civilian agency Instituto Antartico Argentino ( English: Argentine Antarctic Institute ). As of 2010, the base has a 19 men crew which two are Air Force meteorologists, three are DNA civilian researchers and the rest is Argentine Army personnel in charge of operating the base.
During the repairs of the Argentine Navy icebreaker ARA Almirante Irízar which is normally used to supply the base, the Argentine Air Force take over the task with airdrops by KC-130 Hercules aircraft in a non-stop flight from Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego [1]
Background [edit]
One of the main features of the base is that as a result of its latitude, both day and night are four months long and the night sky has the usual aurora australis. The temperature is between 5 and 48 C below zero.
Climate [edit]
| Climate data for Belgrano II Base | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 0.6 (33.1) |
−3.9 (25) |
−8.6 (16.5) |
−13.2 (8.2) |
−15.3 (4.5) |
−15.7 (3.7) |
−16.1 (3) |
−16.1 (3) |
−15.5 (4.1) |
−12.4 (9.7) |
−4.9 (23.2) |
−0.2 (31.6) |
−10.11 (13.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −2.4 (27.7) |
−6.9 (19.6) |
−11.4 (11.5) |
−16.3 (2.7) |
−18.6 (−1.5) |
−19.4 (−2.9) |
−19.6 (−3.3) |
−19.7 (−3.5) |
−18.8 (−1.8) |
−16.1 (3) |
−8.8 (16.2) |
−3.5 (25.7) |
−13.46 (7.78) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −5.7 (21.7) |
−10.3 (13.5) |
−14.8 (5.4) |
−19.9 (−3.8) |
−22.4 (−8.3) |
−23.0 (−9.4) |
−23.6 (−10.5) |
−24.1 (−11.4) |
−23.2 (−9.8) |
−20.7 (−5.3) |
−12.9 (8.8) |
−7.1 (19.2) |
−17.31 (0.84) |
| Avg. snowy days | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 143 |
| Source: Servicio Meteorologico Nacional[2] | |||||||||||||
Activities [edit]
- Meteorology station.
- Ozone layer studies with high altitude probes and a Brewer spectrophotometer from the World Meteorological Organization operated jointly with Spain
- Southern aurorae studies in cooperation with Italy
- Magnetic field investigations
- Operates the southernmost seismograph over firm rock
- Geodesy (GPS and a Doris beacon)
See also [edit]
References [edit]
Portions based on a translation from Spanish Wikipedia.
- ^ mindef: EXITOSO ABASTECIMIENTO AÉREO A LA BASE ANTÁRTICA “BELGRANO 2”
- ^ "Statistical Data (1981-1990 Period)" (in Spanish). National Meteorological Service of Argentina. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
External links [edit]
- Belgrano II official page at Argentine Army website
- (Spanish) video news report about KC-130 airdrops resupply
- (English) Official website Direccion National del Antartico
- (Spanish) Belgrano II Base (Fundaciòn Marambio)
- COMNAP Antarctic Facilities
- COMNAP Antarctic Facilities Map
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