Captain Arturo Prat Base

Coordinates: 62°28′44″S 59°39′52″W / 62.478889°S 59.664444°W / -62.478889; -59.664444
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Prat Station
Base Naval Antártica "Arturo Prat"
Arturo Prat Station
Base Naval Antártica "Arturo Prat"
Base Naval Antártica "Arturo Prat"
Flag of Prat Station
Location of Prat Station in Antarctica
Location of Prat Station in Antarctica
Prat Station
Location of Prat Station in Antarctica
Coordinates: 62°28′44″S 59°39′52″W / 62.478889°S 59.664444°W / -62.478889; -59.664444
Country Chile
Location in AntarcticaIquique Cove
Greenwich Island
South Shetland Islands
Administered by Chilean Navy
Established6 February 1947 (1947-02-06)
Named forArturo Prat
Elevation0 m (0 ft)
Population
 (2017)[1]
 • Summer
30
 • Winter
8
UN/LOCODEAQ APT
TypeAll-year round
PeriodAnnual
StatusOperational
ActivitiesIonospheric and meteorologic research
WebsiteBase Arturo Prat INACH

Captain Arturo Prat Base (Spanish: Base Naval Antártica "Arturo Prat") is a Chilean Antarctic research station located at Iquique Cove, Greenwich Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica.

Opened February 6, 1947 by the First Chilean Antarctic Expedition, it is the oldest Chilean Antarctic station. Until March 1, 2006, it was a base of the Chilean Navy, on which date it was handed over to the regional government of Magallanes and Antártica Chilena Region. Until February 2004, it had been a permanent base. Afterwards, it had served as a summer base for ionospheric and meteorologic research. There have been plans to reopen the station for permanent occupation starting March 2008. The base is named for Captain Arturo Prat, a Chilean naval officer.

Historic sites[edit]

Climate[edit]

The climate is maritime polar (Köppen: ET), being on the coast of the peninsula with less severe averages than expected in Antarctica.[3][4] Extreme temperatures can reach −29 °C or −20.2 °F in July, which is still quite bearable to humans protected due to considerable moderation of the sea, and a rare heat wave caused the temperature to reach 19 °C or 66.2 °F, a relatively high value. The climate is quite humid for its location and precipitation is fairly well distributed, so that even in the driest months it receives more precipitation than almost all of the Mediterranean zone.[5]

Climate data for Captain Arturo Prat Base, elevation: 5 m or 16 ft, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1958-present[a]
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 8.4
(47.1)
13.0
(55.4)
9.1
(48.4)
5.0
(41.0)
5.8
(42.4)
4.2
(39.6)
3.9
(39.0)
3.5
(38.3)
4.9
(40.8)
5.4
(41.7)
6.3
(43.3)
9.7
(49.5)
13.0
(55.4)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 3.4
(38.1)
3.4
(38.1)
2.2
(36.0)
0.5
(32.9)
−1.0
(30.2)
−2.9
(26.8)
−3.4
(25.9)
−3.3
(26.1)
−2.1
(28.2)
−0.6
(30.9)
0.8
(33.4)
2.3
(36.1)
−0.1
(31.8)
Daily mean °C (°F) 1.9
(35.4)
1.8
(35.2)
0.7
(33.3)
−1.1
(30.0)
−2.9
(26.8)
−5.2
(22.6)
−6.0
(21.2)
−5.8
(21.6)
−4.6
(23.7)
−2.5
(27.5)
−0.6
(30.9)
0.8
(33.4)
−2.0
(28.4)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 0.4
(32.7)
0.3
(32.5)
−0.9
(30.4)
−2.7
(27.1)
−4.7
(23.5)
−7.4
(18.7)
−8.5
(16.7)
−8.3
(17.1)
−7.0
(19.4)
−4.4
(24.1)
−2.2
(28.0)
−0.7
(30.7)
−3.8
(25.2)
Record low °C (°F) −6.2
(20.8)
−7.2
(19.0)
−15.2
(4.6)
−18.0
(−0.4)
−24.8
(−12.6)
−21.8
(−7.2)
−30.0
(−22.0)
−26.2
(−15.2)
−26.0
(−14.8)
−19.0
(−2.2)
−12.2
(10.0)
−7.0
(19.4)
−30.0
(−22.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 75.0
(2.95)
72.7
(2.86)
80.1
(3.15)
72.2
(2.84)
60.8
(2.39)
49.1
(1.93)
43.5
(1.71)
40.8
(1.61)
49.9
(1.96)
61.5
(2.42)
52.6
(2.07)
55.6
(2.19)
708.9
(27.91)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 10 12 15 10 8 10 7 10 12 12 15 11 132
Average relative humidity (%) 86.8 87.0 88.2 88.2 88.4 88.7 89.1 88.7 88.4 88.0 87.0 85.7 87.7
Source 1: Dirección Meteorológica de Chile[6][7][8]
Source 2: DWD (precipitation days 1961–1990)[9]

Maps[edit]

Topographic map of Livingston Island, Greenwich, Robert, Snow and Smith Islands.
  • L.L. Ivanov et al. Antarctica: Livingston Island and Greenwich Island, South Shetland Islands. Scale 1:100,000 topographic map. Sofia: Antarctic Place-names Commission of Bulgaria, 2005.
  • L.L. Ivanov. Antarctica: Livingston Island and Greenwich, Robert, Snow and Smith Islands. Scale 1:120,000 topographic map. Troyan: Manfred Wörner Foundation, 2010. ISBN 978-954-92032-9-5 (First edition 2009. ISBN 978-954-92032-6-4)
  • Antarctic Digital Database (ADD). Scale 1:250000 topographic map of Antarctica. Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). Since 1993, regularly upgraded and updated.

Gallery[edit]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Although there are several gaps (periods without data) that compromise the historical series. Days of precipitation are only 1983-1990

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Antarctic Station Catalogue (PDF) (catalogue). Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs. August 2017. p. 51. ISBN 978-0-473-40409-3. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 October 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d "List of Historic Sites and Monuments approved by the ATCM (2012)" (PDF). Antarctic Treaty Secretariat. 2012. Retrieved 2013-12-30.
  3. ^ "World Maps of Köppen-Geiger climate classification". koeppen-geiger.vu-wien.ac.at. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
  4. ^ "What happens to Steig et al's warming when you divide Antarctica into two distinct climate zones?". Watts Up With That?. 2009-04-18. Retrieved 2019-07-22.
  5. ^ "Base Arturo Prat Climate History". Weather2. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
  6. ^ "Climatología de Estaciones Chilenas de la Península Antártica" (PDF) (in Spanish). Dirección Meteorológica de Chile. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 May 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  7. ^ "Temperaturas Medias y Extremas en 30 Años-Entre los años: 1991 al 2020-Nombre estación: Arturo Prat, Antártica" (in Spanish). Dirección Meteorológica de Chile. Archived from the original on 30 May 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  8. ^ "Temperatura Histórica de la estación C.M.A. Arturo Prat, Base Antártica (950002)" (in Spanish). Dirección Meteorológica de Chile. Archived from the original on 30 May 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  9. ^ "Klimatafel n Basis "Arturo Prat" (Chile) / Antarktis" (PDF). Baseline climate means (1961–1990) from stations all over the world (in German). Deutscher Wetterdienst. Retrieved July 22, 2019.

External links[edit]