Deception Station
Deception Station (Spanish: Base Decepción) is an Argentine antarctic base located at Deception Island, South Shetland Islands.
Deception Station | |
|---|---|
Base Decepción in 2016 | |
Deception Station Location of Deception Station in Antarctica | |
| Coordinates: 62°58′31″S 60°41′52″W / 62.975284°S 60.697771°W | |
| Country | Argentina |
| Location in Antarctica | Deception Island South Shetland Islands |
| Administered by | Instituto Antártico Argentino |
| Established | 25 January 1948 |
| Elevation | 7 m (23 ft) |
| Population (2017)[1] | |
| • Summer | 18 |
| • Winter | 3 |
| Type | Seasonal |
| Period | Summer |
| Status | Operational |
| Activities | List
|
| Website | Dirección Nacional del Antártico |
History edit
The station was founded on January 25, 1948 by Argentina. In 1950 a seismograph was installed in the base, and in 1951 it also received ionospheric equipment. In 1993 a volcano observatory was opened.
Initially, it operated year-round, serving as a hub for scientific research and exploration. However, in December 1967, violent volcanic eruptions forced the evacuation of the base. Since then, Deception Station has been inhabited only during the summer months. The island experienced severe volcanic activity in 1967, 1969, and 1970.
Like a polar Pompeii, Deception Station’s buildings remain frozen in a bygone era. Abandoned overnight, the station’s rusted ruins and scattered debris tell tales of explorers, whalers, and scientists. It’s a time capsule of Antarctica’s human history, with remnants of its days as a processing center for Antarctic wildlife
Gabriel de Castilla Base, a Spanish research station, was constructed on Deception Island in the late 1980s. Deception Island has also been home to scientific stations run by Argentina, Chile, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
Climate edit
| Climate data for Deception Island | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 3 (37) | 3 (37) | 2 (35) | −1 (31) | −3 (27) | −5 (23) | −6 (21) | −6 (22) | −3 (26) | −1 (31) | 0 (32) | 2 (36) | −1 (30) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −1 (31) | −1 (31) | −2 (29) | −4 (24) | −7 (19) | −10 (14) | −12 (11) | −11 (12) | −8 (17) | −5 (23) | −4 (25) | −1 (30) | −6 (22) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 58 (2.3) | 53 (2.1) | 69 (2.7) | 51 (2) | 5.1 (0.2) | 7.6 (0.3) | 15 (0.6) | 25 (1) | 23 (0.9) | 110 (4.3) | 97 (3.8) | 51 (2) | 560 (22.2) |
| Source: Weatherbase [2] | |||||||||||||
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b Antarctic Station Catalogue (PDF) (catalogue). Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs. August 2017. p. 11. ISBN 978-0-473-40409-3. (PDF) from the original on 22 October 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
- ^ "Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Deception Island, Antarctica". Weatherbase. 2011. Retrieved on November 24, 2011.
External links edit
- (in Spanish) Base Decepción at Marambio.aq
- History of Deception Island Station B [1]