Marambio Base
Encyclopedia
Prior to the base's foundation a team led by Vice-Commodore Mario Luis Olezza built the 1200 m (3800 ft) long, 40 m (120 ft) wide landing track, the first one in the continent. Nowadays, the track, oriented 05/23, is equipped with VOR
, DME
and NDB
electronic landing systems. It also has a radio beacon, electronic and flashing beacons. Supplies are taken to Marambio Base during the whole year, to be later distributed to other Argentine bases nearby (except for Belgrano II
). There are over 100 intercontinental flights every year.
On 11 April 1970 the Argentine Air Force began landing their C-130 Hercules
on Antarctica when the TC-61 commanded by Commodore Arturo Athos Gandolfi was the first airplane to land in Marambio, and the Fokker F-28 Fellowship presidential aircraft T-01 Patagonia is quoted to be the first jet to do it when touch down at Marambio on 28 July 1973, 13:28 h.
The base has 27 buildings in a total area of 4,278 m2, of which 1,155 are used for accommodation. The 45 m2 medical suite is attended by one doctor and three paramedics, and has three beds and X-ray
facilities. 492,000 litres of Arctic gasoil are used every year for transportation, and the four power generators with a capacity of 1,000 kW. The base also has a sewage
treatment plant.
There is also an hangar
for the Argentine Air Force Twin Otter
that routinely operates from the base along the two Bell 212s that are deployed during the summer campaigns .
On 2010 argentine company CITEDEF designed and installed a Wind generator on Marambio Base .
down to −60 °C.
In winter the base has an average of 55 crew members, but in summer the population of the base can grow to 150.
Its highest recorded temperature is 16.5C and it also is the highest temperature ever recorded in Antarctica except for the Signy Islands which are just below the 60th parallel south,therefore in Antarctica.
have an antenna for local coverage. Within the base, and between bases, radio is the most used means of communication, mainly HF
, Vox
/Data, VHF-AM
(aeronautic) and UHF-FM
.
Internet connection is provided by Speedy Argentina, allowing the personnel in the base to be permanently connected. Wireless LAN
and Wi-Fi
covers the entire complex, becoming one of the southernmosts spots in the world with a wireless network. Public telephony is available (provided by Telefonica
de Argentina ) at low national rates.
In September 2006, a GSM mobile phone network was also added to the base, operated by the Argentine mobile operator CTI Móvil (Now Claro).
, ionospheric/auroral
observations, stratospheric
ozone
monitoring
, geodesy
and meteorological observations.
On 2011, during the "Mars in Marambio" mission , NASA
scientists on Marambio tests a new space suit
designed for future Mars missions
VHF omnidirectional range
VOR, short for VHF omnidirectional radio range, is a type of radio navigation system for aircraft. A VOR ground station broadcasts a VHF radio composite signal including the station's identifier, voice , and navigation signal. The identifier is typically a two- or three-letter string in Morse code...
, DME
Distance Measuring Equipment
Distance measuring equipment is a transponder-based radio navigation technology that measures distance by timing the propagation delay of VHF or UHF radio signals....
and NDB
Non-directional beacon
A non-directional beacon is a radio transmitter at a known location, used as an aviation or marine navigational aid. As the name implies, the signal transmitted does not include inherent directional information, in contrast to other navigational aids such as low frequency radio range, VHF...
electronic landing systems. It also has a radio beacon, electronic and flashing beacons. Supplies are taken to Marambio Base during the whole year, to be later distributed to other Argentine bases nearby (except for Belgrano II
General Belgrano II
Belgrano II is an Argentine research station in Antarctica located at -History: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...
). There are over 100 intercontinental flights every year.
On 11 April 1970 the Argentine Air Force began landing their C-130 Hercules
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
on Antarctica when the TC-61 commanded by Commodore Arturo Athos Gandolfi was the first airplane to land in Marambio, and the Fokker F-28 Fellowship presidential aircraft T-01 Patagonia is quoted to be the first jet to do it when touch down at Marambio on 28 July 1973, 13:28 h.
The base has 27 buildings in a total area of 4,278 m2, of which 1,155 are used for accommodation. The 45 m2 medical suite is attended by one doctor and three paramedics, and has three beds and X-ray
X-ray
X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...
facilities. 492,000 litres of Arctic gasoil are used every year for transportation, and the four power generators with a capacity of 1,000 kW. The base also has a sewage
Sewage
Sewage is water-carried waste, in solution or suspension, that is intended to be removed from a community. Also known as wastewater, it is more than 99% water and is characterized by volume or rate of flow, physical condition, chemical constituents and the bacteriological organisms that it contains...
treatment plant.
There is also an hangar
Hangar
A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...
for the Argentine Air Force Twin Otter
De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter
The DHC-6 Twin Otter is a Canadian 19-passenger STOL utility aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada and currently produced by Viking Air. The aircraft's fixed tricycle undercarriage, STOL abilities and high rate of climb have made it a successful cargo, regional passenger airliner and MEDEVAC...
that routinely operates from the base along the two Bell 212s that are deployed during the summer campaigns .
On 2010 argentine company CITEDEF designed and installed a Wind generator on Marambio Base .
Seasonal information
The average temperatures at the base are −1.5 °C during the summer, and −15 °C during the winter, though strong winds can lower the apparent temperatureWind chill
Wind chill is the felt air temperature on exposed skin due to wind. The wind chill temperature is always lower than the air temperature, and the windchill is undefined at the higher temps...
down to −60 °C.
In winter the base has an average of 55 crew members, but in summer the population of the base can grow to 150.
Its highest recorded temperature is 16.5C and it also is the highest temperature ever recorded in Antarctica except for the Signy Islands which are just below the 60th parallel south,therefore in Antarctica.
Communication
The base is connected to the continent (and the world) through a satellite downlink station with telephone, fax, TV and Internet. They also have a DirecTV dish which provides their signal to the entire base. Argentine mobile telephone company Claro and Spanish MovistarMovistar
Movistar is a major Spanish mobile phone operator owned by Telefónica Móviles. It operates in Spain and in many Latin American countries. It is the largest carrier in Spain with 22 million customers and 41.58% of market share. Its principal competitor in Latin America is America Movil...
have an antenna for local coverage. Within the base, and between bases, radio is the most used means of communication, mainly HF
High frequency
High frequency radio frequencies are between 3 and 30 MHz. Also known as the decameter band or decameter wave as the wavelengths range from one to ten decameters . Frequencies immediately below HF are denoted Medium-frequency , and the next higher frequencies are known as Very high frequency...
, Vox
Vox
Vox is Latin for Voice. It may refer to:* Vocals, a common abbreviation, especially in pro audio-Music:* "Vox" , a song by Sarah McLachlan* Vox Records, an American record label* Vox Records , a German record label...
/Data, VHF-AM
Amplitude modulation
Amplitude modulation is a technique used in electronic communication, most commonly for transmitting information via a radio carrier wave. AM works by varying the strength of the transmitted signal in relation to the information being sent...
(aeronautic) and UHF-FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
.
Internet connection is provided by Speedy Argentina, allowing the personnel in the base to be permanently connected. Wireless LAN
Wireless LAN
A wireless local area network links two or more devices using some wireless distribution method , and usually providing a connection through an access point to the wider internet. This gives users the mobility to move around within a local coverage area and still be connected to the network...
and Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
covers the entire complex, becoming one of the southernmosts spots in the world with a wireless network. Public telephony is available (provided by Telefonica
Telefónica
Telefónica, S.A. is a Spanish broadband and telecommunications provider in Europe and Latin America. Operating globally, it is the third largest provider in the world...
de Argentina ) at low national rates.
In September 2006, a GSM mobile phone network was also added to the base, operated by the Argentine mobile operator CTI Móvil (Now Claro).
Science activities
Among others, the base's main activities include cosmic ray observations, glaciologyGlaciology
Glaciology Glaciology Glaciology (from Middle French dialect (Franco-Provençal): glace, "ice"; or Latin: glacies, "frost, ice"; and Greek: λόγος, logos, "speech" lit...
, ionospheric/auroral
Aurora (astronomy)
An aurora is a natural light display in the sky particularly in the high latitude regions, caused by the collision of energetic charged particles with atoms in the high altitude atmosphere...
observations, stratospheric
Stratosphere
The stratosphere is the second major layer of Earth's atmosphere, just above the troposphere, and below the mesosphere. It is stratified in temperature, with warmer layers higher up and cooler layers farther down. This is in contrast to the troposphere near the Earth's surface, which is cooler...
ozone
Ozone
Ozone , or trioxygen, is a triatomic molecule, consisting of three oxygen atoms. It is an allotrope of oxygen that is much less stable than the diatomic allotrope...
monitoring
, geodesy
Geodesy
Geodesy , also named geodetics, a branch of earth sciences, is the scientific discipline that deals with the measurement and representation of the Earth, including its gravitational field, in a three-dimensional time-varying space. Geodesists also study geodynamical phenomena such as crustal...
and meteorological observations.
On 2011, during the "Mars in Marambio" mission , NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
scientists on Marambio tests a new space suit
Space suit
A space suit is a garment worn to keep an astronaut alive in the harsh environment of outer space. Space suits are often worn inside spacecraft as a safety precaution in case of loss of cabin pressure, and are necessary for extra-vehicular activity , work done outside spacecraft...
designed for future Mars missions
Exploration of Mars
The exploration of Mars has been an important part of the space exploration programs of the Soviet Union, the United States, Europe, and Japan. Dozens of robotic spacecraft, including orbiters, landers, and rovers, have been launched toward Mars since the 1960s...
External links
Fuerza Aerea Argentina Marambio Base page- Marambio Base (Marambio Foundation, in Spanish and English -unofficial site-)
- Marambio Photo Gallery (Multilanguage Gallery)
- Official website Direccion Nacional del Antartico Fundaciòn Marambio Marambio Base page
- COMNAP Antarctic Facilities
- COMNAP Antarctic Facilities Map