The Servicio Meteorológico Nacional (SMN) is Argentina's national weather service under the

Ministry of Defense {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in state ...

that is tasked with observing, understanding, and predicting the weather and climate in Argentina and its surrounding waters. It provides weather forecasts, radar images, ozone, temperature and rainfall graphs, and satellite images. The purpose of these tasks is to contribute to protection of its inhabitants, sustainable economic development and to provide representation of Argentina to international meteorological organizations. Founded on 4 October 1872 by Federal law Nº559 during the presidency of

Domingo Faustino Sarmiento Domingo Faustino Sarmiento (; born Domingo Faustino Fidel Valentín Sarmiento y Albarracín; 15 February 1811 – 11 September 1888) was an Argentine activist, intellectual, writer, statesman and the second President of Argentina. His writing s ...

, the organisation was the first meteorological organisation in South America and the third one in the world, after Hungary and the United States which were created in 1870 and 1871 respectively. It became a member of the

World Meteorological Organization The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for promoting international cooperation on atmospheric science, climatology, hydrology and geophysics. The WMO originated from the Internati ...

on 2 January 1951. Throughout its history, the organisation was dependent under different government ministries until in 2007 when it is currently under the Ministry of Defense.

History

The organisation was founded on 4 October 1872 by Federal law Nº559 during the presidency of

under the name ( es, Oficina Meteorológica Argentina) or OMA for short with Dr.

Benjamin Apthorp Gould Benjamin Apthorp Gould (September 27, 1824 – November 26, 1896) was a pioneering American astronomer. He is noted for creating the ''Astronomical Journal'', discovering the Gould Belt, and for founding of the Argentine National Observatory and ...

as its first director. This made it the first meteorological organisation in South America and the third one in the world, after Hungary and the United States which were created in 1870 and 1871 respectively. The OMA was under the Ministry of Justice, Cult and Public Instruction ( es, Ministerio de Justicia, Culto e Instrucción Pública). The first national network of meteorological stations and geomagnetic observations was established in 1873. Later on that year from 2 September to 16 September, the OMA attended the International Meteorological Congress in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

. The International Meteorological Congress in 1873 agreeded for the establishment of the

International Meteorological Organization The International Meteorological Organization (IMO; 1873–1951) was the first organization formed with the purpose of exchanging weather information among the countries of the world. It came into existence from the realization that weather systems ...

. The first solar radiation observations were made in 1874 in Córdoba. In 1875, Argentina made the first international exchange of meteorological data with neighbouring Chile. In 1898, Federal law Nº3727 was passed by the

Argentine National Congress The Congress of the Argentine Nation ( es, Congreso de la Nación Argentina) is the legislative branch of the government of Argentina. Its composition is bicameral, constituted by a 72-seat Senate and a 257-seat Chamber of Deputies. The Senate ...

which transferred the OMA to Ministry of Agriculture ( es, Ministerio de Agricultura de la Nación). In June 1924, the OMA was renamed to es, Dirección Meteorológica until September 1927 when it was changed to es, Dirección de Meteorología. Law Nº12252 was passed on 28 September 1935 kept the organisation still under the agriculture ministry but it was renamed to es, Dirección de Meteorología,, Geofísica e Hidrología. The current name of the organization, Servicio Meteorológico Nacional (SMN) was created on 5 May 1945 when Decree Nº10131 was passed, placing SMN under the Secretary of Aeronautics es, Secretaría de Aeronáutica. This was later reinforced by law when the Argentine Congress passed Law Nº12945 on 29 January 1947 that officially established the name and creation of it. On 9 March 1950, SMN was transferred to the Ministerio de Asuntos Técnicos de la Nación according to Decree Nº5197 until in 22 June 1954 when Decree Nº12248 reverted SMN to being back under the Ministry of Agriculture, under the new name es, Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería de la Nación. SMN became a member of the

on 2 January 1951. From 7 May 1957 until October 1966, SMN was under the Ministry of Aeronuatics es, Ministerio de Aeronáutica de la Nación. Later on, during the coup by

Juan Carlos Onganía Juan Carlos Onganía Carballo (; 17 March 1914 – 8 June 1995) was President of Argentina from 29 June 1966 to 8 June 1970. He rose to power as dictator after toppling the president Arturo Illia in a coup d'état self-named ''Revolución Argen ...

, SMN was directly under the

Argentine Air Force "Argentine Wings" , mascot = , anniversaries = 10 August (anniversary) 1 May (Baptism of fire during the Falklands War) , equipment = 139 aircraft , equipment_label = , battles = * Operation Independence * Operation Soberanía * Falkl ...

for 40 years until 1 January 2007 when Decree Nº1689 finally transferred it back into civilian hands. Finally, Decree Nº1432 in 2007 made the organisation a decentralised one that was under the Ministry of Defense, giving it the ability to have its own control over its finances, its own legal status, and ability to act in both the private and public fields.

List of directors

Weather stations

Currently, SMN has 125 weather stations that extended across both Argentina and Antarctica. They also include a network of observatories that measure atmospheric parameters in addition to the meteorological parameters such as ultraviolet radiation, solar radiation, and ozone levels. The first weather station in Antarctica was in 1904 when an observatory that both measured meteorological and geomagnetic parameters was open on

Orcadas Base ) , subdivision_type4 = Location , subdivision_name4 = Laurie Island , established_title1 = Established , established_date1 = 1903 , established_title2 = Founded , established_date2 = , elevation_m ...

Laurie Island Laurie Island is the second largest of the South Orkney Islands. The island is claimed by both Argentina as part of Argentine Antarctica, and the United Kingdom as part of the British Antarctic Territory. However, under the Antarctic Treaty ...

in the South Orkney Islands ( es, Orcadas del Sur). Currently, SMN maintains 6 synoptic weather stations in Antarctica on the Antarctic bases operated by Argentina (

Carlini Base ) in the background , imagesize = 280 , image_blank_emblem = , blank_emblem_type = , blank_emblem_size = , blank_emblem_alt = Official Carlini emblem , blank_emblem_link = , image_flag ...

San Martín Base ("Willing men, fight and win since 1951") , anthem = , pushpin_map = Antarctica , pushpin_map_alt = Location within Antarctica , pushpin_map_caption = Location within Antarctica , pushpin_mapsize ...

Belgrano II Base Belgrano II Base ( es, Base Belgrano II) is a permanent, all year-round Argentine Antarctic base and scientific research station named after General Manuel Belgrano, one of the Libertadores and the creator of the Argentine Flag. It is located on ...

Esperanza Base ("Permanence, an act of sacrifice") , pushpin_map = Antarctica , pushpin_map_alt = Location of Esperanza Base in Antarctica , pushpin_map_caption = Location of Esperanza Base in Antarctica , pushpin_mapsize ...

Marambio Base ("Antarctica's Entrance Door") , motto = , anthem = , pushpin_map = Antarctica , pushpin_map_alt = Location within Antarctica , pushpin_map_caption = Location within Antarctica , ...

, and

Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre

There are 9

Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre A Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) is a group of experts responsible for coordinating and disseminating information on atmospheric volcanic ash clouds that may endanger aviation. As at 2019, there are nine Volcanic Ash Advisory Centers located a ...

s (VAAC for short) around the world that are responsible for monitoring

volcanic ash Volcanic ash consists of fragments of rock, mineral crystals, and volcanic glass, created during volcano, volcanic eruptions and measuring less than 2 mm (0.079 inches) in diameter. The term volcanic ash is also often loosely used t ...

to provide critical information and maintain aviation safety. SMN is responsible for the Buenos Aires VAAC, which covers all areas from longitudes 90oW to 10^oW and latitudes 10^oS to 90^oS. VAACs are designated regional meteorological centres that are tasked with observing the movement of volcanic ash into the atmosphere during volcanic eruptions. The functions and responsibilities of the Buneos Aires VAAC are listed below: * Examine data from geostationary and

polar orbit A polar orbit is one in which a satellite passes above or nearly above both poles of the body being orbited (usually a planet such as the Earth, but possibly another body such as the Moon or Sun) on each revolution. It has an inclination of about ...

satellites to detect the existence and extent of any volcanic ash in the atmosphere. * Create computer simulations to model the trajectory of volcanic ash to predict the movement of ash clouds when the volcanic ash has been detected. * Issue advisory information with respect to the extent and forecasted movement of volcanic ash clouds to Meteorological Watch Offices (MWO), Area control centres, and

Flight information service A flight information service (FIS) is a form of air traffic service which is available to any aircraft within a flight information region (FIR), as agreed internationally by ICAO. It is defined as information pertinent to the safe and efficient ...

centres that are service

Flight information region In aviation, a flight information region (FIR) is a specified region of airspace in which a flight information service and an alerting service (ALRS) are provided. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) delegates which country is re ...

s affected by the volcanic ash. * Issue advisory information with respect to the extent and forecasted movement of volcanic ash clouds to other VAACs under their areas that they cover. * Issue advisory information with respect to the extent and forecasted movement of volcanic ash clouds to World Area Forecast Centres (WAFC), the relevant regional forecast centres, and international data banks OPMET. * Issue advisory information to meteorological offices, area control centres, flight information regions, and other VAACs when necessary every 6 hours at a minimum until no more volcanic ash clouds can be detected based on satellite data or when no more new notices about volcanic eruptions or when the VAAC does not receive any more new information regarding volcanic ash clouds in the area.

References

External links