("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 = 350 , pushpin_relief = yes , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 =

Province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outsi ...

, subdivision_name1 =

Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica, and South Atlantic Islands Province Tierra del Fuego ( Spanish for "''Land of Fire''"; ), officially the Province of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and South Atlantic Islands ( Spanish: ''Provincia de Tierra del Fuego, Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur''), is the southernmost, ...

, subdivision_type2 =

Department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

, subdivision_name2 =

Antártida Argentina Argentine Antarctica ( es, Antártida Argentina or Sector Antártico Argentino) is an area of Antarctica claimed by Argentina as part of its national territory. It consists of the Antarctic Peninsula and a triangular section extending to the ...

, subdivision_type3 = Region , subdivision_name3 =

Marguerite Bay Marguerite Bay or Margaret Bay is an extensive bay on the west side of the Antarctic Peninsula, which is bounded on the north by Adelaide Island and on the south by Wordie Ice Shelf, George VI Sound and Alexander Island. The mainland coast on th ...

Antarctic Peninsula The Antarctic Peninsula, known as O'Higgins Land in Chile and Tierra de San Martín in Argentina, and originally as Graham Land in the United Kingdom and the Palmer Peninsula in the United States, is the northernmost part of mainland Antarctic ...

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest contine ...

, subdivision_type4 = Location , subdivision_name4 =

Barry Island Barry Island ( cy, Ynys y Barri) is a district, peninsula and seaside resort, forming part of the town of Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales. It is named after the 6th century Saint Baruc. Barry's stretch of coast, on the Bristol Chan ...

, established_title = Established , established_title1 =
(1950–51 austral summer season) , established_date1 = , established_title2 = Founded , established_date = , extinct_title = Closed , extinct_date = , named_for =

José de San Martín José Francisco de San Martín y Matorras (25 February 177817 August 1850), known simply as José de San Martín () or '' the Liberator of Argentina, Chile and Peru'', was an Argentine general and the primary leader of the southern and cent ...

, area_magnitude = 1 E+4 , area_total_ha = 18 , area_footnotes = , area_urban_ha = , area_urban_footnotes = , area_rural_ha = , area_rural_footnotes = , area_note = , elevation_m = 5 , elevation_footnotes = , government_type = Directorate , governing_body = Dirección Nacional del Antártico , leader_title = Operator , leader_name =

Instituto Antártico Argentino The Instituto Antártico Argentino (IAA; en, Argentine Antarctic Institute) is the Argentine federal agency in charge of orientating, controlling, addressing and performing scientific and technical research and studies in the Antarctic. Known as ...

, leader_title1 = , leader_name1 = , leader_title2 = , leader_name2 = , government_footnotes = , total_type = , unit_pref = metric , population_total = , population_as_of = , population_footnotes = , population_note = , blank_name_sec1 = Type , blank_info_sec1 = All year-round , blank1_name_sec1 = Period , blank1_info_sec1 = Annual , blank2_name_sec1 = Status , blank2_info_sec1 = Operational , blank_name_sec2 = Facilities , blank_info_sec2 = , timezone1 =

ART Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...

, utc_offset1 = -3 , postal_code_type = , postal_code = , area_code_type = , area_code = , iso_code = , website = , footnotes = San Martín Base ( es, Base San Martín) is a permanent, all year-round

Argentine Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish (masculine) or (feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, s ...

Antarctic The Antarctic ( or , American English also or ; commonly ) is a polar region around Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica, the Kerguelen Plateau and other ...

base and scientific

research station Research stations are facilities where scientific investigation, collection, analysis and experimentation occurs. A research station is a facility that is built for the purpose of conducting scientific research. There are also many types of resea ...

named after General

, the Libertador of Argentina,

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

and

Perú , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy fo ...

. It is located on

. At the time of its foundation in 1951, it was the first human settlement south of the

Antarctic Circle The Antarctic Circle is the most southerly of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of Earth. The region south of this circle is known as the Antarctic, and the zone immediately to the north is called the Southern Temperate Zone. S ...

. it is Argentina's westernmost permanent base. San Martín is one of 13 research bases in Antarctica operated by Argentina.

History

The increased Antarctic activity that Argentina developed since 1940, along with the longstanding national interest to exercise effective sovereignty over one of the most remote areas of Antarctica created the need for a scientific station located south of the Antarctic Circle. In order to transport the personnel and materials to Marguerite Bay, where the new settlement was to be built, the

Argentine Navy The Argentine Navy (ARA; es, Armada de la República Argentina). This forms the basis for the navy's ship prefix "ARA". is the navy of Argentina. It is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, together with the ...

hired the ''Santa Micaela''. Commanded by Overseas Captain Santiago Farrell, it was a cargo ship belonging to the Argentine shipping company Pérez Companc S. A. The ''Santa Micaela'' left the port of

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South Am ...

on 12 February 1951, and on 8 March it anchored at Marguerite Bay. The last part of the trip it was escorted by the Argentine Navy

tug A tugboat or tug is a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line. These boats typically tug ships in circumstances where they cannot or should not move under their own power, suc ...

ARA ''Sanavirón''. Over twelve working days the crew built the two-story main house with double wooden walls, a main deposit, an emergency house, five metal warehouses for supplies, housing for the dog packs, a power generator and the four towers for the high rhombic antenna. San Martín was inaugurated on 21 March 1951, in the presence of the ''Santa Micaela'' and ARA ''Sanavirón'' crews and the base personnel led by then

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

Hernán Pujato. Since then, the meteorological station within the base provides detailed weather records and develops forecasts indispensable for the navigation of the sea waters adjacent to the Antarctic Peninsula. In March 1952 the ARA ''Bahía Aguirre'' anchored at Marguerite Bay bringing a relief crew through a

Sikorsky S-51 The Sikorsky H-5 (initially designated R-5 and also known as S-48, S-51 and by company designation VS-327Fitzsimons, Bernard, (general editor). ''Illustrated Encyclopedia of 20th Century Weapons and Warfare'' (London: Phoebus, 1978), Volume 20, ...

helicopter transfer, the first of its kind performed by the

Argentine Armed Forces The Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, in es, Fuerzas Armadas de la República Argentina, are controlled by the Commander-in-Chief (the President) and a civilian Minister of Defense. In addition to the Army, Navy and Air Force, there are t ...

in Antarctica. On 30 June 1952 a fire, exacerbated by the ongoing

blizzard A blizzard is a severe snowstorm characterized by strong sustained winds and low visibility, lasting for a prolonged period of time—typically at least three or four hours. A ground blizzard is a weather condition where snow is not falling b ...

, devoured the main house and two food stores, the power plant and the radio station. With rationed food and fuel, activities continued normally, carrying on with the explorations schedule as originally planned. During the 1952–53 season, thick ice blocked the way of relief ships, which aggravated the situation for the twenty base inhabitants. On 26 March 1953 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 ...

Avro Lincoln The Avro Type 694 Lincoln is a British four-engined heavy bomber, which first flew on 9 June 1944. Developed from the Avro Lancaster, the first Lincoln variants were initially known as the Lancaster IV and V; these were renamed Lincoln I and I ...

nicknamed ''Cruz del Sur''

airdrop An airdrop is a type of airlift in which items including weapons, equipment, humanitarian aid or leaflets are delivered by military or civilian aircraft without their landing. Developed during World War II to resupply otherwise inaccessible tr ...

ped food and other priceless items. Personnel at San Martín Base conducted several exploration expeditions to the northern and southern boundaries of the bay. They also crossed the Antarctic Peninsula mountain range, reaching the Mobiloil Inlet on the

Weddell Sea The Weddell Sea is part of the Southern Ocean and contains the Weddell Gyre. Its land boundaries are defined by the bay formed from the coasts of Coats Land and the Antarctic Peninsula. The easternmost point is Cape Norvegia at Princess Martha ...

. In 1960 the base was closed; it was reactivated as permanent on 21 March 1976. On 14 June 1962 an expedition led by then

First Lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a se ...

Gustavo Adolfo Giró Tapper Gustavo is the Latinate form of a Germanic male given name with respective prevalence in Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian. It has been a common name for Swedish monarchs since the reign of Gustav Vasa. It is derived from Gustav /ˈɡʊstɑːv/, a ...

left Esperanza looking for a passage that would link the village with San Martín. Using

snowcats A snowcat (short for snow and caterpillar) is an enclosed-cab, truck-sized, fully tracked vehicle designed to move on snow. Major manufacturers are Pisten Bully (Germany), Prinoth (Italy) and Tucker (United States). Snow groomers A snow ...

and sleigh dogs they explored Duse Bay, Prince Gustav Channel,

Cape Longing Cape Longing () is a rocky cape on the east coast of Graham Land, Antarctica, forming the south end of a large ice-covered promontory which marks the west side of the south entrance to Prince Gustav Channel. It was discovered by the Swedish Antarc ...

, Foca Nunataks, Ameghino Peninsula,

Jason Island Cumberland West Bay is a bay forming the western arm of Cumberland Bay, South Georgia. It is entered southward of Larsen Point, where it is wide, and extends in a southwest direction. It is separated from Cumberland East Bay by Thatcher Peni ...

Cape Robinson Cape Robinson () is a cape marking the east end of Cole Peninsula, between Cabinet and Mill Inlets on Foyn Coast, Graham Land. Sir Hubert Wilkins, while on his flight of December 20, 1928 along this coast, named an island for W.S. Robinson of ...

and Carreta Bay, where they had to leave the snow cats and continue with sleds to cross the cordillera. After reaching San Martín, they traveled back to Esperanza, where they arrived on 25 August. During the trip the party overcame numerous obstacles and withstood temperatures below and

katabatic wind A katabatic wind (named from the Greek word κατάβασις ''katabasis'', meaning "descending") is a drainage wind, a wind that carries high-density air from a higher elevation down a slope under the force of gravity. Such winds are sometim ...

s of . This feat is considered even now as the most important ever made in the area.

Historic site

Some unused installations of the base, a cross, a flagpole and a monolith erected in 1951, have been designated as Historic Site or Monument, following a proposal by Argentina to the

Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting russian: link=no, Договор об Антарктике es, link=no, Tratado Antártico , name = Antarctic Treaty System , image = Flag of the Antarctic Treaty.svgborder , image_width = 180px , caption ...

Description

Marguerite Bay opens on the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. Wide and deep, the bay is closed between Belgrano and

Alexander I Alexander I may refer to: * Alexander I of Macedon, king of Macedon 495–454 BC * Alexander I of Epirus (370–331 BC), king of Epirus * Pope Alexander I (died 115), early bishop of Rome * Pope Alexander I of Alexandria (died 320s), patriarch of A ...

islands, and the Fallieres Coast, making its access very difficult for most of the year due to the thick ice-covered waters. In this zone, rarely visited because of the difficulties and hazards for navigation, there are several groups of islands, islets, rocks and reefs that draw a network of channels and

fjord In physical geography, a fjord or fiord () is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Alaska, Antarctica, British Columbia, Chile, Denmark, Germany, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Icel ...

s, usually frozen. Some of the most important islands are the Pourquoi Pas, Herradura, Caballete and Millerand, all of them next to the Debenham archipelago, where San Martín was built. San Martín is composed of 14 buildings spanning a total area of . The base has several dependencies and facilities, namely: main house; airstrip; heliport; infirmary; chapel; main and auxiliary power plants; vehicle fleet (a number of ski-doos, and a few snow tracks and

ATVs ATV may refer to: Broadcasting * Amateur television *Analog television Television stations and companies * Ràdio i Televisió d'Andorra * ATV (Armenia) * ATV (Aruba), NBC affiliate * ATV (Australian TV station), Melbourne * ATV (Austria) * A ...

) and park, laboratory, mechanical and carpentry workshops, and several deposits. The all-year capable airstrip is located on nearby Uspallata Glacier; during winter the deeply frozen sea is also used to land light aircraft. The infirmary and basic operating suite is attended by a doctor and a nurse; it has one bed,

x-ray An X-ray, or, much less commonly, X-radiation, is a penetrating form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation. Most X-rays have a wavelength ranging from 10 picometers to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30&nb ...

and odontological facilities. San Martín is responsible for the maintenance of several Argentine-built refuges in the area: ''17 de Agosto'', ''El Plumerillo'', ''Paso de los Andes'', ''Chacabuco'', ''Yapeyú'', ''Maipo'' and ''Nogal de Saldán''. Glaciar McClary.jpg, McClary Glacier Isla Millerand.jpg, Millerand Island Promontorio Cuatro Romano.jpg, Punta Cuatro Romano Glaciar Uspallata.jpg, Uspallata Glacier

Scientific activities

The LASAN laboratory (LAboratorio SAN Martín), managed by the

Argentine Antarctic Institute Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish (masculine) or (feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, ...

, carries out active scientific research in the areas of geomagnetism, riometry, meteorology,

ionospheric The ionosphere () is the ionized part of the upper atmosphere of Earth, from about to above sea level, a region that includes the thermosphere and parts of the mesosphere and exosphere. The ionosphere is ionized by solar radiation. It plays an ...

surveying through high altitude

weather balloon A weather balloon, also known as sounding balloon, is a balloon (specifically a type of high-altitude balloon) that carries instruments aloft to send back information on atmospheric pressure, temperature, humidity and wind speed by means of ...

phytoplankton Phytoplankton () are the autotrophic (self-feeding) components of the plankton community and a key part of ocean and freshwater ecosystems. The name comes from the Greek words (), meaning 'plant', and (), meaning 'wanderer' or 'drifter'. ...

biology Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary ...

, satellite

geodesy Geodesy ( ) is the Earth science of accurately measuring and understanding Earth's figure (geometric shape and size), orientation in space, and gravity. The field also incorporates studies of how these properties change over time and equival ...

glaciology Glaciology (; ) is the scientific study of glaciers, or more generally ice and natural phenomena that involve ice. Glaciology is an interdisciplinary Earth science that integrates geophysics, geology, physical geography, geomorphology, c ...

, etc. An ongoing bilateral agreement between Argentina and

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

has prompted cooperation on

glacier A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires distinguishing features, such a ...

movement observations.

Ona Refuge

Refuge Ona () is an Argentine Antarctic refuge installed and operated by the government of the Tierra del Fuego Province. The refuge was opened in 1995 and it is located from the San Martín Base on the glaciers of the Fallières Coast. The construction of the refuge was part of the scientific project, called Perito Moreno, carried out under an agreement signed between the

and the

University of Freiburg The University of Freiburg (colloquially german: Uni Freiburg), officially the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg (german: Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg), is a public research university located in Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemb ...

in Germany. The researchers carry out studies on the displacement of glaciers and the dynamics of the snow layers. The shelter has a capacity for four people, food for 30 days, fuel, gas and first aid kit.

Climate

The San Martín base has a

polar climate The polar climate regions are characterized by a lack of warm summers but with varying winters. Every month in a polar climate has an average temperature of less than . Regions with polar climate cover more than 20% of the Earth's area. Most of ...

that is moderated by its coastline position, hence having a mean for the mildest month. The most significant feature in the area's climate is the violent wind, with speeds well in excess of , which significantly increases the chill factor; such strong winds often blow for five or six days in a row, making it impossible to stay outdoors and turning any simple external work into a very dangerous task. The temperature is variable: on average it reaches in winter and in summer. The sea freezes between the months of June to November, its average thickness being about . The average annual snowfall is ; some rains have been recorded in recent years.

References

;Notes ;Citations

External links

Fundaciòn Marambio – Base San Martín

Dirección Nacional del Antártico
{{DEFAULTSORT:San Martin Base San Martin Populated places established in 1951 Historic Sites and Monuments of Antarctica 1951 establishments in Antarctica