Cámara Base ( or sometimes ''Estación Cámara'' or ''Teniente Camara'') is an

Argentine Argentines, Argentinians or Argentineans are people from Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical, or cultural. For most Argentines, several (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their ...

Antarctic The Antarctic (, ; commonly ) is the polar regions of Earth, polar region of Earth that surrounds the South Pole, lying within the Antarctic Circle. It is antipodes, diametrically opposite of the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antar ...

base and scientific

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

named after Frigate Lieutenant Naval Aviator Juan Ramón Cámara. It is located in the northern foothills of La Morenita Hill, at Menguante Cove in

Half Moon Island Half Moon Island is a minor Antarctic island, lying in McFarlane Strait north of Burgas Peninsula, Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands of the Antarctic Peninsula region. Its surface area is . The Argentine Cámara Base is located o ...

off the east coast of

Livingston Island Livingston Island (Russian name ''Smolensk'', ) is an Antarctic island in the Southern Ocean, part of the South Shetland Islands, South Shetlands Archipelago, a group of List of Antarctic and subantarctic islands, Antarctic islands north of the ...

in the

South Shetland Islands The South Shetland Islands are a group of List of Antarctic and subantarctic islands, Antarctic islands located in the Drake Passage with a total area of . They lie about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, and between southwest of the n ...

, Antarctica. Cámara is one of 13 research bases in Antarctica operated by Argentina. It was officially opened on April 1, 1953, and was in service until the summer of 1959–60, when it was closed. It was not reopened until 1988, to serve during the summer season only.

History

During the austral summer campaign of 1952–1953 one of the main missions of the Argentine Antarctic Task Force, then commanded by then

Ship-of-the-Line Captain Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The rank is equal to the army rank of colonel and air force rank of group captain. Equivalent ranks worldwide include ...

Rodolfo N. Panzarini, was to establish a new naval detachment in the South Shetland Islands. The selected place was the small Half Moon Island next to Livingston Island, where it was inaugurated as ''Destacamento Naval Luna'' ("''Luna'' Naval Detachment") on 1 April 1953 by the governor of Tierra del Fuego National Territory,

Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...

Carlos Suárez Dóriga. Later it was renamed as ''Destacamento Naval Teniente de Fragata Cámara'' ("Frigate Lieutenant Cámara Naval Detachment"), in memory of the naval aviator Juan Ramón Cámara, who on 16 January 1955 perished in an on-duty accident on

Potter Cove Potter Cove is a cove indenting the south-west side of King George Island to the east of Barton Peninsula, in the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. An extinct volcano named Three Brothers Hill is located on its east side. Potter Cove was kn ...

, King George Island. Cámara Base was closed after the austral summer season of 1959–60 and was reopened in December 1988, thereafter limited to summer-only campaigns.

Description

Cámara is located from

Ushuaia Ushuaia ( , ) is the capital city, capital of Tierra del Fuego Province, Argentina, Tierra del Fuego, Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur Province, Argentina. With a population of 82,615 and a location below the 54th parallel south latitude, U ...

, the nearest port city. it is composed of 4 buildings. Facilities at the base include the main and emergency houses, a freezing chamber, a warehouse and a deposit. It also has a infirmary attended by a

paramedic A paramedic is a healthcare professional trained in the medical model, whose main role has historically been to respond to emergency calls for medical help outside of a hospital. Paramedics work as part of the emergency medical services (EMS), ...

Scientific activities

Besides the permanent surface meteorological observations carried out at Cámara by the Argentine National Meteorological Service personnel, other research divisions also do extensive work at the base: in 1987–94 experts brought in by the Argentine Antarctic Institute studied

physical oceanography Physical oceanography is the study of physical conditions and physical processes within the ocean, especially the motions and physical properties of ocean waters. Physical oceanography is one of several sub-domains into which oceanography is div ...

and

geochronology Geochronology is the science of Chronological dating, determining the age of rock (geology), rocks, fossils, and sediments using signatures inherent in the rocks themselves. Absolute geochronology can be accomplished through radioactive isotopes, ...

; between 1992 and 1996 Biology worked on birds, while Environmental Management analyzed the impact of local tourism.

Climate

The average annual temperature is . On 12 August 1954 it was recorded an absolute minimum of .

References

;Citations ;Maps * * *

External links