Melchior Base
Estación Melchior | |
|---|---|
| Base Melchior | |
 Melchior Base, February 2010 | |
  Melchior Base Location of Melchior Station in Antarctica | |
| Coordinates: 64°19′33″S 62°58′36″W / 64.325705°S 62.976733°W | |
| Country |  Argentina |
| Province | Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica, and South Atlantic Islands Province |
| Department | Antártida Argentina |
| Region | Palmer Archipelago Bellingshausen Sea Antarctic Peninsula |
| Location | Gamma Island Melchior Islands Dallmann Bay |
| Established | March 31, 1947 (1946–47 austral summer season) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Directorate |
| • Body | Dirección Nacional del Antártico |
| • Operator | Instituto Antártico Argentino |
| Elevation | 4 m (13 ft) |
| Population (2017)[1] | |
| • Summer | 12 |
| • Winter | 0 |
| Time zone | UTC-3 (ART) |
| Type | Summer-only |
| Status | Active and operational |
| Activities | Botany |
| Facilities | List
|
Melchior Base (Spanish: Base Melchior or, seldom, Estación Melchior) is an Argentine Antarctic base and scientific research station. It is located on Gamma Island (which the Argentines call Isla Observatorio), Melchior Islands, Dallmann Bay, in Palmer Archipelago on Bellingshausen Sea, Antarctic Peninsula.[2]
It is Argentina's second historical Antarctic base, after the 1904 establishment of the Orcadas Naval Detachment, the world's first—and oldest—permanent settlement in Antarctica.[3]
As of 2014[update] Melchior is one of 13 research bases in Antarctica operated by Argentina.[4] From 1947 to 1961 it served as a permanent base; since then it is open during the summer season only.[5]
- ^ a b Antarctic Station Catalogue (PDF) (catalogue). Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs. August 2017. p. 19. ISBN 978-0-473-40409-3. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 October 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
- ^ Piñeiro 1981, p. 86.
- ^ "Destacamento Naval Orcadas" (in Spanish). Fundaciòn Marambio. Archived from the original on 2 December 2013.
- ^ "Argentine Antarctic Stations". Dirección Nacional del Antártico. Archived from the original on 20 June 2013.
- ^ "Base Melchior" (in Spanish). Fundación Marambio. Archived from the original on 8 March 2014.