Captain Arturo Prat Base

The Captain Arturo Prat Base is a science station in Antarctica. It is the oldest research station from Chile and is managed by the Chilean Navy. 

 History 
The base was started on February 6, 1947. This makes it the oldest Chilean station in Antarctica.

The station is named after Captain Arturo Prat. He was a hero in the Chilean Navy. He died in a famous battle in 1879. A bust of him stands at the base.

The base was closed for a few years in the 2000s but was opened again in 2006. In 2018, a fire damaged some of its buildings.

 Geography 
The station is on an island called Greenwich Island. This island is part of the South Shetland Islands. It is in a small bay named Iquique Cove.

The area around the base has some rocks and is a good place for ships to land.

 Climate 
The climate at the base is a tundra climate. This means it is very cold but not as cold as other parts of Antarctica.

The temperature in July, the coldest month, can drop to -29°C (-20.2°F). The warmest temperature ever recorded there was 19°C (66.2°F). The climate is also very wet. It gets a good amount of rain and snow all year.

 Research 
Scientists at the base study many things, including:
The atmosphere
The weather
How the ionosphere works (the part of the atmosphere with electric charge)

The station is open all year. It can have up to 30 people in the summer and around 8 people in the winter.
Category:Antarctica
Category:Research stations in Antarctica