Dakshin Gangotri
Dakshin Gangotri | |
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Research Station | |
Dakshin Gangotri | |
Coordinates: 70°05′37″S 12°00′00″E / 70.09361°S 12.00000°ECoordinates: 70°05′37″S 12°00′00″E / 70.09361°S 12.00000°E | |
Country | India |
Dakshin Gangotri was the first permanent Indian research station in Antarctica. It was established during the Third Indian Expedition to Antarctica in 1982-1983.
Description
Historic site
A plaque has been erected at the site of the original temporary station, also named Dakshin Gangotri, at 70°45′12″S 10°38′13″E / 70.75333°S 10.63694°E,[1] close to the landing site of India’s first expedition to Antarctica on 9 January 1982. The plaque lists the names of the expedition members, and has been designated a Historic Site or Monument (HSM 44), following a proposal by India to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting.[2]
Location
The possible site for locating the permanent station was debated in detail during the Third Expedition among the scientists, including members of the Second Indian Expedition to Antarctica who were participating in the Third Indian Expedition, and the officers of the ship. All available material, such as aerial photographs, regional maps prepared by the Norsk Polarinstitutt and the recommendations of the Second Indian Expedition to Antarctica were examined in detail. A site at 70°02′00″S 12°00′00″E / 70.03333°S 12.00000°E had been recommended earlier by the Second Indian Expedition to Antarctica but there crevasses on the southern periphery of two nearby grounded ice patches Leningradkollen and Kurklaken were revealed by helicopter surveys and cracks were found to be developing in its near vicinity on recent aerial photographs. Keeping in view of several logistic factors, an area of about 10 km diameter was considered to be most appropriate for locating the permanent station. Detailed survey of this area was carried out and a location with coordinates 70°05′37″S 12°00′00″E / 70.09361°S 12.00000°E was finalized for locating the station. The thickness of ice shelf was reported to be about 150 metres in this region. The site selected was free of crevasses and had a good view of the Wohlthat Mountains range in the south.[3]
Construction
The construction work started just after the landing in Antarctica on 27 December 1983. The team completed its major task of constructing the permanent station by 25 February 1984 in a time of eight weeks which was a world record. The station was then named as Dakshin Gangotri[4]
Foundation and structural layout
The load of station was borne by a raft foundation to effect even distribution of the load and avoid possible sinking. The station consisted of two double storey blocks linked by a narrow passage Timber was the basic material used for the prefabricated load bearing panels forming the structure. The panels consisted of two 9 millimetres thick plywood sheets, attached to the two sides of a timber load bearing frame. The space between the two faces was filled up by thermally insulating material. The outside face of the structure was protected by cladding consisting of a 25 millimetres thick layer of insulation material over which metallic sheets were bolted. Internal finishing varied from one area to another. The radio room had acoustic tiles while the generator and the boiler rooms were provided with asbestos lining. The kitchen and the bath rooms had melamine faced plywood. Internal finishing in all other rooms was provided by hard board.[3]
Out of the two blocks of Dakshin Gangotri, Block-A contained a lounge, kitchen, hospital, laboratory and a snow melting plant in the ground floor and the living facilities, communication facilities and general stores in the first floor. The Block-B housed three generators, the electrical work shop and carpentry in the ground floor and some of the workshops along with general stores in the first floor.[4] A modern kitchen fitted with necessary appliances was provided. For entertainment, music system, VCRs, table tennis, library, indoor games and a gymnasium were provided. A well equipped operation theater and medical room with adequate storage of drugs and medicines have been provided at Dakshin Gangotri Station.[3]
Energy supply
The peak load of the entire station being 40 KVA, Dakshin Gangotri Station was energised by three 62.5 KVA three-phase generators for duty maintenance and stand by. A weekly storage tank of 4500 litre capacity was provided within the station from which the fuel was pumped to daily storage tanks for the generators and boilers. The annual requirement of about 200 metric tons of fuels was stored in barrels at a distance from the station. Boilers were provided for central heating and to melt ice in the snow melt plant to provide a water supply. A steady temperature of 15°C was maintained inside the station by circulating hot water under low pressure through radiators. Running hot and cold water was made available at all points.[3]
Waste disposal and ventilation
All waste water and fluids were discharged into under ground twin drains. The drains traces were heated electrically and insulated to avoid freezing. Solid waste was converted to fluid through disposomatic machines. Heated fresh air was supplied in living spaces and exhaust ventilation is provided at necessary locations.[3]
Communications
Two satellite communication terminals of INMARSAT system were installed at the station, providing global telephone and telex links. An amateur radio operation was established to contact amateur radio operators in India.[5]
Dakshin Gangotri Post Office
On 26 January 1988, a Post Office was established at Dakshin Gangotri under the Goa Postal Division. Congratualtory messages were received from the President of India and Prime Minister of India on this occasion. Mr G. Sudhakar Rao, a scientist, who went to Antarctica as a member of the Seventh Indian Expedition to Antarctica, was appointed the first Honorary Postmaster.[6][7]
Climate
Climate data for Dakshin Gangotri, 1988 | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 12.4 (54.3) |
−1 (30) |
−0.2 (31.6) |
−8.7 (16.3) |
−6 (21) |
−7 (19) |
−11.4 (11.5) |
−8 (18) |
−8.1 (17.4) |
−11 (12) |
−4.6 (23.7) |
1.2 (34.2) |
12.4 (54.3) |
Average high °C (°F) | 4.1 (39.4) |
−4.3 (24.3) |
−6.8 (19.8) |
−13.1 (8.4) |
−17.1 (1.2) |
−12.6 (9.3) |
−17.4 (0.7) |
−21.5 (−6.7) |
−20.2 (−4.4) |
−13.2 (8.2) |
−7.4 (18.7) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
−10.93 (12.32) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | −1.4 (29.5) |
−6.3 (20.7) |
−9.8 (14.4) |
−17 (1) |
−20.4 (−4.7) |
−15 (5) |
−21 (−6) |
−25.4 (−13.7) |
−25.1 (−13.2) |
−17.9 (−0.2) |
−13.3 (8.1) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
−14.85 (5.23) |
Average low °C (°F) | −5.3 (22.5) |
−8.9 (16) |
−13.3 (8.1) |
−21.4 (−6.5) |
−24.5 (−12.1) |
−17.9 (−0.2) |
−24.8 (−12.6) |
−30.3 (−22.5) |
−29.3 (−20.7) |
−21.6 (−6.9) |
−18.4 (−1.1) |
−10 (14) |
−18.81 (−1.83) |
Record low °C (°F) | −12.5 (9.5) |
−16.3 (2.7) |
−20.5 (−4.9) |
−30.7 (−23.3) |
−35.1 (−31.2) |
−31 (−24) |
−34 (−29) |
−42.2 (−44) |
−39.5 (−39.1) |
−28 (−18) |
−25.1 (−13.2) |
−13.6 (7.5) |
−42.2 (−44) |
Source: [8] |
Use
Twelve members from the Third Indian Expedition to Antarctica team were the first to spend the winter in Dakshin Gangotri] from March 1984 to March 1985. Later on, another permanent station, Maitri, was established in 1989. The final decommissioning of the station was done on February 25, 1990 and converted into a supply base during the Ninth Indian Expedition to Antarctica.[9]
See also
- Indian Antarctic Program
- Third Indian Expedition to Antarctica
- Maitri
References
- ↑ Department of Ocean Development, Government of India. Annual Report 1983-1984, TECHNICAL PUBLICATION NO. 3., Printed at Dee Kay Printers Kirtinagar, New Delhi
- ↑ "List of Historic Sites and Monuments approved by the ATCM (2012)". Antarctic Treaty Secretariat. 2012. Retrieved 2014-01-01.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 P. K. Nair and Harsh K. Gupta: Dakshin Gangotri : The Indian Permanent Station in Antarctica, Third Indian Expedition to Antarctica, Scientific Report, 1986 , Department of Ocean Development, Technical publication No. 3, pp. 15-18
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Official website of Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute,Dr K. J. Mathew: The Third Indian Antarctic Research Expedition and the role played by CMFRI , The Marine Fisheries Information Service: Technical and Extension Series, May, 1984
- ↑ Sengupta, Sudipta. Antarctica. Ananda Publisher, 1989, ISBN 81-7066-091-2
- ↑ Official website of Stamps of India,Dakshin Gangotri Post Office
- ↑ Official website of Stamps of India,Indian Post Offices in Antarctica
- ↑ "Climate DAKSHIN GANGOTRI historical weather 1988, Data reported by the weather station: 895100". .tutiempo.net.
- ↑ RASIK RAVINDRA The Ninth Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica — Events & Achievements, Ninth Indian Expedition to Antarctica, Scientific Report, 1994 , Department of Ocean Development, Technical Publication No. 6, pp. 1-20
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