Antarctic station in Australian Antarctic Territory
The
Mirny Station
(
Russian
:
Мирный
, literally
Peaceful
) is a Russian (formerly
Soviet
) first Antarctic science station
[2]
located in
Queen Mary Land
,
Antarctica
, on the Antarctic coast of the
Davis Sea
.
The station is managed by the
Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute
and was named after the support vessel
Mirny
captained by
Mikhail Lazarev
during the
First Russian Antarctic Expedition
, led by
Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen
on
Vostok
.
Mirny Station was damaged by a fire on Sunday 21 June 2020.
[3]
Purpose and facilities
[
edit
]
The station was opened on February 13, 1956, by the
1st Soviet Antarctic Expedition
. It was originally used as main base for the
Vostok Station
located 1,400 kilometres (870 mi) from the coast, this function is now served by
Progress Station
.
[4]
In summer, it hosts up to 50 people in 30 buildings,
[1]
in winter about 40-50 scientists and technicians. The average temperature at the location is ?11 °C (12 °F), and on more than 200 days per year the wind is stronger than 15 metres per second (49 ft/s), with occasional
cyclones
.
Main areas of research are
glaciology
,
seismology
,
meteorology
, observation of
polar lights
,
cosmic radiation
, and
marine biology
.
Historic monuments
[
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]
Some 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) south of the station stands a metal
stele
with an inscribed
plaque
. It was erected on a sledge on the land transport route between coastal Mirny and inland
Vostok Station
. It commemorates Anatoly Shcheglov, a driver-mechanic who died while performing his duties. It has been designated a
Historic Site or Monument
(HSM 8) following a proposal by Russia to the
Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting
. Other similarly designated historic sites in the vicinity of Mirny are Ivan Khmara's Stone (HSM 7) and the Buromskiy Island Cemetery (HSM 9), both on
Buromskiy Island
2.7 kilometres (1.7 mi) north of the station.
[5]
Climate
[
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]
Mirny Station has an
ice cap climate
, since all months are below 0 °C (32 °F). Although, it is heavily influenced by the glacial nature of Antarctica's interior, it retains a strong maritime influence, resulting in high annual snowfall. Summers however, are sunny and dry, reflecting a
mediterranean
precipitation pattern, in spite of its poleward latitude and cold temperatures. Summer sees highs approaching 2 °C (36 °F) on average, whereas winters are stable just below ?15 °C (5 °F) means for several months. Due to its coastal location and the fact that summer temperatures sometimes rise above freezing, limited plant and animal life flourishes during summer (December, January, February).
Climate data for Mirny Station
|
Month
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
Year
|
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)
|
1.1
(34.0)
|
?1.8
(28.8)
|
?6.9
(19.6)
|
?10.8
(12.6)
|
?12.3
(9.9)
|
?12.2
(10.0)
|
?13.3
(8.1)
|
?13.8
(7.2)
|
?13.2
(8.2)
|
?9.8
(14.4)
|
?3.7
(25.3)
|
0.4
(32.7)
|
?8.0
(17.6)
|
Daily mean °C (°F)
|
?1.8
(28.8)
|
?5.3
(22.5)
|
?10.2
(13.6)
|
?13.9
(7.0)
|
?15.5
(4.1)
|
?15.4
(4.3)
|
?16.6
(2.1)
|
?17.0
(1.4)
|
?16.4
(2.5)
|
?13.4
(7.9)
|
?7.2
(19.0)
|
?2.6
(27.3)
|
?11.3
(11.7)
|
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)
|
?4.6
(23.7)
|
?8.4
(16.9)
|
?13.0
(8.6)
|
?16.7
(1.9)
|
?18.5
(?1.3)
|
?18.3
(?0.9)
|
?19.6
(?3.3)
|
?20.2
(?4.4)
|
?19.3
(?2.7)
|
?16.6
(2.1)
|
?10.3
(13.5)
|
?5.5
(22.1)
|
?14.2
(6.4)
|
Average
precipitation
mm (inches)
|
14.8
(0.58)
|
17.1
(0.67)
|
31.2
(1.23)
|
43.5
(1.71)
|
57.3
(2.26)
|
70.3
(2.77)
|
71.7
(2.82)
|
62.1
(2.44)
|
57.9
(2.28)
|
43.5
(1.71)
|
34.0
(1.34)
|
23.7
(0.93)
|
527.1
(20.74)
|
Average
relative humidity
(%)
|
72.5
|
70.5
|
71.6
|
73.9
|
74.7
|
76.0
|
75.1
|
74.2
|
72.8
|
70.1
|
70.4
|
72.4
|
72.9
|
Mean monthly
sunshine hours
|
278.7
|
214.4
|
153.2
|
95.4
|
32.3
|
1.7
|
11.1
|
66.9
|
125.8
|
234.6
|
290.7
|
354.2
|
1,859
|
Source: Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute
[6]
|
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
Antarctic Station Catalogue
(PDF)
(catalogue).
Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs
. August 2017. p. 113.
ISBN
978-0-473-40409-3
.
Archived
(PDF)
from the original on October 22, 2022
. Retrieved
January 16,
2023
.
- ^
"ANTARCTICA: Mirny Station"
. Retrieved
June 16,
2019
.
- ^
"Fire guts Russia's Antarctic research station, no one hurt"
.
Associated Press
. June 22, 2020
. Retrieved
January 18,
2021
.
- ^
"Geographical review - Mirny Observatory"
. Archived from
the original
on May 20, 2010
. Retrieved
February 16,
2006
.
- ^
"List of Historic Sites and Monuments approved by the ATCM (2012)"
(PDF)
. Antarctic Treaty Secretariat. 2012
. Retrieved
October 25,
2013
.
- ^
"Mirny observatory (89592)"
. Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute
. Retrieved
November 2,
2015
.
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