Base General Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme
- 63.320892416667 - 57.900953291667Koordinaten: 63 ° 19 ' 15 " S, 57 ° 54 ' 3" W
O'Higgins ( German Antarctic Receiving Station) is a German polar research station in Antarctica. It is located at Cabo Legoupil the Antarctic Peninsula on the six-acre Islote Isabel Riquelme, also known as Península Schmidt called. The island is 300 m wide and 200 m long, is 50 meters away from the mainland. At low tide there is a land connection to the mainland - hence both the name Islote (Spanish: little island ) and Peninsula (Spanish: Peninsula). The station stands on rock, providing favorable conditions for long-term geodetic observations. Prominent landmark of the station is a 9- meter antenna. The living, sleeping and working areas of the campaign teams and the majority of station facilities are located a station main building consisting of fifteen 20-foot ISO containers and an infrastructure complex consisting of twenty 20-foot ISO containers.
- 4.1 Scientific equipment of the station
- 4.2 Satellite Operations and Earth Observation
- 4.3 Geodesy and Astrometry
Station operation and responsibilities
The research station O'Higgins is operated by the German Aerospace Center (DLR ) and the German Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy ( BKG). Since the beginning of 2010 are year-round campaign teams. A maximum of ten scientists, engineers and technicians work in O'Higgins. The operation of the station is done in close cooperation with Chile. DLR is the owner of the station and is responsible for the satellite operation, management, infrastructure and logistics. The coordination of all logistics activities carried out between DLR and the Instituto Antártico Chileno ( INACH ). The responsibility for all geodetic observations is at BKG.
Location decision
O'Higgins was built in 1990/91 in addition to the Chilean General Bernardo O'Higgins Station, which is operated by the Departamento del Ejército Antártico (DAE ). The location close to the Chilean station was chosen for several reasons. These include a cooperation agreement with the INACH which is advantageous for a radio telescope geological conditions for the reception of different sensor data of the European Earth observation satellites ERS- 1 and ERS -2 intended satellite visibility in the area of Antarctica and the existing Chilean infrastructure and logistics.
Accessibility and logistics
As part of the long-standing cooperation with Chile DLR and BKG can rely on Chilean Antarctic Infrastructure and Logistics Polar. By means of these can be reached O'Higgins of Punta Arenas from over King George Iceland by ship, aircraft and helicopters. Logistically, very important is also the provision of flights through the Programa Antártico Brasileiro ( PROANTAR ).
Air
All year is O'Higgins ( ICAO code: SCBO ) by means of special polar aircraft reached. A 1000 m long runway is prepared the station on the glacier (Mainland) when required 3 km southeast and may ( subject) are served with runners from King George Iceland from a DHC- 6 Twin Otter Fuerza Aérea de Chile of. The preparation of the run and skidoo transfer of people and cargo to and from the slopes is performed by the Ejército de Chile team at the station General Bernardo O'Higgins. In exceptional cases, the specialist also utilizes a Bell 412 helicopter between King George Iceland and the Península Schmidt. King George Iceland, specifically the Chilean airport Teniente Rodolfo Marsh Martin ( ICAO code: SCRM ) is served by Punta Arenas repeatedly throughout the year, Hercules C -130 transport planes of the tray, the Força Aérea Brasileira (FAB ) and the Fuerza Aérea Uruguaya (FAU ) served. On this route the FAB in PROANTAR Order and FAU operates on behalf of the Instituto Antártico Uruguayan (IAU ). During the austral summer, the private airline Aerovias DAP performs commercial flights between Punta Arenas and King George Iceland.
Waterway
Depending on the sea ice and iceberg situation run in the austral summer also ships O'Higgins. In particular, the supply to the station with marine diesel oil ( MDO), the transport of containers and general cargo to and from the station, and partly also the exchange of persons to be carried out by the Armada de Chile by the ships ATF Lautaro and Almirante Oscar Viel. Due to the low water depth at the Península Schmidt ships can not dock right at the pier. Unless permitted by the lake, people and smaller cargo are therefore transported by boat between ship and station. For the same reason container will be informed by self-propelled barge ( pontoon with its own drive ) from the Almirante Oscar Much returned to the station or. The Almirante Oscar Much can also fly by BO -105 helicopter to and from the ship people and smaller cargo. This often occurs when the sea ice conditions do not permit the use of inflatable.
Research
Scientific equipment of the station
The most important scientific instrument of the German Antarctic Station is a 9- meter antenna, which is used both for the reception of satellite data and the commanding of satellites as well as a radio telescope. The antenna and associated equipment were installed in the austral summer 1990/91. The first experiments were conducted in 1991. The 9- meter antenna has been designed for use in extreme Antarctic conditions. So make storms with gusts up to 180 km / h no problem for the operational antenna operating dar. Other important scientific instruments are permanent GPS, GLONASS & Galileo reference stations. In addition to a pressure level of the station has a radar level. Due to the absolute level radar, GPS - referenced sea level data are obtained. Repeated Absolutgravimetermessungen were performed. Two weather station permanently draw on meteorological measurements such as temperature, relative humidity, air pressure, wind direction and wind speed.
Satellite Operations and Earth Observation
From 1991 July to end of the mission on 4 2011 SAR data and other sensor data of the European Earth observation satellites ERS- 1 and ERS -2 have been received in O'Higgins. The operation of the SAR satellite TSX is supported in the framework of the German Earth observation mission TerraSAR -X since 2007. With the launch of the almost identical twin satellites SAR TDX 21 June 2010 O'Higgins took a decisive role in the implementation of the German TanDEM -X mission. O'Higgins covers a large part of the data reception and allows - among other DLR ground stations - the monitoring and commanding of the satellite TSX and TDX, which form the satellite-based radar interferometer TanDEM -X. Increasingly important is the station O'Higgins for the GRACE mission, have their continuation in 2015 DLR and NASA agreed in 2010.
Geodesy and Astrometry
Used as a radio telescope receives the 9- meter antenna signals from radio stars and is used to perform geodetic VLBI observations. This property is GARS O'Higgins network component of the International VLBI Service ( IVS). VLBI observations provide, among other precise data on continental drift. In the realization of the international sky reference system ( International Celestial Reference System - ICRS ) and the derivation of the Earth rotation parameters (ERP ) GARS O'Higgins largely determines the achievable accuracy. For the radio astrometry, the station has unique importance due to its location on the Antarctic Peninsula. This has the TANAMI Project ( Tracking Active Galactic Nuclei with Austral Milliarcsecond Interferometry ) impressively demonstrated. In TANAMI project are black holes at the centers of distant galaxies that are millions to billions of times heavier than our sun, observed. With the involvement of the radio telescope in O'Higgins was able to map the size of only 0:04 lightyears in a new VLBI image of Centaurus A jet structures. This represents a new record for the study of extragalactic black holes, which would not have been possible without O'Higgins.