Signy Research Station

{{Infobox settlement | name = Signy Research Station | native_name = | native_name_lang = | settlement_type = [[Research stations in Antarctica|Antarctic base]] | image_skyline = Signy Research Station.jpg | imagesize = 250px | image_caption = Signy Research Station in 2006 | image_map = | mapsize = | map_alt = | map_caption = | pushpin_map = Antarctica | pushpin_relief = yes | pushpin_mapsize = 250 | pushpin_label_position = | pushpin_map_alt = Location of Signy Research Station in Antarctica | pushpin_map_caption = Location of Signy Research Station in [[Antarctica]] | coordinates = {{coord|60.708333|S|45.595|W|format=dms|region:AQ|display=inline,title}} | coor_pinpoint = | coordinates_footnotes = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = {{flagcountry|United Kingdom}} | subdivision_type1 = [[British Overseas Territories|British Overseas Territory]] | subdivision_name1 = [[British Antarctic Territory]] | subdivision_type2 = [[List of Antarctic and subantarctic islands|Location in Antarctica]] | subdivision_name2 = [[Signy Island]] | subdivision_type3 = Administered by | subdivision_name3 = [[British Antarctic Survey]] | established_title = Established | established_date = 18 March 1947 | elevation_footnotes = <ref name="comnap-catalogue"/> | elevation_m = 5 | population_as_of = 2017 | population_footnotes = <ref name="comnap-catalogue">{{cite report |type=catalogue |url=https://www.comnap.aq/s/COMNAP_Antarctic_Station_Catalogue.pdf |title=Antarctic Station Catalogue |date=August 2017 |publisher=[[Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs]] |isbn=978-0-473-40409-3 |page=143 |access-date=16 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221022102847/https://static1.squarespace.com/static/61073506e9b0073c7eaaf464/t/611497cc1ece1b43f0eeca8a/1628739608968/COMNAP_Antarctic_Station_Catalogue.pdf |archive-date=22 October 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> | population_total = | population_blank1_title = Summer | population_blank1 = 14 | population_blank2_title = Winter | population_blank2 = 0 | population_density_km2 = | population_note = | population_demonym = | timezone1 = | utc_offset1 = | timezone1_DST = | utc_offset1_DST = | blank_name_sec1 = Type | blank_info_sec1 = Seasonal | blank1_name_sec1 = Period | blank1_info_sec1 = Summer | blank2_name_sec1 = Status | blank2_info_sec1 = Operational | blank_name_sec2 = Activities | blank_info_sec2 = {{Collapsible list |bullets=on |Climatology |Limnology |Microbiology |Sedimentology}} | postal_code_type = | postal_code = | area_code_type = | area_code = | iso_code = | code1_name = [[UN/LOCODE]] | code1_info = AQ SGN | website = {{nowrap|{{URL|https://www.bas.ac.uk/polar-operations/sites-and-facilities/facility/signy/|www.antarctica.ac.uk}}}} | footnotes = }}

'''Signy Research Station''' (originally '''Station H''')<ref name=bas-SIG>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bas.ac.uk/about/about-bas/history/british-research-stations-and-refuges/signy-h/|title=History of Signy (Station H) - British Antarctic Survey|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-05-13}}</ref> is an Antarctic research base on [[Signy Island]], run by the [[British Antarctic Survey]].

==History== Signy was first occupied in 1947 when a three-man meteorological station was established in [[Factory Cove]] above the old whaling station.<ref name="BAS">{{cite web|url=http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/living_and_working/research_stations/signy/index.php| title=Signy Research Station| publisher=[[British Antarctic Survey]]| access-date=19 February 2011| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080918231143/http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/living_and_working/research_stations/signy/index.php| archive-date=18 September 2008}}</ref><ref name=bas-SIG/> It was the second research base on the [[South Orkney Islands]] (after the [[Argentina|Argentine]] [[Orcadas Base]] in 1903). In 1955, a new hut, Tønsberg House was built on the site of the whaling station. In 1963, it was turned into a laboratory for biological research. In 1967, [[transplant experiment]]s with plants led to the introduction of two non-native invertebrates; the flightless midge Eretmoptera murphyi and the [[Enchytraeidae|enchytraeid]] worm Christensenidrilus blocki.<ref>[https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antarctic-science/article/abs/spatial-distribution-habitat-preference-and-colonization-status-of-two-alien-terrestrial-invertebrate-species-in-antarctica/227D7BCC218AF21AF0CFB2286F970594 Spatial distribution, habitat preference and colonization status of two alien terrestrial invertebrate species in Antarctica]</ref><ref>[https://www.bas.ac.uk/data/our-data/publication/an-insect-introduction-to-the-maritime-antarctic/ An insect introduction to the maritime Antarctic]</ref> Initially operated year-round, since 1995/6 the station has been open from November to April each year (southern hemisphere summer).

==Facilities== Today, the base has four buildings with capacity for 8 people.<ref name="comnap-catalogue"/><ref name="BAS"/> The main building, Sørlle House (named after the whaling captain [[Petter Sørlle]], who himself named Signy Island), provides living accommodation and laboratories. The other buildings are for storage and provision of power and water services. There are also four small huts around the island.

A light railway was constructed in 1963 for unloading stores and large items of machinery. When built, this was the [[List of southernmost items#Transportation|southernmost railway]] in existence. It was later extended up a hill to reach the fuel tanks.<ref name=Rootes>{{cite book| title = A concise account of Signy Base 'H'| author = David Rootes | publisher = British Antarctic Survey | page=17 | year = 1988 |isbn=085665129X}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Big whales, small engines!| author = Martin Coombs | publisher = Railways of the Far South | url = http://www.railwaysofthefarsouth.co.uk/11cwhaling.html| accessdate = 2022-01-03 }}</ref>

==Research== Marine and terrestrial biology is carried out at Signy, particularly looking at the [[effects of climate change]] on the southern ocean ecosystems. Three species of penguin ([[Adélie penguin|Adélie]], [[Chinstrap penguin|chinstrap]] and [[Gentoo penguin|gentoo]]) are monitored at the base.<ref name="BAS"/>

To continue an original time series of visual sea ice observations after the station became summer-only, an automated sea ice camera now operates all year around,<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/engineering/signy_ice_camera.php| title=Signy Sea Ice Camera| publisher=[[British Antarctic Survey]]| access-date=19 February 2011| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101112033120/http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/engineering/signy_ice_camera.php| archive-date=12 November 2010| url-status=dead}}</ref> providing a continuous record of sea ice extent near the station for over 50 years.

==Climate== Signy Research Station has a [[tundra climate]] (''ET'' according to the [[Köppen climate classification]]), because all twelve months have a mean temperature under {{Convert|10|C}}. Signy Research Station has very long, cold winters (although they are mild for Antarctic standards) and short, cool summers. It has only three months with the average temperature above freezing point. The temperature is consistently cold year-round, with August, the coldest month, having a mean of {{convert|-10.3|C}} and an average low of {{convert|-15.6|C}}. February is the warmest month, with a mean of {{convert|3.9|C}} and an average high of {{convert|6.4|C}}. Records were kept for a few years mostly around the late 1980s. The highest temperature ever recorded was {{convert|19.8|C}} on 30 January 1982, which is the highest temperature recorded anywhere south of [[60th parallel south|60°S]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wmo.asu.edu/content/antarctica-highest-temperature |title=WMO Region VII (Antarctic: all land/ice south of 60°S): Highest Temperature |access-date=5 April 2022 }}</ref> and the lowest recorded temperature was {{convert|-27.8|C}} in June.{{year needed|date=April 2022}}

{{Weather box  |metric first= 1 |single line= 1 |location= Signy Research Station, 6 m asl (1971–2000 normals)

|Jan record high C= 19.8 |Feb record high C= 16.2 |Mar record high C= 13.3 |Apr record high C= 4.6 |May record high C= 4.9 |Jun record high C= 3.9 |Jul record high C= 7.4 |Aug record high C= 3.3 |Sep record high C= 4.7 |Oct record high C= 6.6 |Nov record high C= 6.6 |Dec record high C= 3.6 |year record high C=  |Jan high C= 6.1 |Feb high C= 6.4 |Mar high C= 6.3 |Apr high C= 0.7 |May high C= 0.2 |Jun high C= -2.0 |Jul high C= -4.6 |Aug high C= -5.0 |Sep high C= 0.9 |Oct high C= 1.1 |Nov high C= 2.0 |Dec high C= 1.6 |year high C=  |Jan mean C= 1.2 |Feb mean C= 3.9 |Mar mean C= 3.1 |Apr mean C= -1.8 |May mean C= -2.1 |Jun mean C= -6.9 |Jul mean C= -7.4 |Aug mean C= -10.3 |Sep mean C= -2.9 |Oct mean C= -1.6 |Nov mean C= -0.8 |Dec mean C= -0.1 |year mean C=  |Jan low C= -0.7 |Feb low C= 1.4 |Mar low C= -0.2 |Apr low C= -4.3 |May low C= -4.4 |Jun low C= -11.7 |Jul low C= -10.1 |Aug low C= -15.6 |Sep low C= -6.6 |Oct low C= -4.2 |Nov low C= -3.5 |Dec low C= -1.9 |year low C=  |Jan record low C= -1.5 |Feb record low C= 1.0 |Mar record low C= -4.4 |Apr record low C= -8.8 |May record low C= -11.8 |Jun record low C= -27.8 |Jul record low C= -27.7 |Aug record low C= -25.4 |Sep record low C= -13.9 |Oct record low C= -8.7 |Nov record low C= -9.0 |Dec record low C= -3.8 |year record low C=   |precipitation colour = |Jan precipitation mm= 33.7 |Feb precipitation mm= |Mar precipitation mm= 72.6 |Apr precipitation mm= 6.6 |May precipitation mm= 10.3 |Jun precipitation mm= 2.6 |Jul precipitation mm= 5.7 |Aug precipitation mm= 4.7 |Sep precipitation mm= 140.0 |Oct precipitation mm= |Nov precipitation mm= |Dec precipitation mm= 14.1 |year precipitation mm=  |unit precipitation days= 1 mm |Jan precipitation days= 11.63 |Feb precipitation days= |Mar precipitation days= 26.57 |Apr precipitation days= |May precipitation days= 5.17 |Jun precipitation days= |Jul precipitation days= |Aug precipitation days= 1.82 |Sep precipitation days= 10.00 |Oct precipitation days= |Nov precipitation days= |Dec precipitation days= 5.64 |year precipitation days=  |source 1= Météo climat stats<ref>{{cite web |url=http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/listenormale-1981-2010-1-p9.php|title=Moyennes 1981-2010 Antarctique|language=fr|access-date=11 November 2019}}</ref> |source 2= Météo Climat<ref>{{cite web|url=http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/index.php?page=stati&id=2155|title=Météo Climat stats for Ile Signy |publisher=Météo Climat|access-date=11 November 2019}}</ref> }}

==See also== * [[Research stations in Antarctica#List of research stations|List of Antarctic research stations]] * [[Antarctic field camps|List of Antarctic field camps]] * [[Crime in Antarctica]]

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/ Official website British Antarctic Survey] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20080918231143/http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/living_and_working/research_stations/signy/index.php BAS Signy Research Station] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20071006213627/http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/images/in_pictures/signy.php BAS Signy Research Station Images] at [[British Antarctic Survey|BAS]] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20080424075823/https://www.comnap.aq/facilities COMNAP Antarctic Facilities] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20110220115654/https://www.comnap.aq/publications/maps/comnap_map_edition5_a0_2009-07-24.pdf/view COMNAP Antarctic Facilities Map]

[[Category:1947 establishments in Antarctica]] [[Category:British Antarctic Survey]] [[Category:British Antarctic Territory]] [[Category:Outposts of Antarctica]]