As part of the 62nd Chilean Antarctic Expedition (ECA 62), a team from the Chilean Antarctic Institute visited several sites on the Antarctic Peninsula. The goal was to ensure the functionality of automatic weather stations that are part of the “Latitudinal Sensors” project. These stations provide open data for the international research community and help strengthen Chile’s role as a leading country in climate research in the region.
The network currently includes 17 measurement points distributed across different areas of Antarctica. During the expedition, numerous stations were serviced, modernized, or expanded, including locations at Union Glacier, Prospect Point, and the O’Higgins and Gabriel-González-Videla bases. In addition, two new stations were installed on Mount Vinson and Detaille Island.
The expedition was made possible through international cooperation: aboard the Colombian research vessel, experts from Chile worked alongside scientists from Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. This collaboration not only allows for broader geographic coverage but also promotes the exchange of knowledge and technical expertise.
Cristofer Huenchumán, an automation and industrial control engineer at INACH, was part of the mission for 53 days. He emphasizes the importance of collaboration: it enables access to more measurement points, fosters new connections, and allows technical improvements to be implemented from multiple perspectives.
Fieldwork presented major challenges for the team. Some stations could only be reached by helicopter, others by boat. Maintenance work often had to be completed within just a few hours, depending on weather conditions, sea state, and logistical requirements. Extreme weather changes, such as sudden snowstorms, made operations even more difficult.
The automatic stations record a wide range of climate-relevant data, including air temperature, humidity, CO₂ concentration, wind direction and speed, soil temperature, as well as various radiation values and air pressure. These data are essential for understanding climatic processes and, after long-term collection according to World Meteorological Organization standards, can be used for forecasts and scientific analyses.
In addition to data collection, the team was also involved in environmental protection. Remains of the old Federico-Puga shelter were removed to reduce human impact on the fragile Antarctic environment.
At the same time, the sensor team is working on an improved web platform to facilitate access to the collected data. The aim is to optimize visualization, simplify downloads, and enable the analysis of climate developments over different time periods.
These advances benefit researchers from a wide range of disciplines. For example, life scientists can use climate data to better understand the behavior of animal populations, such as penguin colonies, and analyze them in relation to environmental changes.
The Chilean Antarctic Institute plays a central role in this effort. As an institution under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it coordinates national Antarctic research, promotes scientific excellence, and strengthens international cooperation. At the same time, it helps make knowledge about Antarctica accessible to a broader public and further develops the Magallanes region as an important gateway to the White Continent.
Heiner Kubny, PolarJournal