Groussac Refuge

The Groussac Refuge (Spanish: Refugio naval Groussac, originally Refugio naval Hipólito Bouchard) is an Argentine shelter in Antarctica located on the south coast of Port Circumcision, on Petermann Island, off the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. It was inaugurated on February 6, 1955, and is operated by the Argentine Navy.

Groussac Refuge Refugio naval Groussac
Refuge
Groussac Naval Refuge in 2013
Country	Argentina
Location in Antarctic Peninsula	Petermann Island Graham Land Antarctica
Administered by	Argentine Navy
Established	1955 (1955)
Named for	Paul Groussac
Type	Seasonal
Status	Operational

Location

The refuge sits in the middle of a colony of Antarctic gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua ellsworthi). This is one of the furthest south breeding locations for this species.

The average sea level in the area is 1.22 meters.

Name

The refuge bears its current name in honor of Paul Groussac (1848–1929), French writer and historian based in Argentina, author of a statement on the Argentine claim to the Malvinas Islands (Falkland Islands) and biographies of Argentine heroes.

History

Refuge hut

The refuge consists of a wooden building with a warehouse that can store supplies for three people for three months. It was used during the summers of 1954–1955, 1956-1957 and 1957–1958, including the period of the International Geophysical Year, during which it functioned as a base for making surface meteorological observations and observations on sea level fluctuations.

Amateur radio transmissions have been made from the shelter in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2011.

The shelter was periodically occupied by British Antarctic Survey staff from Faraday Base.

After not receiving maintenance since 2007, in January 2018 it was opened and repaired by a crew of 8 men.

Sources

• Dubrovin, L.I.; Petrov, V.N. (1967), Scientific Stations in Antarctica 1882-1963. (PDF)
• Efemérides - 6 de febrero, Sitio web oficial de la Armada Argentina, archived from the original on 2015-04-18, retrieved 2024-06-06
• Faraday Station F — History, British Antarctic Survey, archived from the original on 18 May 2013, retrieved 5 April 2015
• Miguel Ángel Otero Soliño (7 May 2014), Refugio Naval Groussac en la Antártida (in Spanish), retrieved 2024-06-06
• Tablas de marea para la Antártida (octubre 2013 - diciembre 2014) (PDF) (in Spanish), Servicio de Hidrografía Naval, p. 3, archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015, retrieved 9 May 2015
• W.A.P. Worldwide Antarctic Program - W.A.C.A. Worked Antarctic Callsigns Award (PDF), Waponline, archived from the original (PDF) on 12 July 2015, retrieved 15 April 2015