Port Martin

Port Martin, or Port-Martin, is an abandoned French research base at Cape Margerie on the coast of Adélie Land, Antarctica, as well as the name of the adjacent anchorage.

Port Martin

Port-Martin
Abandoned research outpost
Flag
Port Martin
Location of Port Martin in Antarctica
Coordinates: 66°49′06″S 141°24′02″E
CountryFrance
ProvinceCape Margerie
Location in AntarcticaAdélie Land
Antarctica
Operational1950 (1950) – 1952 (1952)

History

The site was discovered in 1950 by the French Antarctic Expedition under André-Franck Liotard and a landing made on 18 January 1950. The base was established by Liotard and a team of 11 men who raised the main building with several annexes to house scientific activities. It was named for expeditioner J. A. Martin, originally second-in-command of the expedition, who had died en route to the Antarctic.[1]

On 6 January 1951 the base team was relieved by 17-member team under the leadership of Michel Barré. Over the following year they enlarged the main building while continuing the research program. They, in turn, were relieved on 4 January 1952 while a smaller team of four, led by Mario Marret, built a secondary base on Petrel Island, some 60 kilometres (37 mi) to the west in the Géologie Archipelago.[1]

On the night of 23–24 January 1952 the Port Martin base was largely destroyed by a fire which burnt down its main building. No lives were lost nor injuries incurred but the base personnel were evacuated to Petrel Island, where they overwintered, and Port Martin abandoned.[1]

Historic site

Since 1952 the site has remained largely undisturbed. What remains in Port-Martin are the base's ancillary buildings, including a weather shelter and its coal and supply sheds, beneath a covering of snow. It represents an optimal site to design archeological methods and techniques in extreme climatic conditions. It is considered a valuable archaeological as well as a historic site and is protected under the Antarctic Treaty System as Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA) No.166.[1] It has also been designated a Historic Site or Monument (HSM 46), following a proposal by France to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting.[2]

See also

References
  1. "Port Martin, Terre Adelie" (PDF). Management Plan for Antarctic Specially Protected Area No. 166: Measure 1, Annex G. Antarctic Treaty Secretariat. 2006. Retrieved 2013-01-30.
  2. "List of Historic Sites and Monuments approved by the ATCM (2012)" (PDF). Antarctic Treaty Secretariat. 2012. Retrieved 2014-01-02.

 This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Geological Survey document: "Port Martin". (content from the Geographic Names Information System)


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