Jinnah Antarctic Station
Jinnah Station جناح جنوبی قطب اسٹیشن | |
---|---|
Antarctic base | |
Jinnah Antarctic Station | |
Jinnah Antarctic Station | |
Jinnah Station Location of Jinnah Station in Antarctica | |
Coordinates: 70°24′00″S 25°45′00″E / 70.3999984°S 25.749997°ECoordinates: 70°24′00″S 25°45′00″E / 70.3999984°S 25.749997°E | |
Country |
|
Location in Antarctica |
Sør Rondane Mountains Queen Maud Land |
Administered by | Pakistan Antarctic Programme |
Established | 1991 |
Time zone | UTC+3 (SYOT) |
Type | Seasonal |
Period | Summer |
Status | Operational |
Website | National Institute of Oceanography Pakistan |
The Jinnah Antarctic Station (Urdu: جناح جنوبی قطب اسٹیشن, or JAS) is an Antarctic scientific research station operated by the Pakistan Antarctic Programme.[1][2] It is located in the vicinity of the Sør Rondane Mountains, Queen Maud Land, in Eastern Antarctica.[2]
History
Pakistan signed the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) in 1991. The programme was launched by the National Institute of Oceanography, with the support of the Ministry of Science and Technology. The program was led by the Pakistan Navy, as it had provided the logistical support for the programme. In 1991, the Jinnah Antarctic Station was established. Pakistan maintains one summer research station and one weather observatory in the vicinity of the Sør Rondane Mountains.
Facilities
The facilities were quickly expanded by the NIO. Government advisors belonging to the Ministry of Science and Technology frequently visited the area. Pakistani naval engineers and scientists oversaw the development of the base. By 1994 it was a comfortable, technologically advanced operational base. In 2001, the data operational system was linked to the Badr-B satellite, beginning regular transmission of digital imagery of the region to NIO headquarters in Karachi. In 2002, SUPARCO scientists visited the base, where they set up and installed an advanced, supercomputer-equipped facility, run by the NIO and SUPARCO's scientists. In 2005, Pakistan Air Force engineers and scientists built a small airstrip, and a control room to monitor flights to and from Pakistan. In 2010, Pakistan's government approved a plan to expand the JAS facility into a permanent operational base.[3]
Foreign cooperation
Communication gears were set up with the United States' Antarctic Program.
US-Pakistani research
In contemporary times, the JAS is frequently visited by US scientists who conduct their research with their Pakistani counterparts.
See also
References
- ↑ Mills, J.M. (2003). Exploring polar frontiers: a historical encyclopedia. 1 (A–M). Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO.
- 1 2 "Antarctic Research". Pakistan: National Institute of Oceanography. Archived from the original on 2010-08-15.
- ↑ Molle, Kris (29 October 2010). "Pakistan and Antarctica". The Polar Conservation Organisation. Archived from the original on 28 January 2012.