The Machu Picchu Scientific Base is a

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

vian polar scientific research facility in

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean (also known as the Antarctic Ocean), it contains the geographic South Pole. ...

, established to conduct Antarctic research on

geology Geology (). is a branch of natural science concerned with the Earth and other astronomical objects, the rocks of which they are composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Earth ...

climatology Climatology (from Greek , ''klima'', "slope"; and , '' -logia'') or climate science is the scientific study of Earth's climate, typically defined as weather conditions averaged over a period of at least 30 years. Climate concerns the atmospher ...

and

biology Biology is the scientific study of life and living organisms. It is a broad natural science that encompasses a wide range of fields and unifying principles that explain the structure, function, growth, History of life, origin, evolution, and ...

. More specifically, its purpose is to study the continent's geological past, potential sea resources, wind strengths,

air pollution Air pollution is the presence of substances in the Atmosphere of Earth, air that are harmful to humans, other living beings or the environment. Pollutants can be Gas, gases like Ground-level ozone, ozone or nitrogen oxides or small particles li ...

, and the animal adaptation in a freezing environment. The base is named after the

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

Machu Picchu Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca citadel located in the Eastern Cordillera of southern Peru on a mountain ridge at . Often referred to as the "Lost City of the Incas", it is the most familiar icon of the Inca Empire. It is located in the ...

Geography

Being located at 62°S, Machu Picchu Base is one of the northernmost settlements in Antarctica. It, along with

Artigas Base The General Artigas Station (), also referred to as the Artigas Base is the larger of the two Uruguayan scientific research stations in Antarctica, the other one being Elichiribehety Base. It is one of the 68 bases in Antarctica. Organizati ...

, Carlini Base, Arctowski Station and

Villa Las Estrellas Villa Las Estrellas (; Spanish language, Spanish for ''The Stars Village'' or ''Hamlet of the Stars'') is a permanently inhabited outpost on King George Island (South Shetland Islands), King George Island within the Chilean Antarctica, Antar ...

, forms the only human settlements on King George Island, on Admiralty Bay.

Research base and expeditions

Machu Picchu Base conducts annual scientific expeditions to Antarctica. The base carries out a variety of scientific projects such as research into krill and its potential as an alternative human food source, as well as geological, biological, hydrographic, and geophysical research, under the provisions of the

Antarctic Treaty The Antarctic (, ; commonly ) is the polar region of Earth that surrounds the South Pole, lying within the Antarctic Circle. It is diametrically opposite of the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of A ...

. The base operates radar measuring upper atmospheric winds, and supplying data on the deterioration of the ozone layer. As Antarctica is a continent of valuable strategic, ecological, and economic importance, Peru has an interest in maintaining its status as a non-militarized, nuclear-free zone of peace, and in preserving its environment, which is important to the Peruvian climate. Its frigid waters, the origin of the

Humboldt Current The Humboldt Current, also called the Peru Current, is a cold, low-salinity ocean current that flows north along the western coast of South America.Montecino, Vivian, and Carina B. Lange. "The Humboldt Current System: Ecosystem components and pro ...

, are essential to Peru's marine and coastal ecosystems. BAP Carrasco por babor

Since 1988, maintenance, supply, and transport of personnel for the base have been performed by the Instituto del Mar de Perú's scientific research vessel B.I.C. Humboldt. However, in 2017 the Peruvian government replaced that ship with its new

Polar Class 7 Polar Class (PC) refers to the ice class assigned to a ship by a classification society based on the ''Unified Requirements for Polar Class Ships'' developed by the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS). Seven Polar Class ...

research vessel

BAP Carrasco BAP ''Carrasco'' is an Research vessel, oceanographic research vessel of the Peruvian Navy built in 2016 by Freire Shipyard in Vigo (Spain). Its purpose is to perform oceanographic research cruises both in Mar de Grau, Peruvian waters and in Anta ...

Peruvian claim

In 1976 the

Geographical Society of Lima The Geographical Society of Lima (, SGL) is a scientific institution and List of geographical societies, geographical society based in Lima, Peru, founded in 1888. It has a library of ancient works and publishes works of geographical significance. ...

claimed rights to a sector of Antarctica between the meridians 81°20' W (corresponding to

Punta Pariñas Punta Pariñas, also known as Punta Balcones, is in the La Brea District, Talara Province, Piura Region, Peru. It is the westernmost point in mainland South America, located at . An active lighthouse is located in Punta Pariñas. There is a ...

) and 75°40' W (corresponding to Rinconada South Beach). This initiative led to a declaration by the Peruvian Constitutional Assembly on 3 May 1979: However, the claim is not officially recognized as one of the

Territorial claims in Antarctica Seven sovereign states – Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway, and the United Kingdom – have made eight land claim, territorial claims in Antarctica. These countries have tended to place their Antarctic scientific observat ...

. In 1981 the director of Instituto Peruano de Estudios Antárticos, Luis Vilchez Lara, made a press statement expressing its view that Peru is entitled to an Antarctic sector 600.000 km2 between the meridians 84° and 90° West and to the South Pole. Vilchez Lara based its opinion based on the theory of plural condo of Fauchille, and the application of the principle of

uti possidetis ''Uti possidetis'' is an expression that originated in Roman private law, where it was the name of a procedure about possession of land. Later, by a misleading analogy, it was transferred to international law, where it has had more than one mean ...

. On 10 April 1981, Peru joined the

as a member adherent, with voice and vote in making all decisions related to the southern area. However, in agreeing to the Treaty, Peru reserved its rights to territory and influence over Antarctic climate, ecology and marine biology, in addition to a continuity of geology and historical links. In 1989 when Machu Picchu Base was founded, it acquired the status of advisory member within the Antarctic Treaty. In 1993 the Constituent Assembly extended the declaration of 1979:

Regulatory authorities

The Peruvian government created a National Commission for Antarctic Affairs (CONAAN) in July 1983 as a technical body composed of various agencies. It was charged with: * advising the government on Antarctic matters concerning law, politics, economics, science, and technology. * carrying out the national objective of ensuring a Peruvian presence in Antarctica * monitoring the protection and conservation of its environment. On 20 November 2002 CONAAN was reconstituted as the Peruvian Antarctic Institute (INANPE), a decentralized agency incorporated under domestic law and having scientific, technical, functional, economic, and administrative

autonomy In developmental psychology and moral, political, and bioethical philosophy, autonomy is the capacity to make an informed, uncoerced decision. Autonomous organizations or institutions are independent or self-governing. Autonomy can also be ...

, organized under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.Peruvian Congress Law #27870. It had the same tasks as CONAAN, and on top coordinates all Peruvian activities in the Antarctic.

References

External links

Official website INANPE Instituto Antártico Peruano

COMNAP Antarctic Facilities

COMNAP Antarctic Facilities Map
{{Antarctica Instituto Antártico Peruano