Matienzo Base
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Matienzo Base Base Aérea Teniente Benjamín Matienzo Base Matienzo Estación Matienzo |
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|---|---|
| Antarctic base | |
| Lieutenant Benjamín Matienzo Air Base |
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Matienzo from the air, austral autumn of 2009
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 Matienzo Base
Location within Antarctica
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| Coordinates: 64°58′32″S 60°04′17″W / 64.975659°S 60.071501°WCoordinates: 64°58′32″S 60°04′17″W / 64.975659°S 60.071501°W | |
| Country |
 Argentina
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| Province | Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica, and South Atlantic Islands Province |
| Department | Antártida Argentina |
| Region |
Graham Land Antarctic Peninsula |
| Location |
Larsen Nunatak Foca Nunataks |
| Founded | March 15, 1961 (1960–61 austral summer season) |
| Named for | Benjamín Matienzo |
| Government | |
| • Type | Directorate |
| • Body | Dirección Nacional del Antártico |
| • Operator | Instituto Antártico Argentino |
| Elevation | 25 m (82 ft) |
| Population |
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| Time zone | ART (UTC-3) |
| Type | Seasonal |
| Period | Summer |
| Status | Operational |
| Facilities |
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Matienzo Base (Spanish: Base Aérea Teniente Benjamín Matienzo, or more often Base Matienzo or Estación Matienzo) is an Argentine Antarctic base and scientific research station named after Lieutenant Benjamín Matienzo, an Argentine aviation pioneer. It is located in Larsen Nunatak, one of the Foca Nunataks, in Graham Land, Antarctic Peninsula.
As of 2014[update] Matienzo is one of 13 research bases in Antarctica operated by Argentina. From 1961 to 1985 it served as a permanent base; since then it is open during the summer season only.
Matienzo was founded as Lieutenant Matienzo Joint Base (Spanish: Base Conjunta Teniente Matienzo) on 15 March 1961 as a joint effort between the Argentine Army and the Argentine Air Force. Under the command of then Captain Ignacio Carro, several aircraft and tracked vehicles were employed to transport more than 240 t (240 long tons; 260 short tons) of cargo from Esperanza.
At the end of 1962 Matienzo was the launch site for the first major Air Force operation in the Antarctic. In what was called Operación Sur ("Operation South"), a Douglas C-47 (TA-33) commanded by then Captain Mario Luis Olezza took off from the base trying to reach the South Pole and then land on McMurdo Station. This first attempt failed due to a fire in the airplane's engines. The plan could only materialize in 1965.
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