Autonomous station for meteo-oceanographic data acquisition in Antarctica: prototype development and results from the first operative phase

In the beginning of the nineties the Italian National Antarctic Research Program has promoted a study aimed at the definition of an advanced automatic station able to operate with one year autonomy in Antarctic waters, allowing continuous collection of meteo-oceanographic data. The main results of the study were the demonstration of the feasibility of a concept based on a moored ice-resistent buoy able to allocate various instrumented modules, the definition of mission requirement and relevant sensing and electronic equipment, the identification of the most significant installation sites. In order to verify the concept in real operative conditions, a prototype of the station has been developed and installed in Antarctica during the 1993-94 Italian Expedition. The site chosen is located in Terra Nova Bay (Ross Sea) approximately 30 km south of the Italian Base, in about 450 meters water depth, and is characterized by the presence of a polynya. Once this first operative phase is completed, the station capabilities will be extended with the adoption of meteo-oceanographic sensors and other scientific packages. In the paper a description of the prototype station is given, and the results of the experimentation and data acquisition are presented and discussed