Fluctuating or unsuitable levels of temperature and humidity can encourage the deterioration of historic and vulnerable materials, so it is important for the museum to have a robust monitoring system in place. Other risks are fire, water, pests, theft, vandalism, neglect, chemical deterioration and light. We are lucky in that cold temperatures represent a low risk to most historic materials and actually increase preservation lifespans of objects.
The museum team do not stay in South Georgia over the cold winter, so the monitors are left in place over extended periods thanks to their long battery life and have enabled the museum environment to be recorded over winter for the first time. Even when the museum site is closed to the public and most staff, it is important that preventive conservation work continues. When we began monitoring continuously, early results have already given us a valuable insight into the challenges of maintaining a museum environment in a sub-Antarctic climate. Over the last two years we have recorded summer highs of +14°C inside the museum, while in winter the data loggers captured a chilling winter low of -5°C.