Press releases
Belarusian Antarctic Expedition kicks off with ceremonial start in Minsk
MINSK, 19 October (BelTA) - The 13th Belarusian Antarctic Expedition was given a ceremonial start at the National Academy of Sciences, BelTA learned from the press service of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (NASB).
"This year the expedition to the ice continent will include 10 members. Of these, five have already visited Antarctica, the rest are newcomers. The members of the expedition will continue the construction of the Belarusian Antarctic Station Mount Vechernyaya and the scientific research in accordance with the Belarusian Antarctic program," the NASB said.
The 2020/2021 expedition comprises researchers of the the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Belarusian State University and other organizations of the country. Among the participants are the expedition chief Aleksei Gaydashov, the head of the seasonal field base Vladimir Nesterovich, mechanical engineer Pavel Rostov, biologist-environmentalist Yegor Korzun, caterer Sergei Luty, leading expert in atmospheric physics Vladislav Bazylevich, surgeon- anesthesiologist Leonid Nikityuk, electrician Sergei Zubritsky, geophysicist Pavel Shablyko and software specialist Nikolai Zinkevich.
On 20 October, the members of the 13th Belarusian Antarctic Expedition will travel to St. Petersburg. Expeditionary cargoes will also be sent there. The Belarusian polar explorers will travel to Antarctica from St. Petersburg on board a Russian vessel. Research and work on the deployment of the outpatient surgical module will be carried out from December to mid-February, i.e. 2.5 months. The return is scheduled for the first half of March.
The main goal of the current expedition is to get new knowledge, First Deputy Chairman of the NASB Presidium Sergei Chizhik said during the official launch event. According to him, the results of the Belarusian scientists' work have been recognized in the world Antarctic community. For example, the latest developments include a basic hardware complex for an experimental complex remote ground and satellite system of atmosphere and snow surface monitoring. It is unique for Antarctica and has been used in national and international projects. A radiometric system has been deployed in the vicinity of Mount Vechernyaya, in cooperation with the University of Lille. It is used for regular observations and is part of the global radiometric network AERONET. For the first time a database on taxonomic composition of flora and fauna of marine, fresh water and terrestrial ecosystems has been developed for the eastern sector of the Antarctic.
“New types of invertebrates have been discovered. For the first time their commercial reserves have been found in the area of the shallow sea shelf of the Cosmonauts (where the Belarusian station is based). These are, in particular, sea urchins, whose density reaches 60 specimens per square meter. A reference collection of mosses and lichens stored in the herbarium of the V.F. Kuprevich Institute of Experimental Botany of the National Academy of Sciences has been compiled. This collection is a scientific object that constitutes the national treasure of Belarus. High prospects of the station area have been established for minerals (iron, non-ferrous and noble metals, etc.), including hydrocarbons in the coastal part of the seabed,” Sergei Chizhik said.
The backbone of the Belarusian Antarctic Station was built during the previous expeditions. Specialized modular facilities developed in Belarus were put into operation. The first stage of the station will be ready to receive year-round scientific expeditions by 2021-2022. “Commissioning of the station, which provides seasonal and year-round scientific research and monitoring of the natural environment of the Antarctic, is an important legal factor that determines the presence of our state in the Antarctic,” the press service said.
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