PAS expedition to the A.B. Dobrowolski Antarctic Station
PAS Institute of Geophysics have sent a special expedition to the A.B Dobrowolski Antarctic Station. It is the oldest Polish station in Antarctica, unused since 1987. The Polish researchers will analyze, among others, deeper structures of the Earth as well as the process of generating the Earth's magnetic field.
Participants of the expedition. Photo by W. Sielski
Antoni B. Dobrowolski Antarctic Station is the only research center located in continental Antarctica. It was established in 1957 by the Soviet Antarctic Expedition, and in 1958 handed over to Poland. In 1959 the facility was taken over by the Polish Academy of Sciences and named after famous Polish geophysicist and polar explorer Antoni Bolesław Dobrowolski. The station is located at the edge of the Algae Lake, Bunger Hills region in the Wilkes Land (East Antarctica), approximately 130 km south of the edge of the Shackleton Glacier Shelf. The last Polish geophysical expedition to this station took place in the 1978/1979 season. The revitalization of the facility and the resumption of research gives Poland a unique opportunity to develop modern research techniques and technologies.
Expedition to Antarctic
The 4th Geophysical Expedition to the station includes Prof. Marek Lewandowski (leader of the expedition, geophysicist), Prof. Monika A. Kusiak (geologist) and Dr. Adam Nawrot (geomorphologist) from the PAS Institute of Geophysics and Prof. Wojciech Miloch (ionospheric physicist) from the University of Oslo. The revitalization of the station will take place on the initiative of Prof. Marek Lewandowski, head of the Department of Polar and Marine Research at the PAS Institute of Geophysics. In 2019, the institute received funding for this purpose from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. Polish scientists will reach Antarctica on board of "Akademik Fedorov" ship with the 67th Russian Antarctic Expedition organized by the Institute of Arctic and Antarctic Research in St. Petersburg.
Research potential
On site, the participants of the expedition will spend some time assessing the current state of the station’s infrastructure and preparing it for deeper renovation and future research. Bunger Oasis is a unique place on Earth, often treated as a Martian analog, and one of the most attractive areas for research in Antarctica. This is due to its climatic and geomorphological specificity: the proximity of the magnetic south pole, unpolluted natural environment, access to the ice-free geological surface of the continent and its unknown origins. This allows the testing of automatic measuring equipment and telecommunications techniques.
The last crew of the Dobrowolski station, 1978. Photo by M. Tałałas
The aim of the expedition is to put up year-round autonomic (in terms of power supply) and automatic geophysical stations (seismic, magnetic), which will allow us to conduct studies on the Earth’s core. The scientists participating in the expedition will also carry out geological and geochemical research as well as monitoring of geomorphological, hydrological and glaciological processes showing changes in polar systems. The ionosphere will also be examined, which will help forecast space weather affecting climate change.
https://dobrowolski.igf.edu.pl/
Packing equipment for polar expedition. Photo by K. Otto
Archive photo from the station. Photo by Z. Battke
Buildings of the A.B. Dobrowolski Antarctic Station, 1979. Photo by A. Pachuta
Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station
At the other end of Antarctic, on King George Island – the largest island in the South Shetland archipelago – the PAS Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics runs polar research in the Henryk Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station. For over 40 years, inn this year-round facility, research has been carried out in the fields of biology, ecology, oceanography, geology, geomorphology, glaciology, meteorology, seismology.
More information about the Arctowski Station available on its website: http://arctowski.aq/pl/o-stacji/
Source of information: PAS Institute of Geophysics
