To the Polish Antarctic station AB Dobrowolski set off on Wednesday, an expedition organized by the Institute of Geophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences. The last Polish expedition there was in 1979, so scientists don’t know what they’ll find there – perhaps sleeping in tents.

Poland has two Antarctic stations: they have been operating continuously since 1977, named after H. Arctowski, located on King George Island in the Southern Shetland archipelago, and Anthony Dobrolski in the Bunger oasis (East Antarctica).

About the fact that on Wednesday a special expedition, organized by the Institute of Geophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, goes to the Polish Antarctic Station. AB Dobrowolski was reported on Wednesday on the PAN website.

The station consists of, among other things, two log cabins. Scientists assure that getting to it is not easy, because it is located indoors.

“We do not know the condition of these houses. We have tents with us. Depending on the situation, we will sleep in houses or in tents” – the leader of the expedition, Prof. Marek Lewandowski of the Institute of Geophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences. These buildings were last used 42 years ago. The scientist added that the new voyage will take 7.5 weeks, and the cruise to the destination – about two months. “We have about 15,000 km to do,” – explained the professor. Lewandowski. Scientists will cover the final episode with a helicopter.

The Poles will arrive in Antarctica with the 67th Russian Antarctic Expedition aboard the Akademik Fedoro, organized by the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute in Saint Petersburg. On Wednesday, the scientists will leave the beach from the German city of Bremerhaven.

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The fourth geophysical trip to the station includes Prof. Marek Lewandowski (Expedition Leader, Geophysicist), A. Doctor Hebb. NS. Monika A. Kociak (geologist) and Dr. Adam Nauru (geomorphologist) of the Institute of Geophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences and Professor. Wojciech Miloch, an ionospheric physicist at the University of Oslo.

The task of the researchers will be, among other things, to leave the geophysical stations throughout the year (seismic and magnetic), which will allow to study the deep structures of the Earth and the process of generating the Earth’s magnetic field. Researchers will also conduct geological and chemical studies as well as observe geomorphological, hydrological and glacial processes that reflect changes in polar systems. The ionosphere will also be examined, which will help predict space weather affecting climate change. The purpose of this expedition is also to determine the current state of the station’s infrastructure and research potential.

According to information on the academy’s website, Anthony B. Dobroolsky, built in 1957 by the USSR, is the only research center located in Antarctica.

“Since 1958 it has belonged to Poland, and in 1959 it was taken over by the Polish Academy of Sciences and named after Anthony Boleslaw Dobrolski. (…) The last Polish geophysical expedition to the station took place in the 1978/1979 season. Returning to the base and revitalizing it gives Poland a chance New and unique for the development of research techniques and modern technologies ”- we read on the PAN website. In 2001, the Polish Academy of Sciences handed over the management of the Dobrolsky Institute of Geophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences.

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Information provided by the Polish Academy of Sciences shows that in 2019, IGF PAN received funds for station revitalization from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (PAP).

Author: Szymon Zdziebijowski

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