In Antarctica, the annual crew changeover at the Akademik Vernadskyi Station has ended. The 30th Ukrainian Antarctic Expedition (UAE) led by Oleksandr Poludnyi is heading home, and the 31st is starting its work.
This was reported by the National Antarctic Science Center.
The Noosphere vessel will deliver the 30th UAE polar explorers to the port of Punta Arenas in Chile, from there to Poland, and then to Ukraine.
The 31st expedition to the Akademik Vernadskyi Station is led by meteorologist Anzhelika Hanchuk. This is the first time a year-long Ukrainian expedition to Antarctica has been led by a woman.
What did the previous 30th expedition do?
The 30th expedition worked in three main areas: geophysics, meteorology, and biology, and also supported the operation of the station.
In particular, it monitored the level of ozone in the atmosphere (these studies have been ongoing at the station since 1957) and last year recorded that the ozone hole over Antarctica began to shrink. It closed not only earlier than expected, but also at the earliest since 2019.
Another measurement by the expedition confirmed the alarming warming in Antarctica. Last year, the temperature of the sea water in the area of the station never dropped below the freezing point, and no stable ice cover formed around the island.
In addition, the 30th expedition actively participated in international cooperation: in particular, participants of the First Mexican Antarctic Expedition worked together with Ukrainian scientists at Vernadskyi.
Also, polar explorers of the 30th expedition welcomed almost 2 000 tourists to the station and held 130 online meetings for schoolchildren.
Author: Veronika Dovhanyuk
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