Flag of Buryatia was raised in Antarctica
03/10/2010
An exclusive report from the expedition Zorigt Namsaraev about people, microbes
"What am I doing here?" - For some reason this question comes mostly at the end of a long route. Backpack full of samples, the wind in his face, but the station still go on and on. The answer is simple - it's my job
I am a scientist, a microbiologist. He studied at the Baku State University, then enrolled in a graduate of the Institute of Microbiology. SN Winogradsky Academy of Sciences in Moscow, there Ph.D.. Topic of my research - the microorganisms living in extreme environments: the Arctic glaciers, hot springs, hypersaline lakes of the steppe, etc. When I got an internship at the Center for Protein Engineering of the University of Liege (Belgium), I was invited to participate in an expedition to the newly constructed Belgian research station in Antarctica. Problems we are facing a few. First, explore the surroundings Belgian station and find out what germs are and how they are able to survive in the Antarctic mountains. Second, determine how varied the thickness of the ice sheet in this region over the past several thousand years, and how it is related to global climate change. For eighteen months we have time to search for in the special plan about a couple hundred pounds of samples and bring it to Europe, where a group of scientists will study them for several years. Despite the fact that the expedition is Belgian, its international composition. Except for me, in the Belgian, the English and Czech. The team selected a good, all the major participants in the expedition experience. The Englishman - of the British Antarctic Survey, Belgian and Czech had worked in Antarctica, in addition, a Czech, I was familiar with to work on the island of Spitsbergen in the Arctic.
Flight cancellation does not happen
Passenger to reach Antarctica seems to be easy. 11-hour flight from Frankfurt to Cape Town (South Africa), followed by 6 hours of IL-76 from Cape Town to Antarctica on a couple of hours to screw Basler DC-3. Company ALCI, the operator of Antarctic transportation, has a great experience. The crew of IL-76 are the best test pilots in Russia, and at the helm of Hero of Russia Ruben Yesayan. However, flights to Antarctica is still very complicated. No such thing as a "flight cancellation due to icing of the runway," it is simply there, the band is made up of ice. Add to that a strong crosswind, the formation of cracks in the band and the sharp changes in visibility and wind power.
In January, in the Southern Hemisphere mid-summer. After a snowy European Town stun the heat and sun. In Antarctica, the sun is no less than in Africa. Snow reflects about 80 percent of incident light, and without protective eyewear can get a burn of the retina. Then we put a reflex points every time he went out, and the natural blue-white color of Antarctica will be unfamiliar even to the eye. A few days later, when all is well obgorite (sunscreen helps, but not enough), you can easily tell who enjoys what points: very characteristic white patches around the eyes. If the glasses are large, such as skiing, it turns even funnier - the top of the face pale, dark bottom.
UFO
Antarctica - is the only continent where there are no states. In the first half of the twentieth century, many countries have announced territorial claims to vast areas of Antarctica. For example, in Queen Maud Land (the so-called that part of the Antarctic, where we have to work) claimed Norway. The number of minerals in Antarctica is difficult to estimate, but even conservative estimates, it is very large, and the oil reserves on the Antarctic shelf are becoming more expensive. In the late 50s the world, even on the verge of Antarctic territorial conflict. Fortunately, in 1959 was awarded the international Antarctic Treaty, which declared this continent a demilitarized zone, effectively leaving it as a great research laboratory. How long will this condition is unknown: the need for resources grows every year.
Belgian station "Princess Elisabeth" was built as recently as 2009. It is believed that this station will be the first Antarctic station, using only renewable energy sources: wind turbines and solar panels. The station building looks more like a UFO than a house. Aerodynamically a calculated shiny disc, standing on pillars.
In contrast to all other stations in Antarctica, "The Princess" is built on private money and is owned by non-governmental organization "International Polar Foundation." Founder and head of the station - known Belgian traveler Alain Hubert. For example, he holds the world record for the stand-alone crossing of Antarctica on skis -
So far, the station is not working as planned. Inside the building, no one lives, but you can work at your computer, go to the shower, a phone call to Ulan-Ude, or shelter from a snowstorm.
Safety comes first
Staff live in the old base, in tents. Fortunately, the temperature in January is not very low, from 0 to -12 degrees, far above the 30-50-degree frost Transbaikal, so the tents are comfortable. Around the camp stretched rope. They are very helpful during a blizzard when visibility drops to a few meters. Without them there is great risk to get lost, break out of strength and freeze a few dozen meters from the station.
Safety in Antarctica should be given special attention. If you happen to something serious, then the nearest hospital is 4.5 thousand kilometers, in Cape Town, and there should be more accessible. The main danger - the wind. It can very quickly rise from complete calm to stormy speed. When traveling across the ice on snowmobiles must take into account the presence of cracks. They can be hidden under the snow, but it's easy to sink under the weight of a snowmobile or humans. Another very dangerous snow cornices, when pressed snow can hang over the precipice and suddenly collapse under a person. Therefore expedition team are training on safety and work required, accompanied by a mountain guide - a professional climber instructor. In Antarctica, even an ordinary drinking water can be dangerous. It is obtained by melting snow, and so she turns the ultra. A couple of weeks a person can disrupt the balance of salt and start headaches and other troubles. To avoid this, we regularly add a set of salts in drinking water.
The two flags - a republic and "Inform Policy"
In front of the station installed small flags of the countries whose representatives work at the station. There is a Russian flag. When I showed Alan Hubert Flag of Buryatia, handed to me a representative office in Moscow, he liked it. According to him, this is one of the most beautiful flag, which he saw. The size of the flag was too big for installation in Antarctica, the wind can break it for a few weeks. Instead, according to tradition, the Antarctic, Alan stamped station and a personal signature on the flag and the flag of Buryatia "Inform Policy". In the second part of the expedition of a similar stamp and signature will put even the heads of the Russian base "Novolazarevskaya" and the Indian base Maitri. But Hudack, which I gave to each of the Ulan-Ude, we hung on the mast with a flag station. In addition to the flag station on it hangs about 100 flags hy morin, Alan brought from Tibet. Under one of the stones, he showed me the candy and cookies, laid them as an offering to the custodians of the area, according to Tibetan custom.
Find Life
In the meantime, we continue the basic work for which arrived at the station. To an untrained person the mountainous part of Antarctica is a lifeless desert. Only three colors in the palette: blue sky, dazzling white snow and black rock. Sometimes it can be seen in the sky or a skua gull. However, in view of a microbiologist, Antarctica is full of life. Split the stone, you can see in it a layer of green algae, hiding it from drying. Orange means the crack in the rock lichens. Black spot on the gravel - dried crust of cyanobacteria, waiting in the wings to stay.
Even under the surface of ice can be found living. If the surface of the ice gets a stone or sand, the sun will warm dark sand and begin to slowly proplavlyat ice. Formed recess in which there is little liquid water with a temperature of from 0 to 0.3 degrees Celsius. On top of the water immediately freezes, but the light will penetrate through the ice and the water will remain liquid. Where there is water there, and microscopic life. To reach it, it is necessary to drill from half a meter to a meter of ice. In general, drilling ice - is the most popular activity among scientists in Antarctica.
Furthest advanced Russian scientists who discovered at a depth of about
After months of work at the Belgian station we are moving to the Russian station "Novolazarevskaya." This is the closest neighbor to the west, until it is "only" about
"Novolazarevskaya" is closer to the beach, on a narrow strip of ice-free Schirmacher Oasis, and differs from the "Princess," both in appearance and in spirit. The station operates throughout the year, including the polar winter, and closes at the end of the summer season. Station staff, on average older and more experienced. The relationship between employees may be called emphatically valid, but here they are perceived quite naturally. Especially when you realize that they need to be able to live in a closed team all year. By the way, at this station in 1961, a Soviet physician Leonid Rogozov performed a surgery to remove the appendicitis. Emergency evacuation was impossible, and the second doctor was not at the station. About this event Vladimir Vysotsky wrote the song: "While you're in the bath with tiled wash, soak, bask in the cold ... to himself with a scalpel, he cuts an appendix."
About people
Here the conditions are tough and difficult people. Vladimir Baranov, the owner of the guesthouse and the southernmost in the world of Russian banya (nominated for the Guinness World Records), is a famous polar explorer, Ph.D., and an expert on the physics of ice formation. Vladimir Kiryanov, head of the runway to "Novolazarevskaya," wrote the best book about Antarctica, which I have ever read. Victor Venderovich modestly admits that it is only his 11th wintering in Antarctica. At the same time one of the wintering grounds he spent at the station "Vostok", which registered the lowest temperature of -89 degrees on the Earth. At this temperature, diesel fuel into a doughy mass. Even in summer the average temperature is about -30 degrees.
Even worse anoxia, the oxygen content in air is equivalent to an altitude of five thousand meters.
Fortunately, we did not have to experience yourself as extreme conditions. We worked in the heat of summer in a fairly temperate region of Antarctica. Conditions could even call it comfortable, and staff stations helped us in every way they could. We have performed about 90 percent of the program and returned home safe and sound. Perhaps this is the most important thing.
In conclusion, I would like to thank the staff station Princess Elisabeth, «Novolazarevskaya», Maitr, Belgian Federal Science Policy Office, the company ALCI and head of the Russian Antarctic Expedition Valery Lukin for his help in organizing the expedition and wish them a successful season and wintering grounds.
Source: http://www.infpol.ru
