BELARE 2009-2010: The New Season has just begun
After the briefing of Friday October 16th in the headquarters of the IPF, we can now confirm that the new season for the Princess Elisabeth Station has started! 44 people will take part in this season, staying between 1 and 5 months on the spot. The objective for this year is to finalize the tests of all the technical systems of the station. Moreover, a new satellite antenna will be installed next to the station.
The first team will be leaving on November 1st, 2009. In total, six teams will be relayed throughout the season: electromechanicians, cable installers, carpenters, and engineers from Laborelec, Consolar and Menerga, as well as technical assistants, doctors and members of the intendance, will all take part in this new adventure.
7 scientists from Belgian universities will also be working on the site this year, alongside a team of Japanese researchers. Steven Goderis, a researcher from the VUB and the University of Ghent (UGent) will work with them on the "Meteoritics and Planetary Science" project for which they will be collecting meteorites. Besides conducting a geological survey to clarify the East-West Gondwana collision and dispersion, they will try to recover the Cenozoic glacial history and global environmental changes through a geomorphological survey. The Japanese team will also conduct geological and geomorphological studies.
The ice-breaker "Mary Arctica" will set off from Bremerhaven in Germany and should arrive in Antarctica by December 22nd. It will contain 15 containers transporting between 90 to 100 tons of material. The remaining material is to be flown over to Antarctica.
In order for all the participants to be well-prepared for the dangers of Antarctica, the Belgian Ministry of Defense, a partner in this project, will organize a special training for all members of the team from October 27th to 29th.
Picture: Princess Elisabth Antarctica - © International Polar Foundation