Brazilian expedition to Antarctica explores more than 200 years of environmental data

The largest Brazilian expedition to Antarctica, made up of 12 researchers, is already on the frozen continent and will remain there for 40 days. Its objective is to study more than 200 years of environmental data. Information provided by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI).

The expedition began on December 7. The latest report, received on December 20 from its leader Professor Jefferson Simões of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), said: "Beautiful sunny days with average temperatures around -17°C. Even -22°C in the morning. With constant winds of 20-25 kilometres per hour, the temperature seems to be -25°C."

The brazilian researchers were divided into three groups and set up camps in different locations: on the glacier of Pine Island, in the module Cryosphere 1 , and where the module Cryosphere 2 will be installed. The distance between them is almost 700 km. The module Cryosphere-1 is 2,500 km south of the Comandante Ferraz Antarctic Station. The researchers support the work of this Latin American laboratory, located in the southernmost part of the planet.

Professor Simões is on Pine Island and reports that with the sunny weather, the work is ahead of schedule. "Our well is already 90 metres deep, which guarantees more than 200 years of environmental data," he said by email. Analysis of the ice floes provides insight into Earth's climate history.

Cryosphere 2

One of the expedition's objectives is to install the module Cryosphere 2, a fully automated laboratory that will improve the collection of environmental data, including meteorological information and information about the chemical composition of the atmosphere. The module was built using Brazilian technology to collect year-round data on climate and carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations.

Cryosphere 2 will be installed by Professor Francisco Aquino's team. All team members are already on the Antarctic continent. The module was flown from Punta Arenas, in the extreme south of Chile, 10 days ago in an Ilyushin Il-76TD cargo aircraft, a model capable of landing on the ice inside Antarctica.

Over the next few days, a polar tractor will travel about 180 km between the ice track, which is located on the Union glacier in the Ellsworth Mountains, and the installation site of the module. The four researchers - three from UFRGS and one from Chile - should reach a position at 79.5 degrees South and 78 degrees West.

In the expedition are participating professors from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, the Federal University of Pará and the State University of Rio de Janeiro. This activity is part of the Brazilian Antarctic Programme and the 41st Operantar, coordinated by the Interministerial Secretariat for Marine Resources, as reported by Toda Palavra, a partner of TV BRICS.