The staff of the 15th Belarusian Antarctic Expedition carried out the first intercontinental scientific trip to a previously unexplored area of the Antarctic mainland. This was reported to the Presidium of the NAS of Belarus by the head of the 15th Belarusian Antarctic Expedition (15th BAE) Alexey Gaidashov.
«In order to expand the space and area of scientific and practical interests of the Republic of Belarus, as well as to strengthen the presence of our country in Antarctica, in the period from January 18 to 20, 2023, the staff of 15 BAE carried out the first intercontinental scientific trip to a previously unexplored area of the mainland of Antarctica with the DSF mountain range located on it. The composition of the BAE hiking group is 7 people, the composition of the support group at the BAS Vechernaya Mountain is 3 people. The movement of the scientific trip participants was carried out on three transport units with trailer devices (a multifunctional Polar 300 vehicle, a Bobr snowmobile and a LYNX snowmobile) equipped with GPS navigation systems, satellite and VHF communications. The length of the research route was 188 kilometers, the area of testing and scientific research was about 210 square kilometers,» Alexey Gaidashov informed.
According to the head of the 15th Belarusian Antarctic Expedition, in the course of the scientific trip, ground and air reconnaissance of safe routes was carried out, photo and video shooting was made, natural materials were sampled, and the reference points of the GPS track of the research route were electronically recorded. Every two kilometers of the route, the reference points of the route were fixed on the ground with reference markers with the state symbols of the Republic of Belarus.
As Alexey Gaidashov informed the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, «In the course of the trip, the final (planned) point of the route was reached — the DSF mountain range, located in the depths of the continent at the coordinates of the highest point (1,451 m above sea level): E670 59/03// S047020/00//. Upon arrival at the final (planned) point of the route, reconnaissance work and survey control were carried out using instruments and instrument complexes developed in scientific organizations of the NAS of Belarus. A series of measurements of various parameters of the Antarctic environment were carried out, samples and specimens of natural materials were taken.»
According to Alexey Gaidashov, at the end of the planned research program, a group of 15 BAE employees climbed to the highest point of the DSF mountain range (1,451 m above sea level), where the national flag of the Republic of Belarus, the flags of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and the Belarusian Trade Union of Education and Science Workers were raised. A commemorative capsule with the state symbols of the Republic of Belarus, a list of employees of 15 BAE and a brief description of the scientific goals and objectives of our country in Antarctica was also planted.
The first intracontinental scientific trip provided practical experience, allowed creating a kind of foothold in the intracontinental region of Antarctica for access to other inland regions and mountain ranges of the continent in order to further expand the geography of scientific and practical interests of the Republic of Belarus in Antarctica.