This edition of the Antarctic research campaign marks 35 years of uninterrupted scientific research projects on the frozen continent.
More than 26 Spanish scientific projects and other international collaboration activities are planned for this campaign, which is one of the most ambitious campaigns in recent years, involving some 300 participants, including scientific and technical personnel, staff and crew, and encompassing diverse areas of research such as glacier dynamics, geomorphology, seismology, volcanology, rock biometeorology, geodesy, aerosols and penguin ecology.
Specifically, a marine geophysics project will be carried out on board the Oceanographic Vessel BO Sarmiento de Gamboa, while the Oceanographic Research Vessel BIO Hespérides, which will join the campaign on 18 January, will undertake one project on marine geology and another on atmospheric chemical pollutants. The bases and research vessels will be supported by the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) for weather forecasting and the National Geographic Institute for volcanic monitoring.
The 26 planned projects include four historical research series in Antarctica that have been collecting data at the bases for more than 25 years and provide data to international networks, for example, on frozen soils and seismic activity.
The Spanish bases will also provide logistical support for the implementation of some ten international projects involving countries such as Canada, Italy, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Colombia and Bulgaria. Two of the Spanish projects will also be carried out at the Artigas base (Uruguay) and the King Sejong Station (South Korea).
