A postcard from the Antarctica base station !
The Mendel Polar Station is the Czech research station in the Antarctica owned by the Masaryk University. It was built in the northern part of the John Ross Island. This island (with the area of approx. 2 500 km²) is situated from 80% under a covering iceberg, only its northern part (Ulu Peninsula) is not covered by the iceberg.
In 2004, a small group of scientists and technicians realised preparation works on the James Ross Island - a precise geometric survey was performed and the terrain was prepared for placement of the foundations of the main building of the station and technical containers. The transport of the construction material and technological units from Europe to the Chilean Punto Arenas was initiated in the end of 2004 and it was realized by the company CZECHOSLOVAK OCEAN SHIPPING s.r.o., and from there everything was transported by the Chilean military icebreaker Almirante Viel to the John Ross Island in 2005. The construction works were initiated immediately after the disembarking activities were finished.
The station is situated 100 m from the sea and it consists of the main building intended for boarding and accommodation of 15-20 researchers (and also serves for relaxation, laboratory activities etc.) and of nine technical containers in the vicinity of the building, which contain storehouses, garages and the power supply generator. Currently, the station is used especially by scientists from the Masaryk University of Brno in summer months, but it is open to various external projects as well.
Base Esperanza
Esperanza base ("Hope Base") is a permanent, all year-round Argentine research station in Hope Bay, Trinity Peninsula (Graham Land, Antarctic Peninsula). It is one of only two civilian settlements in Antarctica (the other being the Chilean Villa Las Estrellas). The Base's motto is "Permanencia, un acto de sacrificio" ("Permanence, an act of sacrifice").
Built in 1953, the base houses 55 inhabitants in winter, including 10 families and 2 school teachers. Provincial school #38 Presidente Raúl Ricardo Alfonsín (formerly named Julio Argentino Roca) was founded in 1978 and acquired independent status in 1997. It maintains the furthest South Scout troop. The base has an Argentine civil registry office where births and weddings are recorded. The base has tourist facilities that are visited by about 1,100 tourists each year.
Built in 1953, the base houses 55 inhabitants in winter, including 10 families and 2 school teachers. Provincial school #38 Presidente Raúl Ricardo Alfonsín (formerly named Julio Argentino Roca) was founded in 1978 and acquired independent status in 1997. It maintains the furthest South Scout troop. The base has an Argentine civil registry office where births and weddings are recorded. The base has tourist facilities that are visited by about 1,100 tourists each year.
The base has some measure of fame because it is the birthplace of Emilio Marcos Palma, the first person to be born in Antarctica. There have been at least ten other children born at the base.
35th China Antarctica Expedition ( 2019)
China plans to build the country's first permanent airport in the South Pole which will provide logistical support to scientists and enhance airspace management in the resource-rich Antarctic.
The 35th China's Antarctic expedition’s major task is to build the airport, which is expected to be located along the ice sheet, 28 kms from the China-built Zhongshan station in Antarctic. China is joining the US, Russia, Britain, Australia and New Zealand among others in having airfields in the Antarctic, which is rich in natural resources such as silver, gold, platinum and coal.
Chinese scientists built a 4-kilometer-long, 50-meter-wide runway for fixed-wing aircraft in 2009 during the 25th expedition in the Antarctic. The existing runway near the Taishan station is only fit for light aircraft equipped with sleds, which have limited transport capabilities.
The 35th China's Antarctic expedition’s major task is to build the airport, which is expected to be located along the ice sheet, 28 kms from the China-built Zhongshan station in Antarctic. China is joining the US, Russia, Britain, Australia and New Zealand among others in having airfields in the Antarctic, which is rich in natural resources such as silver, gold, platinum and coal.
Chinese scientists built a 4-kilometer-long, 50-meter-wide runway for fixed-wing aircraft in 2009 during the 25th expedition in the Antarctic. The existing runway near the Taishan station is only fit for light aircraft equipped with sleds, which have limited transport capabilities.
As global warming melts sea ice across the far north, the region is becoming a development hot spot, with major powers like Russia and China seeking control of resources and transport routes.
The postcard has been sent via the Chilean Post !
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