The conflict over the management of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica research station in East Antarctica between the International Polar Foundation and the Belgian State has attracted much attention in the national press over the past few months, and has even received some attention in the international press.
The Foundation has been vigorously defending its interests in the Belgian courts in this affair, which dates back to 2010, when the the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica was ceded to the Belgian State.
The situation came to a head in 2015, when a falling out with the new Belgian Secretary of State led to legal action in the Belgian law courts. The Foundation initially experienced a setback on October 21st 2015, when the Brussels Court of First Instance refused to rule on the legality of the eviction of the International Polar Foundation and its president Alain Hubert as operators of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica, instead preventing the Foundation from going to the station in Antarctica.
In a ruling handed down on the 17th of December 2015, effectively overturning the decision of the lower courts, the Court of Appeal of Brussels maintained that it was illegal for the Belgian State to end its partnership with the International Polar Foundation with regard to the management of the Antarctic research station.
The Court of Appeal of Brussels also stated that the eviction of the International Polar Foundation from the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica in October was not legally justified, and that it was a violation of the initial accords between the State and the Foundation dating from 2007, and culminating in 2010 with the Protocol of Partnership by which the International Polar Foundation donated the research station to the Belgian State.
Background
The International Polar Foundation and its private partners designed and built the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica. Located in the Dronning Maud Land region of East Antarctica. It is the first polar research station designed to run entirely on renewable energy sources (wind and solar power). Since the 2008-09 Antarctic season, the station has provided a unique research platform for scientists interested in conducting research in the Dronning Maud Land. Due to its environmentally friendly and energy-efficient design, the station also reduces the cost and the environmental impact of conducting research in Antarctica.
Construction of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica was completed in February 2009, and a year later in March 2010 the International Polar Foundation donated the station to the Belgian State, under certain conditions. Among these was the express condition that a public-private partnership (Belgian Polar Secretariat) be set up to manage the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica, and that the International Polar Foundation be appointed as operator for the station, and the logistics furnished in support of research activity.
Unfortunately, since the donation of the PEA Station to the Belgian State, there has been a simmering conflict between the International Polar Foundation and the Belgian public administration over the management of operations. This has resulted in the current legal imbroglio, which has had a negative impact not only on the Foundation and its activities, but more generally on research activities at the Station.
Several scientific expeditions planned in the vicinity of the PEA for the 2015-16 season were regrettably cancelled awaiting the outcome of litigation. As the International Polar Foundation was intimately involved in the planning of these expeditions and assuring the logistics and security of field operations, the research groups preferred to wait until the next season.
Breakthrough
The December 17th ruling from the Court of Appeal of Brussels also invites the Belgian State and the International Polar Foundation to negotiate a new partnership agreement for managing the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica within the framework of the initial agreements of 2007.
Talks between the parties began on January 8th 2016.
The Court of Appeal also recognizes that the equipment at the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica, which the Polar Foundation purchased and acquired after March 30th 2010, does not de facto belong to the Belgian Federal State. The Court requires the IPF and the Belgian State to participate in establishing an inventory of all materials and equipment currently at the station in Antarctica.
Finally, the ruling authorizes the International Polar Foundation, as co-owner of Princess Elisabeth Antarctica, to go to the station for the purpose of carrying out its usual activities, including some of the research activities which have been postponed as from the 23rd of February, unless there is an greement with the State which allows the IPF to go sooner.
The International Polar Foundation is confident that re-establishing working relations with the Belgian State will be of benefit to both parties.
With the conflict over the management of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica research station in East Antarctica between the International Polar Foundation and the Belgian State has attracted much attention in the national press over the past few months, and has even received some attention in the international press.
The Foundation has been vigorously defending its interests in the Belgian courts in this affair, which dates back to 2010, when the the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica was ceded to the Belgian State.
The situation came to a head in 2015, when a falling out with the new Belgian Secretary of State led to legal action in the Belgian law courts. The Foundation initially experienced a setback on October 21st 2015, when the Brussels Court of First Instance refused to rule on the legality of the eviction of the International Polar Foundation and its president Alain Hubert as operators of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica, instead preventing the Foundation from going to the station in Antarctica.
In a ruling handed down on the 17th of December 2015, effectively overturning the decision of the lower courts, the Court of Appeal of Brussels maintained that it was illegal for the Belgian State to end its partnership with the International Polar Foundation with regard to the management of the Antarctic research station.
The Court of Appeal of Brussels also stated that the eviction of the International Polar Foundation from the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica in October was not legally justified, and that it was a violation of the initial accords between the State and the Foundation dating from 2007, and culminating in 2010 with the Protocol of Partnership by which the International Polar Foundation donated the research station to the Belgian State.
Background
The International Polar Foundation and its private partners designed and built the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica. Located in the Dronning Maud Land region of East Antarctica. It is the first polar research station designed to run entirely on renewable energy sources (wind and solar power). Since the 2008-09 Antarctic season, the station has provided a unique research platform for scientists interested in conducting research in the Dronning Maud Land. Due to its environmentally friendly and energy-efficient design, the station also reduces the cost and the environmental impact of conducting research in Antarctica.
Construction of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica was completed in February 2009, and a year later in March 2010 the International Polar Foundation donated the station to the Belgian State, under certain conditions. Among these was the express condition that a public-private partnership (Belgian Polar Secretariat) be set up to manage the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica, and that the International Polar Foundation be appointed as operator for the station, and the logistics furnished in support of research activity.
Unfortunately, since the donation of the PEA Station to the Belgian State, there has been a simmering conflict between the International Polar Foundation and the Belgian public administration over the management of operations. This has resulted in the current legal imbroglio, which has had a negative impact not only on the Foundation and its activities, but more generally on research activities at the Station.
Several scientific expeditions planned in the vicinity of the PEA for the 2015-16 season were regrettably cancelled awaiting the outcome of litigation. As the International Polar Foundation was intimately involved in the planning of these expeditions and assuring the logistics and security of field operations, the research groups preferred to wait until the next season.
Breakthrough
The December 17th ruling from the Court of Appeal of Brussels also invites the Belgian State and the International Polar Foundation to negotiate a new partnership agreement for managing the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica within the framework of the initial agreements of 2007.
Talks between the parties began on January 8th 2016.
The Court of Appeal also recognizes that the equipment at the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica, which the Polar Foundation purchased and acquired after March 30th 2010, does not de facto belong to the Belgian Federal State. The Court requires the IPF and the Belgian State to participate in establishing an inventory of all materials and equipment currently at the station in Antarctica.
Finally, the ruling authorizes the International Polar Foundation, as co-owner of Princess Elisabeth Antarctica, to go to the station for the purpose of carrying out its usual activities, including some of the research activities which have been postponed as from the 23rd of February, unless there is an greement with the State which allows the IPF to go sooner.
The International Polar Foundation is confident that re-establishing working relations with the Belgian State will be of benefit to both parties.
Arctic stakeholders gathered in Brussels on Tuesday 17 November and Wednesday 18 November as the International Polar Foundation and a large family of partners held the sixth annual Arctic Futures Symposium at the Residence Palace in Brussels.
With a focus on sustainable development of the Arctic, and in particular on what’s happening at the local and regional levels, the symposium welcomed a distinguished group of speakers from a wide variety of backgrounds to examine the way forward for Arctic development.
As the EU is currently working on its new Arctic strategy due to be released at the beginning of 2016, the symposium was considered “timely” according to representatives from the European Union.
Lots to discuss
After a warm welcome from the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the UK branch of the International Polar Foundation, Sir Andrew Burns, the symposium began with a keynote speech from Jyrki Katainen, European Commission Vice-President for Jobs, Growth, Investment, and Competitiveness. This was followed by a video greeting from US Special Representative for the Arctic, Admiral Robert J Papp Jr., who outlined the priorities of the US Chairmanship of the Arctic Council.
From there, the symposium launched into discussions on topics such as the role of the business community in local Arctic development, blue growth and maritime transport, innovation in industry, environmental security, aspects of the Arctic bio-economy, and IT solutions in the Arctic. The symposium also included a panel discussion on the role of Arctic Council Observers before moving to the Norway House on the afternoon of the 18th for a panel discussion with Senior Arctic Officials and Arctic Economic Council Chairwoman Tara Sweeney. The conference finished with a talk about forthcoming research from the Arctic Council's Arctic Marine Assessment Programme (AMAP), and a presentation about the upcoming Arctic Frontiers conference in Tromsø, Norway in January 2016.
Key messages
One of the key takeaways from the symposium, as highlighted a number of times by Norwegian Senior Arctic Official Else Berit Eikeland, is that there are “many different Arctics” - meaning that a “one size fits all” approach to development and governance in the region is not a feasible solution. Best practices can and should be shared between different regions of the Arctic, yet solutions should be tailored to local conditions and needs.
Arctic Economic Council Chairwoman and Arctic Slope Regional Corporation Vice-President for External Affairs Tara Sweeney called on policymakers, NGOs, businesses, and other parties interested in the Arctic region to “do no harm” to the people of the Arctic in their decision-making and activities. Ms. Sweeney argued that while Northerners appreciate the extra attention being given to their region, they prefer to be able to make the decisions that affect their own lives, and work with outsiders who understand their communities and needs.
A success on all fronts
With excellent contributions from both speakers and moderators, and more than 200 participants in attendance, the sixth edition of the Arctic Futures Symposium was considered "the best yet" by the conference organisers. Live Tweeting also raised the profile of the symposium and allowed those not able to attend the event in person have an idea of what the event was like. Recordings of the sessions will soon be posted online so that those not able to attend can listen to the presentations that were given.
Symposium partners hope to continue to hold the annual symposium in Brussels in the coming years, particularly as decisions made in Brussels can have an impact on the Arctic and its residents.
IPF recently took part in a number of environmental events: the EU Commission's Green Week, the Belgian Energy and Environment Prize awards ceremony, and the Brussels Environment Festival.
On June 5th, the World celebrated Word Environment Day. This year's theme - "Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet. Consume with Care" - highlighted the need for responsible management of the planet’s natural resources. With the aim of “increasing the quality of life for all people without further environmental degradation,” World Environment Day invites us to become better stewards of our planet.
Biodiversity focus at Green Week
This year saw IPF return to the European Commission’s Green Week, the biggest annual conference on European environmental policy. From 3 to 5 June, IPF manned a stand where Green Week participants could learn more about the Polar Regions and IPF initiatives, including the annual Arctic Futures Symposium (which takes place every autumn in Brussels), IPF’s education and outreach resources (used by a large number of educators around the world), and the foundation’s flagship project, the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica Station – the world’s first polar research station designed and built to run entirely on renewable energy.
This year's focus for Green Week - Nature and Biodiversity – aimed to show how nature is “vital for our health and wealth.” The event attracted 2000 participants from countries all across Europe. The event was a perfect networking opportunity with other organisations from around Europe interested in environmental issues.
Belgian Energy and Environment Prize: sustainable management
On the evening of 3 June, several members of the IPF team headed to Brussels Environment's new eco-friendly administrative headquarters at the Tour & Taxis site for the 10th annual Belgian Energy and Environment Prize awards ceremony.
For the past decade, the International Polar Foundation has awarded the prize to a Belgian organisation or person who has shown outstanding leadership and initiative in finding solutions to live more sustainably. The 10th edition brought together past laureates, including IPCC Vice Chair Professor Jean-Pascal van Ypersele, who shared news of their latest activities.
This year’s laureate was Empreintes ASBL, an association dedicated to environmental education for children, teenagers, young adults and people in difficult social and economic situations. The organisation was recognised for its Eco Watchers programme, in which the non-profit runs workshops to help people in difficult financial situations reduce their energy consumption (and thus their energy costs). The programme also empowers people by working with them to identify actions they can do to improve their quality of living. By generating social, environmental and economic benefits, the EcoWatchers programme certainly makes a significant contribution to sustainable development!
You can read more about past laureates and nominees on the Belgian Energy and Environment Prize website (in Dutch and in French). Congratulations to all the laureates and nominees!
Sunny day for climate at the Brussels Environment Festival
Brussels Capital Region celebrated Word Environment Day on 7 June with its annual Environment Festival, organised by Brussels Environment at Park Cinquantenaire in Brussels.
The IPF was present at the festival – which focused on climate this year - with a stand where visitors could learn more about the Polar Regions. Throughout the day, many inquisitive people stopped by the IPF stand to have a chat with us. They were able to learn more about polar science, the impacts of climate change, and how they can learn more through IPF’s education and outreach tools.
Thanks in part to the great weather, the family-friendly event attracted an estimated 24,000 people keen to learn more about what they as citizens could do to reduce their impact on the planet and live more sustainably.
Overall, it was a wonderful week for the environment!
Photo: International Polar Foundation President Alain Hubert poses with members of Empreintes ASBL, who won the 2015 Belgian Energy and Environment Prize.
International Polar Foundaton President Alain Hubert received the 2015 Geographical Award at the UK Royal Geogrpahical Society.
Monday 1st June was a memorable day for Alain Hubert, as he was presented with the 2015 Geographical Award at a ceremony at the UK Royal Geographical Society (with Institute of British Geographers) headquarters in London, England.
The Geographical Award is a highly prestigious prize given each year to:
1) A company or individual that has provided outstanding, non-commercial support for individuals or groups learning about scientific through scientific expeditions, or
2) Expeditions that have had a significant impact on inspiring and improving school children’s and the general public’s understanding of geographical issues.
In presenting the award, Royal Geographical Society President, Professor Dame Judith Rees, highlighted Alain’s extensive polar achievements including his crossing of the Arctic and Antarctica, the creation of the first “zero emission” research station in Antarctica, and the work carried out by the International Polar Foundation to raise awareness about the polar environment and climate change.
In all, 18 people received different medals and awards were received by for outstanding contributions to geographical research, fieldwork, writing, photography, teaching and outreach activities. Royal medals were awarded to Professor Batty from University College London for the development and promotion of the geographical models of cities, and Paul Theroux for the encouragement of geographical discovery through travel writing.
Alain attended the award ceremony with British polar explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes, IPF Vice-President for International Affairs, Nighat Amin and IPF UK Executive Secretary Liz Pasteur.
Over three days (24th-26th April), the International Polar Foundation and the UK Polar Network ran a series of workshops at Birmingham Thinktank science centre.
The workshops used Sir Ernest Shackleton’s 1914-16 expedition as a focus for learning about the Polar Regions and investigating climate change over the last 100 years.
Three days of fun and discovery!
The team of two IPF staff and six PhD scientists were kept extremely busy over the three days of the workshop event. They welcomed school groups on Friday, Girl Guides and Brownies (scouts) on Saturday (ten groups!) and engaged with the general public on Sunday.
Workshop participants were able to learn a lot about the Arctic and Antarctic thanks to the visual aid the International Polar Foundation’s interactive polar puzzles provided. Participants also got to try on some polar gear, including clothing similar to that used by members of Shackelton’s 1914-16 expedition as well as clothing polar explorers and researchers wear today!
Meeting polar researchers
Polar researchers took time out of their busy schedules to inspire visitors with the fascinating world of polar science. Meteorological scientist Jenny Turton from the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge and the University of Leeds, along with marine biologist Maddie Brasier from the University of Liverpool, shared their experiences working in Antarctica. Ecologist Catherine Docherty from the University of Birmingham and glaciologist TJ Young from the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge talked about their research activities in the Arctic.
Participants even got the chance to become scientists themselves, putting on lab coats and conducting experiments on sea level rise, snow and ice albedo, and ocean acidification.
More to come…
The final event in the educational workshop series will be held at the At Bristol science centre from 30th May to 1st June 2015.
The IPF would like to thank the UK Polar Network volunteers for generously volunteering their time and expertise, Birmingham Museums for hosting the sessions, and the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office for financial support.
To mark UN World Environment Day in June each year, the Belgian Energy and Environment Awards are presented to Belgian citizens who have undertaken outstanding initiatives on environmental protection and promoting sustainable energy use. This year, the awards ceremony will celebrate its 10th edition!
An award to honour sustainable development
Since its first edition, the awards have honoured more than 1,800 initiatives that have contributed to building a sustainable future at the local, regional or national level.
As an organisation that actively promotes informed action on climate change and the development of a sustainable society, the International Polar Foundation has been an enthusiastic partner of the Belgian Energy and Environment Awards since the very beginning.
Like last year, eight awards will be presented to individuals and organisations that promote forward-looking initiatives in sustainable development.
Think you’re eligible for an Energy and Environment Award?
Do you think the work you or someone you know has done for sustainable development is worthy of recognition on a national level?
Citizens young and old, companies, associations, schools, universities, cities, municipalities...pretty much any person or organistion who has made significant contributions to sustainable development are all eligible to receive the prize.
If you think that you or an organisation you work for is eligible to receive a 2015 Energy and Environment Award, we would love to hear from you. All you need to do is fill out an application form online before April 1st.
Who knows? Maybe you or your organisation will be one of the eight laureates this coming June!
The 10th Belgian Antarctic Research Expedition (BELARE) was successful on all fronts. A lot happened to write home about, as followers were able to see on the Princess Elisabeth station website. Scientists were particularly happy with the research they were able to accomplish and the support they got in the field from the station team.
Excellent support for scientists
The expedition to the coast was really successful. Despite a few problems with the drill, scientists from the Glaciology Laboratory at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) working on the IceCon project were able to extract a number of ice cores on the King Baudouin Ice Shelf at the coast in East Antarctica, 200 km away from the Princess Elisabeth station. Although they were hampered by bad weather and a stuck drill, the team was able to take a few ice cores from the ice shelf, including one as deep as 107 meters. The team also took a series of radar measurements of the ice shelf to get an idea of what the ice is like beneath its surface. In addition to collecting plenty of data to go back home with, the IceCon team also installed a live-tweeting automatic weather station on the King Baudouin Ice Shelf, which gives regular updates on the weather and how fast the ice is flowing!
Jan Lenaerts, the laureate of the 2014 InBev-Baillet Latour Antarctica Fellowship, who is studying surface melt of ice shelves in East Antarctica, travelled to the King Baudouin Ice Shelf with the IceCon team to start research on the BENEMELT project the Fellowship is funding. In addition to taking a number of firn cores along a transect of the ice shelf, Jan was able to set up an automatic weather station (AWS) at the grounding line of the ice shelf. The AWS is currently transmitting weather data to the Princess Elisabeth station, which then relays this weather data via satellite antenna to Jan at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. He's keeping a close eye on what's happening in Antarctica, as he'll be heading back next season to do more research funded by the Fellowship. Overall, it was a very successful season for Jan.
This season, seismologist Denis Lombardi from the Royal Observatory of Belgium unfortunately had to deal with a few defective data loggers in the seismic stations installed in a number of different locations in the vicinity of the Princess Elisabeth station. While he was disappointed that faulty electronics had caused the data loggers to malfunction, the station's logistical team was there to help him. They managed to replace some of the data loggers and install a few new seismometers, so the collection of seismic data in the region could continue.
Meanwhile, back at the station, Quentin Laffineur and Alexander Mangold from the Belgian Royal Meteorological Institute (RMI) continued their observations of ozone, aerosols, and cloud-forming particles using instruments already installed at the station for a few years, as well as a new instrument brought from Leipzig University in Germany. Throughout the entire season, the station team launched a meteorological balloon every day for the RMI scientists to take measurements of the atmosphere in a vertical column from the ground to the stratosphere, 30 km up!
The construction of a brand new geomagnetic observatory fro the GEOMAG project was also an interesting challenge for the station team. Built over a few weeks, the shelter that now houses instruments that measure Earth's magnetic field had to be constructed without using any magnetic materials to avoid any possible interference with the magnetic field measurements. The station team helped Stephan Bracke from the Geophysical Center of Dourbes set up two instruments in the completed observatory, with a third instrument invented by scientists in Dourbes called Autodif to be installed next year.
A Belgian teacher in Antarctica
As he and his class were awarded 1st prize in the second edition of the Polar Quest competition, Electronics teacher from the Athénée Royal d'Ans Roger Radoux spent several weeks in Antarctica this season. Roger was able to learn about how the Princess Elisabeth station uses renewable energy to run, and how energy use at the station is managed to maximise energy efficiency.
During his time at the station, Roger Skyped with his students back in Belgium, teaching them what he learned about how the station works and life in Antarctica. He was also lucky enough to take part in a few field expeditions during the season. So he was able to experience Antarctica to the fullest!
Some media attention
One highlight of the 2014-15 season was visiting the emperor penguin colony on the Princess Ragnhild coast for the third time, to see how the colony was doing. International Polar Foundation President Alain Hubert confirmed the existence of the penguin colony in late 2012, after a team of British scientists had found evidence supporting its existence via satellite imagery some years before. Alain and Belgian reporter Jos Van Hemelrijck paid a visit to the colony this season for the third year in a row, and they colony is doing very well.
Geophysicists from the Alfred Wegner Institute (AWI) were also operating from Princess Elisabeth Antarctica this year, conducting aerial geophysical surveys of the bedrock of Antarctica from their Polar 6 research plane. While flying one of their missions, they spotted a massive circular structure on the King Baudouin Ice Shelf. At first, they hypothesised that the structure might have been caused by a meteorite impact. However after scientists form around the world commented on the story on social media, a more convincing explanation emerged after conversations between scientists on social media: an ice doline. We will be following the developments of this story closely, as collected data are analysed in Germany. Jan Lenaerts plans to visit the structure next year to have a clear look at it.
Regardless of what the structure turns out to be, Alain and the station team were happy to welcome a number of German VIPs to the Princess Elisabeth station for a short impromptu visit in mid-January. The Germans were very impressed with the comfort and convenience that a scientific research station in Antarctica can afford scientists, including scientists from the Alfred Wegener Institute!
And in late January, a 70 km2 chunk of the King Baudouin ice shelf broke off and started drifting out to sea. It created a bit of excitement because, according to ULB glaciologists, this is the first time since the 1960's that this ice shelf lost so much ice.
Successes for the technical team
The big achievement of the year for the technical team was the rebuilding of the main garages. Originally built on ice that slowly flows around the Utsteinen Ridge, it was time to find a more permanent engineering solution.
They devised a system in which the new garages are supported by three 17 metre-long timber beams anchored to the rock of Utsteinen Ridge on one side, and can slide on adjustable platforms anchored into the ice. The platforms will drift with the ice, with the beams sliding upon them. The height of the platforms can be adjusted year after year, which ensures that the building will remain level even as the ice moves. Over time, some new support platforms may have to be built, but that will be an easy job for the team of highly skilled professionals who take care of the Princess Elisabeth station.
For our chief mechanic Kristof Soette, the highlight of the season was certainly the arrival of two Toyota Hiluxes he had customised himself. The new vehicles proved to be very useful as soon as they went into service. The Hiluxes allow scientists and members of the logistical team to travel more quickly on a wide variety of difficult terrains. They are certainly a sight to see in action!
And speaking of a sight to see, the first drone flight over the Princess Elisabeth station took place during the 2014-15 season. It was able to record some impressive views of the station and surrounding landscape from never-before-seen perspectives!
Alain would like to give special thanks to all who made the 10th BELARE season such a successful one, especially the team in Antarctica. They can't wait to return to Antarctica next season!
With Earth’s magnetic poles in the Polar Regions, Antarctica is an interesting place to study the planet’s magnetic field. Stephan Bracke from the Belgian Royal Meteorological Institute’s Geophysical Center of Dourbes is involved in a project called GEOMAG, which has established a new geomagnetic observatory at the Princess Elisabeth station in Antarctica. Back from Antarctica, Stephan discusses the success of the season.
This is the second of three seasons during which a new geomagnetic observatory for the GEOMAG project is being set up. Last year, your colleague Jean Rasson travelled to the Princess Elisabeth station to conduct surveys to determine an ideal location near the station to build the observatory. What were your objectives this season?
The goals this season were to build a dome-shaped non-magnetic shelter to house the instruments, and to install in the shelter two instruments that can measure Earth’s magnetic field.
The station team built the shelter several weeks before I even arrived in Antarctica. The shelter was finished by the end of December, and when I got to the station at the beginning of February, the team was just finishing up the installation of a fiber-optic cable linking the shelter to the Princess Elisabeth station.
Which instruments did you install this season in the shelter?
One instrument we installed this season is called a variometer. It measures the variation in Earth’s magnetic field in three directions: north-south, east-west, and up-down, and it takes this measurement once every second. The second instrument I installed is a proton-magnometer. It measures the strength in Tesla (the SI unit for magnetic flux density) of Earth’s magnetic field every second. So with both instruments, one can see how the magnetic field moves in three dimensions and how its strength changes over time.
Data from these instruments is transferred in real time (with a total delay of half a second) to the Geophysical Center of Dourbes in Belgium. Originally, I had only planned to have data transmitted twice a day. But in the end, I managed to set it up so data is collected and transmitted every second. The fiber-optic cable transmits data from the instruments to the station, and from there the data is transmitted via satellite to Belgium. You can log in remotely and observe the data coming in!
How much does Earth’s magnetic field vary in Antarctica?
Earth’s magnetic field usually varies about 10 or 20 nT (Nano Tesla, or 10 to 20 billionths of a Tesla). But when I was in Antarctica, I noticed that the magnetic field varied by 300 nT.
In Antarctica, it’s normal to see larger variation in the magnetic field, as the South Magnetic Pole is located there. Solar activity has greater influence on Earth’s magnetic field at the poles.
Are you happy with how the setup of the shelter and instruments went?
Everything went really well this season. The installation of the instruments went very smoothly, and the instruments are working just fine. The station team was very helpful in building the shelter ahead of time and helping me set up the instruments.
What kind of work is planned for next season?
If all goes well, next season we plan to install an instrument that was developed at the Geophysical Center of Dourbes called Autodif (automatic declination, inclination flux). This instrument will measure the angles of the magnetic field.
A magnetic field is a vector, meaning at each moment in time it has a strength it has strength and a direction. The strength is measured with the proton magnetometer and the direction is measured by two angles : the declination and the inclination. The declination of Earth’s magnetic field is the angle between the magnetic field and the Geographic North Pole. The inclination is the angle of the magnetic field relative to a horizontal plane tangent to where you are on Earth’s surface (straight down near the North Magnetic Pole, and relatively horizontal in the Tropics, for example).
There’s a photo of you from this season using a theodolite to measure the angle of the magnetic field angle. How is Autodif different?
You can use a theodolite to measure the inclination and declination of Earth’s magnetic field. But this is a manual process that takes about three quarters of an hour to do.
However the Autodif instrument will take exactly the same kind of measurements, but without any need for a human to be present to take them. This means measurements of Earth’s magnetic field declination and inclination can be taken during the eight months of the year that the Princess Elisabeth station is unmanned. Also, it can take the measurements in five minutes - much faster than a human can take the same measurements using a theodolite, and it can take these measurements at regular intervals (Autodif can do it every half hour but in a normal setup we take a measurement once a day).
Autodif sounds like a very useful device. How many of them are currently in use?
Autodif is a unique device developed in Belgium at the Geophysical Center of Dourbes. There are currently two installed in Dourbes as well as one in Austria at the Conrad Observatory. During the 2015-16 research season, the fourth Autodif in the world will be installed at the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica research station.
Are a lot of the measurements taken of of Earth’s magnetic field around the world still done mostly by hand?
For the inclination and declination of the magnetic field, it’s still done manually. Geomagnetic observatories around the world usually take these kinds of measurements once a week. So if the Autodif instrument can take these measurements at regular intervals, this is a huge improvement.
Are there plans for more Autodif instruments to be installed elsewhere on the planet?
The aim over the next few years is to place more Autodif instruments in other parts of the world. Geomagnetic experts in Japan, Spain, Australia and Italy have already expressed interest in having one.
Was this your first trip to Antarctica?
Yes, it was the first time I went. I really enjoyed it.
Before coming, I was worried about how things would work, and whether it would be too cold. But after a few days in Antarctica, I noticed that while it’s cold, if there’s sun and no wind, then it’s not so bad. It’s a nice environment. I enjoyed working there.
The last days I was there it was very windy, and we couldn’t go outside much. But we had all the luxuries we needed at the station.
Will you go back next season?
Probably not. I have a colleague who is specialised in the Autodif instrument who will probably go to set it up. But it will be exciting to finally have an Autodif taking measurements of the magnetic field in Antarctica!
Today the BELARE 10 team closes the station for the winter and starts the journey back to Belgium. Over the past week, everyone has been busy finishing up their work for the season and making the final overwintering preparations.
GEOMAG instruments installed and transmitting data
Over the past few weeks, the station team helped Stephan Brack from the Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium’s Geophysical Center of Dourbes set up a triaxial variometer, which measures the Earth’s magnetic field vectors in three directions, and an Overhauser magnetometer, which measures the strength of Earth’s magnetic field. All the necessary work was completed without any problems. Thanks to a fiber optic cable linking the instruments to the staiton's satellite antenna, data from the instruments is now being transmitted in real-time to the the Geophysical Center in Dourbes.
A third instrument invented by scientists from the Geophysical Center will be installed in the shelter next season.
Thumbs up for the Hiluxes
It was the station’s chief mechanic Kristof Soete who came up with the idea of modifying Toyota Hiluxes - fitting them with treads instead of tyres - so they can be used in Antarctica. Since they’ve arrived on the White Continent, the station team has used them extensively. “They’ve made transporting people and equipment much easier,” Kristof explained. "The vehicles are more fuel efficient and mobile than tractors and can transport much more than a skidoo."
The Hiluxes “can climb up steep slopes covered in snow with no issue, and cross a crevasse half a metre wide without any problem,” Kristof continued. “They have a lot of cargo space, and the provide good comfort and protection to the driver and the passengers.”
After testing them out in the rough terrain of Antarctica, Kristof says some improvements can still be made to the suspension of the vehicles. But he pointed out that it was his intention form the beginning to see how well they did during their first season in action, and then make any necessary modifications. Once back in Belgium, he and fellow mechanics will start working on preparing the necessary modifications, which he plans to install on the Hiluxes when he gets back to the station next season.
Going through the final checklist
The mechanics and the electricians have spent their final days at the station doing the final maintenance on the backup generators. This includes putting in new oil, new filters, running a diagnostic check, and doing a test run.
While the station continues to run on wind energy after the sun disappears entirely during the dark months of the Antarctic winter and solar energy is no longer avaialble, the back-up generators are necessary to ensure the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica can keep running in case something happens to other sources of power. The station uses much less energy during the eight months that it’s uninhabited, but some energy is still needed to keep the systems of the station and the scientific instruments running.
Mechanics Kristof Soete and Walter Cumps have also been servicing the vehicles to make sure they’re ready to go as soon as the team arrives on site next season. They’ve been keeping track of the running hours of each vehicle and noting any maintenance requirements and new parts that need to be ordered for them.
The team has also stored all the vehicles in the container park next to the air strip 2 km from the station. The containers were sealed today with heavy-duty tape and secured with rope to make doubly sure no snow gets into the containers over the winter.
“As a mechanic at the station, there are no boring days,“ Kristof admitted. “There’s always something to do!”
Heading home
The remaining members of the BELARE 10 team are scheduled to close up the Princess Elisabeth station later this afternoon and head for the Russian Novo station, weather permitting. From there they will fly on to Cape Town, and then back to Belgium. Most of the BELARE 10 team is scheduled to be back home by the weekend.
Here’s wishing them a safe journey home, and congratulations on a job well done this season!
