New PROPOLAR program campaign in the Antarctic

(English version available soon)

The Portuguese Polar Program (PROPOLAR), funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), began another campaign in Antarctica yesterday, January 19, with the participation of 19 Portuguese scientists.

The PROPOLAR 2016-17 campaign will ensure the logistics of transporting the Portuguese, along with scientists and technicians from the Bulgarian, Chilean, Chinese, Spanish and South Korean programs, a total of 122 people, between Punta Arenas in Chile and the Teniente Marsh airfield on King George Island in Antarctica.

The management and sharing of logistics are common between PROPOLAR and the polar programs of partner countries such as Argentina, Bulgaria, Brazil, Chile, China, Spain, the United States of America, the Republic of Korea and Uruguay.

Since Portugal does not have permanent infrastructure in the Antarctic region, Portuguese Antarctic campaigns are based on strong international cooperation with counterpart programs, facilitating access to the excellent conditions of the polar regions for the development of cutting-edge research.

This campaign includes 7 research projects, covering various areas of the Antarctic Peninsula, coordinated by 6 universities and public research centers in the fields of biological sciences, the cryosphere, the environment and the Earth, with topics ranging from cartography to climate change.

PROPOLAR is an initiative coordinated by CEG/IGOT-UL (proposing institution), CCMAR-UALG, IMAR-UC, CQE/IST-UTL and CIIMAR-UP and works in coordination with FCT.

(Image credit: IGOT-UL)