The 40th Italian expedition to Antarctica is underway

With the arrival of the first group of technicians at the Mario Zucchelli station on the promontory of Baia Terra Nova, The 40th Italian expedition to Antarctica has begun which will be busy until February 2025 140 researchers and technicians in glaciology, climatology, seismology, geomagnetism and biodiversity projects.

The Italian missions in Antarctica, which began on 23 December 1985, are conducted within the National Antarctic Research Program (Pnra), financed by the Ministry of University and Research (Mur) and managed by the National Research Council (Cnr) for scientific coordination, by Enea for the planning and logistical organization of activities at the Antarctic bases and by the National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics (Ogs) for the technical and scientific management of the icebreaker Laura Bassi. “Forty expeditions, an important milestone which also marks the start of feasibility studies for various redevelopment and infrastructural improvement interventions of the Italian Antarctic bases – declares Elena Campana, director of the Antarctic Technical Unit of Enea – thanks to an extraordinary financing provided available from the Ministry of University and Research, over the next 10 years we will complete a whole series of interventions to renovate and make both the energy production plants and the infrastructures that house the staff more efficient we will carry out the necessary surveys to identify the most suitable technological solutions for the extreme polar environment”.

Furthermore, during the current campaign a new geomagnetic observatory and upgraded photovoltaic systemwith the aim of producing an ever-increasing share of energy from renewable sources. In Concordia, however, the completion of the first module of the new summer campthe area outside the station intended to host researchers and technicians during the summer campaigns.

“The 40th expedition of the National Research Program in Antarctica (Pnra) is a year to be celebrated, given that it fits – states Mauro Sclavo, acting director of the Institute of Polar Sciences of the Cnr – in the preparatory framework of the upcoming ‘Decade of the United Nations on the cryosphere, scheduled for 2025 and in the important conference of the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting, which will be held in June 2025 in Milan, Cnr also ensures the scientific coordination of crucial projects for the advancement of knowledge in various sectors and from which we expect significant results to better understand the scientific challenges of the moment, such as climate change”.

The Mario Zucchelli Station

Con 24 hours of light a day and a temperature that varies from 0 to -20 degreesat the Mario Zucchelli Station, there will be 57 units of research and technical personnel involved in the activities of 9 permanent observatories which guarantee the monitoring and continuous acquisition of climatology, seismology, geodesy, geomagnetism measurements, up to observations of the upper atmosphere and space weather. Some observatories ensure volcanological monitoring, while others detect changes in microbial communities, permafrost and vegetation, the latter having seen a notable increase in recent years in Antarctica, as well as in general in all polar areas on Earth. Furthermore, at the Mario Zucchelli Station, researchers will study the role of sea ​​ice in the mercury cyclewill analyze supraglacial lakes, biodiversity, evolution, adaptation and immune mechanisms of Antarctic organisms. Finally, one of the research projects will examine the human microbiome.

The Concordia base

In the Italian-French Concordia Station, on the Antarctic plateau over 3,000 meters above sea level and 1,200 kilometers from the coast, the summer campaign will start in early November and will involve 55 people, half of whom are Italian. The activities coordinated by the Pnra will be supported by the research activities carried out by the French Paul-èmile Victor Polar Institute (IPEV) and the European Space Agency (ESA). Also this year, in November the Little Dome C field will be opened, 35 kilometers from Concordia, where the activities linked to the international project “Beyond Epica Oldest Ice” will continue, financed by the European Commission and coordinated by the Institute of Polar Sciences of Cnr (Cnr-Isp) in which Enea and the Cà Foscari University of Venice also participate for Italy.

Activities will take place at the camp ice core drilling through which the research team will obtain data on the evolution of temperature and composition of the atmosphere, going back in time one and a half million years. The arrival of the first Pnra personnel at Concordia coincides with the return of the technicians and researchers who spent the Antarctic winter at the station. From February 2025 until the following November, they will be joined by another 13 winterovers (six French, six Italian and one English) who will guarantee the functioning of the station and the continuation of the research activities, even when the outside temperature will drop close to -80 C and weather conditions will make the station unreachable.

The ship Laura Bassi

The research activities of the scientific campaign will also take place on board the Laura Bassi ship which has set sail in recent days towards New Zealand, where it will arrive at the end of November via the Panama Canal, after 50 days of navigation. The ship will then begin its journey to Antarctica on 9 December with 28 units of scientific-technical personnel on board, as well as a sailing crew of 23 members, returning to Lyttelton on 19 January. At the end of January the icebreaker will depart from New Zealand again for the second part of the mission in Antarctica which will end at the beginning of March 2025. “After five successful campaigns in Antarctica, the Laura Bassi reaches its sixth mission this year”, explains Franco Coren, director of the Naval Infrastructure Management Center of the National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics – Ogs.

“We are extremely satisfied with the activities carried out and, thanks to the work carried out on board and the collaboration between the crew, the technical and scientific staff, we have guaranteed maximum support for oceanographic and geophysical research activities, providing a significant contribution to the scientific community national and international”, he adds. The Armed Forces are participating in the expedition with 17 military experts from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Carabinieri. They will support the researchers in the field throughout the course of the expedition, making both external and underwater campaigns possible and safe, but also aerial operations thanks to the skills of weather forecasters and flight controllers. Furthermore, the Air Force will ensure, thanks to the C-130J of the 46th Air Brigade, the connections between Christchurch (New Zealand), the Italian station “Zucchelli” and the US station of McMurdo, providing for the transport of materials, vehicles and personnel. Two members of the National Fire Brigade will also participate in the activities.