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Location and natural conditions History of the station's creation Infrastructure

Location and natural conditions

Antarctica Map
Hydrology and ice conditions
The area of the Sea of Cosmonauts is about 435,000 km. The coast of the Sea of Cosmonauts stretches for more than 1,200 km and is almost the entire length of an ice cliff from 10 to 30 m or more high. Having a significant sinuosity, the coastline forms large peninsulas and bays enclosed between them, including Alasheev Bay. In the bays, small islands without ice cover are scattered in groups and alone.

Also, during the study, more than 20 temporary and permanent lakes were discovered. Their surface area varies from several tens to several thousand square meters, with depths from a few centimeters to 20 m or more.

Stable formation of fast ice in the Sea of Cosmonauts begins on average in the first half of May and in about a month it fetters the entire shelf zone of the basin, where it remains until the beginning of the spring breakup in October. The growth of fast ice usually continues until the beginning of November, when it reaches a thickness of about 1.5 m.
Geology and soil
Geologically, Enderby Land belongs to the East Antarctic Platform or the Antarctic Precambrian Crystalline Shield. The history of the formation of the region's structure can be traced back to the Paleoproterozoic. According to the results of studies by the Russian Aerospace Exploration and Exploration Institute (RAE) and the Baikal Aerospace Exploration Institute (BAE), the territory of the Vechernyaya Mountain region is composed mainly of gneisses and plagiogneisses of the charnockite series. According to the results of studies, the territory of the Vechernyaya Mountain site developed as a linear granite-gneiss dome.

The parent rocks are the products of weathering of bedrock - colluvium, as well as fluvioglacial deposits. The soils are undeveloped, the upper horizons are represented by rubble-gravel and sand-gravel material of gray-brown and brown color. Differences in soils are due to the location in the relief and the peculiarities of moisture due to the melting of snowfields in the summer and the subsequent distribution of meltwater. These soil varieties can be classified, according to, as low-power lithozems (or petrozems), which are generally characteristic of the coastal zone of Antarctica.
Climatic features
The features of atmospheric circulation in the western part of Enderby Land are determined by the interaction of baric systems that dominate in the temperate and high latitudes of the southern hemisphere.

The features of the radiation regime in this region are determined by its position
beyond the Arctic Circle, the nature of the underlying surface, the duration
of sunshine and the state of the atmosphere.

The annual course of air temperature here is typical for Antarctica, with one maximum in summer (January) and one minimum in winter (July). The average monthly air temperature from February to July decreases by 7.3 °C, and from July to September it increases by 0.9 °C.
The second half of winter (July-September) is the coldest, almost all absolute minimum temperatures are recorded in these months. In some years, the absolute minimum reaches -42 °C.

In this area, winds from the east-northeast to south-southeast directions prevail, their annual frequency is 85.7%. The maximum average monthly wind speed was recorded in April - 17.6 m / s, the minimum - in January - 3.2 m / s.
Air humidity varies slightly, averaging 67%.

The main amount of precipitation falls from March to September, their average amount
in these months fluctuates between 48 and 71 mm.
Plant world
Research by Belarusian biologists in various regions of Antarctica has shown that the flora is represented exclusively by lower forms: lichens, mosses, algae and fungi.

For lichens, the leading role is given to crustose forms, which make up the majority of the flora. They grow on various substrates, mainly on stones.

Mosses are the second most common after lichens. Several species of mosses have been found in the area of the Vechernyaya Mountain BAS, among which cosmopolitans and Antarctic endemics stand out.

About 150 species of algae have been found in the area of the Tala and Larsemann Hills, most of which have a bipolar distribution and are an integral part of the region's aquatic biotopes
Animal world
Data collection is carried out both in stationary conditions and along routes, including photography and video filming of birds and mammals, as well as the collection of bone remains. Particular attention is paid to zooplankton and phytoplankton in freshwater lakes, where endemic species have been found, such as the large crustacean Ctenodaphnia studeri, which is capable of surviving at high temperatures for the region.

Freshwater zooplankton is characterized by a relative poverty of species, represented mainly by rotifers of the subclass Bdelloidea and nematodes. Marine zoobenthos of East Antarctica is represented by a variety of macroinvertebrates - ascidians, anemones, sponges, mollusks and others, with the dominant species being the sea urchin Sterechinus neumayeri.

The ichthyofauna of the studied seas consists of a relatively small number of species, mainly of the families Nototheniidae and Bathydraconidae. Important dominants are fish of the genus Trematomus and Pagothenia borchgrevinki.

Mammals in the study area include crabeater seals, Weddell seals, leopard seals and elephant seals, as well as whales, including sperm whales and humpbacks. The avifauna includes 15 species of birds, among which the Adélie and emperor penguins, south polar skua and snow petrel stand out.

History of the station's creation

The main location of the Belarusian polar explorers from 2007 to 2015 was a field camp deployed at the location of the mothballed infrastructure of the Soviet/Russian airfield base "Mount Vechernyaya" (Tala Hills, Enderby Land, East Antarctica), which operated year-round since 1980 and was mothballed in 1991. To accommodate the expedition participants during this period, a complex of all-metal unified blocks (TsUB), provided by the Russian side for temporary free use, located on the territory of the base, was used.
View of the old station after 30 years
In 2007–2014, the BAE participants carried out a series of repair and restoration works in the building of the Central Scientific Research Center to create acceptable working and living conditions for Belarusian specialists.

In 2013, at the XXXVI ATCM in Brussels (Belgium) and at the XXV COMNAP Meeting in Seoul (Republic of Korea), the Republic of Belarus informed the world Antarctic community of its plans to build a research station in the area of the Mount Vechernyaya base, in the Tala Hills oasis of Enderby Land (67°39’35’’S, 46°09’18’’E). When selecting the site, geographical, topographic, geological, meteorological, hydrological factors, transport accessibility and other conditions important for safe life support were taken into account.

Pre-program BAE (2006-2007)
December 2006 - February 2007

A decision was made on the temporary free use of individual structures of the RAE field base "Mount Vechernyaya" (western part of Enderby Land, 25 km to the east of the Molodezhnaya station at the foot of Mount Vechernyaya (height 272 m), on the shore of Lazurnaya Bay in the Sea of Cosmonauts in East Antarctica).

Кают-компания

  

ЦУБ


Repair and restoration work in the TsUB and wardroom complex
A reliable life support system has been created for scientific and technical personnel up to 7 people
1st BAE (2007-2008)
In 2007–2014, Belarusian polar explorers carried out stage-by-stage repair and restoration work in the complex of all-metal unified blocks (CUB) to create acceptable conditions for work and life.

Внутренние помещения ЦУБ 

Внутренние помещения ЦУБ

2nd BAE (2008-2009)
To provide electricity, two diesel generators (DES) with a capacity of 20 and 60 kVA were delivered, which are mounted in specially equipped containers and equipped with a remote automatic system for starting and monitoring engine operating parameters. The first vehicle, a GAZ "BOBR" tracked snow and swamp vehicle, was also delivered.

DES 20

 

DES 60

 

GAZ BOBR



3rd BAE (2010-2011)
4th BAE (2011-2012)
5th BAE (2012-2013)
March 6, 2013

The plan for the creation of the UAS "Mount Vechernyaya" has been approved
6th BAE (2013-2014)
7th BAE (2014-2015)
First stage of the BAS
A reliable life support system has been modified for scientific and technical personnel up to 12 people
8th BAE (2015-2016)
June 2015
The final comprehensive environmental assessment (CEA) of the UAS "Vechernyaya Mountain" has been agreed upon

October 20, 2015
Interdepartmental acceptance of the first object of the UAS "Vechernyaya Mountain"

December 26-27, 2015
The installation platform has been assembled, three sections of the first object of the UAS "Vechernyaya Mountain" have been installed
9th BAE (2016-2017)
January 2016
The first UAS facility "Vechernyaya Mountain" (three-section module) was put into operation.

Season 2016-2017
The first part of the installation platform of the second UAS facility (eight-section module) was assembled and the first section was installed.
10th BAE (2017-2018)
Season 2017-2018.

The next three sections of the second UAS facility "Evening Mountain" have been installed
11th BAE (2018-2019)
March 2019

A new 2*100 kVA diesel power plant complex was put into operation
12th BAE (2019-2020)
December 2018-2020

The second part of the installation platform of the second UAS facility was assembled, four more sections were installed in stages.
13th BAE (2020-2021)
Сезон 2020-2021 гг.

Введён в эксплуатацию второй объект БАС "Гора Вечерняя " (восьмисекционный модуль)
Second stage of BAS
A reliable life support system has been modified for scientific and technical personnel up to 15 people
14th BAE (2021-2022)
15th BAE (2022-2023)
As of December 31, 2023

Infrastructure of the UAS "Evening Mountain":
  • 16 new facilities;
  • 9 repaired, reconstructed and modernized facilities;
  • 3 Soviet-era facilities planned for disposal;
16th BAE (2023-2024)
17th BAE (2024-2025)

Infrastructure

Current view of the station in 2025:
Current view of the station

Main objects of the BAS "Gora Vechernyaya"