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It has been a while since the Summer 2023 Newsletter and this was also a hectic time for POLAR2E. We are back with the Newsletters and with a summary of the recent activities spanning from the Arctic to Antarctica. A big focus of last semester was on the preparation of the COASTANTAR 2024 Expedition that took a team of 11 scientists, 1 film maker and 4 crew members in a 24 meter sailing yacht to the Antarctic Peninsula. This interdisciplinary scientific expedition involved 10 projects from Portugal, Chile and Spain. The expedition was jointly funded by the University of Lisbon and the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, with the organization by the College POLAR2E and the Portuguese Polar Program. It involved a long preparation process and the scientific results will start to come out in the forthcoming months. We are planning for activities to inform about the expedition outcomes and to discuss on how the experience can feed into the future Portuguese activities in Antarctica. We invite you to read our Newsletter and to catch up for further news that will come up already next May, as our activities are developing and good pace.
Gonçalo Vieira
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PROPOLAR Gears Up for Portugal's Next Antarctic Expedition 2023-24.
The Polar Portuguese Program (PROPOLAR) prepares the Portuguese Antarctic Campaign 2023-24. For the 12th time, a chartered flight will transport scientists and technicians between Punta Arenas in Chile and the Teniente Rodolfo Marsh Martin aerodrome located on the island of King George in Antarctica. The flight takes place on the 1st of February 2024, and is the anchor of the Portuguese Antarctic Campaign 2023-24, which starts in January and runs until the beginning of March 2024, with the support of several partner Antarctic programs. This is the Portuguese contribution to international logistics that supports scientific activities in Antarctica during the austral summer, the busiest period of the year regarding scientific activity, on the so-called white continent.
The Portuguese Antarctic Campaign 2023-24 includes 8 research projects, with a total of 16 scientists on the ground who will work on the islands of King George, Deception, Livingston, (South Shetlands Archipelago), and Cierva Cove (Antarctic Peninsula), and 1 researcher who will develop laboratory work at the British Antarctic Survey. In addition, PROPOLAR also supports the organization of the COASTANTAR Expedition, carried out aboard a sailboat during two weeks in February 2024, and focusing on the region of the Antarctic Peninsula, between King George Island and the Palmer archipelago. Within the expedition, PROPOLAR also funds the missions of 2 researchers from 2 projects, besides the organization of the expedition.
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COASTANTAR 2024 – An interdisciplinary expedition to the Antarctic Peninsula
The COASTANTAR 2024 Expedition – Western Antarctic Peninsula Coastal Environments under a Changing Climate - took place in February 2024 with 11 scientists and 1 film maker, supported by 4 crew members onboard the El Dóblon, a 24 meter sailing yacht. This interdisciplinary expedition involved 10 projects from Portugal, Chile and Spain. It was jointly funded by the University of Lisbon and the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, with the organization by the College POLAR2E and PROPOLAR - the Portuguese Polar Program. It involved a long preparation process that included the selection of the vessel, a national call for projects, contacts with international partner programs, a preparatory visit to the ship in Uruguay, a science retreat at the Lagoa Comprida Research Station, sea safety, first aid and basic life support training, medical exams, environmental impact assessment protocols, shipping of cargo, logistical preparation for Antarctica, as well as the expedition itself. It was a period of heavy work but that led to an excellent expedition, with projects encompassing the natural and the social sciences, marine and terrestrial, from 5 universities, with extensive sampling in land and ocean. The expediton integrated 7 members of POLAR2E: Carlos Vital, Gabriel Goyanes, Gonçalo Vieira, Henrique Zilhão, Joana Baptista, Manuel Guedes and Sandra Balão, two of them, PhD students. From Lisbon, Teresa Cabrita and Ana David provided support to the complex logistics of the mission. POLAR2E research focused on contaminants, permafrost and geomorphological dynamics, vegetation ecology, energy efficiency and science diplomacy. Gonçalo Vieira was in charge of coordinating the expedition, a task that counted with the support onboard of Pedro Guerreiro from CCMAR – University of Algarve, and Teresa Cabrita in Lisbon. The team left Lisbon on the 28th January and flied to Punta Arenas in Southern Patagonia, where waited until the 1st of February to fly in the PROPOLAR flight to King George Island in the South Shetlands archipelago. Until the 8th of February, the group conducted field work in Fildes Bay, mainly in the Collins Bay area, where POLAR2E maintains the POLARLODGE, a yurt developed by Manuel Guedes team. The mission in El Doblón took place from 9 to 23 january, with visits to Livingston Island, Deception Island, Cierva Cove, Cuverville Island, Palmer and Port Lockroy. Part of the team returned by air on the 23rd january, while some stayed until the 1st of March in Fildes Peninsula to pack the scientific cargo to be transported back and to finish research in the stations.
Information about the expedition, including the daily logbook can be found at http://coastantar.wordpress.com. A documentary by Madalena Boto and Cláudia Alves is under preparation and very soon the first results of the expedition will be presented in a public event.
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Fostering international cooperation: IGOT welcomes Ambassador of Peru to cultivate cross-cultural dialogues on Antarctic research.
Within the framework of the collaboration established for the past years, between the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores del Perú and the Polar Portuguese Programme (PROPOLAR), through the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with regard to matters related to Antarctic science and logistics, and at the request of the Embassy of Peru in Portugal, the Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning (IGOT) of the University of Lisbon, was pleased to receive the visit of the Ambassador of Peru to Portugal, Mr. Carlos Gil de Montes, on the 27th of October, 2023. The president of IGOT, Mário Vale, the executive director of PROPOLAR, Maria Teresa Cabrita, and the director of the Polar Program of the Foundation for Science and Technology, Germana Santos, received the ambassador. A guided tour of the IGOT was carried out, followed by a presentation about PROPOLAR and its activities, and a fruitful discussion regarding various issues relevant to both countries in terms of scientific research in Antarctica.
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CPCP 2023 Sparks Innovation and Collaboration in Portuguese Polar Sciences
The XV Portuguese Conference of Polar Sciences (CPCP 2023) was held at Instituto Superior Técnico from the University of Lisbon, on the 2nd and 3rd of November 2023, organized by the group of Extreme Environments of Centro de Química Estrutural (CQE) from the Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) from the University of Lisbon (ULisboa). The event provided a captivating insight into the forefront of Portuguese Polar Research and Astrobiology. João Canário and Zita Martins, the chairs of the CPCP 2023 (IST), Rogério Colaço, President of Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), Cecília Rodrigues, the Vice-Rector of ULisboa, and Madalena Alves, the President of Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) opened the conference, emphasising the support of their institutions to the Portuguese polar research. This year, the conference also explored the link between Polar Regions and Astrobiology, in particular the potential of the Arctic and Antarctica as terrestrial analogues of celestial bodies of the Solar System. The Portuguese polar researchers showcased the most recent results from research conducted in the Arctic and in the Antarctic, included in sessions dedicated to Astrobiology and Planetary, Cryosphere, Social, Terrestrial, Atmospheric, and Marine Sciences. Two invited keynote speakers, Jean-Pierre de Vera (German Aerospace Centre) and John Moore (University of Lapland, Finland), talked about bridging Polar to Space Research, and active conservation of the Arctic, respectively, adding an insightful dimension to the conference discussions. The conference also hosted the XIV Workshop APECS Portugal “Lost in Communication: how to improve the ERCs Communication Skills?” and the Workshop PEI Portugal “Da Ciência Polar à Sala de Aula: Uma Maré de Conhecimento”, with engaging and motivational talks from Heïdi Sevestre (glaciologist and member of The Explorers Club), José Xavier (University of Coimbra), Zita Martins (IST) and Nuno Vasco Rodrigues (MARE IPLeiria), Rúben Oliveira (ULisboa), and Sophie Weeks, the President of The Polar Educators International. Similarly, to previous editions, this year's conference was a resounding success, fostering vibrant discussions, encouraging international collaborations, and advancing cutting-edge research in the field of Polar Sciences.
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Serra da Estrela Working Group
A meeting of the Serra da Estrela Working Group took place on October 18th. This session included the presentation by Marcelo Fernandes who introduced the proposal “GLACIWEST - Glacial and paraglacial chronology in the Western Iberian mountains since the Mid-Late Pleistocene”. After a discussion about the presentation, Carlos Vital presented an update on the Lagoa Comprida research station in Serra da Estrela. We remind that this group is open to all POLAR2E members interested in the Serra da Estrela and in discussing ongoing research and project planning.
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Marine Survival Training Session
Ahead of the COASTANTAR 2024 expedition, participants actively took part in the marine survival training session, focusing on the use of sea survival equipment. The morning session covered theoretical concepts at IGOT, followed by a practical afternoon at the facilities of the Escola Superior Náutica Infante D. Henrique. Activities encompassed hands-on exercises with lifebuoys and life jackets, unassisted survival techniques, immersion suit training, and raft exercises. We express gratitude to all participants for their commitment in this vital preparation phase. Special acknowledgment goes to FORMAR trainers for their invaluable contributions.
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Basic Life Support and First Aid Course
Continuing the preparation for the upcoming Antarctic campaign, on November the 18th, the Basic Life Support course was held at the IGOT facilities (required for all participants on missions in Antarctica without valid certification and recommended for the Arctic). The certification, valid internationally in Basic Life Support (BLS) by the European Resuscitation Council (ERC), was provided. This training, promoted and funded by PROPOLAR, consisted primarily of practical aspects through exercises and simulations, conducted by the Cardio-Respiratory Resuscitation Club. Following this session, another one focused on first aid, its context, and fundamental procedures ensued.
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COASTANTAR 2024 Retreat at Lagoa Comprida
The purpose of the retreat, held between the 24th and the 26th of November, was to prepare for the COASTANTAR 2024 campaign, particularly fostering scientific synergies between projects and refining procedures within a broader context of mutual knowledge among expedition participants. The overall expedition framework was discussed, addressing practical issues. Various research projects were presented, outlining key aspects and/or working hypotheses. Methods, work techniques, and equipment, along with anticipated results, were highlighted. The potential for synergy and fieldwork planning between projects was assessed. The group also took a short hike, familiarizing themselves with the surroundings of the Lagoa Comprida and the benefits the house offers as a mountain research station. Conclusions were drawn at the end of the retreat, and activities were planned leading up to the expedition, with a particular focus on enhancing the COASTANTAR 2024 research project.
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PERMAMERC - Mercury Biogeochemistry, Fate, and Impact in Permafrost Thaw Ecosystems
The CQE/IST team was in Kangiqsualujjuaq, Nunavik, Canada to conduct fieldwork under the FCT-funded project PERMAMERC. This site with discontinuous permafrost was sampled in two different times, in March and September of 2023. The mission of the CEG/IGOT team in the summer of 2022 provided detailed spatial characterization of the area and allowed the selection of two thermokarst lakes to be sampled by the CQE/IST team.
In the lakes, water and sediment samples were collected. Mercury isotopes were analyzed to assess concentrations and methylation/demethylation rates and improve the knowledge of the mercury cycle in these ecosystems. Additionally, samples were collected for microbiology analysis, conducted by CIIMAR, to help understand which microorganisms are more important in the methylation and demethylation reactions.
The summer fieldwork proved to be more challenging due to the uneven terrain, tall shrubs, and wet areas. Fortunately, it was possible to complete all aspects of the planned fieldwork.
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Recent Publications From Members
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Baptista, J., Vieira, G., & Lee, H. (2024). Ground surface temperature regimes are controlled by the topog-raphy and snow cover in the ice-free areas of Maritime Antarctica. CATENA, 240, 107947.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2024.107947
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Farzamian, M., Blanchy, G., McLachlan, P., Vieira, G., Esteves, M., de Pablo, M. A., Triantifilis, J., Li-ppmann, E., & Hauck, C. (2024). Advancing Permafrost Monitoring With Autonomous Electrical Resistivity Tomography (A‐ERT): Low‐Cost Instrumentation and Open‐Source Data Processing Tool. Geophysical Re-search Letters.
https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL105770
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Freitas, P., Vieira, G., Canário, J., Vincent, W. F., Pina, P., & Mora, C. (2024). A trained Mask R-CNN model over PlanetScope imagery for very-high resolution surface water mapping in boreal forest-tundra. Remote Sensing of Environment, 304, 114047.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2024.114047
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Fernandes, M., Oliva, M., Fernández-Fernández, J. M., Vieira, G., Palacios, D., Garcia-Oteyza, J., Ventura, J., Schimmelpfennig, I., & ASTER Team. (2024). Geomorphological record of the glacial to periglacial transi-tion from the Bølling–Allerød to the Holocene in the Central Pyrenees: The Lòcampo cirque in the regional context. Boreas, 53(1), 71–87.
https://doi.org/10.1111/bor.12633
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Support for young researchers to attend international conferences
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