Prague, Dec 27 (CTK) – Six experts from Brno´s Masaryk University left on Sunday for an annual expedition to the Antarctica to continue their research focusing on geology, climate change, ozone hole, UV radiation, and also to test new technologies, the expedition head, Pavel Kapler, told CTK on their departure.
Like every year, the Czechs will stay at the Mendel polar station that the university operates on the Ross Island situated close to the Antarctic continent.
They dispatched about two tonnes of material they need for the station´s modernisation and for new research southwards by a ship two months ago.
The Mendel polar station also serves to test technologies developed in the Czech Republic.
For example, the present expedition will test a prototype of a new wind power plant generator designed to generate power in both weak and extremely strong winds.
“We will also test about 200 kilo of paints that are designed to protect walls against [illegal] sprayers. We will examine their resistance to weather. We also test construction and plastic materials in this way,” Kapler said.
The Brno University built the Mendel polar station with the state´s help nine years ago. Czech scientists inhabit it annually during the Antarctic summer, which is from January to March, when the local climate is the most favourable.
