[11/02/2025 05:25]

ANTARCTICA-SABA
Physicist Eng. Tsvetan Parov, who is part of the 33rd Bulgarian Antarctic Expedition, is researching the influence of solar activity on atmospheric processes in the drainage systems of glaciers in Antarctica.

In a BTA interview, Parov said that this is his third expedition to Antarctica. "This is proof that Antarctica is a collective sport, collective science, collective love, and all of us here are part of a greater and higher intelligence that fosters collaboration between teams and the various groups of scientists and logisticians working here," he shared.

The project examining the impact of solar activity on atmospheric processes in glacier drainage systems began in 2024. At 15 meters below the glacier’s surface, it is warm because the glacier, its cracks, and drainage systems retain heat, causing internal melting. "Even though we are in Antarctica, there is currently a flow of water, and you can drink directly from the glacier walls. This means the temperature is above freezing," he said.

Parov explained that this has remained unchanged in recent months. "According to our measurements and the sensors we have installed, the temperature here is always above freezing. Last year, we launched this project, and this year we expanded it to include two more glaciers – Johnson and Contell.

Why them? Because this glacier, Perunika, which is part of a large ice field called Balkan, is a continental glacier—very wide, with no clearly defined boundaries. Meanwhile, Contell and Johnson are alpine-type glaciers that are smaller, faster, and have a thick ice cover reaching up to 200 meters in the accumulation zone.

This makes them particularly interesting for research. We have already made discoveries – we have found a positive correlation between changes in solar activity, wind patterns, and temperatures within the glacier, both in the air and in the water flowing deep below us, some 80 meters down," Parov clarified.

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