site.btaBulgarian Researchers Find Two Types of Gold in Antarctica

During the national Antarctic expedition to Livingston Island, geologist Dr. Ralitsa Sabeva took field samples.

“The research project I am involved with investigates the Hurd Peninsula, Livingston Island - Antarctica. There are ore minerals that contain useful and valuable elements, mostly metals,” she said in an interview with BTA.  

The main metals found here are lead, zinc, copper and of course one of the most important precious metals - gold, the geologist explained.

"This project is a logical continuation of a previous project from 2022, when gold was first detected microscopically. Then, two types of gold were recorded - pure, without impurities, and the second - with silver content, which is called electrum. Based on these findings, a new two-year project was drawn up. This is the second year of the project. Last year, many places on the peninsula were covered. This year, we are looking at the so-called ore veins, which contain ore minerals and metals, such as Sali rock, especially in the area of the Bulgarian base," Sabeva said.

She added that ore veins were sampled during the day in typical Antarctic conditions and a lot of rock samples were collected. The main objective is to collect such samples from different veins, which will later be processed in different laboratories in Sofia.

"A number of analyses are carried out in order to identify characteristic chemical features of these materials, as well as the presence of other metals or minerals and more specific chemical elements," Sabeva explained. She also pointed out that minerals are usually not pure, often they contain specific elements, which in recent times are very important for the development of technology.

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During the 32nd Bulgarian expedition to Antarctica, which started on November 8, 2023, the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) is publishing interviews with Antarctic researchers. The Bulgaria-Antarctica BTA's Log again provides coverage of the voyage of the Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii to Antarctica and back and its stay there, as it did during the 31st expedition between December 27, 2022 and May 2, 2023. Back then, only BTA had a correspondent, Daily News Editor Konstantin Karagyozov, who covered the 127-day expedition with text, video and photos during the entire voyage (including across the Atlantic in both directions) and throughout the stay in Antarctica. In June 2023, BTA published in Bulgarian and in English an issue of its LIK magazine "To Antarctica and Back under the Bulgarian Flag" dedicated to the historic expedition.

Again, all of BTA's information on the Bulgarian scientific research in Antarctica and the support provided by the Bulgarian naval research vessel, as well as on the other activities at the Bulgarian Antarctic Base, will be available to all media outlets in Bulgarian and in English on BTA's website in the Bulgaria - Antarctica: BTA's Log section.

BTA has a National Press Club on board the ship and is planning to open a National Press Club at the Bulgarian Antarctic Base on Livingston Island.