site.btaEngineer at Bulgarian Antarctic Base Presents Device, Process of Creating Measurement System for Recording Atmospheric Parameters of Glaciers

Having worked as an engineer at the St. Kliment Ohridski Bulgarian Antarctic Base for five years, Peter Sapundzhiev presented a working frame-recording device and the process of creating a measurement system for recording the atmospheric parameters of glaciers. Speaking to BTA, Sapundzhiev shared that he dreams of "an infrastructure of measurement systems that cover as many parameters of our surroundings as possible and track the behaviour of glaciers".

The engineer presented the first installed prototype for collecting visual information through frames. In his words, he has designed the electronics that control the camera and make sure that it works autonomously throughout the year. "These electronics turn the camera on and off when it has to take a shot." The device runs on solar power using a photovoltaic system. "The battery charges during the lighter months of the year. Everything has been calculated so that it can work during the long, dark months of winter," Sapundzhiev added.

The box in which the camera is placed is made of aluminium and is hermetically sealed. "It is crucial that it is dry because if it is not, condensation forms on the glass when the temperatures are low and the footage gets distorted," the engineer noted. He added that there are two conditioning cables that connect the camera to another hermetically sealed box where the collected data is stored. "The next stage of the project is to obtain the footage remotely," Sapundzhiev said.

At the Bulgarian base, Sapundzhiev showed a few seconds of footage of the glacier that had been collected over seven months. "With this research method, we see the glacier from a perspective that is inaccessible to us," he said, adding that the movements of specific points on the glacier can be quantified if the images’ scale factors are determined. He noted the camera is placed at a location where snow does not accumulate.

"The following version is made of specially selected stainless steel. The device has a hermetic housing where the camera is placed," the engineer said, commenting on the second device he is working on. "It is a measuring system for reading atmospheric parameters - atmospheric pressure, temperature, humidity, and lighting. Cables connect the electronics to the lens with a 'service box' that works on solar power and stores collected data," Sapundzhiev further said.

The engineer said that when they open the Bulgarian Antarctic Base, the scientists place a wooden stand on the most dynamic and crevassed part of a nearby glacier. "We install a GPS on it and leave it to measure its location for weeks. This way, the movement of the glacier on which the stand is mounted can be determined," Sapundzhiev said, adding that this is the most accurate way to measure movement. He also pointed out some drawbacks, noting that the battery that powers the GPS has to be changed every few days and the device cannot be left running during the winter due to the poor weather conditions on Livingstone Island.

"I am taking initial steps in analyzing this data using a fluid motion analysis method. My ultimate goal is to create a more advanced and harsh-weather-resistant device that will be available all the time, and the footage taken can be used in the future. Seeing how the analysis methods are evolving, I believe that in ten years' time, the new generation of scientists will have an idea of what information to extract from this footage," Sapundzhiev said.

In his words, Antarctica is one of the most incredible research sites where the interconnection between different ecosystems is preserved. "We need to study each element of the whole separately to understand the overall processes. By combining the measurement systems and taking into account the data collected, we can better understand glaciers’ behaviour and how it is changing," Sapundzhiev noted.

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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.