Vernadsky Research Base: Google dedicates doodle to Ukrainian Antarctic Station

Google today dedicates a beautiful snowy doodle to the Vernadsky Research Base, which is a Ukrainian Antarctic Station located at Marina Point on Galindez Island of Argentine Islands. Today’s Doodle celebrates this historic station, which officially transferred from British to Ukrainian control on this day in 1996.

Vernadsky Research Base’s region is under territorial claim between three countries (more Territorial claims in Antarctica). It is the direct successor to the British Faraday base, which was first established as a meteorological observatory in 1947.

Today, Vernadsky Research Base is operated by a rotating staff of a dozen winterers. For about ten months at a time, each winterer endures extreme isolation (there is not a town within 1,000 nautical miles!) and sub-zero temperatures, all in the name of scientific progress.

National Antarctic Scientific Center of Ukraine is responsible for conducting the coordination and operational administration of the base. National Antarctic Scientific Center of Ukraine is the part of Ministry of Education and Sciences of Ukraine.

The operation-responsibility of Vernadsky Research Base station was taken over by Ukraine in February 1996. The UK sold it to Ukraine for a symbolic one pound. The cost of disassembling the base with good environmental practices and standards would be too costly.

The climate of the base is classified as marine subantarctic. It is strongly influenced by the surrounding Pacific Ocean, moderating winter and summer temperatures. The temperature during winter rarely comes down below −20 degrees Celsius owing to the warmer waters while in summer, the cool waters and snow cover causes temperatures to rarely reach above zero degrees Celsius.

Google honors the team members with a doodle today who are giving their endeavors to provide a better understanding of this constantly changing planet.

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