by Zeno Saracino
08.01.2023 – 12.48 – The Italian research ship Laura Bassi set sail today from its last human destination, the port of Lyttelton, in New Zealand. It headed towards Antarctica where it will be used for three different research projects aimed at analysing the uncertain and changing scenario of the south pole. The ship will circumnavigate the entire Ross Sea and will conclude its Antarctic mission, back in New Zealand, after 60 days in March 2024. The journey is part of the 39th expedition to Antarctica financed by the Ministry of University and Research (MUR) as part of the National Antarctic Research Program (PNRA). The journey is managed by the Cnr for scientific coordination, by the ENEA for the planning and logistical organization of activities at the Antarctic bases and by the National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics – OGS for the technical and scientific management of the icebreaker Laura Bassi.
The icebreaker’s journey began last November 25 when it left the port of Naples to undertake a navigation of about 40 days. The icebreaker crossed the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, adopting all the required anti-piracy measures and sailing along the safe corridor under the umbrella of protection guaranteed by the Anglo-American military ships. At the end of December it arrived in Lyttelton for embark the staff who will carry out the research mission. Once loading operation were completed, on 6 January the ship departed from the port of Lyttelton towards the Ross Sea.
The research activities, specifically, will concern the „Tenore“ project (Terra Nova bay polynya high Resolution Experiment), coordinated by Giannetta Fusco of the University of Naples „Parthenope“ for the study of polynya zone (a mirror of sea water free from ice and surrounded by pack ice) of Terra Nova bay. The project „Signature“ (PhySIcal and bioGeochemical traciNg of wATer masses at source areas and export gates in the Ross Sea and impact on the SoUtheRn OcEan), coordinated by Pierpaolo Falco from the Politechnic University of Marche aims to analyse the main water masses of the Ross Sea from a biological, chemical and physical point of view. Lastly, the „MORsea“ project (Marine Observatory in the Ross Sea), coordinated by Giorgio Budillon of the University of Naples „Parthenope“ and Pasquale Castagno of the University of Messina for the management of the network of marine observatories positioned since 1994 in the Ross Sea.
In addition to the scientific activity, between January 21st and January 26th the ship will also unload the materials necessary for the functioning of the Mario Zucchelli Antarctic base, whereas the return to the port of Lyttelton in New Zealand is scheduled for the first days of March 2024. The icebreaker will carry two coolers containing ice cores extracted in the context of the international Beyond EPICA, coordinated by Carlo Barbante, director of the Institute of Polar Sciences of the CNR. The project aims, through the analysis of Antarctic ice, to reconstruct the climatic history of the Earth by going back in time 1.5 million years, to reveal information on the temperature and concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This year the ship will also support the marine research of the New Zealand scientific program by hosting 12 New Zealand researchers on board, an international collaboration of particular prestige for the PNRA.
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