![COMNAP Larsemann Hills map 2012](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/COMNAP_Larsemann_Hills_map_2012.png)
The Law-Racoviță-Negoiță Station ( ro, Stația Law-Racoviță-Negoiță), known only as the Law-Racoviță Station () until 2011, is the first Romanian station for research and exploration in
Antarctica
Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest contine ...
, named after the Romanian explorer
Emil Racoviță
Emil Gheorghe Racoviță (; 15 November 1868 – 19 November 1947) was a Romanian biologist, zoologist, speleologist, and Antarctic explorer.
Together with Grigore Antipa, he was one of the most noted promoters of natural sciences in Rom ...
and inaugurated on January 13, 2006 at the location of a station constructed in 1986 by
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
and donated to
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
. The station may be found in
Princess Elizabeth Land
Princess Elizabeth Land is the sector of Antarctica between longitude 73° east and Cape Penck (at 87°43' east). The sector is claimed by Australia as part of the Australian Antarctic Territory, although this claim is not widely recognized.
Ge ...
, in the
Larsemann Hills
The Larsemann Hills are a series of low rounded coastal hills along the southeastern shore of Prydz Bay, Antarctica extending for from Dålk Glacier. They were discovered in February 1935 by Captain Klarius Mikkelsen from the whaling ship ''Tho ...
, away from China's
Antarctic Zhongshan Station
Zhongshan Station () is the second Chinese research station in Antarctica and was opened on February 26, 1989.
Overview
''Zhongshan Station'' is named after Sun Yat-sen, who served as the provisional first president of the Republic of China in 1 ...
.
Location
The Law-Racoviță-Negoiță Station is placed in a rocky area about from the Ingrid Christensen coast in Princess Elizabeth Land, in the Larsemann Hills of
East Antarctica
East Antarctica, also called Greater Antarctica, constitutes the majority (two-thirds) of the Antarctic continent, lying on the Indian Ocean side of the continent, separated from West Antarctica by the Transantarctic Mountains. It lies almost ...
, at the coordinates 69°23'18.61" S, 76°22'46.2" E.
It is located at a distance of 2 kilometers from
Zhongshan Station of China and
Progress Station
Progress (russian: Прогресс) is a Russian (formerly Soviet) research station in Antarctica. It is located at the Larsemann Hills antarctic oasis on the shore of Prydz Bay.
The station was established by the 33rd Soviet Antarctic Expe ...
of Russia, which permits considerable cooperation between these countries. The station is located from the capital of Romania,
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
.
Access to the station is made in one of two ways: via helicopter from
Davis Station
The Davis Station, commonly called Davis, is one of three permanent bases and research outposts in Antarctica managed by the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD). Davis is situated on the coast of Cooperation Sea in Princess Elizabeth Land, In ...
, approximately northeast, or by land from Zhongshan or Progress II.
History
In 1986, Australia constructed Law Station for polar research where Law-Racoviță-Negoiță now stands for the use of Australian researchers in the polar summer.
Explorer
Teodor Negoiță
Teodor Gheorghe Negoiță (September 27, 1947March 23, 2011) was a polar region explorer. In 1995 he became the first known Romanian explorer to reach the North Pole.
Biography
Negoiță was born on September 27, 1947 in the commune of Sascut ...
's attempt to develop a Romanian base in Antarctica began in 1997, when he began to present his work for the
Antarctic Treaty
russian: link=no, Договор об Антарктике es, link=no, Tratado Antártico
, name = Antarctic Treaty System
, image = Flag of the Antarctic Treaty.svgborder
, image_width = 180px
, caption ...
, which Romania ratified in 1971. No Romanian had previously contributed evidence of research. Following recognition of his research by polar researchers from other countries, no progress was made on the creation of a Romanian polar station until 2000, when Negoiță benefited from the honor of delivering the opening speech at the meeting of Antarctic Treaty nations in London, before delegations from 43 countries. The scope of this meeting entailed elaboration on a code of navigation in Antarctica, with special focus on the discussion of papers presented by Romania, the United States, and England. Negoiță presented the study "Directions on Antarctic maritime transport and protection of nature".
After two years of negotiations, during the 2005 meeting of the Antarctic Treaty in
Stockholm
Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...
, an agreement was signed through which Australia donated to the Romanian Antarctic Foundation and the Romanian Institute for Polar Research one of their research stations on the east coast of Antarctica, Law Station, which was originally renamed to Law-Racoviță Station, after Romanian explorer
Emil Racoviță
Emil Gheorghe Racoviță (; 15 November 1868 – 19 November 1947) was a Romanian biologist, zoologist, speleologist, and Antarctic explorer.
Together with Grigore Antipa, he was one of the most noted promoters of natural sciences in Rom ...
and placed under the directorship of Negoiță. The signing of this agreement took place in the presence of the Romanian and Australian ambassadors to each other's countries.
:''"After more than 100 years, I brought Racoviță back to Antarctica. I had the greatest satisfaction in my career when I acquired the base from the Australians. I was so emotional then that I couldn't even sign the treaty."''- Teodor Negoiță
Following the inauguration of the station in Antarctica, Teodor Negoiță made his thirteenth expedition to the polar region, celebrating two and a half months in the Antarctic, with his team of researchers (including the first Romanian women scientists in Antarctica, a biologist and biochemist on his team). They conducted research on the soil, sediment, and microorganisms of the continent.
On February 20, 2006, the station was officially handed over to Romania from Australia. Currently, it is open only in the "warm" season.
Following the death of Negoiță, on 9 December 2011, the station was renamed to Law-Racoviță-Negoiță Station.
The base
Law-Racoviță-Negoiță is constructed from anti-corrosive and insulating materials - a necessity in Antarctica - with one large laboratory building and five domed red dormitories, a radio station, and a deposit station for combustibles and other waste. The buildings are designed to adapt to the cold environment, fixed to small platforms which may be adjusted by foot, with a minimal impact on the environment. The building which serves as a laboratory is constructed from prefabricated panels, which require a minimum of time to assemble. The dormitories are red and constructed with a fiberglass exterior and polyurethane foam isolation on the interior, and windows constructed from double-paned polycarbonate. All waste produced is deposited in a receptacle evacuated daily by members of the expedition. The base is supplied by electric energy through a small gas generator and a solar panel. The nearby lake contains potable water, and water is also obtained from melting snow. Contact is maintained with other stations via a permanent VHF radio, powered by the solar panel. For contact elsewhere, every expedition has access to a satellite telephone.
Research
Law-Racoviță-Negoiță Station is named after
Philip Law, the first researcher to study East Antarctica;
Emil Racoviță
Emil Gheorghe Racoviță (; 15 November 1868 – 19 November 1947) was a Romanian biologist, zoologist, speleologist, and Antarctic explorer.
Together with Grigore Antipa, he was one of the most noted promoters of natural sciences in Rom ...
, the first Romanian to reach the continent of Antarctica, a scientist on the expedition of the ship
Belgica
Gallia Belgica ("Belgic Gaul") was a Roman province, province of the Roman Empire located in the north-eastern part of Roman Gaul, in what is today primarily northern France, Belgium, and Luxembourg, along with parts of the Netherlands and German ...
(1897-1899); and
Teodor Negoiță
Teodor Gheorghe Negoiță (September 27, 1947March 23, 2011) was a polar region explorer. In 1995 he became the first known Romanian explorer to reach the North Pole.
Biography
Negoiță was born on September 27, 1947 in the commune of Sascut ...
, an important figure for the establishment of the only Romanian station on Antarctica.
:''"It is a first for Antarctic research in Romania, a signatory country to the Antarctic Treaty in 1971, which gives us the right to use the territory in the extreme south in a peaceful way. (...) It is easier for a country in Romania's position to use an old base than to construct a new one."'' - Teodor Negoiță
Australia oferă României o bază de cercetare în Antarctica
The annual cost of use of this station by Romanian expeditions in the region is estimated at around 20,000 USD
The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
.
Law-Racoviță-Negoiță Station welcomed the first team of researchers in December 2006 at the beginning of the austral summer. The Romanian team undertook bioprospecting
Bioprospecting (also known as biodiversity prospecting) is the exploration of natural sources for small molecules, macromolecules and biochemical and genetic information that could be developed into commercialization, commercially valuable prod ...
, ecological
Ecology () is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere level. Ecology overlaps wi ...
, meteorological
Meteorology is a branch of the atmospheric sciences (which include atmospheric chemistry and physics) with a major focus on weather forecasting. The study of meteorology dates back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not ...
, seismic
Seismology (; from Ancient Greek σεισμός (''seismós'') meaning "earthquake" and -λογία (''-logía'') meaning "study of") is the scientific study of earthquakes and the propagation of elastic waves through the Earth or through other ...
, geomagnetic
Earth's magnetic field, also known as the geomagnetic field, is the magnetic field that extends from Earth's interior out into space, where it interacts with the solar wind, a stream of charged particles emanating from the Sun. The magnetic fi ...
, and radio
Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...
research.
The research program includes studies on polar law, biochemistry and biotechnology, pharmaceutical and agricultural research, hydrological and limnological studies, medical research, meteorology, and astro-climatic research. Data from these studies is analyzed in Romanian laboratories.
Law-Racoviță-Negoiță is privately funded by the Romanian Antarctic Foundation through the Romanian Institute of Polar Research.
See also
* List of Antarctic research stations
* List of Antarctic field camps
Many Antarctic research stations support satellite field camps which are, in general, seasonal camps. The type of field camp can vary – some are permanent structures used during the annual Antarctic summer, whereas others are little more than te ...
References
External links
Institutul Român de Cercetări Polare - Stația Law-Racoviță
* Maria Bărbulescu
''Gândul
''Gândul'' (, "The Thought") is a Romanian online newspaper published in Bucharest. It was founded in May 2005 by Mircea Dinescu, who used to write a daily editorial called "Vorba lu' Dinescu", and Cristian Tudor Popescu, who was also the editor- ...
'', August 12, 2005
* Mihail Lechkun
''România Liberă
''România liberă'' ("") is a Romanian daily newspaper founded in 1943 and currently based in Bucharest. A newspaper of the same name also existed between 1877 and 1888.
History and profile
The name ''România liberă'' was first used by a dai ...
, March 16, 2006
* Alexandra Olivotto
"Guvernul nu dă nici un pol pe românii de la Polul Sud"
''Cotidianul
image:Cotidianul.png, The logo used between 2003 and 2007
''Cotidianul'' (meaning ''The Daily'' in English) is a Romanian language newspaper published in Bucharest, Romania.
History and profile
Founded by Ion Raţiu, ''Cotidianul'' was first ...
''
* Mihaela Roman
"Tricolorul românesc s-a întors în Antarctica"
''Gândul
''Gândul'' (, "The Thought") is a Romanian online newspaper published in Bucharest. It was founded in May 2005 by Mircea Dinescu, who used to write a daily editorial called "Vorba lu' Dinescu", and Cristian Tudor Popescu, who was also the editor- ...
'', March 20, 2006
* Michael Stoddart
"The Inauguration of Law-Racovita Station"
''Australian Antarctic Magazine'', Spring 2006
COMNAP Antarctic Facilities
COMNAP Antarctic Facilities Map
{{DEFAULTSORT:Law-Racovita-Negoita Station
Outposts of Antarctica
Romania and the Antarctic
Buildings and structures completed in 2006
2006 establishments in Antarctica
Australia–Romania relations