Cover «First Day. 30 years of the Antarctic station Academician Vernadsky»

Thirty years ago, on February 6, 1996, the United Kingdom transferred the Antarctic station Faraday, later renamed Akademik Vernadsky, to Ukraine.  At the station, Ukrainians not only continued but also significantly expanded their research, adding comprehensive biological studies to geophysical and meteorological ones. Our scientists study almost the entire geosphere — from living organisms to climate, oceans, magnetic fields, and space weather. Research at Vernadsky continues year-round and did not stop even during the war with Russia and the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the observations at Ukraine's Vernadsky Station are the longest in Antarctica: climate data has been measured since 1947, the Earth's magnetic field since 1954, and ozone concentration since 1957. This research, which allows us to track changes on our planet, is an important contribution by Ukraine to global science. In addition to the Akademik Vernadsky station, Ukraine has an ice-class research vessel in Antarctica, the Noosphere, which provides logistics and conducts research, particularly within the framework of international cooperation.