Ten years Ecological Observatory Musala

published on 11/30/09 3:36 PM

Photo: bas.bg

At 2925 m above sea level, at Peak Musala, the highest one in the Rila Mountain, stands the best-equipped ecological observatory in Eastern Europe. Complete with state-of-the art metrological equipment and located at the highest peak in the Balkans, the observatory is unique. It was built in 1984 to replace the Space Station of the Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Following a few abortive attempts to rebuild the station the scientists from the Institute led by Prof. Yordan Stamenov, decided that a nuclear physics center could broaden its research basis. They suggested to the Ministry of Environment and Water to replace the space station with an ecological observatory.

More about Musala Ecological Observatory, from Prof. Yordan Stamenov: “The project was endorsed in 1997 and we received modest funding for the rebuilding of the station. In this way on 29 September 1999 the station reopened for researchers. Further financing was to come for the equipment. One of the project’s objectives was to make sure that information from the station would reach in real time the telecommunications center of the Institute for Nuclear Research and from there – be fed on the internet.”

With the installment of the first devices in the observatory under a joint French-Bulgarian project for environment monitoring and management, the first measurements of air pollution in Rila kicked off. This project was followed by three projects under framework programmes of the European Commission. Owing to financing under them, state-of-the-art equipment was bought for the observatory.

“We developed different areas of research simultaneously including research of the physicochemical composition of the atmosphere, space radiation and radio ecology. All this took place for three years. Currently the website of the ecological observatory displays 39 different parameters of the atmosphere in real time. This information is fed in the European network for monitoring of the radiation gamma background.”

Prof. Stamenov explains that the observatory stands in a place where the atmosphere is most suitable for observation in terms of cross-border transfer of pollutants. “The high-mountain systems are very sensitive and react to changes very quickly”, he explains.

“Devices measuring the space background have been developed by the Institute for the Nuclear Research at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences”, Prof. Stamenov explains. “Our purpose is to achieve maximum reliability of the system regardless of external conditions such as thunderstorms, electricity blackouts etc. We are aimed at an uninterrupted measurement process, and at an uninterrupted data flow. This is a way to answer a range of questions concerning climate change.”

The observatory has three labs and premises to accommodate three researches. Accommodation can be provided to 15 members of research expeditions, and a visitor center has been organized as well. Research conducted by the Musala Ecological Observatory includes not only scientists from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, but also their foreign colleagues from institutes and universities from France, Denmark, Germany, Russia and Luxembourg.

English version: Daniela Konstantinova

По публикацията работи: Darina Grigorova

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