NEW ZEALAND ANTARCTIC SOCIETY (INC) · 2017-07-26 · New Zealand's Antarctic research programme for 1983-84 includes the establishment of a base camp and other scientiﬁc and logistic

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published quarterly by theNEW ZEALAND ANTARCTIC SOCIETY (INC)

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(successor to 'Antarctic News Bulletin')

Vol. 10, No. 3. 111th Issue. September, 1983Editor: J. M. CAFFIN, 35 Chepstow Avenue, Christchurch, 5.

Address all contributions, inquiries etc. to the Editor.

CONTENTS

ARTICLESHALLETT STATION 95-96

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POLAR ACTIVITIESNEW ZEALAND

UNITED STATESAUSTRALIA

UNITED KINGDOMINDIA

WEST GERMANYSOVIET UNION

BRAZILJAPAN

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GENERALHANG GLIDING 115

READER WRITES 116-117POLE JOURNEYS 117

OBITUARIES 118-119ISSN 0003-5327

New Zealand Antarctic Society (Inc) 1978.3e reproduced in any>n of the publishers.

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ANTARCTIC September 1983

NEW ZEALAND PLANSFOR SEASON

New Zealand's Antarctic research programme for 1983-84includes the establishment of a base camp and other scientific andlogistic preparations for the first stage of the long-term offshore drilling project Cenozoic Investigations in the Ross Sea (CIROS). Nextyear two holes will be drilled into the seabed of McMurdo Sound atButter Point, New Harbour.

A study of Hallett Station, the joint United States-New Zealandstation established in 1957 and closed early in 1973, will be made todecide weather it can be used again as a scientific base. Mr R. B.Thomson, director of the Antarctic Division, who was station scientific leader at Hallett in 1960, will lead a joint New Zealand-UnitedStates group there in January, and a small team will remain to dosome preliminary tidying up and make another report on thefeasibility of re-opening the station.

New Zealanders will take part in orsupport projects with United States andJapanese scientists in the dry valleys andon Mt. Erebus. Five Japanese geochem-ists will work in the New Zealand programme and guest scientists from thePeople's Republic of China and Brazil,and a logistics expert from Uruguayhave been invited to participate. Professor Yoshime Ikeda, of the Institute ofOceanography, University of Sao Paulo,is the Brazilian visitor, and one of thetwo Chinese representatives is a womangeologist, Xie Youyu. The other Chinesevisitor is a power plant engineer.

This season the New Zealand programme will call on up to 200 scientistsand support staff. Most of the projectswill be undertaken in the McMurdoSound/dry valley region, and on RossIsland. But there will be an aerial surveyof Adelie and Emperor penguin coloniesalong the North Victoria Land coastlinefrom McMurdo Sound, and a remotegeological project in the Ohio Range ofcfie Hor&fc Mountains 550 km from theSouth Pole. New Zealand geophysicistswill take part in seismic cruises in theRoss Sea and off the coast of WilkesLand aboard the United StatesGeological Survey's research vesselSamuel P. Lee.

All the continuous long-term seismic,geomagnetic, ionospheric, and meteorological programmes will be maintainedat Scott Base. The Meteorological Service intends to expand its programme atthe base from 1984-85 onwards and atechnical officer will go south this summer to prepare for the installation ofspecialised instrumentation.

Scientists from five universities willundertake a number of field researchprojects listed elsewhere in this issue.Men and women from the AntarcticDivision, Ministry of Works andDevelopment, Geological Survey,Geophysics Division, Soil Bureau,Physics and Engineering Laboratory,Meteorological Service, Lands andSurvey Department, Ecology Division,Marine and Freshwater Science Division, and the Commission for theEnvironment will work on a wide rangeof projects. An Army construction teamwill continue the Scott Base rebuildingprogramme, and the Post Office riggerswill check aerial installations.

Logistic preparations for the firstyear's drilling next season will be themain objective in the long-term offshoredrilling project Cenozoic Investigationsin the Ross Sea (CIROS) this summer.Equipment and building materials

September 1983 ANTARCTIC

stored at Scott Base last season will bemoved to Butter Point across the sea iceof McMurdo Sound, and a camp will beerected there ready for occupation inSeptember next year.

CIROS, which is co-ordinated by theAntarctic Division and Victoria University of Wellington, is a geological drillingprogramme spanning two seasons. Nextsummer two holes will be drilled off Butter Point in New Harbour, and in1985-86 two more holes are proposedoff Cape Roberts near Granite Harbour.

To recover a stratigraphic record ofthe sediments in McMurdo Sound fromthe present day through to pre-glacialtimes, believed to be in the Cenozoic era60 million years ago, is the main purposeof CIROS. The objective is to drillthrough the seabed to a depth between280m and 500m. Study of the sub-bottom cores is expected to throw lighton the development of the Antarctic ice-sheet and the rise of the TransantarcticMountains. Scientific results will also behelpful in assessing hydrocarbons in theMcMurdo Sound area although that isnot the purpose of CIROS.

Preparations for CIROS this seasonbegan late last month when JohnSandys, the Antarctic Division campconstruction overseer and Gerald Taylor, an assistant maintenance officer,flew south. They will be followed nextmonth by nine more members of thelogistic team: Murray Wilson, KeithWhitehead (AMOs), Colin Poole, LarryWeller (drillers), three Geophysics Division drillers, Leon Olliver, Paul Carroll,and Dave Clemence, and two NewZealand Army drivers, Chris Mitchelland John Flintoft. In November JackHoffman, the Geophysics Division'sdrilling superintendent, will join theteam.

Every fortnight from this month during the summer season measurementswill be made of the sea ice thickness offCape Armitage, Butter Point, New Harbour, and Marble Point. Results of themeasurements which will be made byJohn Sandys and the two Scott Base doghandlers, Bill Eaton (1982-83) andAlasdair Roy (1983-84) will have a bearing on the use of tractor trains and other

heavy-weight operations on the sea icesuch as the annual tractor train journeyto Marble Point with supplies for VandaStation, CIROS drilling operations from1984 to 1986, and sledging routes forscientists working in McMurdo Sound.

Complementing CIROS this seasonwill be an international drilling programme in the Lower Taylor Valleydesigned to decipher the Late Cenozoicglacial history of the valley as reflectedin fluctuations of the Ross Ice Sheet.Three Americans, Drs Don Elston andHugh Reick (U.S. Geological Survey)and Gary Calderone, and Dr PaulRobinson (N.Z. Geological Survey) willwork with four New Zealand drillers,John Hay and Stephen Pilcher (Antarctic Division), Bruce Morris and WarwickPotter (VUW) on a combination ofgeological mapping and drilling withdetailed paleomagnetic, paleontological,and geochemical analyses to determinethe age, environment of deposition, andthe source of glacial drift sequences inthe Lower Taylor Valley.

Last season New Zealand drillersusing Antarctic Division equipmentdrilled a series of 60m holes betweenNew Harbour and Lake Bonney. Amajor part of the field work this seasonwill be to drill six holes between 40 and80 metres in the Lower Taylor Valley.Two will be in the 1982-83 drilling areaand four near Lake Fryxell. It is hopedthat at least two holes will penetratebeneath the sediments deposited by theRoss Ice Sheet onto the older fiordsediments beneath.

This project will also tie into studiesundertaken in the area by the Universityof Maine, Ohio State University, andgeochemical investigations by WaikatoUniversity, and the Japanese PolarResearch Association. Dr Chris Hendy,of the Waikato Antarctic research unit,and two of his geochemistry studentswill make detailed studies of exposedsediments in the Miers and TaylorValleys in association with the international programme.

Once again one of the most remoteprojects in the programme — ageological expedition to the Ohio Rangeof the Horlick Mountains 1422km from

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September 1

Ohio Range country: Flat-lying Beacon sediments can be seen at the top of 600mgranite cliffs on Darling Ridge in the Ohio Range of the Horlick Mountains where aCanterbury Museum geological expedition led by Margaret Bradshaw will work thisseason. High granite cliffs like these photographed on the first museum expedition in1979-80 are characteristic of the north-facing Ohio Range escarpment.

Photo: Margaret Bradshaw

Scott Base — will be led by Margaret view to explaining its origin, its greatBradshaw, the Canterbury Museum's thickness (300m) and effect on local icegeologist. In the 1979-80 season she and sheet movement. A detailed sedimen-two United States geologists and an tological study of the Mt GlossopterisAntarctic Division field leader spent 50 Formation is also planned.

Mtt^rhcs?oS rlwh-t thers r-,ty .srMta t i o n b u t a l s o s t u d y i n g t h e B u c k e y e g S G l o S S S ( S fiTillite, and Permian coal measures. J:6™.13,11 "Jiossoptens (tern ike) leaves' F o s s i l f r e s h - w a t e r b i v a l v e s a l s o c o l l e c t e d

This season Margaret Bradshaw, two were the first Permian bivalve fossilsother geologists, Jane Newman (Univer- ever found in the Transantarctic Moun-

Scott Base — will be led by MargaretBradshaw, the Canterbury Museum'sgeologist. In the 1979-80 season she andtwo United States geologists and anAntarctic Division field leader spent 50days sledging in the area, concentratingon the Lower Devonian Horlick Formation but also studying the BuckeyeTillite, and Permian coal measures.

This season Margaret Bradshaw, twoother geologists, Jane Newman (University of Canterbury) and Jonathan Ait-chison (Antarctic Division) and BillAtkinson, an Antarctic Division fieldleader and toboggan mechanic, willspend 10 weeks between November andJanuary in the remote Ohio Rangewhich lies at the southern end of theTransantarctic Mountains at 84 deg 45min S between 111 deg and 117 deg W,and rises to 3048m above the PolarPlateau. The United States NavyHercules aircraft which will put the teamin will have to land on the plateau at analtitude of 2590m.

On the second visit to the area whereUnited States scientists worked in the1960-61 and 1961-62 seasons themuseum expedition will amplify work onthe Devonian sequence, study theunusually thick (750m) coal-bearing Permian sequence, and fol low updiscoveries in the Buckeye Tillite with a

Between the Lackey Ridge, and theDarling Ridge (2350m) of the OhioRange there is a large patch of moraine-covered ice. On its way to Treves Butte(2100m) which was found to be inaccessible without helicopter support in1979-80, the expedition plans to searchfor meteorites ablated out of old ice.

Among the scientists of severalnations who will take part in the UnitedStates Geological Survey's internationalgeological/geophysical survey betweenNew Zealand and Antarctica aboard theresearch vessel Samuel P. Lee will be DrFred Davey, of the Geophysics Division.He will join one of the two seismiccruises to the Ross Sea and the WilkesLand coast area. Mr Bryan Davy, also ofthe Geophysics Division, may join theother cruise.


On the first leg of the survey theSamuel P. Lee will leave Lyttelton onDecember 28. She will cruise as close aspossible to the ice off Wilkes Land andis expected at McMurdo Station onJanuary 29. The second cruise in theRoss Sea area will begin from McMurdoStation on February 2 and end atLyttelton on March 2.

New Zealand's main base on the continent, Vanda Station, 130 km west ofScott Base in the Wright Valley, will beoperated all summer. Until the end ofJanuary the leader, Malcolm Mac-Farlane and his staff of three will support field parties working in the dryvalleys. They will also continue a programme of daily meteorological observations, record solar radiation, andmeasure wind, temperature and pressurevariations above the valley floor.

In addition to support for NewZealand and United States field partiesin the dry valleys or on the edge of thePolar Plateau Vanda will support thehydrology and glaciology programme inthe Taylor, Wright, and Victoria Valleysby Jeff Robertson, of the Ministry ofWorks and Development, assisted byBruce Mason, an Antarctic Divisionfield assistant. This team will continuethe monitoring programme that hasdocumented for the last 10 years longand short term climatic variations in thedry valleys.

Nine enclosed dry valley lakes (Vida,Vanda, House, Joyce, Bonney, Henderson, Hoare, Fryxell, and Don JuanPond) will be monitored as part of theshort-term studies. Temporary flumesand thermographs will be installed in theMeserve and Bartley melt water streamsto study the relationship between meltwater runoff and summer climate.

In the long-term studies mass balancemeasurements will be made on theHeimdall Glacier and the Wright LowerGlacier. In addition this year the stability of alpine glaciers will be investigatedby a study of the snout of the Upper Victoria Glacier.

During the last three seasons the NewZealand Geological Survey has installedand monitored a network of survey

markers round the summit caldera of MtErebus. The purpose has been to detectthe nature and rate of deformation inthe summit region with the aim ofestablishing a correlation betweeninflation/deflation and variations of theactivity in the volcano's lava lake.

Between late November and earlyDecember Steve Currie, a Ministry ofWorks and Development surveyor, andBrad Scott, of the Geological Survey,will continue the deformation study. AnAntarctic Division field assistant fromthe snowcraft and survival team will beresponsible for safety aspects.

New Zealand is still represented in theInternational Mt Erebus Seismic Study(IMESS), the United States-NewZealand-Japanese project to investigatethe seismicity and vulcanology ofErebus, but will not take part in work onthe mountain this season. But Scott Baselaboratory staff will still service theequipment which records signals fromthe network of seismograph stations setup on Mts Erebus and Terror. IMESSscientists from the United States andJapan will install two more permanentstations this summer, and eight to ninetemporary stations which will record information for 20 to 25 days.

New Zealand's Commissioner for theEnvironment (Mr K. W. Piddington)plans to gain first-hand knowledge ofAntarctica's environment this season.He will accompany two scientist whowill spend two weeks in November on apilot study of icebergs in the McMurdoSound — Ross Island area. This projecthas been partially funded by the corn-

Three scientists from the Soil Bureau,Dr Tom Speir, Jan Heine and ValerieOrchard, and Hans Konlechner, aUniversity of Canterbury botany student, will work at Cape Bird and in theWright Valley. The soil scientists willbuild on research into organic matter inthe soils of penguin rookeries which wasconducted in the 1981-82 season.

On site analyses will be made of thebiological and biochemical processes in

ANTARCTIC

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September 1983

guano-influenced soil material. Theresults will be compared with relativelysterile soils in the Wright Valley. Otherwork will include a soil survey of CapeBird, soil temperature and water contentmeasurements, and geomorphologicalstudies of rates and causes of slopemovement, and permafrost effects.

Because of their environmentalextremes and diverse productivity thestreams of the McMurdo Sound area areideal for a comparative study of streamecological processes. This study will bemade by three scientists from the Marineand Freshwater Science Division, DSIR.

Dr Warwick Vincent, his wife Connie,and Dr Clive Howard-Williams, willinvestigate four chemically andbiologically distinct stream systems, theOnyx River in the Wright Valley, theFryxell Stream in the Taylor Valley, thestreams of Lake Miers, and the streamsof Cape Bird/Harrison Bluff. They willalso measure aspects of nitrogen cyclingand controlling factors for primary production in Lake Miers.

To date little iceberg research has beenconducted in the Ross Sea. This seasonDr J.R. Keys, of the Commission for theEnvironment, and Dr M. McDonnell, ofthe Physics and Engineering Laboratory, will carry out a study in McMurdoSound to identify the sources of icebergsoff the Victoria Land coast, to determine the mechanisms by which thesebergs decay, and to obtain sedimen-tological information on any rockmaterial that they carry.

This season the event is a feasabilitypilot study directed to the developmentof a research programme to measurephysical characteristics, sample sediments, and monitor drift tracks of bergsin the McMurdo Sound/Ross Islandregion. This basic data will be used to interpret satellite imagery and associatedtechnology being developed by PEL.

A strain meter developed at the ScottPolar Research Institute will be used byPhysics and Engineering Laboratoryscientists to measure flexural waves generated by vehicles travelling on McMurdo Sound sea ice. Dr Bill Robinson,

Arnold Heine, and Tim Haskell, willalso measure stress versus strain rates,and grain size and orientation of sea iceand the ice of the Erebus GlacierTongue.

Three strain meters will be set up tomeasure the natural oscillations of theErebus Ice Tongue overa 12-monthperiod. Recording equipment will beplaced in the Scott Base laboratory and awave buoy will be placed in the sea nearthe end of the ice tongue in late January.

This season maintenance and supervision of the three historic huts on RossIsland will be continued by AntarcticDivision staff from Scott Base. Besidesbasic maintenance where necessary closesupervision and interpretative serviceswill be provided for visitors to the sites,including any tourist parties from cruiseships.

Of the nine scientists from othernations who will take part in the NewZealand programme this season five arefrom the Japanese Polar ResearchAssociation. Dr Tetsuya Torii and histeam will continue geochemical studiesin the dry valleys. With him will be DrsGenki Matsumoto and Tsurahide Cho,and Mr Tamio Kawane. A womangeochemistry student, Chisato Tomi-yama, who will work in the Miers andTaylor Valleys with a University ofWaikato team, is also sponsored by theassociation.

Assistance to a number of NewZealand and United States projects inthe McMurdo Sound area and the dryvalleys will be provided again by Landsand Survey Department surveyors. TonyHawke and David Manson will beassociated with the Scott Base rebuildingproject, control points for a detailedmap of the Cape Bird area, McMurdoIce Shelf and sea ice movement studies,the CIROS project, and the LowerTaylor Valley drilling programme.

This season another stage of the ScottBase rebuilding programme, whichbegan in the 1976-77 season, will beundertaken by the Antarctic Division,Ministry of Works and Development,and New Zealand Army tradesmen. Anadvance party flew south late last monthto make an early start on the internal


finishing of the fourth stage of the programme completed last season — a newcommand centre which houses generaladministration offices, the telecommunications system, and postal services.

Next month work will begin on thefifth stage — erection of the shell of thephysical sciences laboratory. Facilities atArrival Heights 3 km north of ScottBase will be rebuilt in the next two summer seasons. Replacement buildings willbe shipped south in January next year,but this season the only work plannedwill be preparation of the site and foundations.

Last season the mess block at VandaStation was upgraded and new sleepingquarters were built. These will be completed this summer, giving Vanda sleeping accommodation for 12 persons.

Since 1969 a windmill-driven generator system has provided power fordomestic lighting, radio, fire alarm, and

scientific instrumentation at Vanda. Theoriginal windmill was replaced in 1979.

In the 1980-81 season strong oscillating winds damaged the windmillblades beyond repair. Since then powerhas been provided during the summer bythree banks of solar cells.

Early this summer a new windgenerator mast will be sledged across thesea ice of McMurdo Sound to MarblePoint. It will be airlifted to Vanda byUnited States Navy helicopter.

As in past seasons an Antarctic Division field leader and two field assistantswill provide courses in basic snowcraftand survival techniques for UnitedStates and New Zealand air crews, aCoast Guard icebreaker crew, andAmerican and New Zealand researchand support staff. For the second summer a United States mountain instructor, David Lasorsa, will work with thethree New Zealanders.

More logistic flights by RNZAFNew Zealand's regular contribution to

the joint United States-New Zealandlogistics pool agreement will be increasedthis season. Royal New Zealand AirForce Hercules aircraft will make 14flights in Operation Ice Cube — twomore than last season — to support thetwo countries' research programmes.

Early next month United States AirForce Starlifters will begin the summer

Chinese visitorsLast season Mr Li Xiong Chaung,

deputy director of the Chinese LowTemperature Scientific Research Institute, spent several days in Antarcticato gain an insight into operations on thecontinent and the extent of NewZealand's science and support role. Hewas accompanied by an interpreter, MrZhou Changlin.

Mr Wu Heng, director of the ChineseNational Antarctic Research Committee, and the deputy director, Mr GuoKung, did not go south as reported inthe June issue of "Antarctic". They remained in New Zealand.

airlift of men and materials fromChristchurch to McMurdo Station. Theywill be joined between early Novemberand December by RNZAF Hercules aircraft which will complete their flightsbefore the sea ice runway in McMurdoSound is closed for operations.

Two RNZAF helicopter crews will beattached to the United States Navy'sVX-E6 Squadron and will fly on supportmissions as in past seasons. The RNZAFwill also have a team flying in thesquadron's Hercules aircraft throughoutthe summer. New Zealand Army andRNZAF cargo handling teams will alsocontribute to the logistic pool. They willwork at Christchurch and on theMcMurdo Sound sea ice and WilliamsField ice shelf runways.

Prior warningThis year's midwinter day has passed

but the Otago-Southland Old AntarcticExplorers' group has given early noticeof a midwinter dinner next year at LakeOhau. The date is June 16, 1984. For additional information write to GarthVarcoe, P.O. Box 13247, Christchurchor Ron Garrick, 46 Norton Street, Gore.


Winter team at Scott BaseOne of New Zealand's most experi

enced mountaineers, Mr N. D. Hardie,who worked twice in Antarctica duringthe 1960s, has been appointed officer-in-charge at Scott Base for the 1983-84summer season of the New Zealand Antarctic research programme. The deputyofficer-in-charge will be Mr E. J. Saxby,who has spent four summers in Antarctica since 1974.

Norman Hardie, who is 58, is a Christchurch civil engineer. He first wentsouth in 1962 when he was one of a teamof six experienced New Zealand mountaineers who trained United States fieldparties in snowcraft and survival. In1967 he was deputy leader and surveyorin the expedition led by Sir EdmundHillary, which made the first ascent ofMt Herschel (3335m) in the AdmiraltyRange near Cape Hallett.

Since 1955 Norman Hardie has madenine visits to the Himalaya. He was amember of the British expedition whichmade the first ascent in 1955 of theworld's third highest mountain, Kang-chenjunga (8598m) in Nepal. On latervisits he has climbed with Sir EdmundHillary's expeditions, and as a directorof the Himalayan Trust since 1964 hasworked with him in the establishment ofschools and hospitals in Nepal.

Vanda Station's leader next summerwill be Mr M. MacFarlane, of Hamilton.He is a 27-year-old research scientistwith the Ministry of Agriculture andFisheries.

Ten men have been selected to winterat Scott Base through 1984. Six of themen are from the North Island and fourfrom the South Island. Their ages rangefrom 22 to 40.

Members of the winter team are:t. Vardy (31), Auckland. Base

engineer. He is a mechanic with a motorfirm.

I. MacDonald (25), Christchurch.Chef. He is a supervising chef with aChristchurh hotel, wine, and spirit firm.

I. Sayers (40), Hamilton. Postmaster.

M. Kennett (24), Dunedin. SeniorPost Office technician.

B. Hobern (30), Cambridge. Electrician. He is a Ministry of Energy technician.

A. Pallesen (22), Rotorua. Mechanic.He is a diesel mechanic with the ForestService at Kaingaroa.

C. Fry (25), Christchurch. Technician. He works for a Christchurch electronics firm.

R. Holwerda (25), Wellington.Technician. He is a test technician withA.W.A. (N.Z.) Ltd.

J. Ireland (22), Auckland. Technician. Corporal Ireland is an avionicstechnician with the Royal New ZealandAir Force.

A. Roy (30), Ashburton. Field leader/dog handler. He is a musterer.

NORMAN HARDIE


SUMMER RESEARCH PROJECTSThis summer New Zealand scientists will work in the Horlick

Mountains only 550km from the South Pole, from a United Statesresearch ship in the Ross Sea, and on Ross Island. Others will work inMcMurdo Sound, on Mt Erebus, and in the dry valleys of VictoriaLand. A special team will work at Cape Hallett on a plan to clean upthe joint United States-New Zealand research station which wasclosed in 1973. They and the scientists are all members of field partiesin the Antarctic research programme for the 1983-84 season. Including support, logistic, and construction activities, the programmewill call on the services of more than 200 men and women.

Research projects will be conductedby scientists from five New Zealanduniversities, and the research programme will also draw on staff from theAntarctic Division, Ministry of Worksand Development, Geological Survey,Geophysics Division, Physics andEngineering Laboratory (GeophysicsObservatory), Soil Bureau, EcologyDivision, Division of Marine andFreshwater Science, Lands and SurveyDepartment, Meteorological Service,Commission for the Environment,Canterbury Museum, Post Office, NewZealand Army and Royal New ZealandAir Force. New Zealand scientists willalso work with guest scientists from thePeople's Republic of China and Brazil,and a fourth foreign visitor will be alogistcs expert from Uruguay.

Men and women in the programmewill work at or from Scott Base, on thesea ice in McMurdo Sound, at CapeBird, Cape Royds, and Cape Armitage,and in the dry valleys. One team will be550km from the South Pole in the OhioRange of the Horlick Mountains. NewZealanders wil l also work withAmericans and Japanese in the dryvalleys and at the summit of Erebus.

Vanda Station in the Wright Valley130km from Scott Base will be operatedagain this season by a team of three menled by Mr Malcolm MacFarlane. Theywill provide logistic support for NewZealand, United States, and Japanesefield parties, and also meteorological information. Field stations at Lake Fryxellin the Taylor Valley and at Cape Birdwill also be used by New Zealand fieldparties.

Last season the mess block at Vandawas upgraded and new sleeping quarterswere installed. The sleeping quarterswhich have room for 12 persons will becompleted during the summer.

MALCOLM MacFARLANEThere are 14 women in the pro

gramme this season — the largestnumber since New Zealand researchbegan in the Ross Dependency. Ten arescientists, including a Japanese guestgeochemistry student and a Chinesegeologist Xie Youyu. Four other womenwill work at Scott Base.

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H IANTARCTIC September 1983

Two geologists will work in the OhioRange. Margaret Bradshaw will lead thesecond Canterbury Museum expeditionto the area, and her team will includeJane Newman, of the University ofCanterbury.

Studies of organic matter in soils ofpenguin rookeries will be made at Capeby a Soil Bureau team which includesJan Heine and Valerie Orchard. Theteam will also work in the Wright Valley.The Japanese geochemistry student,Chisato Tomiyama, will join the University of Waikato expedition in the Miersand Taylor Valleys, with Jan Clayton-Greene and Fiona Judd.

Connie Vincent, of the Marine andFreshwater Science Division, D.S.I.R.,with her husband and Dr Clive Howard-Williams, will study the plant ecology ofSouth Victoria Land streams in the dryvalleys and at Cape Bird. A biologist,Lynda Logan, will work on Ross Islandwith Dr Laurence Greenfield, of thebotany department, University ofCanterbury, and will take part in censuses of Adelie penguins at Cape Birdand Cape Royds, and studies of skuasand other birds for the InternationalSurvey of Antarctic Seabirds (ISAS).

Sue O'Dowd will be the informationofficer at Scott Base for the summer,and Veronica Paton and Debbie Watsonwill do general duties. For the fourthseason the Post Office will have awoman clerk at the base. She is BronwynHutchings.

SCOTT BASEN. D. Hardie, Christchurch. Officer-

in-charge.E. J. Saxby, Christchurch. Deputy

officer-in-charge. Eric Saxby was anassistant maintenance officer at the basein 1974-75, and in 1975-76 worked withUnited States salvage teams on therecovery of wrecked Hercules aircraft atDome C in Wilkes Land. He was incharge at Vanda in 1977-76, and in the1981-82 season was the New Zealandbase camp representative in the UnitedStates-New Zealand-Australia expedition which worked in Northern VictoriaLand.

G. Stockman, Storekeeper.N. Smith, Auckland. Mess manager.M. Cleeton, Auckland. Chef.B. Telfer, Upper Hutt. Assistant

maintenance officer/carpenter.I. Hodgkinson, Nelson. Assistant

maintenance officer/mechanic.D. C. Emett, Christchurch. Assistant

maintenance officer.C. Mitchell, Hunterville. Assistant

maintenance officer.R. Ridley, Ohakea. Meteorological

observer.Sue O'Dowd, Hawera. Information

officer.Veronica Paton, Rotorua. General

duties.Debbie Watson, Wellington. General

duties.Bronwyn Hutchings, Invercargill.

Post Office clerk.B. Reeks, Palmerston North. Post

Office technician.

VANDA STATIONM. MacFarlane, Hamilton. Officer-

in-charge.K. E. Meyer, Hamilton. Assistant

maintenance officer.M. Fraser, Wellington. Meteorological

technician.P. Sampson, Christchurch. Field

assistant.University projects are outlined

elsewhere. Other projects and their participants are:

Ministry of Works and Development.Hydrology and glaciology in dry valleys.J. Robertson and B. Mason (field assistant).

Canterbury Museum. Geology of theOhio Range. Margaret Bradshaw(leader), Jane Newman, Jonathan Ait-chison (geologists), W. Atkinson (fieldleader). Geological Survey. Deformation survey of Mt Erebus. S. Currie(MOWD), B. Scott (Geological Survey).


Geophysics Division. Seismologicalstudies by Scott Base laboratory staff.Soil Bureau. Studies of penguin rookerysoils at Cape Bird, and comparison withWright Valley soils. Dr T. Speir, JanHeine, Valerie Orchard (Soil Bureau),H. Konlechner (botany department,University of Canterbury).

Physics and Engineering Laboratory.Measurements of strain and movementof McMurdo Sound sea ice and ErebusGlacier Tongue. Dr W. Robinson, T.Haskell, A. Heine and Scott Baselaboratory staff.

Joint project with Commission forEnvironment on physical characteristics,sediments, and drift tracks of icebergs inMcMurdo Sound/Ross sea region. DrH. R. Keys (Commission for the Environment). Dr M. McDonnell (PEL),K. Piddington (Commissioner for theEnvironment).

Continuation of upper atmospherestudies at Scott Base and ArrivalHeights. Visits to field magnetic stationsat Cape Evans, Cape Royds, andVanada Station. C. Roper, P. Johnston,Scott Base laboratory staff.

Ecology Division. Aerial survey ofAdelie and Emperor penguin colonies,North Victoria Land coast and CapeRoyds. R. Taylor, Dr P. Wilson.

Marine and Freshwater Science Division. Plant ecology of streams in dryvalleys and at Cape Bird. Drs W. Vincent and C. Howard-Williams, ConnieVincent.

Lands and Survey Department. Twosuveyors will provide survey assistancefor New Zealand and United States fieldevents in McMurdo Sound region anddry valleys, and begin control work for anew topographical map of Cape Bird.A. Hawke, D. Manson.

Meteorological Service. Observationprogrammes at Scott Base and VandaStation. Joint atmospheric turbidityproject with University of Alaska.

Antarctic Division. Monitoring movement of McMurdo Ice Shelf with Landsand Survey team.

Annual Adelie penguin census at CapeRoyds, a site of special scientific interest, by Scott Base staff in November,December, January.

Maintenance and supervision ofhistoric huts on Ross Island. Scott Basestaff.

Snowcraft and survival training forNew Zealand and United States staff. L.Main (field leader), K. West and P(field assistants).

For the 11th successive season ScottBase staff will continue at the base andArrival Heights the University ofCanterbury mechanical engineering department's project to determine the effect and degree of atmospheric corrosion on aluminium.

Antarctic Division-Victoria Universityof Wellington. Continuation of long-term study of the effects of stress andisolation on Scott base winter teams

Taylor,International projects. These are pro

jects on which New Zealanders will workwith representatives of other nations orwith guest scientists in the New Zealandprogramme.

Cape Hallett assessment. A NewZealand and American team will assessthe condition of the joint UnitedStates-New Zealand station at CapeHallett which was closed in 1973.

Ross Sea seismic cruises. One NewZealand scientist, Dr F. Davey(Gephysics Division) will join Americanscientists aboard the U.S. GeologicalSurvey's seismic research vessel SamuelP. Lee on a geological-geophysicalsurvey between New Zealand and Antarctica.

Taylor Valley glacial geology. UnitedStates and New Zealand scientists willstudy the late Cenozoic glacial history ofthe lower Taylor Valley. Drs D. Elston,H. Rieck (U.S. Geological Survey), C.Hendy (University of Waikato), drillersJ. Hay, S. Pilcher (Antarctic Division),B. Morris, W. Potter (Victoria University of Wellington).


UNIVERSITY PLANS

Granite Harbour sedimentstudies

Studies of seafloor sediments in Granite Harbour, basement rocksin the Transantarctic Mountains, and glacial deposits in the TaylorValley, are among projects to be carried out by university scientistsduring the New Zealand research programme this season. Otheruniversity parties will study marine organisms in glacial melt watersoff Cape Bird, and investigate the precipitation of electrons in theD-region of the ionosphere.

Five universities — Auckland, Vic- Ross Sea ice sheets and, if possible, totoria, Canterbury, and Otago — will establish the chronology back beyondcontribute teams to this summer's pro- the 200,000 years aready available fromgramme. They will work with scientists surface exposures,from the United States and Japan. Twogeo log is ts f rom the Un ivers i t y o f MARINE RESEARCHCanterbury will be with a Canterbury Thjs summer scientists from threeMuseum expedition to the Horlick universities win be concerned with An-Mountains 550km from the South Pole. tarctjc fjsh and marine animals under the

Waikato University's 14th expedition sea ice of McMurdo Sound and in thewill work in the Miers and Taylor waters off Cape Bird. An AucklandValleys and the Asgard and Olympus University group will continue itsRanges. Dr Chris Hendy's team will beassociated with the international drillingproject in the Lower Taylor Valleywhich will be carried out be scientistsfrom the New Zealand GeologicalSurvey and the United States GeologicalSurvey, Arizona.

Geomorphic processes in the TaylorValley and the Asgard and OlympusRanges will be studied by L. Gaylor, W.R. Doolin, and D. Bailey. Led by DrMike Selby, the group will examineglacial and periglacial deposits and processes, slope forms and slope development, and the influence of rock strengthand joints upon slope development.

In association with drilling of coresamples by the Lower Taylor Valley project Dr Hendy and three geochemistrystudents, Jan Clayton-Greene, FionaJudd, and Chisato Tomiyama (JapanesePolar Research Association) will makedetailed studies of surface exposures ofUpper Qaternary glacial-lacustrine sediments. The primary objective is toelucidate the invasion of the dry valleysby ice and meltwaters from successive

research into the neurobiology andrespiratory physiology of fish which willbe caught through holes in the sea ice.The group will use a fish hut at locationsoff Pram Point and Cape Armitage.

From late October to the middle ofDecember Dr John MacDonald and DrRufus Wells will continue the work theyhave done for several seasons. Withthem will be Drs John Montgomery, M.Paulin, and William Davison (zoologydepartment, University of Canterbury).

Three investigators under the direction of Dr Montgomery will recordresponses to movement from the fish inner ear and possible from other components of the vestibulo-ocularpathway. A second project will be torecord responses to temperature stressand hypoxia in species of Trematomus.

A third project started in 1981 will becontinued after the completion of thefirst two projects. Two or threemembers of the team will measure, tag,and release fish in an area just west ofCape Royds. They will assess growth


and age structure of the population, andattempt to determine population sizeand mobility.

BLOOD SAMPLESSamples from the University of

Auckland programme will be used by aVictoria University of Wellingtonbiochemist, Cam Falkner. He will takeblood samples from Antarctic cod andseparate the enzyme glutathioneS-transferase. This enzyme is importantin p ro tec t ing b lood f rom co ldtemperatures, and also acts as a defencemechanism against toxic substances.

Studies of the enzyme will be made todetermine why it is cold resistant andhow much it is a detoxification agent.The studies may reveal the extent towhich toxic agents such at DDTassumulate in species such as Antarcticcod which are higher in the Antarcticfood chain.

Four scientists from the University ofOtago departments of physiology andzoology will spend a month at Cape Birdexamining the population sizes anddynamics of marine organisms in theglacial melt waters, and testing the waysin which they withstand freezing. DrJohn Leader (physiology) and AlastairInnes, (zoology) and Robert Scott andPeter Ashworth (physiology) will makemicroscopic examinations of selectedspecies to determine the effects of different rates of freezing and thawing onsurvival. They will also observe thegrowth and behaviour of ice crystalsduring freezing to gain some insight intothe mechanisms involved.

SEAFLOOR SEDIMENTTwo teams from the 28th Victoria

University of Wellington Antarctic Expedition (VUWAE-28) will be in thefield early this season. In October bothwill work in the Granite Harbour areaon projects in the New Zealand earthscience programme.

For the last three years parties led byAlex Pyne have been carrying out asystematic investigation of seafloorsediments in different parts of McMurdoSound. In the 1981-82 and 1982-83seasons their studies extended into

Granite Harbour, a deep basin separatedfrom the rest of the Ross Sea, and thusvirtually a closed system. As a result itrepresents an important study area forsedimentary processes and developmentof a sediment budget.

If the sea ice is safe and a suitableroute can be found across McMurdoSound to Marble Point and GraniteHarbour late this month by a CIROSreconnaissance team, an attempt will bemade next month to transport the VUWheated sampling wannigan on a tractor-drawn sledge to Granite Harbour. Usingmotor toboggans the party will put sediment traps in position in the GraniteHarbour area where they will remain until the project ends.

With Alex Pyne, a veteran of sixprevious expeditions, are Tony McPher-son and Paul Currie of the VUW Antarctic Research Centre, and John Watson, an Antarctic Division mechanic andfield assistant. Three members of theparty will fly south next month. PaulCurrie will follow early in November.

BEDROCK STUDIESField work on the first stage of the

VUW Antarctic Research Centre'sthree-year programme of bedrockstudies of the Transantarctic Mountainswill begin next month. Using their ownmotor toboggan support Paul Fitzgerald(leader) and Mark Webster will work inthe Granite Harbour area with AlexPyne's team until November.

With United States Navy helicoptersupport the team will work at a numberof sites in the dry valleys duringDecember and January. These sites areLower Victoria Glacier, Mt Barne, MtDoorly, Ferrar Glacier, and Lake Vida.

Field-oriented bedrock studies aredesijding of the Transantarctic Mountains.They will cover (1) detailed mapping andstructural analysis of key areas forunderstanding relationships betweenbasement rock units; (2) detailed mapping and fission-track dating to determinethe style and history of tectonism at theTransantarctic Mountain Front; (3)paleogeology and tectonics of the RossSea region during Beacon sedimentation.

£g£39Pgg9

ANTARCTIC

i ;; iSeptember 1983

A project on the precipitation of electrons in the D-region of the ionospherewill be conducted at Scott Base, ArrivalHeights, and Vanda Station, by DavidBoteler and Robin Willink, of the VUWphysics department with the assistanceof base laboratory staff. The team willspend one week in December at Vandaconducting a preliminary magnetictel-luvic survey, using instruments run bysolar panels.

Radio receivers will be installed andoperated at Scott Base to record whistlers (dispersed sets of radio frequenciestravelling through the magnetospherefrom one hemisphere to another). Fromthese recordings it will be possible to investigate the spacial extent of electronicprecipitation in the D-region, check onthe "Tr impi effect" ( large VLFamplitude changes that occur in the Antarctic), and examine the ways frequencies are transmitted through theionosphere.

Once again the University of Canterbury physics department team headed byDr Andre von Biel will continue the investigation of the normal and disturbedionosphere D-region. This project isplanned to last 10 to 15 years (at leastone solar cycle).

A high-powered transmitter at ScottBase which sends pulses into the atmosphere, and a receiving antenna array atArrival Heights, are used for a numberof experiments. The major experimentsare the study of ionospheric winds,D-region electron density profiles on adiurnal and seasonal basis, and the effect of the polar ice-cap on absorptionand ionisation.

This season the work will includechecking equipment and instruments,calibration, installation of new electronics, and month reporting of resultsto New Zealand. Drs von Biel andGraeme Fraser, and two technicians,Ray Borrell and Ross Ritchie will checkexisting equipment and install newequipment; operation and regular reporting will be done by base laboratorystaff.

As part of the New Zealand contribution to this season's programmes of the

International Survey of Antarctic Sea-birds (ISAS) a team from the Universityof Canterbury will undertake a census ofthe Cape Bird colony. Dr LaurenceGreenfield of the botany department,and Lynda Logan, will also visit CapeRoyds early in December during the census of the Adelie rookery there whichwill be carried out on four visits betweenOctober and January by Scott Basestaff.

Work at Cape Bird where the penguincensus has been done since 1965 will include recording penguin band numbersand banding of untagged birds, morebanding of skuas, and reading skuabands. Systematic observations of otherbirds and mammals will also be made.

Dr Greenfield will also inspect againthe experimental site of Keble Valley,Cape Bird, where he has been investigating re-colonisation by macro andmicro flora and fauna. Last season heprepared small oil-contaminated plots ofground to determine the long-term effects of oil on the biology of soils inAntarctica.

Pole all at seaSeventy-four years ago Douglas

Mawson, Edgeworth David, and ForbesMacKay were the first and only personsto stand at the South Magnetic Polewhich they reached on January 16, 1909.They fixed its position (72.4deg S/155.3deg E in Victoria Land) by directmeasurements.

Since then the SMP position has beendetermined only from analyses of globalmagnetic observatory and survey results.From an analysis made in 1980 by scientists from the Australian Bureau ofMineral Resources the SMP is estimatednow to be about 1000km north-west ofMawson's location, some 100km out tosea from the French station, Dumontd'Urville.

In the short-term the SMP, which appears to have been almost stationarysince about 1965, us unlikely to moveonshore. How it will move in the futureis unknown.

ANTARCTIC

Plan to clean up closedHallett Station

Ten years of exposure to gales, snow and ice drift, have left HallettStation, one of the original International Gephysical Year stations, ina poor condition. Operated jointly by the United States and NewZealand from 1957 to 1965 the station was closely permanently in1973.

Since then buildings have been damaged beyond repair; heavymachinery and tools are badly rusted, and food in cans has becomeinedible or unpalatable because of rust and damp. Most items ofvalue were removed when the station was closed; what remains continues to deteriorate. In addition seepage of oil from drums and nearthe main fuel tank which still holds 55,000 gallons, represents apotential environmental hazard.

Last season a New Zealand biologicalresearch team which worked for twomonths at Cape Hallett also made acomplete inventory/status report on thestation. The report covered the presentcondition and possible future use of thebuildings, the state of their contents,seepage from fuel drums, and thedistribution of waste materials.

As a result of this report a UnitedStates-New Zealand team of four led byMr Garth Varcee, the Antarctic Division's buildings officer, will spend twoto three weeks at Hallett Station inJanuary. The team will travel to CapeHallett aboard the United States CoastGuard icebreaker Polar Sea and willreturn to McMurdo Station aboutJanuary 31. It will make initial assessments of the present state of the station,deal with the leaking fuel drums, andprepare a plan for a major operation toclean up the station in the 1984-85season.

Located some 643km north of Scottation was built in 1956- sum-

-, uorth end of Seabee Spit (now.look) a low recurved spit in

Moubray Bay which projects aboutl west of the high rocky ridge form

ing Cape Hal let t . "Thi r ty d i r tySeabees" of the United States Navy'sMobile Construction Battalion I completed the building construction in sixdays.

Like all the "Seven Cities of Antarctica" established by the United Statesfor IGY Hallett Station was built in ahurry and under extreme difficulties.The United States Coast Guardicebreaker Northwind and the cargo shipArneb arrived off Cape Hallett onDecember 29 with men, equipment, supplies, and machines to establish the station.

A site of 1.6 hectares was selected forthe station on the spit but it was in themiddle fo an Adelie penguin rookery.Carl Eklund, the biologist who wasscience leader at Wilkes Station for IGYhad estimated in November that therookery contained 65,000 breedingpairs; a non-scientific estimate of thetotal population put it at some 150,000.

There was no other suitable site so adecision was made to relocate some6,000 of the rookery occupants. OnDecember 30 United States, NewZealand, and Australian scientists andmen from the two ships were landed bvhelicopter to begin OperationLift under the supervision of an ornithologist. Some protesting pentried to return; they were kept out firstby a netting fence. It was blown down bya storm and had to be replaced by a barricade of diesel fuel drums.

Operations were halted on New Year'sEve by a 60-knot gale. Both ships were

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ANTARCTIC

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September 1983

battered savagely by wind and ice fornearly 24 hours. By late January 1 theArneb was badly flooded because ofholes punched in her hull by ice, and theNorthwind was minus a blade from herstarboard propeller.

But the storm blew the ice out ofMoubray Bay, and the ships were able toanchor 91m from the beach. Shore fastice was blasted out by Navy frogmen,and on January 2 landing craft began toshuttle cargo to the beach. Seabeesswarmed over the site, and prefabricatedpermanent buildings were hammeredtogether almost overnight.

FIRST THREEOn January 9 six days after construc

tion began the Northwind and the Arnebwere under way for McMurdo Soundwhere the full extent of the damage toboth ships could be assessed. Behindthem they left a winter team of 11Americans and three New Zealanders,two years' supply of food, huge stocksof books, films, records, and otherrecreational equipment.

First New Zealanders to winter atHallett Station were C. E. Ingham, J. G.Humphries and M. W. Langevad. Theirscientific work attracted little public attention back in New Zealand; everyonewas more interested in Scott base,Hilary, and the South Pole. But like themen who spent their first winter at Scottbase they also were awarded the PolarMedal.

Between 1957 and 1964 another 21New Zealanders wintered at Hallett. Thestation was maintained logistically bythe United States and New Zealand wasresponsible for programmes in iono-spherics, seismology, geomagnetism,and the greater part of the auroral programme. Every second year a New Zea-lander was station scientific leader. Theleaders were: J. A. Shear (U.S.). 1957;K. W. Salmon (N.Z.), 1958; R. Roberts(U.S.). 1959; R. B. Thomson (N.Z.),1960; R. W. Titus (U.S.), 1961; C. B.Taylor (N.Z.), 1962; H. Freimanis(U.S.), 1963; N. M. Ridgway (N.Z.),1964.

On March 6, 1964 a disastrous firecompletely destroyed the main scientific

building and the equipment operated bythe three New Zealanders each year. Until 1973 the station was occupied only inthe summer months, chiefly by UnitedStates scientists engaged in biologicalresearch. It was also a communicationsand weather reporting station on the airroute between Christchurch andMcMurdo Station.

SIAMESE CATIn its first year Hallett Station proudly

claimed the only fur-lined lavatory seatin Antarctica — built by one of the NewZealanders of course. The next year ayoung Siamese cat named Poppaeawintered at the station and then went tolive in the United States instead of backin New Zealand. An unusual visitor in1958 was a German Shepherd dog whicharrived beside the pilot on the flight deckof a United Navy C47 (Dakota).

Two New Zealand hedgehogs arrivedduring the 1961-62 season as stowawaysfrom Lyttelton aboard the United StatesCoast Guard icebreaker Eastwind.While ashore they were temporary petsof the New Zealanders. Their visit lastedonly a few days; the Eastwind's captaindecided they were superfluous crew. Thestation was in the news again in 1963when a United States scientist succeededin growing Kentucky bluegrass out in theopen, and in 1964 one of the last threeNew Zealanders, Neville Green, rescuedhis young budgerigar from the fire. Thebird thus missed the chance of winteringin Antarctica.

Hallett Station had some more seriousevents in the days when it was a permanent base all the year round. It was thefirst in Antarctica to recognise in itsauroral records during the 1958 winterthe effect of nuclear bomb tests in thePacific.

Hallett's most serious emergencycame on October 16, 1958. A UnitedStates Air Force Globemaster on a flightfrom Christchurch hit a hill 48km to thenorth when coming in for an airdrop tothe station. Six of the men aboard werekilled in the crash. The New Zealandersjoined their American colleagues inhelping to rescue the survivors.


U.S. PROGRAMME

West Antarctic ice sheetproject

A three-year study of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, which willbegin this season, is one of the major projects in the United StatesAntarctic Research Programme. Glaciologists will work from fieldcamps along the Siple Coast on the east side of the Ross Ice Shelf toobtain more information about the ice sheet's stability, its responseto climatic changes, and its relationship to global climate.

This season more of the 90 projects inthe programme than usual will be undertaken from research vessels or supportedby Coast Guard icebreakers. The G. W.Melville, operated by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, will work in theWeddell Sea and the Indian Ocean, theUnited States Geological Survey's

nuel P. Lee will make an international1/geophysical survey between

iuw Zealand and Antarctica, theNational Science Foundation's Hero willsupport marine biology projects in theAntarctic Peninsula area, and theKnorr, owned by the Woods HoleOceanographic Institution, will make anoceanographic survey along the Odegmeridian in the South Atlantic as farsouth as ice conditions permit.

Only one icebreaker, the Polar Sea,will operate in the Ross Sea this summer.She will break the ice channel toMcMurdo Station for the tankerMaumee and the cargo ship SouthernCross, pick up a combined UnitedStates-New Zealand party from HallettStation, and then support an oceanicheat experiment in the Ross Sea.

When the Maumee and the SouthernCross have left McMurdo Sound thePolar Sea will begin a cruise eastwardalong the coasts of Marie Byrd Land andEllsworth Land. Scientists aboard willcarry out geological work at SipleIsland, Pine Island Bay, and ThurstonIsland.

A veteran icebreaker, the Westwind,now 40 years old, will make two cruisesto the Weddell Sea from Punta Arenas,Chile. She has been used by the Coast

Guard for icebreaking in the GreatLakes, and has not been in Antarcticwaters since 1967.

On her first cruise the Westwind willjoin the Melville to support researchalong the edge of the sea ice forAMERIEZ — Antarct ica Mar ineEcosystem Research in the Ice EdgeZone. This project includes studies ofkrill, seals, plankton, and seabirds. TheWestwind's second cruise will be to support scientists working on SeymourIsland and other islands off the eastcoast of the Antarctic Peninsula.

MAJOR PROJECTScientific projects and logistic support

for the United States research programme, and the maintenance of its fourpermanent stations, all financed and coordinated by the National Science Foundation, are expected to cost more than$100 million. More than 280 scientistswill do research on the continent and insouthern waters. They will work withrepresentatives of nine or more othercountries with polar interests.

Another major project this season willbe a joint investigation with the BritishAntarctic Survey to gain more under-staning of the tectonic development ofWest Antarctic and its relation to EastAntarctica. This project will be continued in the 1984-85 season.

BAS geologists and geophysicists,using Twin Otter aircraft, will conductaeromagnetic surveys, and a team fromthe Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory, led by Dr Ian W. D. Dalziel, will


use motor toboggans to carry out fieldresearch in geology, paleomagnetism,geochronology, and gephysics withradio-echo sounding. Both parties willbe based in the Martin Hills (82deg04min S/88deg Olmin W) and will alsowork in the Ellsworth Mountains, nearSiple Station, and at Mt Smart and inthe Jones Mountains.

More than 20 scientists from four institutions will work in the Siple Coastprogramme between November andJanuary. Their purpose is to findanswers to such glaciological problemsas the West Antarctic Ice Sheet's possible instability, the behaviour of the iceduring the last glaciation and the last in-terglacial period, and how the ice sheetgrows and shrinks.

RADAR STUDIESA University of Wisconsin team head

ed by Dr Charles R. Bentley will conductradar studies of the ice sheet andsubglacial bedrock with a new vehicle-mounted digital recording system supported by a computer at a base camp.The team will gather information on icethickness, movement rates, how the icemoves, and the internal characteristicsof the ice sheet.

An Ohio State University group headed by Dr Ian M. Whillans will study theSiple ice dome and two fast-moving major ice streams which drain the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and feed the Ross IceShelf. The group's main objective willbe to determine whether the ice is growing or shrinking.

A third team led by Dr Robert A.B indschad le r, o f the Na t iona lAeronautic and Space Administration'sGoddard Space Flight Centre, will assessthe present state of the ice sheet anddetermine its likely response in changesof climate or ocean behaviour. The teamwill measure the strain at the mouths ofthe ice streams and on major ice domes.It will also try to establish the preciselocation of the grounding line of the icesheet.

Additional information on presentand past ice conditions and ice streamdynamics will be obtained by taking ice

temperatures from selected sites at 9mdepths. The holes will be drilled and theice cores retrieved by a team from thePolar Ice Coring Office (PICO) of theUniversity of Nebraska at Lincoln.

MARINE FOSSILSAnother team from Ohio State

University headed by Dr John H.Mercer, which includes two NewZealanders, Dr Barrie McKelvey andCarl Thompson, will concentrate itsstudy of the West Antarctic Ice Sheetand its interaction with portions of theEast Antarctic Ice Sheet chiefly in themountains near the south-eastern extremity of the Ross Ice Shelf: those partsof the Horlick and Queen Maud Mountains that border the upper half of theReedy Glacier, and the Harold ByrdMountains nearby at lower elevations.

Last season Dr Mercer led a teamwhich discovered a wide variety ofmarine microfossils scattered along a1609km stretch of the TransantarcticMountains. This season's team willstudy glacial sedimentation in two ice-free areas to assist in determining thesize and frequency of Antarctic ice sheetfluctations some 65 million years ago,and seach for more fossils.

Possible radioactive elements in WestAntarctica and the relationship of extinct volcanoes in Marie Byrd Land andEllsworth Land to the glacial and tectonic history of the western part of thecontinent will be studied by scientistsduring the Polar Sea's cruise along thecoasts. A resource and radioactivitysurvey will be made for the first time onthe coast of the Pine Island Bay — MtSiple area.

Since 1976 surveys for radioactiveelements have been made in portions ofsouth and northern Victoria Land, theDarwin Glacier area, the EllsworthMountains, and Marie Byrd Land.These have shown that substantial differences in potential for uranium andthorium exist from area to area. Drs Edward J. Zeller and Gisela Dreschoff, ofthe Radiation Physics Laboratory,University of Kansa Space TechnologyCentre, will conduct this season's survey

September 1983

using a gamma-ray spectrometer carriedin the Polar Sea's helicopters.

Geologists from the University of Colorado aboard the Polar Sea will visitvolcanoes along the coasts of MarieByrd Land and western Ellsworth Land.Studies in the Ross Sea area from CapeAdare to Beaufort Island last season indicated that apparently no volcanoes' eet as hasbeen found in Marie Byrd Land.

Dr Wesley E. LeMasurier's team isparticularly interested in Mt Siple (73deg15min S/126deg 44min W) and Mt Murphy (75deg 20min S/llOdeg 44min W).Photographs indicate that Mt Siple(3110m) is a major volcano almost aslarge as Mt Erebus; whether it is activeor dormant is not known. Mt Murphy iscritical to understanding past icethickness levels at the time of volcaniceruptions.

Seymour Island, south of Erebus andTerror Gulf off the north-east tip of theAntarctica Peninsula where the firstfossil bones of a land mammal to befound in Antarctic were discovered inthe 1981-82 season, will be the maintarget of scientists from four universitiesthis season. They will search for plantand animal fossils on Seymour, JamesRoss, Snow Hill, Cockburn, and VegaIslands, supported by the Coast Guardicebreaker Westwind.

Dr William J. Zinsmeister, organiserof the expedition, will head on OhioState University team, Dr Sanaka Chat-terjee will lead a group from Texas TechUniversity, Dr Michael Woodburne willhead a group from the University ofCalifornia at Riverside, and a NewZealander, Dr Rosemary A. Askin, isleader of the Colorado School of Minesproject. All four took part in the1981-82 expedition which discovered thefossils of a land mammal and marinevetebrates which thrived in the Cretaceous and Early Tertiary periods — 135to 40 million years ago.

PLANT SAMPLESDr Chatterjee's group will search for

more evidence of marine Cretaceousvertebrates on Seymour Island. Dr

Zinsmeister will map sedimentary rockoutcrops on the islands as part of an effort to understand the development ofinvertebrate life of the area over geologictime, and Dr Woodburne's group willfollow up the discovery of land mammalfossils on Seymour Island by searchingfor more specimens. Dr Askin's teamwill collect samples of fossil plantspecimens and pollen to try to determinean evolutionary sequence for formerplant life on the continent millions ofyears ago.

Oceanographers from Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory, andUnited States and South African geo-physicists will go to sea aboard the PolarSea and the Melville to carry out projects far apart; one in the Ross Sea andthe other in the Indian Ocean.

Dr Robert L. Fisher, of the ScrippsInstitution of Oceanography, will lead atema of 18 scientists from the institution, the Bernard Price Institute of Geophysics, Johannesburg, and the University of Cape Town, which will workfrom the Melville near Prince Edwardand Marion Islands. They will try todetermine variations in the geochemistryof the earth's upper mantle, and locatehot spots which may be the cause of themovement of tectonic plates.

Part of the global mid-oceanic ridge,the Southwest Indian Ridge separatesthe African tectonic plate from the Antarctic plate. The scientists will dredgerock sample along the ridge where thewater is 914m to 5486m deep. Variationsin the geochemistry of the rocks will tellthem where active upwelling is takingplace in the mantle.

In a project known as the Ross SeaHeat Flux Experiment the oceanographers aboard the Polar Sea willmonitor the flow of ocean heat from thenorth into the region beneath the RossIce Shelf. They will retrieve three currentmeter arrays deployed last season to collect data on water flowing beneath theice shelf, and deploy 10 more currentmeter arrays at selected sites in the RossSea for the project which will be continued next season.

Melting at the base of ice shelves isbelieved to be controlled by oceanic heat


flowing in from northern regions, and isa significant factor in their stability.Glaciologists think that ice shelves maycontrol the size of the West Antarctic IceSheet which in turn affects global sealevel changes.

Although Siple Station in EllworthLand will be closed in January untilNovember, 1985, the level of scientificactivity will be high this summer. Stanford University scientists will continueupper atmosphere studies for most ofthe season, and for the first time an icecore drilling project will be conducted atthe station. An attempt to recover a200m core will be made by the Polar IceCoring Office team.

United States, French, and Swissscientists will take part in drilling projects at the Amundsen-Scott South PoleStation. PICO will continue drilling inthe 237m hole to obtain more information about past atmospheric constituentsand climatic conditions.

Dr Bernhard Stauffer will head a teamfrom the University of Bern, Switzerland, which will help to analyse and process the ice cores drilled by PICO. TheSwiss are concerned with atmosphericconcentrations of carbon dioxide beforethe Industrial Revolution, the history ofincreases from pre-industrial times to1958, and variations in concentrationsduring the last few thousand years. Annual snow accumulation at the Pole issuch that a 457m ice core will reach backseveral thousand years.

DEEP DRILLINGAs part of the International Antarctic

Glaciological Project French and UnitedStates glaciologists will ateempt torecover a core of 125,000-year-old icefrom a depth of 2600m or 200m abovebedrock. Research at the Pole has indicated that ice of that age can be foundby drilling to 2600m.

Ice cores drilled from the surface ofpolar ice sheets to bedrock would answermany questions about the climate andatmosphere over the last 125,000 yearsbut no coring equipment that can reachthis depth has been designed. Now theGlaciological Laboratory at Grenoble

has designed and tested a thermal probe— the "Climatopic" — to sample melted ice continually from the surface tobedrock. The project will be headed by aleading French glaciologist, Dr ClaudeLorius. Analyses of the melted icesamples will be focused on profiles ofdeuterium and oxygen-18 to describeclimatic changes.

A 30.48m-high meteorological towerwill be erected at the Pole to gather dataon the concentration and rate of changeof aerosols in the atmosphere. Dr AustinHogan of the State University of NewYork at Albany will head a team thatwill try to find out how aerosols — finesolids or liquids — are removed from theair and settle on the ice. The precipitation of these materials on the ice is important in maintaining the stability ofthe atmosphere; the way precipitationoccurs is not well understood.

Although many projects in thisseason's programme will be carried outin West Antarctica, the Weddell Sea,and the Antarctic Peninsula area, scientists will also be busy in the dry valleys ofVictoria Land, on Ross Land, and onthe sea ice of McMurdo Sound. As inpast seasons United States and Japaneseteams will work at the summit of MtErebus.

SEISMIC TRAVERSEA 58km traverse of McMurdo Sound

from the McMurdo Ice Shelf to a pointwest of Cape Bird on Ross Island will bemade by a team of earth scientists led byDr Lyle D. McGinnis, of LouisianaSlate University. Working in an areawhere the sea ice is 2.1m thick and thewater is between 457m and 914m deepthe scientists will gather seismic data ofthe earth's crust to the upper mantle —about 20.9km down. Their primary objective will be to obtain a crustal profileacross the boundary between East andWest Antarctica. Data acquired lastseason will be combined with thisseason's data so that the tectonic hisotyof the Ross Embayment/TransantarcticMountains can be placed in a globalperspective.

Life under thick ice in McMurdoSound and under the Ross Ice Shelf will


be studied by a research team from theScripps Institution of Oceanographyheaded by Dr Paul K. Dayton. In thepast life was believed to be sparseeverywhere under the ice shelf, but recent data obtained from deep-waterphotography and by divers suggest thatit is abundant and varied near WhiteIsland about 28km from McMurdo Station where the ice is between 18.2m and30.4m thick.

Underwater photographs will be takenby the team at depths of between 60ftand 1500ft at seven sites under the icenear Ross Island. The team will work atWhite Island, Heald Island, MinnaBluff, Capes Royds and Crozier, and theDellbridge Islands. Surveys will be

made of rapid swimming pelagic lifeforms in the sound and under the iceshelf. Coupled with current and densitymeasurements tha data collected willhelp to define better the ecological processes under thick ice.

A geochemist from Miami Universityof Oxford, Ohio, will lead a group offour scientists in a study of lakes in thedry valleys of Victoria Land. Dr WilliamJ. Green's group will concentrate onlearning more about the geochemicalprocesses that affect algae and othermicroscopic organisms in Lakes Fryxell,Hoare, Miers, and Joyce, and also abouthow trace metals are transported,removed, and recirculated in the lakewaters.

Prelude to spring for twowinter teams

Six flights from New Zealand by ski-equipped Hercules aircraft last monthwere a welcome prelude to Antarctica'sspring for the 85 Americans and 11 NewZealanders who have spent the winter onRoss Island. They brought mail fromhome plus fresh fruit and vegetables,and gave Ross Island's winter community, which includes two Americanwomen, its first direct contact with theoutside world for more than six months.

Three United States VXE-6 SquadronHercules aircraft made the six flightsfrom Christchurch — one less than lastyear — to prepare for the United Statesand New Zealand scientific programmesof the 1983-84 season. All the flights ofthe operation, known to the UnitedStates naval support force as Winfly(winter flights) were completed beforethe southern spring began officially onSeptember 1.

But the prelude to spring was suddenlysilenced by the harsh notes of winter onAugust 29. Three aircraft making thelast flights landed at Williams Field, thepermanent ice runway 13 km fromMcMurdo Station in deterioratingweather. Instead of a one-hour stay onthe ice the aircraft had to remain over

night and were unable to fly back toChristchurch until August 30.

A snowstorm reduced visibility to zeroand prevented vehicles from takingpassengers from one aircraft to McMurdo Station and Scott Base. As a result 60people — two air crews of nine each, 35passengers, including 12 New Zealanders, and seven ground crew, had toshelter from the storm for nearly eighthours in the first aircraft to land. It hadrefuelled and was able to keep oneengine running to maintain heat inside.Grapes and bananas, part of the freshfruit cargo, provided some sustenancefor those jammed together in the aircraft.

Winds, blowing snow, and low clouddelayed the first flights south untilAugust 26 when two were made.Another was made on the evening ofAugust 27 but poor visibility caused thepostponement of two more planned forAugust 28.

When the three aircraft which beganthe last flights on August 29 were about20 minutes past the point of safe returnMcMurdo Station reported that theweather was getting worse. Visibilitydropped quickly after the first aircraft


landed but the 35 passengers were ableto get off at the fuel pit and were thentaken to the station.

But the 35 passengers on the secondaircraftwere not so fortunate. Vehiclescould not take them away and a fuel linewould not reach the aircraft so everyonehad to move to the first aircraft whichcould provide heating by running oneengine.

Meanwhile the third Hercules landedwith only 360kg of fuel left, and in zerovisibility. The pilot had to taxi his aircraft towards the control tower with theaid of instructions and radar vectors.During a break in the storm the crew ofnine managed to reach the tower onfoot.

When the weather finally cleared thepassengers and ground crew on the firstaircraft left for McMurdo Station andScott Base. The two crews remained tomonitor the running engine which hadkept everyone warm.

Even the return flights were dogged bydifficulties. One aircraft developed anoil leak from one engine and flew homeon three engines. Another hadpressurisation problems about 50kmfrom McMurdo Station and had toreturn for repairs. But all three wereback in Christchurch late on the eveningof August 30.

After the air drop of mail and freshfood on June 24 the sight of new facesand aircraft on the ice instead ofoverhead was warmly welcomed by the83 men and two women at McMurdoStation and the 11 men at Scott Base.When Winfly ended the spring population had grown to more than 240 menand two women at McMurdo Stationand 24 men at Scott Base.

In spite of the hazards of winteroperations the Hercules aircraft carrieda total load of 48.9 tonnes on their sixflights south. This included 22.8 tonnesof general cargo, 394 kilogrammes ofpersonal and offical mail, and 3.5 tonnesof fresh fruit and vegetables. The rest ofthe load was 22.1 tonnes for passengersand their baggage. On the return flightsthe aircraft brought back 2.7 tonnes ofcargo, 318kg of mail, and seven

passengers, four of whom made theround trip.

Among the 176 passengers on theflights were technicians, equipmentoperators, cooks and constructionworkers who will prepare for the majorairlift of men and materials for the summer by Hercules and Starlifter aircraft.The construction team will prepare theseasonal ice runway in McMurdo Soundfor the flights by wheeled aircraft whichbegin on October 3.

Captain Brian Shoemaker, the support force commander, flew in the firstaircraft to meet the McMurdo Stationwinter team and to initiate preparationsfor the new season. The aircraft wasflown by VXE-6 Squadron's commanding officer, Commander M. Radigan.Fourteen New Zealanders, one of whomreturned to Christchurch, were on theflights. They included 11 men from theMinistry of Works and Developmentand the New Zealand Army who willmake an early start on constructionwork at Scott Base, and two AntarcticDivision staff who will begin preparations for CIROS (Cenozoic Investigations in the Ross Sea), the long-term offshore drilling project in McMurdoSound.

Sixty-one of the American passengerson Winfly went south to prepare for theUnited States Antarctic Research Programme (USARP). They included MrEric Chiang the National Science Foundation's representative at McMurdo Station, Mr R. Robbins, deputy residentmanager at the station, representing ITTAntarctic Services, contractors to theNSF for support services, also 59members of the contractors' staff.


Australia to buy marineresearch ship

Australia plans to acquire a specialised ice-breaking marineresearch vessel for its summer Antarctic research programme, and introduce air transport of staff to its three bases, Casey, Davis, andMawson. The new transport system announced last month by theMinister of Science and Technology (Mr Barry Jones) is expected tobe fully operational by 1988-89. Provision was made in the Budgetfor $2,555 million to be spent this season on the first stages of thenew system.

Plans for a new transport system were will be made when tenders have beenannounced by the Liberal Government evaluated,only three weeks before the General Plans for the vessel are that it shouldS16™?1^ Antarctlc .> ârch, 1983, undertake marine biology and geo-P. 20). These were reviewed, like other science cruises in the waters of the conti.major expenditure proposals, by the new nental shelf adjacenl t0 Australia's Ant-Labour Government Some changes arctic terrjtory and in the Southernhave been made but the general concept Qcean mainly in the SUmmer. For the re-of the marine research vessel is the same mainder 0f the year the vessel will serveas proposed early this year. as a national science facility in Australia

Under the new system Royal waters.Australian Air Force wheeled Hercules Transport studies by the Departmentaircraft will fly between Hobart and a of Science and Technology indicate incompressed snow runway at Casey neral that the Antarctic research pro-Light aircraft will be used to deploy staff amme calls for a 6000-tonne ship 85mbetween Casey and the other two sta- to 95m , with a ra of l4(mtions, Davis and Mawson. nautica, miles> and a service speed of at

Site evaluation trials of the proposed least 12 knots. It would have the abilityrunways at Casey and Davis will be to navigate in up to 9/10 pack ice andmade first, and the whole project will be break level ice of 0.8m thickness con-considered by the Parliamentary Public tinuously.Works Committee early next year. 0ther requirerrients include a heli-Environmental impact studies of all pro- deck and h for tw0 helicoptersjec s will be made to ensure that no harm tw0.berth cabins for 30 scientists and thewill be done to the Antarctic ecosystem. capadty lo carry ^ paSsengers for short

In addition to its marine science acti- periods. Also needed would bevities the research vessel will be required laboratories and facilities for marineto carry and deploy research parties to biology, geology, geophysics, andotherwise inaccessible areas by long- chemistry, and oceanography, hydro-range helicopters. Resupply of cargo to graphy, meteorology, and environmen-Antarctic bases will continue to be tal monitoring,unde r taken by cha r te red i ce -s t r e n g t h e n e d v e s s e l s . ^

E x p r e s s i o n s o f i n t e r e s t i n t h e d e s i g n > I i ^ . .and construction of the research vesselwill be invited overseas and in Australial a te r t h i s yea r, and w i l l be f o l l owed by <the issue of tender invitations. A decision on the country of construction

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RAUER ISLANDS

Winter journeys over seaice

Although the 21m auxiliary schooner Dick Smith Explorer hasbeen locked in the ice of Prydz Bay, East Antarctica, for nearly sixmonths the four men and two women aboard her have not been confined to winter quarters since they saw the sun depart on May 30. Ledby Dr David Lewis the members of the Oceanic Research Foundationexpedition have been busy tagging seals, catching fish, and haulingsledges on field trips across the sea ice to carry out scientific projectsaround the Rauer Islands in the south-east part of Prydz Bay.

Since late March the Dick Smith Explorer has been in her winter anchorage— a small shallow bay off Filla Island,the largest of the Rauer Islands. Thegroup of rocky coastal islands is betweenthe Sorsdal Glacier Tongue and RanvikBay to the south. Filla Island is about55.5km from the Australian base, Davis,on the mainland. Ice began to formaround the DSE in April, and when itstarted to thicken the cracking and heaving tilted the ship 10 degrees to starboard. But the ice pressure was eased bycutting a trench on the port side.

Low temperatures and winter darkness have not stopped the expeditionfrom making sledge journeys to stock afood depot at Cape Drakon, 12m fromthe ship or longer trips southward. OnJuly 13 David Lewis and the Americananthropologist, Mimi George, who isdeputy leader, made the first passageacross the ice from Filla Island to Davis,55.5km to the south-west — a nerve-wracking three-hour journey between41m-high tottering ice cliffs and shattered poorly frozen ice floes to seaward.

After an extended reconnaissancesouth of the Rauer Islands which was expected to end last month David Lewis

ded sledge haulingtrips again to the south, including theLarsemann Hills and Amanda Bay, untilthe middle of November. Science projects are expected to include seal tagging, seabird observations, Emperorpenguin counts, lichen and moss collection, and fishing.

Before the sun departed on May 30field and ship's food supplies werereorganised by Gill Gracknell, theEnglish geomorphologist, and theAustralian geologist, Jamie Miller. Withthe Danish naturalist, Jannik Schou theymade two trips with supplies to stock theCape Drakon depot. A few hours oftwilight each day and the light of themoon and the aurora enabled the teamto continue scientific work, and NormanLinton-Smith, the Australian radiooperator and base engineer, and JamieMiller recorded the voices of seals underthe ice for 24 hours.

SLEDGE HAULINGOn June 6 David Lewis, Mimi

George, Gill Cracknell, and JannikSchou, returned to the DSE from a120km reconnaissance of the sea iceroute south of the Rauer Islands whichtook them seven days of sledge haulingand walking, mostly in company. Theice was more than half a metre thick.

Ice cliffs and glacier tongues with rarerock bluffs marked the coastal route.The party camped by the Chaos Glacierbluffs and made a one-day reconnaissance to the Ranvik Glacier Tongue25km south of Cape Drakon. Gil)Cracknell was able to collect lichens andmosses from normally unapproachablebluffs.

Another depot laying trip was made toCape Drakon on June 17. Gill Cracknellled Jannik Schou and Jamie Miller on


the 12km trip which took IVi hours instead of the three of the previous tripalthough the sledges carried 115kg, halfthe previous load. Navigation was difficult because of the darkness, mist, andblowing snow. On the way back in a galethe empty sledges flipped and flattenedthe party.

Meanwhile Mimi George and DavidLewis spent two days in a tent by a sealhole 2km from the ship with a hydrophone. Weddell seals and a Crabeatershared the hole, breaking new ice frequently with scrapes and grunts, andpushing the underwater recordingmicrophone.

WEEK OF SNOWIn the first week of June temperatures

dropped down to minus 38deg Celsius.A week of snowfall and warmer weatherfollowed but an accumulation of 20cmof snow on the sea ice made sledge hauling a nightmare. Three hours of midwinter daylight was used to make snowsculptures in a temperature of minus 9deg C accompanied by a cold wind.Celebrations ended after dinner withsongs to the music of Gill Cracknell'sguitar.

Hauling conditions were vastly improved by later gales which cleared thesea ice of much snow and glazed the remainder. The ice in the bay broke out toseaward but the route south to the RauerIslands was intact.

More supplies were sledged to theCape Drakon depot between June 25and 29 by Gill, Jannik, Jamie, and Norman, who built an igloo for four whilethey were there. Before the end of themonth the team had to cope with theproblem of increasing ice pressure on theDick Smith Explorer.

As the bay froze thicker it buckledand cracked, tilting the ship 10 degreesto starboard. A precautionary measurewas to make all hands available taketurns digging to check that the propellerand rudder were clear, and then cuttinga trench along the port side to ease theice pressure. Digging continued dailyand polystyrene sheets were placed overthe trench to retard refreezing.

From July 5 to 7 Mimi and Davidcamped on the northernmost Rauer

islet. They made a reconnaissance of theunstable sea ice fronting the SorsdalGlacier. Gill and Jamie continued investigations of the glacier from July 10to 12. They took water sampletemperatures from the thinly frozenbreakout line in an attempt to ascertainthe causes of the glacier's notorious instability.

Then on July 13 Mimi and Davidbecame the first to cross the ice from the

VESTFOLDHILLS

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0iJlRauer Islands to Davis. They set out at 2p.m. on the little Yamaha snowmobiletowing the party's heavy Eskimo sledgeas a gift to Davis. Mimi's contact lensespopped out of her glasses when thesnowmobile had to charge a poorlyfrozen lead but she was able to drive allthe way without them.

Although the sun had half risen at 2p.m. driving past the tip of the Sorsdal


Glacier at 3.15 p.m. was a nerve-wracking experience for both Mimi andDavid. The little snowmobile had to passbetween 41m-high tottering ice cliffsabove to the right and shattered poorlyfrozen floes to seaward.

In the gathering darkness of the lateafternoon David and Mimi weredelighted to see figures waving fromKazak Island, the southernmost of theVestfolds. One last lead was crossed using the planks carried on the sledge, andthen with an escort of three skidoosfrom Davis David and Mimi drove intothe staion, arriving at 5 p.m.

They were warmly welcomed by thewinter team, and were given some tangible recognition of their journey. Technicians worked all hours to repair equipment, the two were lent a lightaluminium sledge and given 400 litres ofpetrol which will extend the field rangeof the expedition's snowmobile.

When David and Mimi returned to theDSE on July 15 they found the sledgehad been loaded with such forgottengoodies as real meat and coffee. Thenext winter journey planned when theweather permitted was a three to fourweeks' reconnaissance south of theRauer Islands by David, Mimi, Gill, andJannik. They were expected backtowards the middle of August.

Between February 19 and March 20possible anchorages for the Dick SmithExplorer were studied, and zoologicalwork began towards the end of Februaryafter the Filla Island anchorage had beenselected. Most of the work was done atFilla Island and Hop Island, which isone mile west-south-west.

Thirty-two adult Weddell seals and 10pups were tagged between February 25and May 22, most in April, and also fourimmature Crabeaters. Ten fish werecaught in March with lines and three intraps at depths of 10m. Lines were usedthereafter and catches were 31 in April,54 in May, and four in June in deepwatet by an iceberg.

Lichens and mosses were collectedfrom the mainland through the seawardislands of the Rauers and at a bluff nearChaos Glacier. Ten of the 41 samplescame from the Chaos Glacier area.

SafijFlocks of up to 100 Antarctic petrels

were seen in the Rauers at the beginningof May. Thirty non-breeding Giantpetrels were observed twice on HopIsland late in February, and an Emperorpenguin was sighted off the Rauers onMay 4.

Phytoplankton sampling has beendone in 18m of water near the ship sinceApril. Earlier two seabottom sampleswere taken in the Larsemann Hills areaat 30 fathoms, and off Stiennes, the rockpoint east-north-east at 40 fathoms.They yielded very small quantities ofsediment.

Vostok stillcoldest

Vostok, the Soviet station on thePolar Plateau, still retains the title of thecoldest place on Earth. A temperature ofminus 89.6 deg Celsius (minus 129.2 degFahrenheit) was recorded at the stationon July 21. This made Vostok, which is3490m above sea level, 1.3 deg colderthan it was on August 24, 1960, when atemperature of minus 88.3 deg C (minus126.9 deg F) was recorded.

An American station, Plateau, inQueen Maud Land, which was closed in1969, holds second place on the scale ofcold. A temperature of minus 86.16 degC (minus 123.1 deg F) was recordedthere on July 20, 1968.

Third place on the scale is held by theAmundsen-Scott South Pole Station. Arecord low temperature of minus 82.7deg C (116.86 F) was measured there onJune 23 last year. It was the lowest figuresince the station was established in 1957.

This year the South Pole temperaturesdropped in July. For most of the monththey were normal for the winter — aboutminus 73.3 deg Celsius. On July 15 atemperature of minus 74.8 deg C wasreported, and on July 17 there was aheat wave — of sorts. The temperaturerose to minus 50.7 deg C.


Automatic weather stations southof Casey

Three improved automatic weatherstations will be established inland fromthe Australian station Casey next year.Data from these stations will provide aclimatic record from the interior ofAustralia's Antarctic territory, and willbe used by the Antarctic Division'sglaciological section for a study of surface katabatic winds.

A prototype station designed and builtby the division's instrumentation sectionwas established in December, 1981, at 68deg 39min S/60deg 33min E — a site130km south of Mawson Station and atan elevation of 1800m. Since then it hassuccessfully provided meteorologicaldata for more than 17 months.

Measurements of surface meteorological data, including air and snow temperatures, atmospheric pressure, andwind speed and direction, are made continuously by the station. This data istransmitted by the ARGOS data collection system on board NOAA (NationalOceanic and Atmospheric Administration) satellites to a centre in France from

where it is relayed to the Antarctic Division. Wind data was not available forthe whole of last year because extremeweather conditions caused intermittentfaults and eventual failure of the windsensors which were replaced early thisyear.

Next year the three improved stationswill be established during the 1984glaciological traverse from Casey along110 deg E longitude at approximately74deg S (3200m elevation), 70deg S(2400m) and at 68 deg S (1600m). Thesestations will be powered by lithium cellssupplemented by silicon solar cells.

Batteries in use at the prototype station — potassium air depolarised cells —are expected to provide power for morethan five years. They are buried severalmetres in snow to insulate them fromperiods of extreme cold but wintertemperatures approach the lower limit atwhich they will operate. The mean airtemperature for 1982 at the elevated sitewas minus 30.2 deg Celsius.

Uemura abandons ascent ofVinson Massif

After a winter at the Argentine base,General San Martin, in Marguerite Bay,on the Antarctic Peninsula, the Japaneseclimber and explorer, Naomi Uemura,abandoned his plan to climb the VinsonMassif (4897) the highest peak in Antarctic, in December last year. He intended to make a solo journey by dogteam to the northern Sentinel Range ofthe Ellsworth Mountains, make the ascent which would have been the thirdsince 1966, and complete a round trip ofabout 3000km early last month.

In return for Argentine supportUemura intened to make scientific investigations of meteorological conditions in Ellsworth Land. However, hisprogramme was delayed because theportable data platform he needed tomaintain satellite communication was at

the Argentine Air Force station Vice-comodoro Marambio, on SeymourIsland.

Then Uemura gave up the idea of using dogs for the whole journey. Arrangements were made for ArgentineAir Force Twin Otter to fly fromMarambio to San Martin, pick upUemura Massif, and then pick him upagain after he had completed the ascent.

Arrangements for the provision offuel at the United States Siple Station inEllsworth Land to enable the Twin Otterto refuel on the long flight from Marambio to San martin caused further delays.Uemura intended to make the climb between December 13 and 18; by the end ofthe month he was reported to be on hisway home.


BAS NEWS

Winter cruise to studykrill and seals

A winter cruise by the Royal Research Ship John Biscoe as part ofthe long-term Offshore Biological Programme (OBP) and a jointgeological/geophysical project extending south of the EllsworthMountains with United States scientists are included in the BritishAntarctic Survey research programme for 1983-84. In the field thesummer season is likely to be the most ambitious ever undertakenbecause an increase in the annual budget for 1983-84 from about sixmillion sterling to 10 million will enable the level of research activityto be increased.

Scientific work which was resumed on South Georgia last seasonwill be continued this season but only at the small biological stationon Bird Island at the north-western extremity of the island. The BASstation at Grytviken, manned by servicemen since the Falklands conflict will not be reopened this coming summer. Servicemen will continue to maintain the meteorolgical records.

OBP work by the John Biscoe began six-week programme on Weddell sealsin the last week of July. This is the first and ice-associated ecosystems at the dgetime that a BAS ship has been south dur- of the Weddell Sea pack ice. After this,ing the winter, though the RRS the ship will be engaged in relieving theDiscovery II, circumnavigated the conti- Antarctic Peninsula stations and sup-nent in the winter of 1932. (This was only porting field parties,the fourth circumnavigation and the RRS Bransfield is due to sail fromf i r s t e v e r i n w i n t e r . ) Q n „ r h a m n . n n a t t h « > h , „ i n n i n „ ~ fme rourin circumnavigation ana tne RRS Bransfield is due to sail fromfi r s t e v e r i n w i n t e r . ) S o u t h a m p t o n a t t h e b e g i n n i n g o f

On June 21 the John Biscoe sailed November. She will be primarily con-from Southhampton, and then on to cerned with the relief of Bird IslandSouth Georgia by way of Rio de Janeiro. (South Georgia), Signy (South OrkneyGrytviken was reached on July 24 and Islands) and Halley (Brunt Ice Shelf) sta-OBP work started two days later in tions.Cumberland East and West Bays. Unfor tunate ly, heavy weather prevented PLANE REBUILTsea trials of equipment on the voyage 0ne of the twn Twin nttpr a- aftfor tunate ly, heavy weather prevented PLANE REBUILTsea trials of equipment on the voyage Qne of the tw0 Twin Quer aircraftsouth and many problems were en- wrecked in a storm t R h ■countered when work began. November, 1981, has now been rebuilt

In spite of the bad start, the voyage is and test-flown in Britain. It will operateexpected to be scientifically very produc- in the Antarctic with the other two BAStive. The first part will consist of a South aircraft in the 1983-84 summer. AGeorgia zone survey, including oceano- second aircraft, wrecked at the samegraphic stations and an acoustic survey time, may also be rebuilt. The three air-of krill, and the second part will concen- craft available will be in constant usetrate on individual krill patches.

Fourteen scientists are participatingand most will fly home when the OBP

throughout the summer.As usual the aircraft will be based at

Rothera. Two of them will be usedwork is completed in mid-October. The throughout December and January in aremaining biologists will then carry out a joint geological/geophysical project


with United States scientists extendingsouth from the Ellsworth Mountains.Four BAS men and four from Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory, Columbia University, will continue work inthe Ellsworth Mountains and then travelsouth to the Thiel Mountains (lat. 86°S).

While working on the interveningrock exposures they will be based in theMartin Hills. Fuel was flown into thearea by United States Navy Hercules aircraft last season. One BAS aircraft willsupport the field parties while the otherwill varry out aeromagnetics and ice-depth sounding in the same area. Thefield parties will also work at Mt Smartand near Siple Station.

Throughout the summer, other partieswill continue work on the Ronne IceShelf. Four geophysicists will takeseismic and gravity measurements in thesouthern part, and a glaciological groupwill work on ice dynamics in the south-central part.

MAPPING WORKGeologists will also work in north

western Palmer Land, south-eastGraham Land, and eastern and centralAlexander Island, and glaciologists onthe George, VI Ice Shelf. Others willcarry out a series of landings on the westcoast of the Antarctic Peninsula and off-lying islands, filling in gaps in thegeological maps.

Biological work continues at BirdIsland and Signy, and observatory geophysics at Faraday (Argentine Islands)and Halley. Programmes at Halley willbe transferred from the old station to thenew one built last summer. This will bedone while the Bransfield is at the sta

tion from late December to mid-February and can provide plenty ofmanpower to move heavy equipment.

Fitting-out of the new Halley stationhas continued during the winter. It wasvisited by parties from the old station(14km away) and some had to staylonger than intended because of strongwinds. A number of Halley men alsovisited the nearby Emperor penguinrookery, and estimated that about20,000 birds were present.

Strong winds accompanied by aboveaverage temperatures have affected theother BAS stations. At Rothera, strongwinds up to 70 knots and temperaturesup to 3.5 deg Celsius have preventedconsolidation of the sea ice and removedit intermittently. This has confinedtravel to Adelaide Island, and effort hasbeen concentrated on preparing equipment and facilities for the summer programmes.

Local activities have included thetwice-yearly ritual of digging out andraising the flight control caboose(mobile hut) at the piedmont airstrip.Dog teams have been used for transportas well as snowmobiles.

Signy Station recorded its secondhighest winter temperature of 8 deg C inJuly (exceeded only by 11.1 degmeasured in 1981), and Bird Island hashad a considerably amount of rainrather than the usual winter snow, whichhas made the biologists' work considerably more unpleasant. Visits byhelicopters from ships of the FalklandIslands naval group en route to andfrom Grytviken, have provided awelcome diversion from routine at BirdIsland.

Joint Services expedition toBrabant Island

A British Joint Services expedition will work on Brabant Island,the largest unexplored island in Antarctica, off the west coast of theAntarctic Peninsula, from November, 1983 to March, 1985. The expedition plans to make a general scientific survey of the island, collecting data and specimens for research groups and climbing thepeaks. It will also do physiological research for the Institute of NavalMedicine.

Shbbrva-u ^ ' ? ** *v V £ ' . -


Leader of the expedition is Commander Chris Furse, R.N. He wasdeputy leader of a services expedition to the Elephant Island group in1970-71, and leader of a second expedition to the group in 1976-77.

Eight men will be on the island at anyone time. The first summer party ofeight men is likely to winter and somewill stay on for the second summer.There will be at least one civilianmember — a research student eeoloeistfrom Nottingham University.

Brabant Island (65 deg 15 min S/62deg 20 min W) lies off the west coast ofthe Antarctic Peninsula immediatelynorth-east of Anvers Island (where theUnited States Palmer Station is situated)and nearby Wiencke Island (where theBritish station Port Lockroy wasestablished in 1944 and Damoy summerair facility in 1975). Brabant is about60km from north to south and 12-20kmfrom east to west. It is very mountainous(rising to over 2500m) and almost entirelycovered by ice.

In 1898 de Gerlache's Belgian Ant-sarctic expedition made the first landingon the island. De Gerlache, Amundsen,Arctowski, Cook and Danco spent sixnights ashore, in the first recorded tentin Antarctic. (Later, the Belgica wasbeset in the Bellingshausen Sea and the

expedition became the first to winterwithin the Antarctic Circle.)

Although Brabant Island lies on oneof the established sea routes south alongthe coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, theisland is so precipitous and inhospitablethat only three parties appear to havelanded there since 1898, and no-one hascamped on it. It has been mapped indetail using Falkland Islands Dependencies Aerial Survey Expedition(1956-57) photography and triangula-tion and BAS (formerly Falkland IslandsDependencies Survey) triangulation, butit remains the largest unexplored islandin Antarctica. Virtually nothing isknown of its interior, so any scientificinformation would be of great interest.

Footnote: Brabant Island's highestpeak is Mt Parry (2520m). It was namedby Captain Henry Foster, R.N., whenH.M.S. Chanticleer visited the island in1829. De Gerlache named the island forthe Belgian province of Brabant inrecognition of the support given by itscitizens to his 1897-99 expedition.

India becomes 28th treaty memberIndia, which has sent two expeditions

to Antarctica since 1981, has acceded tothe Antarctic Treaty and intends to seekconsultative status. The country's accession last month brings the treatymembership to 28. Of these 14 are consultative members and 14 accedingmembers.

Earlier this year Dr S. Z. Quasim,Secretary of the Department of OceanDevelopment, who led the first expedition to Queen Maud Land in 1981-82,said that India planned to continue itsannual expeditions until 1985. By then apermanent station would be built inQueen Maud land and manned all theyear round. Planning for the third expedition this summer is now in progress.

Although the first expedition code-named Operation Gangotri spent only

10 days on the continent scientistsaboard the chartered Norwegianresearch ship Polar Circle carried out awide range of oceanographic studies inthe Southern Ocean and in the IndianOcean. A base camp was built on thePrince Olav Coast at 69deg 59 min S/l 1deg 07min E, a solar-powered unmanned weather station named DakshinGangotri was established 80km to thesouth, and scientists conductedmeteorologial, geological, and biologicalresearch.

Operation Gangotri cost aboutSUS2.1 million. Last season India spentSUS3.5 million on Operation Gangotri11 which retrived data from the weatherstation, erected two huts at the site, andmarked out a 3048m runway on the icewith powder dyes to define its limits.


ANTARKTIS II

West Germany's ice shelfproject

West Germany will send one expedition to Antarctic this season.The research and supply ship Polarstern will work in BransfieldStrait, and the Scotia and Weddell Seas. It will supply Georg vonNeumayer Station in Atka Bay, and will take part in the Filchner IceShelf glaciological project which will be based at Filchner Station onthe Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf.

This season the Antarktis II expedition will evaluate two fixed-wing ski-equipped aircraft in operations from ice runways at Georgevon Neumayer and Filchner Stations. One is a Dornier 128-6 twin-engined utility transport known as the Sky Train.

A short takeoff and landing aircraftthe Dornier 128-6 is a high-wing aircraftwith a crew of two and accommodationfor eight passengers. It has a range of642km. Dornier's second aircraft to betested in Antarctic conditions is a twin-engined turboprop mixed cargo-passenger aircraft. The Dornier 228-100is also a high-wing aircraft which carries15 passengers and a crew of two. It has arange of 1970km.

On her second Antarctic cruise thePolarstern will leave Bremerhaven thismonth and will return early in April. Hercruise has been divided into seven legsfor different research projects.

Before the Polarstern reaches AtkaBay early in January scientists will dobiological and geological research, andair chemistry and oceanographic surveysin the Scotia Sea, Bransfield Strait, andthe eastern Weddell Sea. The ship willuse Punta Arenas and Ushuaia forrefuelling and other purposes.

Late in December the Polarstern willsail from Punta Arenas for Atka Bay.There she will resupply Georg vonNeumayer Station and exchange winterteams. In January she will sail forFilchner Station, the summer stationestablished on the Filchner-Ronne IceShelf in January last year at 77deg 09minS/50deg 38min W.

Supplies and the two Dornier aircraftwill be landed at the station, and then

the Polarstern will take part in theFilchner Ice Shelf Project, using her twohelicopters. Later she will cruise in thesouthern Weddell Sea where scientistswill carry out geophysical, meteorological, biological, and oceanographic projects.

About 20 scientists will take part inthe Filchner Ice Shelf Project. The programme includes mapping the shelf andstudying the ice dynamics. Other fieldsof study will be geodesy, geophysics,glaciology, photogrammetry, andmeteorology.

Towards the end of February thePolarstern will return to Atka Bay. Shewill leave Antarctic waters for CapeTown early in March, and is expectedback in Bremerhaven about April 5.

Support for the West German programme this season will be given by theChileans. In joint projects West Germanscientists will be flown from PuntaArenas to Rodolfo Marsh Station onKing George Island in the SouthShetlands, and also transported by ship.The two Dornier aircraft will be suppliedwith fuel at Punta Arenas and RodolfoMarsh.

In less than three years West Germanyhas established four stations in Antarctica. The first was the Lillie Marleen Hutin Northern Victoria Land. It was placedat the foot of Mt Dockery in the EverettRange by the GANOVEX I expedition

Gondwana Station, established during the GANOVEX III expedition in January thisyear, is the youngest of the four West German stations. It is at the foot of MtMelbourne in Gerlache Inlet, Terra Nova Bay, at 74deg 38min S/164deg 13min E.

Photo: Greg Mortimer

of the Federal Institute for Geosciences Gondwana Station is accessible byand Resources (BGR) in January, 1980. ship and aircraft. Runways can be laid

In February, 1981 the first permanent out on,the sea ice in front of the slationstation was opened. Georg von Neu- or in the nearby Browning Pass area,mayer Station in Atka Bay was establish- In 1984-85 the station will be used fored by the Alfred Wegener Institute for the first time during an aero-magneticPolar Research at 70deg 37min S/08deg survey by BGR scientists. This geo-2 2 m i n W . p h y s i c a l a n d g e o l o g i c a l s u r v e y w i l l b e

Filchner Station 1450km from Atka Part of a tripartite programme by theBay was opened in January, 1982 as the United StaIes' New Zealand, and Westheadquarters for summer programmes. Germany.It was established by the Alfred Wegener

I n s t i t " ; e M a w s o n d i a r i e sUnlike George von Neumayer Stationthe Filchner station is not built into the Publication of the diaries of Sirice but on top of it. Containers with liv- Douglas mawson held in the Mawson In-ing quarters for 12, a snow melting stitute at the University of Adelaide isplant, and a power station, are set on a expected later this year. Editing of theplatform placed on 14 pillars 1.5m above diaries is likely to be completed byice level to avoid snow drifting. August.

A third summer station called Gond- A research assistant has been ap-wana was established in January this pointed to assist the director of the in-year by the BGR GANOVEX III expedi- stitute, Dr Fred Jacka, with the editingtion. It is in Gerlache Inlet, Terra Nova of the diaries. The transcription wasBay, near Mt Melbourne, at 74deg 38 completed some time ago. An archivistminS/164deg 13 min E. Besides a hut has been appointed for 12 months tosimilar to the Lillie Marleen Hut there completing cataloguing of Mawson'sare three other buildings, one for food papers, a task halted several years agostorage, one for equipment, and the because of lack of funds.


Soviet ships circumnavigateAntarctica

Two Soviety naval hydrographicresearch ships, the Admiral Vladimirskyand the Thaddei Bellingshausen completed a circumnavigation of Antarcticalast season. They left the naval base ofSebastopol in December last year andfollowed roughly the routes of Bellingshausen's two ships, Vostok and Mirnywhich circumnavigated the continent in.1819-20.

One project in which the ships wereengaged was to determine the exact position of the South Magnetic Pole off theAdelie Coast. On February 9 the AdmiralVladimirsky made an unexpected andunannounced visit to McMurdo Soundwhere she stayed nearly three hours.

Three research ships took part in aprogramme of oceanographic studieslast season, focusing on the Antarcticcircumpolar current and its interactionwith the Antarctic Polar Front. Afterrelieving Bellinghausen on King GeorgeIsland in the South Shetlands the Professor Zubov operated mainly in theArgentine Basin to the north of theScotia Ridge which the Russians call theSouth Antillean Arc.

A second ship, the Akademik MstislavKeldysh, worked in the area where theAtlantic-Indian Ridge, which the Russians call the African-Antarctic Ridge,joins the South-west Indian Ridge(around 50 deg S/30 deg E). The thirdship, the Dmitri Mendeleyev, focused onthe area south-west of the CampbellPlateau where the South-east IndianRidge and the Pacific-Antarctic Ridgeconverge north of the Balleny Islands.She called at the New Zealand port ofDunedin early in February.

Eight ships including the ProfessorZubov, took part in the operations ofthe 28th Soviet Antarctic Expedition(SAE-28). There were some errors in thereport in the June issue of "Antarctic",which was based on early informationabout proposed ship movements.

Some 57 expedition members, including the leader, Nikolay Kornilov,travelled part of the way south aboardthe Professor Viz, making her 11th trip,and were transferred to the KapitanMarkov at a point 190 nautical milesfrom Mirny. The Kapitan Markov thenproceeded to Mirny. She spent aboutthree weeks off the station in resupplyoperations that were hampered by icemovements and bad weather.

After the transfer of passengers theProfessor Vize sailed to the KerguelenIslands where she met the passenger shipBashkiriya at Port-aux-Francais. Thereshe took on expedition members whohad travelled from Leningrad aboardthe Bashkiriya.

From Port-aux-Francais the ProfessorVize proceeded to Mirny and then toPrydz Bay. There she took part in theestablishment of the new seasonal baseSoyuz at Beaver Lake near the AmeryIce Shelf. Then she travelled to Maputo,Mozambique, for resupply.

In regular seasonal operation in theWeddell Sea the cargo ships KapitanMyshevskiy and Pavel Korchagan, bothnewcomers to Antarctica, reactivatedDruzhnaya I on the Filchner Ice Shelf at78 deg S, and Druzhnaya II (75deg S) atthe base of the Antarctic Peninsula onthe Ronne Ice Shelf. These stations wereclosed for the winter after two months'operation.

Winter staff for the permanent stations were transported by Ilyushin-18aircraft from Maputo to Molodezhnaya,and aboard the Mikhail Somov, whichsailed from the Soviety Union earily inFebruary with scientists and supportstaff for four stations, including Len-ingradskaya on the Oates Coast. Last ofeight ships in SAE-28 was the tankerBAM, one of the Finnish-built Samotlorclass of 12,000 — tonne tankers whichtook a cargo of oil products from theBlack Sea refining centre of Batum.

mm■ '';>4*Sft*>««'Sa;j.

ANTARCTICflHH

IBrazil to build summer station

Brazil which sent two expeditions toAntarctica last season plans to establisha permanent station, possibly on thePrincess Martha Coast of Queen MaudLand, but not for several seasons. Thisseason a summer station will be built inthe Antarctic Peninsula Area.

A contract for the construction of amodular station by December 5 at a costof about $US240,000 was signed inBrasilia last month. The contract is between the Ministry of the Navy and aBrazilian company which manufacturesrailway equipment.

No indication of where the summerstation will be sited has been given in

Brazilian reports. But there have beensuggestions that it will on the WeddellSea coast. Last season the Barao deTeffe, formerly the Thala Dan, called atstations in the Antarctic Peninsula areaand then worked in the Weddell Sea andoff the Princess Martha Coast. Her lastcall was to the West German station,Georg von Neumayer in Atka Bay.

Brazil's second expedition last seasonused the research vessel Professor W.Besnard. A biological oceanographicresearch programme was carried out inBransfield Strait by scientists from theInstitute of Oceanography, Universityof Sao Paulo.

Shirase's maiden voyage to SyowaA glaciological traverse from Mizuho

Station 300km south-east of Syowa Station to 75deg S/35deg E will be madethis season by members of the 24thJapanese Antarctc Research Expedition(JARE-24). The traverse will be carriedout from November to January, and atemporary camp will be established atthe terminal site. By 1988 a third permanent research station will be built there.

This year the new 11,647-tonne research and supply icebreaking shipShirase, commanded by Captain Tomat-

su Sato, will make her maiden voyage toAntarctica with members of the summerand winter parties of JARE-25. She willbe south of 55deg between earlyDecember and early March.

Japan's research programme willbegin officially on November 14 whenthe Shirase will sail from Tokyo forFremantle where she is due onNovember 28. From Fremantle she willsail for Syowa Station where she is dueat the end of December.

U.S. inspection of 14 stationsNo activities contrary to the letter or

the spirit of the Antarctic Treaty wereencountered by a United States inspection team which visited 14 Antarctic stations of eight other nations last season.The team, led by Dr Albert S. Chapman,of the State Department, included MrRonald A. Gaiduk (State Department),Commander Maria Kazanowska, U.S.Navy, and Colonel John A. Raymond,U.S. Army.

During its 48-day cruise aboard theUnited States Coast Guard icebreakerPolar Star the team conducted inspections in accordance with Article VII ofthe Antarctic Treaty. The stations were:Leningradskaya, Mirny, Molodezhnaya,

Novolazarevskaya (Soviet Union),Casey, Mawson, Davis (Australia), Du-mont d'Urville (France), Syowa (Japan),Sanae (South Africa), Georg vonNeumayer (West Germany), Halley (Britain), General Belgrano II and Vice-comodore Marambio (Argentine).

When the Polar Star reached PalmerStation on March 7 she completed her69-day westward circumnavigationcruise round the Antarctic Continent.The cruise began when she arrived atPalmer Station on December 24, 1982.She sailed for McMurdo Station onDecember 28, and began the westwardcircumnavigation when she departed onJanuary 21, 1983.


Hang gliding French yachtsmenA French yachtsman, Jerome Poncet,

and his Australia-born wife, Sally, wholeft the New Zealand port of Lytteltonfor the Antarct ic Peninsula onDecember 13 last year in their 15mschooner-rigged yacht Damien II, madetheir landfall at Anvers Island onJanuary 16 after 26 days at sea from theChatham Islands. Also aboard weretheir two children, four-year-old Dionand Liev, who is l'/i, Tina Troup, ofChristchurch, and a Breton sailor,Patrick Cudennec.

After their arrival at the United StatesPalmer Station on Anvers Island thePoncets took two scientists from the station to Cape Monaco, the south-west tipof the island. Then the Damien II took a

Chinstrap, Adelie, and Gentoo penguins, cormorants, and other bird colonies. Bird counts were made for the International Survey of Antarctic Seabirds(ISAS).

On February 8 the Damien II reachedAvian Island at the southern tip ofAdelaide Island and at the entrance toMarguerite Bay. This was the islandwhere the Poncets were based in 1978for more than a year. It has a rookery of80,000 Adelie penguins and manynesting birds.

From Avian Island the Damien II,with the crew still bird spotting, headedfor the British Antarctica Survey baseRothera on Adelaide Island. There thecrew encountered again the French yachtGraham, which was also cruising in theAntarctic Peninsula region.

Last season was particularly good fornavigation in Marguerite Bay as therewas considerably less sea ice. Bothyachts therefore headed together forHorseshoe Island where the crews spenta week. They climbed peaks on Pour-quoi Island, skied, and Jerome Poncetmade two flights wiih his hang glider onHorseshoe Island.

Two peaks, Mi Verne (1645m) insouthern part of Pourquoi Pas Island,and Mt Arronax (1585m) in the northern

part, were climbed. Patrick Cudennecand Christian de Morliave and MichelFranco climbed Mt Verne, and PhilippeCardis and Luc Frejus made the ascentof Mt Arronax on skis. Jerome Poncetand Tina Troup crossed HorseshoeIsland on skis. It has peaks rising from600m to 900m.

From Horseshoe Island the Damien IIand the Graham sailed south together.They stopped at the Argentine base,General San Martin. There JeromePoncet, Olivier Carre, Christian deMorliave and Tina Troup climbed thelow peak of Millerand Island on skis.

Neny Fiord produced some of thegustiest weather the yachts had encountered in a summer that was predominantly calm and sunny. The twomoored under Red Rock Ridge (690m)between Neny Fiord and Rymill Bay.Patrick Cudennec and Christian deMorliave remained there to make a rockclimb.

Then the rest of the two crews sailedto an area of fast ice between the RefugeIslands on the south-west side of RedRock Ridge and the coast. This providedan excellent runway for Michel Franco'stwo-seater motorised glider, and he wasable to give everyone a flight.

Beyond this point the two yachtsparted company. Damien II tried unsuccessfully to reach Alexander Island tothe south-west but turned back on thesecond day when the pack ice becameheavier and the weather showed signs ofdeteriorating.

By February 27 the Damien II wasback at Avian Island. Once the weathersettled the yacht continued its 900kmvoyage north in stages up the coast withthe crew still spotting new bird colonies.

From the South Shetlands the Damienheaded north to the Falkland Islands.The Poncet family sailed Damien IIfrom Port Stanley to Montevideo for thewinter. In September parents andchildren will go south again to spent thesummer in the Antarctic Peninsula areaand at South Georgia.

ANTARCTIC

THE READER WRITESDISCOVERY HUT

Sir,I read with disbelief ("Antarctic",

June, 1983) that it has been seriouslysuggested that a plastic geodesic domebe erected over the Discovery hut at HutPoint. That the suggestions has itssource from a staff member of the National Museum, an institution one wouldexpect to be aware of historic sensitivity,seems astounding. Such a aberrationwould destroy all of the historic atmosphere of the site as well as placingthe building at considerable risk.

Such a dome would reduce theavailable light and artificial lightingwould be then required. There is noform of illumination that I am aware ofthat does not produce heat. Any raisingof the temperature within this and theother huts would constitute a muchgreater threat to the contents than anyraised by Mr Fry.

It would also increase the fire risk anddestroy completely the genuine and veryspecial air of history that most visitorsfeel when they enter such places.

I am amazed that it should now beconsidered necessary to "tidy up", andlight the building when it never was so inits 80-odd years of survival throughpolar history. As a member of the four-man team that restored the hut in 1964 Ican say with firm conviction, that it is asit has always been since the Aurora partydeparted in 1917, untidy, dirty anddimly lit. In the good name of historicauthenticity, may it long be allowed toremain so.

The greatest threat to Hut Pointcomes from the presence of men. A roadrunning close to the building places it atrisk from falling equipment or vibrationfrom heavy machines. The fuel tanks onits back door can only be viewed withtrepidation. A dome would not be ofany earthly use should these fears everbe realised.

I believe the hut is at threat from theover-attention of "experts". Suchpeople

swore that the building would collapsewhen we removed the ice from inside,then when proved wrong, wanted todemolish the building and re-erect it onthe roof of the Canterbury Museum.

Now they want to interfere with itscontents and create a tidy, clean andbrightly lit artifical monstrosity thatwould convey nothing of its genuine interior environment. Experts? Yours etc.

BADEN NORRIS

I believe that Scott's hut at Hut Pointshould be preserved by whatever meansis necessary. It is one of the best-knownlandmarks in all of Antarctica, perhapsbecause it is so visible at McMurdo.When I first saw the hut in 1960, it wasnearly filled with snow and ice, the outerwalls had a variety of graffiti on them,and the general environs were in disarray. Through the years the New ZealandAntarctic Society and others have donean excellent job in restoring the hut andmaintaining it.

There is some merit in leaving the hutto whatever fate the elements mightdetermine, which is a kind of ultra-environmentalist viewpoint. Instead,however, I believe the museum approachis probably the only means of preservingthe hut for not only our lifetimes butothers as well. A dome similar to the onedescribed in New Zealand AntarcticRecord (Vol 4, No. 3, 1983, P. 8) is probably the most feasible way of doingthis. The dome design could include afew large sections of clear plexiglas orsimilar durable material, which, fromthe inside, would permit aesthetic viewsof McMurdo Sound, Victoria Land, andthe Royal Society Range. WinterQuarters Bay would provide a little moreof the historical aspect of the hut, butsuch a view would also include McMur-do's rubbish dump, unfortunately.


Constructed properly, the inside ofthe dome could provide the securitynecessary to display artefacts, memorabilia, maps, etc. of many aspects ofpolar history on opaque panels of thedome. Forethought should also be givento possible repercussions to the buildingand permafrost because of the dome'spresence. Changes to the permafrostbecause of the "greenhouse" cover andheat entrapment could affect the integrity of the building as a result of shifts inthe foundation.

The dome could be constructed so asto allow for easy dismantling of panels

to allow access on any side by construction equipment or vehicles in the eventthat major repairs or modificationsmight become necessary. Some kind ofventing apparatus should be included torid the interior of moisture buildup during peak times of occupancy.

There are numerous details related tothe ultimate design and construction ofsuch an enclosure, but the basic conceptshould be considered seriously as a matter of preserving this important aspect ofAntarctic history. Yours etc,

JOHN SPLETTSTOESSER

South Pole ventures postponedTwo private expeditions — one British

and one French — which planned tomake journeys to the South Pole nextyear from Cape Evans and the Bay ofWhales respectively are reported to havepostponed operations for a year.Originally two Englishmen hoped tomanhaul sledges to the Pole, and theFrenchmen proposed to reach it withdog teams.

Earlier this year Robert Swan, a27-year-old-tree surgeon and self-styledprofessional explorer, and 32-year-oldRoger Mear, a professional mountaineering instructor, announced theirplan to haul sledges 1365km from CapeEvans to the Pole this summer torecreate Scott's journey in 1911-12.They proposed to fly to McMurdoSound in a chartered Hercules aircrafton October 25.

Proposals that the chartered aircraftshould carry cargo for the Americans onits flight between New Zealand and Antarctica in return for transport of Swanand Mear from the Pole to McMurdoStation by a United States Navy ski-equipped Hercules were not accepted bythe United States National ScienceFoundation. In addition, according toMear, the Melbourne firm responsiblefor the Hercules charter "has gonebust".

Now Swan and Mear propose to reachtheir starting point in Antarctica by sailing a yacht from Britain next year. The

expedition's change in plan was revealedby Mear to a New Zealand journalist inLondon last month.

In December, 1984, Swan and Mearand six others will leave Britain by yacht.They intend to winter in McMurdoSound and in a prefabricated hut inpreparation for an early start from CapeEvans as soon as conditions permit.

A doctor, an engineer, a cameraman,and a sound technician will be amongthe crew of the yacht. Only Swan andMear will take the sledges south in thesummer of 1985-86.

No advance depots will be set upalong the route and there will be no airsupport. Swan and Mear will be in radiocommunication with McMurdo Stationand Scott Base.

Twelve French sailors, mountaineers,divers, and skiers, who planned to sailthree 16m boats from New Zealand tothe Bay of Whales in December, 1984,winter on the Ross Ice Shelf in 1985, andmake a summer journey by dog sledge tothe Pole are also reported to havedelayed their project for a year. The expedition, led by Bertrand Dubois, intended to use 60 dogs, 20 carried in eachboat for the Pole journey.

.MSKfJlWJ i-^teVe* jmwmfmmi

t jmANTARCTIC September 1983

Captain Hedblom: polar medicineauthority

A United States authority on coldweather medicine, Captain E. E.Hedblom, who was staff surgeon withthe Naval Support Force, Antarctica,from 1955 to 1959, died on November 27last year in Brunswick, Maine, after abrief illness. New Zealanders who knewCaptain Hedblom during the first fiveyears of Operation Deep Freeze remember him as a giant of a man, usually cladin outsize overalls with a big red cross onthe back, who had a fondness for simplepractical jokes and a cheerful disregardfor the rules against the consumption ofalcohol on United States Navy ships.

During his service with the Department of Cold Weather Medicine, UnitedStates Navy Medical School in Bethesda,Maryland, Captain Hedblom was largelyresponsible for the production of theAntarctic Manual which covered livingconditions, clothing, nutrition, supplies,equipment, cold injuries, safety and survival. The revised and rewritten thirdedition became the widely known PolarManual.

When Deep Freeze I ended CaptainHedblom wrote a brief set of "PolarDo's and Don'ts" on hygiene and personal safety to assist men going on DeepFreeze II. One of the bluntly writtendon'ts described what happened to aNew Zealand politician visiting Antarctica who disregarded it.

This pamphlet was not published butin manuscript form served as a guide forthe first Japanese expedition in 1956-57.A request in 1959 by the Royal Australian

Air Force for information the care ofcold weather casualties producedanother brief pamphlet. Then in thesame year the two pamphlets were updated, condensed and combined to meeta request for medical guidance by theBelgian Antarctic expedition and thefirst edition of Antarctic Manual wasborn.

Captain Hedblom edited later editionsof the Polar Manual, drawing on therecords and observations of UnitedStates Navy doctors with polar experience, and the advice of scientists andpolar explorers. Some like Sir HubertWilkins, Paul-Emile Victor, and Captain Harry Kirkwood, R. N., werefriends and shipmates. Others who knewhim well included Phillip Law, BerntBalchen, Vilhjalmur Stefansson, and DrBernard Gunn, who was injured in NewZealand's first fatal Antarctic accidentwhen a snocat went into a crevasse nearCape Selborne in 1959.

After his five summers in AntarcticaCaptain Hedblom was medical consultant to the Chief of Naval Operations,the Commander, Naval Support Force,Antarctica, and the Arctic Institute ofNorth America. He was also coldweather consultant to the Commandant.U.S. Marine Corps. In 1961 he publishedthe first specific statistics of morbidityover the five years to 1961 of UnitedStates winter bases in Antarctica, andUnited States Navy operations withinthe Antarctic Circle.

Veteran of BANZARE expeditionOne of the veterans of Mawson's last Dr Ingram was born in Scotland and

Antarctic research expedition, Dr Wil- was a graduate of Aberdeen University.liam Wilson Ingram, died in Sydney onNovember 25 last year aged 94. He served as medical officer and biologist withthe British, Australian, New ZealandAntarctic Research Expedition (BANZARE) on the Discovery's voyages inthe 1929-30 and 1930-31 summers.

He served in France during the FirstWorld War, was wounded, and won theMilitary Cross. After the war he settledin Australia and for 45 years until 1974was director of the Kolling Institute ofMedical Research which is attached tothe Royal North Shore Hospital. Then

ANTARCTIC

he was consultant physician until hisretirement in 1979.

Ingram Bay (68deg 35min S/72deg20min E), an embayment of the ice shelfcoast of MacKenzie Bay at the westernextremity of the Amery Ice Shelf sightedfrom the air on February 11, 1931, wasnamed for Dr Ingram. But because of itstemporary nature the embayment is notnamed on Australian maps.

JIT'SMiss Beatrice Smith, one of the few

survivors of the "Mawson Club," diedin Christchurch early last year. Shebelonged to a group of women studentsat Canterbury University College, nowthe University of Canterbury, who, during the First World War, completed andtabulated magnetic observations takenin Antarctica by Mr Eric Webb, the NewZealand chief magnetician with

Mawson's Australasian Antarctic Expedition of 1911-1914.

Mr Webb, an associate of the collegeSchool of Engineering, who lives inretirement in England, was only 22 whenhe joined the expedition. When hereturned he was swept up almost immediately into the First World War, andas a result of his war service was unableto analyse the results of his observations.

Professor C. C. Farr accepted the job,and, in turn, persuaded 10 of his womenphysics students to undertake the verydetailed work involved. Computers wereunheard of in those days, and thestudents took nearly two years and ahalf to complete their task, using nearlyall their spare time, including the vacations of those who lived in Christchurch.

Mawson later called the group "themagnetic ladies of Canterbury College."When Miss Smith died the originalgroup was reduced to four.

MICROLITES AND COPEPODSGold exists on a large scale in the An

tarctic. It can be obtained by followingthe Alaskan experience of thawing outthe gravel.

No, the report does not come from"Antarctic Geoscience" and was notwritten in 1983. The author is thedistinguished Australian geologist,Edgeworth David, who was withShackleton's 1907-09 expedition, andthe quotation comes from a lecture hegave to the Royal Institution in Sydney57 years ago.

* * *A slightly different view of the future

of Antarctica comes from an Americanwriter, John Calvin Batchelor whosebook has not attracted the mostfavourable attention. He is responsiblefor "The Birth of the People's Republicof Antarctica" published recently by theDial Press. According to the "New YorkTimes Book Review" of May 29, 1983,the book begins in the known world.

A Swedish-American narrator andhere, Grim Fiddle, is the illegitimate product of an encounter in a Stockholm bar

in 1973 between an American draftevader and a local girl. Grim Fiddle"sails ever southward to new reunionsand losses and the bloody achievementof power in Antarctica where he wins akingdom and a dangerous bride, andalmost loses his soul. "All this, andSouth Georgia too, for US$16.95.

* * *Pierre Boulle, author of "Bridge on

the River Kwai," has written an adventure story with humour and suspensecalled "La Baleine des Malouines" or"The Whale of the Falklands." Thehero or rather the principal heroine is ahuge good-natured blue whale.

By her presence the whale confirms tothe admiral commanding the Britishfleet on the way to the South Atlanticthe warning of the Duke of Edinburghtransmitted by the Admiratly: " Attention Cetaceans often appear on radarslike submarines."


Private expedition to restoreMawson's hut [",;:" ;:-;';" '■'■'' I I i

A group of Australian adventurersplans to sail from Hobart to Commonwealth Bay in November next year torestore Mawson's hut, built for his1911-13 Australasian Antarctic Expedition (AAE). The expedition also proposes to retrace and try to completeMawon's eastern journey along thecoast of King George V Land in 1912-13when his companions, LieutenantBelgrave Ninnis and Dr Xavier Mertz,died.

Code-named Project Blizzard the expedition, expected to cost $A250,000,will be led by William Blunt, an architect, and Dr Ross Vinning, a medicalresearch scientist, both of Sydney. Theyled a private expedition to Heard Islandlast summer. Two South Australians,Jonathan Chester, a freelancephotographer, and Robert Easther, ateacher, who also went to Heard Island,have joined the co-leaders to prepare forProject Blizzard.

Geologists, physcists, meteorologists,carpenters, and museum experts, will beamong the 20 members of the expedition. Most of them will go south in aship which will take equipment andmaterials to Commonwealth Bay. Theothers will sail a yacht — possibly the13m steel-hulled Domino — fromHobart.

When the expedition reachesCommonwealth Bay about December 10first priority will be the restoration ofMawson's hut, which is expected to taketwo weeks. The building will be clearedof snow and ice, and the outer plankingand damaged framework will be replaced, using material given by theAustralian Antarctic Division.

Three men will then attempt to retraceMawson's journey. They will use motortoboggans instead of dogs, and expect tocomplete the journey in 28 days.

K^' .O'c^

Ross Dependencybirds MM Hj I

Financial and logistic support forresearch into the distribution, population, and ecology of the birds of theRoss Dependency have been received bythe New Zealand committee of the International Survey of Antarctic Seabirds(ISAS). A joint contribution of $25,000has been made by B.P. Oil N.Z. Ltd andthe Department of Scientific and In-

One contributor, B.P., has provided$14,000 for ISAS projects in the RossDependency. The DSIR contribution of$11,000 represents the cost of logisticsupport for future research work.

Since the New Zealand ISAS committee was established some 41 per cent ofthe 34 known Adelie penguin colonies inthe Ross Dependency have beensurveyed. Two new colonies have beendiscovered, and several major reportshave been prepared.

Recommendations for future ornithological research in the RossDependency have been prepared by thecommittee. These refer in particular tooil exploration/exploitation and krillharvesting, and their effect on seabirdsand penguins.

Desmond Bagley, one of the world'stop-selling thriller writers, who died inSouthampton on April 12, visitedMcMurdo Station and Scott Base in1968. He began writing another thrillerinspired by his Antarctic visit but since1979 the book has not been mentioned inthe publishing world.

When Bagley was at Scott Base heused two pocket tape recorders to retainhis impressions of everything he sawthere. He explained later that he usedtapes to recall people and places andstimulate his imagination.

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is published quarterly in March, June, September, and December. It is theonly periodical in the world which gives regular up-to-date news of theAntarctic activities of all nations at work in the far south. If has aworldwide circulation.

Yearly subscription NZ$8.00, Overseas NZ$9.00, includes postage (airmail postage extra), single copies $2.00. Details of back issues, available,may be obtained from the Secretary, New Zealand Antarctic Society(Inc.), P.O. Box 1223, Christchurch, New Zealand. Back issues more thanfive years old are available on request.

Overseas subscribers are asked to ensure that their remittances areconverted to New Zealand currency.

NEW ZEALAND ANTARCTIC SOCIETY (INC.)The New Zealand Antarctic Society was formed in 1933. It comprises NewZealanders and overseas friends, many of whom have seen Antarctica forthemselves, and all of whom are vitally interested in some phase ofAntarctic exploration, development, or research.

You are invited to become a member, South Island residents should writeto the Canterbury secretary, North Islanders should write to theWellington secretary, and overseas residents to the secretary of the NewZealand Society. For addresses, see below. The yearly membership fee isNZ$6.00 (or equivalent local currency). Membership fee, overseas andlocal, including "Antarctic", NZ$13.00.

New Zealand Secretary: P.O. Box 1223, Christchruch

Branch Secretaries: Canterbury: P.O. Box 404, Christchurch.Wellington: P.O. Box 2110, Wellington.

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"LOOKING 'SOUTH ""Looking South", published by the New Zealand Antarctic Society to mark its

first 50 years, will appear next month. Copies of the book can be ordered and paidfor now. Mailing will begin in November-December.

Orders from: Book Project, N.Z. Antarctic Society, P.O. Box 2110, Wellington,N.Z. at NZ$7.50, post free or Treasurer, N.Z. Antarctic Society, P.O. Box 1223,Christchurch N.Z. Overseas payments should be converted to the equivalent in NewZealand currency.

ANTARCTIC POSTCARDSA new set of postcards depicting aspects of Antarctica is now available from the

New Zealand Antarctic Society. They show Scott Base, Emperor penguins on the seaice of McMurdo Sound, a New Zealand dog team outside Scott's hut at Cape Evans,and a Scott Base husky.

These cards sell at four for $1 plus postage. Surface mail postage rates are 30 cents(New Zealand) and 50 cents (overseas).

Orders accompanied by cheque or money order should be addressed to Cards,P.O. Box 1223, Christchurch, New Zealand. Overseas payments should be convertedto the equivalent New Zealand currency.

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Documents

NEW ZEALAND ANTARCTIC SOCIETY (INC) · 2017-07-26 · New Zealand's Antarctic research programme for 1983-84 includes the establishment of a base camp and other scientiﬁc and logistic