ANTARCTICA - FLIGHTSTO THE LAST FRONTIER

ince Qantas reintroduced Antarctic day flights, two years ago, thousands of passengers have been awe-inspired by Antarctica's grandeur and, coupled with the on-board educational programme, they have had an unforgettable and Srare travel experience - polar exploring from the comfort of an air-conditioned 747. Choose from 5 seating options Antarctica is a vast island continent, lying remote at the First Class/Business Class extremities of the earth. It is twice the size of Australia and All seats will be window or aisle with no rotation. There are no centre seats sold. is the last remaining wilderness continent on earth. It consists of magnificent polar plateaux, vast mountain ranges and Economy Class - Premium expanses of permanent ice four kilometres deep which never There will be four seats on each side of the aircraft in melt. Come with us, see Antarctica and you could have the the economy section, not over the wing area and will be best day flight of your life. rotated at the half way point with similar seats. Each passenger will have a window seat or the seat next to a window seat for half of the flight. Uieming There has never been a problem with viewing as passengers Economy Class - Standard are encouraged to move around the aircraft and share the scenic These will be the four seats on each side of the aircraft in the economy section but will be over the wing area and viewing. The aircraft will fly "figure 8's" over various points will be rotated at the half way point with similar seats. of interest to allow these spectacular sights to be viewed on Each passenger will have a window seat or seat next to a both sides of the aircraft. window seat for half of the flight.

Economy Class-Centre These seats will be two middle seats in the centre of the aircraft in the economy section and will not be rotated.

FIRST BUSINESS ECONOMY ECONOMY ECONOMY CLASS CLASS CLASS CLASS CLASS (Premium) (Standard) (Centre) $4659.°° $3949.<>0 $2775.°o $2189.0° $1835.oo

FLIGHT DRY DEPARTURE DEPARTURE DEPARTS RETURNS PACKAGE INCLUDES N o . D A T E C I T V • Return economy class airfare to either 1 Sun 30 Nov 97 Melbourne 8.30am 8.00pm 2 Sun 28 Dec 97 Sydney 8.00am 8.30pm Sydney or Melbourne 3* Wed 31 Dec 97 Melbourne 5.00pm 4.30am • 2 nights accommodation 4 Sun 04 Jan 98 Sydney 8.00am 8.30pm • Antarctic Flight 6 Sun 18 Jan 98 Sydney 8.00am 8.30pm 7 Sun 25 Jan 98 Melbourne 8.30am 8.00pm • Special conditions apply 8 Sun 01 Feb 98 Sydney 8.00am 8.30pm 9 Sun 08 Feb 98 Sydney 8.00am 8.30pm 10 Sun 15 Feb 98 Melbourne 8.30am 8.00pm (Scheduled Departure/Arrival times may vary Inn will he confirmed well in advance) * Surcharge ofAUl)$200.00 applies an New Years Eve flights ^ Budget Travel Special Conditions 72 Branches Nationwide All Hights and services are subject to availability. E Mail: budgettravel.co.nz Price based on share twin accommodation. Prices arc subject to exchange rate fluctuations. This flyer was correct at time of printing but is subject to change. A non-refundable deposit of $300.00 per person is due at time of reservation. All bookings must be paid in full 42 days prior to departure; bookings received inside 42 days must be paid in full immediately. Mandatory departure tax of AUDS27 per person is additional. Agent to book Trans Tasman QF 'K' Class (can book cheaper fare if applicable). All costs in New Zealand dollars, unless slated otherwise. Antarctic fe^Fr

Contents

> ■ • • : ■■ ttrnPrJ j Forthcoming Events

Cover Story 21st Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting

Tourism

News Modest Rise in Antarctic Temperatures Higher Toxin Levels in Seabirds New Data on Ozone Hole Cover: The 21st Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting. Christchurch Convention Centre. Photo courtesy of The Press. National Programmes New Zealand — Re-mapping the Ross By Tim Higham United States Volume 15, No. 2, Issue No.161, 1997 Italy United Kingdom ANTARCTIC is published quarterly by the New Zealand Antarctic Australia Society Inc., ISSN 0003-5327. Please address all editorial inquiries and contributions to Antarctic New Zealand Antarctic Society Bulletin, P O Box 404, Christchurch or Celebrates 40th Anniversary of Scott Base telephone 03 365 0344, facsimile 03 365 4255, e-mail [email protected]. Tribute Geoffrey Markham *m*m*~" \\ ANTARCTICA Historical "^ Riddle of the Antarctic Peninsula - Part III ,/ !!»!.*.! m<0 ■ . by D. E. Yelverton

40 Years Ago '"a r; in.iiit>iti Part III by Margaret Bradshazv '■fp^M y r - y ™f iT^v "C**A * Book Reviews ,-*-~T'"" r/^ss£s Terra Incognita A Year on Ice p ! »««."ii"~*s2S" r Letter to the Editor JlUg <*.•« tan ■/ /_*rEX. K \ ANTARCTIC \ />sJL PENINSULA

_^i FORTHCOMING EVENTS \ / HkvivK MM - •tWJ i 27 October — 7 November 1997 KING GEORGE XVI CCAMLR Meeting. Hobart, Australia. , I S L A N D / A April 1998 Antarctic Futures Workshop. Christchurch, New Zealand. SCALE (Run by Antarctica New Zealand — current & future patterns of tourist 9 m BUM aatwci o o c a r v i m I ,*-*•! CM*| CM*f ro~i W«! & science-related business).

Vol 15 No. 2, 1997 Antarctic ANTARCTIC TREATY REPORT Treaty Nations Confront Major Issues

- ith the remoteness of The Treaty consul / Antarctica under challenge as tations took place never before, the 21st against the backdrop Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting at of an outbreak of Christchurch, New Zealand, has put illegal fishing in the some major issues squarely before vast Southern Ocean. , member nations. T h i s m o d e r n - d a y Tourism is now a significant human equivah activity on the ice and, apart from rush" threatens the "«8atft$te^ fishing, is the principal commercial inter-generational enterprise in the Antarctic Treaty area, survival of the says New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Patagonian toothfish, Affairs & Trade. Around 9000 tourists one of Antarctica's visited Antarctica in 1995-96, double the oldest fish. This deep ] number of five years earlier. water species is a The early winter meeting by represen massive specimen, tatives of 26 nations that undertake sometimes up to 2 **-* --,^—'--.' . ,, scientific programmes in the continental metres long and up to area has increased public awareness of 65 pounds in weight, i . j j i S c o t t B a s e . . . a n Antarctica and flagged a wider range of and is regarded by Scott Base . .. an integral part of Nero Zealand s Ross Dependency presence. issues. These include environment and elements of the global fishingg industry industry as as Protocol on Environmental Protection tourism issues, fishing controls, manage a rich target. which allows freedom of scientific ment of specially protected areas and Not surprising when, thei Patagonian Patagonian research whilst protecting the environ- monuments, global climate change and toothfish fetches a top pricei of of between between ment. The problem is that the protocol is spread of plant and animal diseases. USS5000-S7000 a tonne fromn markets in in unreal until ratified by all Treaty states, a "Unresolved sovereignty claims and East Asia, and the USA. process that is now stretching into 1998. jurisdictional matters have crowded Several nations have acceptedipted regula regula- To improve the prospects of eventual agendas and stifled debate in the past" tion on fishing and have signedsigned the the success, the Christchurch meeting spent says New Zealand's associate Minister of Convention on the Conservation;ervation of of considerable time agreeing on the Foreign Affairs, Simon Upton, urging Antarctic Marine Living ResourcesResources protocol procedures and in drawing up faster consideration of key issues by (CCAMLR). Sources say thatit not not all all feel feel rules to ensure the protocol's implemen- Treaty nations. Antarctica is a special obliged to honour the convention.mtion. Pirate Pirate tation doesn't bog down. place," says Upton. "Many people fleets allegedly operate outside the the Some 260 officials from 43 countries would like to visit this vast, icy, conti convention with near impunity.tity. met at the new Christchurch Convention nent which is the coldest, driest, and The 1996 CCAMLR meetingsting set set the the Centre to map out the future of highest place in the world." total allowable catch for toothfishDthfish in inall all Antarctica. Increasingly, many people are now parts of the Southern Oceanan at at 23,000 23,000 Of the 17 non-consultative parties, 13 able to do so, he notes. But as more tonnes but estimates of illegalal harvesting harvesting attended the meeting. Shortly before the people visit the continent the risks of suggest that the figure is nearly four start of ATCM XXI, Bulgaria advised the environmental damage also increase. times higher. Antarctic Treaty Depository State ( the Concerned at the growth in visits, New The need to protect Antarctica'srctica's envi envi- United States) of its interest in achieving Zealand has released guidelines for visi ronment is not an issue; whenA'hen Treaty Treaty consultative party status, tors to the Ross Sea Dependency, an area nations met at Madrid, Spain,lain, in in 1991 1991 Treaty members determined that a receiving some 800 visitors annually. they agreed on the Antarcticirctic TreatvTreaty condition of such status would be ratifi-

New Zealand Pursues Policy Initiatives over Ross Sea

New Zealand launched three special policy initiatives at The initiatives for a large-scale Ross Sea region ASMA and the Treaty meeting: for a Ross Sea Region environment report helped drive the momentum for a Committee for Environmental Protection. - a proposal for a Ross Sea region as a large-scale New Zealand will undertake some intersessional work on the framework for a reporting project that will cover the Antarctic Specially Managed Area. whole of the Antarctic. The Treaty parties' Transitional Environmental Working • a proposal for a Ross Sea Region State of the Group made "solid progress in key policy areas of particular Environment Report targeted to the year 2000. interest to New Zealand, including management of tourism and operations on the ice." an invitation for Ministers from Antarctic Treaty "Real advances were made in protected area management, consultative parties to visit Scott Base in early 1999 to where New Zealand had forwarded several substantial plans mark the 40th anniversary of the Antarctic Treaty. for approval."

Vol 15 No. 2, 1997 Antarctic ANTARCTIC TREATY REPORT cation of the Protocol on Environmental and Christchurch's Antarctic business values can be helpful in setting stan Protection to the Antarctic Treaty. base, the New Zealand Antarctic dards and the Treaty provides a good Bulgaria has an active involvement in Institute ("Antarctica New Zealand"), framework within which governments scientific research in Antarctica and indi the International centre for Antarctica can work together. This has led to cated a willingness to sign the Protocol. Information and Research, the Antarctic working alliances between New Zealand The question of Bulgaria's status will be Heritage Trust, the Christchurch Visitor and the United States and with Italy in considered at ATCM XXII in Norway. Centre and the Antarctic Society. particular. Some parties expressed the hope that "There is an awareness of something Public interest in the continent is Bulgaria might consider joining the to be protected to be enjoyed in the rising as tourism to Antarctica expands. CCAMLR Commission, particularly if future," says Stuart Prior, head of the Prior says New Zealand sees tourism as Bulgarian vessels were involved in Antarctic policy unit of the Ministry a "perfectly legal activity ... it helps to harvesting of Antarctic marine of Foreign Affairs and Trade, have people aware of responsible resources. Wellington. tourism." The 21st Treaty Consultative "The depen The New Zealand view is that the Meeting spent the first week on detail dency is an extra meeting of the Transitional work, particularly in the environ ordinary part of Environmental Working Group (TEWG) mental area, before considering the j the continent. It was the principal policy success of major policy issues. is the principal ATCM XXI. "It operated, for the first access point by time, as a professional scientific body The meeting was in four parts: air, the climate and its success was an encouraging • The Liability Group, which is is in Antarctic omen ..." working on drafting an annex to terms 'almost There was disappointment, the Environmental Protocol to the Mediterranean', however, that more progress was not Antarctic Treaty. It asked ques- [ made towards establishment of the tions about who should be held Committee for Environmental liable for damage to the Protection (CEP). The CEP could not Antarctic environment through |PN be set up at Christchurch because human activities. This group Russia and Japan had not yet ratified was chaired by Professor the Madrid Protocol. Ruediger Wolfrum of Germany. Russia completed formali The Transitional Working ties during the Christchurch Group, chaired by Dr Ola ' meeting and Japan is confident that Orheim of Norway, looked in it will complete its processes by the detail at environmental matters. northern summer. It thus seems that This group is laying the m setting up the CEP is imminent and groundwork for the proposed the committee is expected to meet Committee for Environmental B for the first time at ATCM XXI1 in Protection which will oversee Norway, 25 May-5 June 1998. the management of the Discussions on liability made Antarctic. The machinery to set %\ good progress and there will be an up this committee was put in intersessional meeting in Cape Town _i„ i , .i_ mm \* j -j New Zealand has maintained a significant scientific effort on the continent. .»,,.. place by the 1991 Madrid ,s ' ' " m November. A written report will Protocol but it will not start oper it has a physical attraction with its flora emerge at the next Treaty meeting in ating until all 26 Antarctic Treaty and fauna and marine wildlife, a history Norway. consultative partners ratify the of whaling and sealing and is the loca No progress was made on the concept Protocol. tion of Scott Base." of a permanent Treaty secretariat. ' Two working groups in policy, "The Ross Dependency is a marker for Argentina worked extremely hard to try chaired by Dr Francois Hanekom of the rest of Antarctic. Not to beat a nation and maintain a united Latin American South Africa, and science, chaired by alistic drum but New Zealand is front in support of Buenos Aires as a Dr Roberto Puceiro of Uruguay. committed to an Antarctic presence location. Brazil stated its support for because what happens in the Ross Argentina's hopes. A Tasmania state The host nation, New Zealand, has Dependency is of vital importance to government delegation visited the significant interest in Antarctic matters. New Zealand." ATCM to lobby for Hobart as the secre Since gaining responsibility for the Ross Importantly, too, New Zealand does tariat seat. Dependency, New Zealand has kept up not feel it has given up the Ross There is a possibility that South Africa a significant scientific effort on the conti Dependency by signing the Antarctic may join Australia as a potential bidder nent. The Ross Dependency has given Treaty. New Zealand's claim to the Ross for the secretariat site. There seemed, New Zealand an acute awareness of the Dependency continues with or without however, no sense of urgency on the ice-cap, especially in Christchurch which the Treaty. issue among Treaty parties because the is regarded as the "gateway" to the "There is nothing incompatible with Treaty system has so far functioned continent. our support of the Treaty and having a without a secretariat. The Treaty meeting showcased New strong national interest," says Prior. By Warren Head Zealand's strong interests in Antarctica New Zealand believes strong positive

Vol 15 No. 2, 1997 Antarctic ANTARCTIC TREATY REPORT Toothfish Plunder Threatens Southern Oceans

ntarctica's rich oceans are that the fish had been found in "quite Norway and the United Kingdom — under challenge as never heavy concentrations around the the countries most affected by the ' before and the Antarctic Treaty Australian Antarctic territories of problem — for our efforts to generate nations have been alerted to large-scale Macquarie, Heard and McDonald worthwhile discussions on this unregulated fishing for the deep-water Islands, around South Georgia in the alarming threat to the eco-system toothfish. southern Atlantic and in the French management method adopted by the Reports of riches being reaped by territories around Crozier Island, and in Antarctic Treaty System as a whole." more than 70 illegal trawlers plun limited numbers at the southern end of "Our belief that this fishing is a dering the southern oceans have New Zealand's exclusive economic major challenge to the credibility and captured international media attention zone. workability of CCAMLR was shared and have caused mounting unease by The New Zealand fishing company by most parties." governments. Sealord has been granted an Prior says CCAMLR worked very The Patagonian toothfish, exploratory permit in the Ross Sea. well whilst no-one fished resources in Dissostichus cleginoidcs, resides at depths Many other vessels in the southern the convention zone. "But now it may anywhere from 100 metres to 1.5kms oceans are illegally poaching the prove to be a Maginot line, outflanked and can live as far down as 3kms. They resource. by flags of convenience." grow up to 2 metres in length. "There is no doubt that the southern Information passed between dele gates yielded an idea of the scale of the problem: 40-60 vessels blatantly conducting "pirate" activities which may cause major damage to fish- stocks. "The management of the human presence in Antarctica and of human interaction with its immensely valu able eco-systems poses a huge and continuing challenge," says Simon Upton, New Zealand Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs & Trade. "The major challenge to CCAMLR is a timely warning of the danger that such interaction can pose." "In the case of fishing there are things we can do. We must share infor mation. This will help us to put the

The pristine southern oceans are under attack from illegal fishing. spotlight on those who are breaching the CCAMLR regime." Previously a commercial target only on oceans around Antarctica are a magnet "There are effective ways of doing the Chilean coastline where the fishing for fish and they are among the world's this: the use of satellites, tracking fish is limited to regulated inshore richest oceans," says Stuart Prior, head transhipments, and monitoring major longlining, the toothfish has become in of the Antarctic Policy Unit of New fish markets are all proven means." keen demand because it commands up Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs "We must encourage new parties to to US$7,000 per tonne. and Trade. "The challenges to this join, to reduce the risk of new flags of French news agency reports say the resource are only just beginning and we convenience and to put pressure on at fishing was only recently revealed need to ask what are we doing today to ports where catches are landed. when US sources declassified satellite protect Antarctica." Among the ideas I hope will be looked photography in the region. France is He says that the illegal fishing of at are a register of vessels who fish in understood to have arrested a number toothfish in waters managed by the compliance with the Convention and of illegal fishing boats operating in its Convention for the Conservation of end-user certificates for the toothfish exclusive economic zone around Antarctic Marine Living Resources caught in accordance with CCAMLR Kerguele Island. (CCAMLR) was a major sub-theme of regulations." The illegal fishing is dubbed the recent Antarctic Treaty meeting in "Illegal and unregulated fishing "hoovering" by the fishing industry Christchurch. may be the tip of the exploitation and totally disregards the principles of "At our initiative very useful discus iceberg," added Upton. sustainable management. sions were held in the margins about As an offshoot of discussions on the Dr Don Robertson, a marine scientist this major problem. While some delega toothfish problem, a dialogue has with the National Institute of Water and tions (notably Germany and Japan) begun on the management of the sub- Atmospheric Research, says no one fussed about the propriety of discussing Antarctic islands between New knows how many toothfish there are in CCAMLR matters in Christchurch, we Zealand, Norway, France, the UK, the southern ocean, reports the New received very strong support from Australia, South Africa, Chile and Zealand Herald. The newspaper adds South Africa, Australia, France, Argentina. Vol 15 No. 2, 1997 Antarctic TOURISM Pressure Increasing on Integrity of Eco-systems

ourism in the Antarctic broader view of the issues facing the The New Zealand delegation at the continues to expand, according continent and its seas. "I assume that Treaty meeting began work on a to data released to the Antarctic none of us want it to become a great framework for a Ross Sea region State Treaty consultative meeting in 'theme park' where all ,— . of the Environment Christchurch. sorts of different activ Report and started "Tourism and other uses of ities are promoted and discussions with its part Antarctica are burgeoning as the activ encouraged?" ners in the Ross Sea on a ities of governments cease to be the The Minister attrib comprehensive Antarctic sole, or even principal, means of uted some ingenuity to specially managed area. human access to the continent," said tour operators in Papers presented at the Simon Upton, New Zealand's providing experiences Treaty meeting included Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs and opportunities for those from the tourism and Trade, opening the consultative their clients. "It is our sector, particularly the meeting. view that such activi International Association Upton said the Treaty nations ties must be conducted of Antarctica Tour should consider how to develop the in a way that is Operators (IAATO). system of environmental impact compatible with the IAATO is dedicated to assessment to make it more useful and over-riding integrity Simon Upton appropriate, safe and ensure effective response action of Antarctic eco environmentally sound should environmental disruption or systems." private-sector travel to the Antarctic disaster happen. New Zealand has sought to develop and its members operate within the "But an environmental impact practical approaches to implementa parameters of the Antarctic Treaty. assessment alone will not clearly be tion of the Treaty protocol, by bringing Founded by seven private tour enough," he said, urging a clear focus in guidelines and procedures for operators in 1991 the association has at the wider political level on the managing visitors to the Ross Sea grown significantly to include 23 values of Antarctica. This requires region. members and associate members in Australia, Canada, Chile, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the UK and the United States. The number of shipborne travellers to Antarctica on commercially organ ised expeditions in 1996-97 austral summer (7322) was about 30% less than in the previous year (9212) primarily because the single largest cruise vessel currently active in the Antarctic (Marco Polo) did not operate in 1996-97. Land-based tourism (91) and over flights (3448) continued at approxi mately the same levels as 1995-96. All 13 tour vessels operating in the ice during 1996-97 austral summer were operated by IAATO members. The members of IAATO are actively involved in formal and informal liaison with national Antarctic programmes as well as scientific and environmental organisation. Following concerns expressed at ATCM XX, IAATO members have continued to safeguard introduction of alien species to the ice. Recognising that tourists are a highly mobile popu lation in the region, visiting a number of sites within a short time, increased measures have been introduced to Tourist numbers to Antarctica dropped by about 30'7c in the 1996/97 Austral summe safer operations.

Vol 15 No. 2, 1997 Antarctic TOURISM

Boot-washing stations are now Expedition leaders are co-ordinating hires according to its own standards, standard on all tour vessels, where all their final tour schedules to avoid IAATO is collecting information on visitors are required to clean their having two ships in the same place at the qualifications and experience of boots before and after each landing, to the same time. the field staff employed by its eliminate soil or weeds from footwear They are also examining how members. as a result of visits ashore and to avoid landing sites are selected as a miti According to IAATO by-laws, accidental transfer of non-native gating factor in potential environ members are required to hire staff that organisms to the Antarctic or within mental impacts of brief visits ashore as a whole have at least 75% previous sites within the Treaty area. by tourists. Such criteria for selecting Antarctica experience. The 175 staff As a further step to avoid introduc and managing site visits include members employed during the 1996- tion of non-native species, tour vessels frequency of past visitation, presence 97 season by IAATO members had, on do not discharge water in Antarctica of flying birds (especially nesting average, seven years of Antarctic taken on north of the Antarctic giant petrels), vegetation cover, and experience, ranging from one to 35! convergence. ongoing science being conducted at To further its educational mission, IAATO also manages its site visits the site. IAATO has a Website operating, it is so that no more than 100 people are While each tour operator conducts http://[email protected] that went ashore at any one site at any one time. its own training programmes and online in July 1997.

Visitor Centre Recognised Again Divers Discover T h e V i s i t o r C e n t r e , International Antarctic Unreal' World Centre, is a finalist in the New Zealand Tourism They didn't quite have to break the ice to get in, but for four divers and Awards Visitor Attraction three snorkellers on a Heritage Centre for the second time in five years. Expedition South to Antarctica (Jan 28th — Feb 18th 1997) found some of The centre won the the best diving around icebergs. award in 1992 and They had come well prepared, and competed against three dive master Cam Aird had briefed other visitor attractions. them on what to expect in the polar The Tourism Board says waters. the judging process for the NEW ZEALAND TOURISM At Cape Adare visibility was awards is "extremely " lit. ,.„ .. Above: Visitor Centre, International Antarctic AWARDS restricted due to nearby Adelie rigorous, with seven . f . . Centre... finalist for second time. penguin colony. judges from the tourism Right: V,e New Zealand Tourism Awards logo. Cape Royd's visibility was a little industry spending two better although there was not a lot to days considering all entries before announcing the finalists. , "The awards are judged in terms of overall excellence in quality, be seen. The ice channel at McMurdo service, customer focus, marketing operations and service to the provided an ideal site to dive under environment." the ice. But the best was still to come. The general manager of the centre, Richard Benton, says the challenge for the centre At Cape Hallet they dived on a is to become Australasia's best visitor attraction by the year 2000. "Recognition as a large iceberg and the colouring and finalist in the tourism awards for our attraction is a step closer to that goal." sculpturing was "unreal." Based on the success of this year's trip, Heritage Expeditions will be Call to Restrict Tourist Visits taking more divers south in 1998/99. A leading Antarctic scientist wants to limit the number of tourists visiting the continent They advise numbers will be limited so now is the time to indicate an until studies show what effect they are having on the environment. interest. New Zealand geo-chemist Dr Doug Sheppard says not enough work has been done on setting up systems monitoring impacts, "let alone research on what these impacts might be." Nearly 10,000 tourists went to Antarctica last year, with a similar number expected this year. Five years ago the number was only 3000. They pay up to $5000 per head for the trip, with most tourists coming from the United States, Germany, Britain and Australia. Dr Sheppard said the problem was you can see where people have been on the ice. "There's no vegetation to cover where they've been. The eco-system down there does not recover quickly and footprints last for decades." He said New Zealand was in a difficult position because it did not have the resources to manage controls over tourists. However Antarctica New Zealand spokesperson Tim Higham says he believed tour groups were being successfully managed with no significant impact on the environment. Preparing for a polar plunge.

Vol 15 No. 2, 1997 Antarctic NEWS British Predict Modest Rise in Restored Base Antarctic Temperatures Popular

The British Antarctic Survey has put Their measurements found that forward its view on global warming. glaciers are carrying about 20% more In a position statement the Survey ice into the sea than is being replaced . _•_..' says most climate models indicate by snow deposited in the island's relatively modest temperature rises interior, reducing the ice cap an inch around Antarctica over the next 50 a year. liScSi years and that over this period, Previous estimates of the rate at increased snowfall should more than which the ice flows into the sea compensate for increased melting of depended mainly on measurement ice. This will partially offset the rise of the size of icebergs breaking off in sea levels resulting from thermal the ends of glaciers. That method Port Lockroy ... busy year. expansion of the oceans and melting could not account for melting from of icecaps and glaciers elsewhere in the bottoms of glaciers where they The first season of manning the the world. can sometimes extend up to 100km restored base of Port Lockroy has been Few Antarctic stations have under water before breaking off. a busy one. weather records extending beyond Using the satellite measurements Some 65 ships, 16 yachts and 4250 40 years and temperature records in scientists found that for every cubic tourists visited the site. Feedback the region are characterised by a foot of ice that wound up in icebergs, from visitors was universally very high level of inter-annual vari 3.5 cubic feet of ice had melted from favourable, and merchandise also ability. They say warming trends are the bottoms of the advancing sold well. very small over much of Antarctica floating glaciers before they formed Port Lockroy is the first living and there has even been some any bergs. museum on the Antarctic Peninsula. cooling in recent years at the South Pole. The Ice's 'Waste Policewoman' One area where detectable climate does seem to be occurring is the The signing of the protocol on envi banned mining for 50 years and central and southern parts of the ronmental protection to the Antarctic provided guidelines and rules for any west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. Treaty has led to an awareness of the Antarctic undertaking such as They report that climate changes potential impact of activities on the research or tourism. from the region extend beyond 50 continent, says Emma Waterhouse, Waterhouse's job includes every years, and over this period, annual the environmental manager of thing from writing waste-management mean temperatures have risen by Antarctic New Zealand. handbooks for staff and visitors at about 2°C — a far larger rise than Known as the "waste police Scott Base to providing environmental elsewhere in the southern hemi woman" at the New Zealand and impact advice to a panel reviewing all sphere. American bases, Waterhouse says New Zealand proposals for Antarctic They conclude, however, that appropriate management of environ activities. climate model predictions do indi mental issues has become an integral She sees New Zealand taking a cate an enhanced response to global part of New Zealand's programme. broader stewardship role in the future, warming in some parts of the polar This was being supported by a especially taking a proactive rather regions, but the Antarctic Peninsula review of the programme's compli than a reactive approach to environ is not one of these. ance with the environmental mental issues and in a wider area than "While we cannot definitively protocol, a document that has just around Scott Base. state the cause of the warming of the Peninsular at present, the available evidence indicates it is more likely to U.S. Civilian Worker Dies be a local phenomenon caused by the An American civilian worker at McMurdo Station died two days before he was complex interactions of atmosphere, ocean and ice in this region, than a due to be flown to Christchurch for treatment. Charles Gallagher, 50, a US Navy retiree who was in charge of recreational response to global warming." Meanwhile American and activities at McMurdo, died of heart failure after suffering from pneumonia, Danish scientists have reported that dehydration and fluid build-up around his heart. the ice cap north of Greenland seems He was the 48th American to have died in Antarctica since 1955. to be getting thinner. They made The US Air Force had been preparing for a risky winter airlift, involving a nine- their claims after studying radar hour flight from Christchurch, and after his death made the flight to retrieve Mr images from a European satellite. Gallagher's body.

Vol 15 No. 2, 1997 Conservation Award to TVNZ Natural History Unit

The TVNZ Natural History Unit of the Emperor penguin; Solid has been awarded the New Water, Liquid Rock, from ice caves to Zealand Antarctic Society's the volcanic crater of Mt Erebus; The Conservation Trophy. Longest Night, the effects of winter It is the 18th recipient of the on a small community at Scott Base; award which is presented annually Ice Bird, the life cycle of the Adelie to an individual or group that has penguin; Ozone — Cancer of the Sky, contributed significantly to conser the importance of the ozone layer vation in the region. and the effect of its 'ozone holes' on The award was presented by the the world; Ice Bound, 100 years of society's president, Dr Margaret Dr Margaret Bradshaw presents Michael Stcdman man's exploration in Antarctica; Bradshaw, before a public lecture with the New Zealand Antarctic's Societi/'s conservation trophy. Legacy of Lust, the damage caused at Otago Museum by Dr Bob by whaling on South Georgia; Headland of the Scott Polar The trophy was awarded for Antarctica, the life that abounds in Research Institute. eight documentaries about various the sea under the ice. Dr Bradshaw said raising public aspects of Antarctica. The The managing director of the awareness about the beauty, programmes were made for the unit, Michael Stedman, said he saw fragility and vulnerability of Wild South series and gained inter the films as an important step in Antarctic was an important first national acclaim. the conservation of Antarctica step, and the TVNZ Natural The documentaries were: The because he believed "it is hard to History Unit had fulfilled that. Emperors of Antarctica, the life cycle destroy what you understand." Higher Toxin Levels in Seabirds Heritage Trail Antarctic seabirds are accu Launched mulating dangerously high An Antarctic Heritage Trail has been levels of toxic organic chemi cals in their bodies, a Dutch officially launched in Christchurch highlighting the city's connection study has found. with the continent. Nico van den Brink, of the The trail links eight historic sites Institute for Forestry and within three Antarctic-linked Nature Research in the Netherlands, has found that precincts, including the port of the pollutants are produced Lyttelton from where Captain Robert Falcon Scott set out on his by industrial plants thou- The Pintado petrel... high levels of pollutants. sands of kilometres away expeditions south and Christchurch from the ice. His study focused on hexachlorobenzene (HCB) which is Airport, from where the US released into the air from industrial incinerators and factories. HCB can inter Antarctic programme, Operation fere with birds' ability to transport oxygen around their bodies. Deep Freeze, has operated since 1955. Levels of HCB in preen oil samples from five species — the Adelie penguin, Other sites are the Memorial to the the southern fulmar, the snow petrel, the Antarctic petrel and the pintado Dead in Christchurch Cathedral, the petrel — were hundreds of times higher than the levels found in oil from Scott Statue in Worcester Boulevard, common terms living in Holland. the Canterbury Museum, Lyttelton Van den Brink believes chemicals such as HCB accumulate in cold regions Museum and Quail Island. through a phenomenon known as the "cold condenser" effect. Pollu-tants The Christchurch City Council, released in warmer climates remain as vapour and rise to the upper atmos the Antarctic Heritage Trust and phere, but when they reach the poles they condense and fall to earth. Trust Bank Canterbury have Discovery Hut Clean up Continues produced a brochure on the heritage trail. Work has continued on cleaning The white anchor chain and Meanwhile the Trust has also cele up Discovery Hut. pipes were also removed. brated its 10th anniversary which co Recently the fuel pump house, Two large concrete barriers have incided with the inaugural New fuel tank, all electrical lines and been placed in the road about 50 Zealand lecture by Bob Headland, poles, fuel lines and stanchions metres from the Hut, to block vehi entitled "Heroic Ambitions — Harsh were removed from Hut Point. cles from driving up to it. Realities." Vol 15 No. 2, 1997 Antarctic NEWS Winfly Operations Mark Start of 1997-1998 Antarctic Season

he US Antarctic Program prepare McMurdo and New A C-141 can traverse the 2,117- launched its 42nd season on Zealand's Scott Base for the mile distance from Christchurch to . the ice on 20 August 1997, October surge of scientists and McMurdo in five-and-a-half hours, with the winter fly-in to McMurdo support workers. as opposed to the Navy's LC-130 Base, called WINFLY. WINFLY has scheduled four Hercules, which takes eight hours As last year, the U.S. Air Force's flights. Each flight will use a single to travel the same distance. Air Mobility Command (AMC) is C-141 Starlifter from the U.S. 7th The first, third and fourth flights flying the missions. AMC will . Airlift Squadron, based out of were to carry mixed passengers and deliver support personnel and McChord Air Force Base in cargo, while the second only cargo. supplies to McMurdo to ready the Washington State. More than 45,0001bs of cargo and base for the 1997-98 austral The Air Force jet will make the 220 persons were to be sent south. summer season, and generally trips to save money and time. This is the U.S. Navy's last season in Antarctica, as it will transfer its responsi bilities to the New York State Air National Guard and civilian contractors in March. U.S. Naval Support Force Antarctica provides logis tical support to the U.S. Antarctica Program, which is operated by the National Science Foundation's This year's Winfly operations were to be undertaken by the faster C-141 jet. Office of Polar Programs. Minke Whale Killing Probed A Massey University team has been asked by ANTARCTICA ! the government to prove to the International Whaling Commission that the Japanese tech nique of using electric lancing to kill minke whales in Antarctic water is inhumane. Buying & Selling Four years of study by physicist Dr Geoffrey Single Stamps, Sets, and Covers Barnes and veterinary pathologist Per Madie Free Price lists upon your kind request. has shown that electric lancing, as used by the Prices that won't leave you out in the cold. Japanese, is ineffective as a secondary method of killing whales and is likely to cause further pain and suffering to an already wounded animal. The lances use the standard ship electrical Diverse range of material from Britain (BAT), France (FSAT), Australia (AAT), NZ (Ross Dependency), US, USSR, Argentina, supply of 220 volts and a current of about five amps. The lances are aimed at the body, not the Chile, Japan, Korea, China, Belgium, RSA, Germany, Norway, head. The scientists say insufficient current etc., plus many wonderful topical areas represented. reaches the brain so it is unlikely that the whale is adequately stunned. "If enough current affects the heart, the whale has a heart attack. In due course this Antarctic Philatelic Exchange stops blood from getting to the brain which dies, but in the meantime, the whale suffers 92015N-1562 Danforth, Toronto, Ontario, M4J 5C1, Canada excruciating pain." [email protected] (416)406-2760; ASAP, PPHSGB, ASP Japan kills up to 440 minke whales a year.

Vol 15 No. 2, 1997 Anmoc NEWS Enhanced Technology for Atmospheric Analysis Gives New Data on Ozone Hole The Antarctic ozone hole, resulting the polar vortex, meaning that for some CIO, is arguably the most important from a rapid loss of ozone each spring of the time air from outside the vortex, indicator of the chemistry which causes time, remains a striking example of how less depleted in ozone, lay above the Antarctic ozone hole. It has been easily mankind can change the atmos Arrival Heights. measured intermittently in the phere. Measurements of trace gases that Antarctic since 1986. The dedicated The unusual photochemical and interact with ozone, active and benign ground-based microwave receiver dynamic conditions which lead to this forms of chlorine and odd-nitrogen, installed at Scott Base in February 1996, loss; a combination of sunlight, cold were made at Arrival Heights and Scott in collaboration with the State temperatures, the polar vortex, and Base. Simultaneous measurements of University of New York, will provide anthropogenic chemicals, provide a related gases can be used to test models year round measurements of CIO. Its unique opportunity to study the of the chemistry of ozone depletion and first year of operation was highly processes that control the amount of predictions of how that chemistry successful, showing surprising levels of ozone. Knowledge gained in its study changes as chlorine levels respond to CIO in the upper stratosphere. can be applied to the task of predicting controls on source gases under the Retrievals of bromine monoxide, how such processes affect ozone in Montreal Protocol. They will also be BrO, from ultraviolet measurements other parts of the world as well as their used in the validation of the new ILAS have been successful. Bromine direct impacts in the Antarctic and instrument launched on the ADEOS compounds come from both natural southern hemisphere. satellite to measure trace gases. and anthropogenic sources, and their At Arrival Heights the lowest The ability to measure trace gases at role in ozone depletion is of concern, amount of ozone measured in 1996 was Arrival Heights has been enhanced by especially as chlorine levels are likely to 141 Dobson units (DU) on 30 the replacement of the existing infrared reduce. The BrO measurements show September, which is comparable to the instrument by one with a much higher episodes of short term enhancements minimum in previous years (130 DU on resolution and wavelength range, in that are correlated with troposheric 4/10/1995). The 1996 measurements collaboration with the University of activity and so will provide insights were marked by a greater variability: Denver. The spectra it records contain into lower atmospheric chemistry. ozone measurements of 188 and 320 DU information on several important gases in September and 220 and 310 DU in in the atmosphere. by Dr Stephen W. Wood November were made on consecutive One new measurement in particular (National Institute of Water and days. This was due to greater motion of is of importance. Chlorine monoxide, Atmospheric Research Ltd LETTER FROM McMURDO Commerce Comes Chilly Dip for Deckhand

to McMurdo The annual fuel resupply tanker, the Suddenly the hawser snapped, and Urbanisation has come to McMurdo in MV Samuel M. Cobb, steamed into under tremendous tension, the recoil the form of a Wells Fargo Bank ATM, Winter Quarters Bay escorted by the from the large rope hit the deckhand, Coast Guard icebreaker Polar Sea. knocking him down and out through giving members of the McMurdo The tanker is filled with 22,000,000 the hawser opening in the side of the community unlimited access to their litres of fuel, 1.5kg, so there was a lot money from their bank accounts at ship. As he fell through the hawser home. of weight to be tied up at the Ice Pier. opening he bounced off the anchor One night after working I stopped by As the ship was maneuvering into the chain and tumbled down into the the ATM. I have had this card for 14 pier, a deckhand threw a line to one of freezing water. the line handlers on the pier. After he bobbed to the surface, he years and never used it so I wanted to be alone just in case I had the wrong Using the smaller line they pulled a quickly swam the short distance to much larger rope, called a hawser, as the pier and was helped on to the ice number, but 30 seconds after inserting the card and punching in the numbers, big as a man's forearm, which reels pier by the line handlers. cash was flowing into my hand. off a large spool on a winch and The deckhand was taken to the The ATM was installed as part of the serves as a break to slow the ship. The medical department for examination transition of functions from the military line handlers places the hawser over a and later released. He received to the civilian contractor. In addition to bollard on the pier and the deckhand multiple scratches to his face and takes up the slack using the winch. numerous bumps and bruises but had providing an added convenience to the However the deckhand did not pay no other major injuries. He was very community, the ATM reduces the contractor's staffing requirement for out the hawser fast enough and the lucky. slack was quickly taken up until the cashing travellers and personal checks. hawser began vibrating so hard that I by Madison Hall, US McMurdo Base, could see it whipping. Antarctica by Madison Hall

36 Vol 15 No. 2, 1997 Antarctic NATIONAL PROGRAMMES New Zealand

Vets Explore Physiology of Lactating Weddell Seals An animal and veterinary science venous infusion of glucose and small group from Lincoln University, blood samples were collected over comprising Dr Graham Barrell, the following few hours. These Peter Isherwood, Regina Eisert and samples were analysed for plasma Glen Judson late last year carried out glucose and insulin concentrations to studies with Weddell seals to inves monitor how quickly these animals tigate how these and other large take up glucose from the blood into mammals regulate massive changes body tissues. in live weight and, simultaneously, Another question was whether maintain lactation while fasting. the lactating mothers actually do fast. This research team operated from This question may be resolved by a field camp at Turks Head, Ross testing blood samples for the pres Island, where there is a [ ence of a chemical, trimethylamine- breeding colony of Weddell N-oxide (TMAO), derived from fish seals, consisting mostly of in the diet. To determine the pharma lactating seals and their pups Change in body compo cokinetics of TMAO, two seals which and some non-lactating sition (as a function of had not been diving for many hours females. body water space), weight were given an oral dose of TMAO and Part of the study involved « and size was also deter blood samples were collected to monitor measurement of the energy mined in pups to estimate the change in TMAO concentrations expended by the mothers I how much of the maternal with time. during the suckling period. ' energy expenditure was Although the team had 15 days in the The team investigated different tech retained by the pup. Because this was a field, severe winds prevented all work niques for achieving this. These included preliminary trial to troubleshoot the for seven days. In spite of this, analysis weighing the seals, measuring body size different techniques involved, only two of the data obtained will answer some (length and girth), measuring total body non-lactating seals and two mother-pup questions about metabolic regulation in water as an index of fatness, and pairs were studied. these animals. The team was also able to measuring milk production over a 10- To investigate energy metabolism, test and optimise the techniques needed day interval. three mother seals were given an intra for the main study in 1997/98. Study Seeks Solutions to Antarctic Oil Spills

Significant numbers of hydrocarbon culturable heterotrophic bacteria and degraders exist in subsurface soils at hydrocarbon degraders. Bacteria able to Scott Base and Marble Point. degrade the hydrocarbons contained in Preliminary investigations by Jackie JP8 jet fuel were isolated. Aislabie, Megan Balks and Julia Foght This year the study was extended to confirm that hydrocarbons contaminate include oil-contaminated soil from subsurface soils. Marble Point and Vanda Station on the The team from Antarctic New mainland. Zealand spent time at Scott Base investi Oil deposited on soil, particularly gating the use of bioremediation for light fuel oils, does not remain in surface cleaning up oil-contaminated soil in soils but migrates down the soil and Antarctica. travels along the ice-cemented surface of Oil spills occur in the Antarctic when the permafrost where present. fuel oils such as JP8 jet fuel and MoGas This season the study team collected are moved or stored. Hydrocarbons, soil samples from the subsurface. All both n-alkanes and aromatic samples are being analysed for hydro compounds, have been detected in carbon-degrading microbes, culturable surface soils around Scott Base. heterotrophs, total petroleum hydrocar In such areas hydrocarbon-degrading bons and a range of parameters known microbes could be used to clean up the to limit biodegradative activity, oil spills and previous investigations including water content, pH, electrical have shown that oil-contaminated conductivity, and concentrations of Megan Balks collecting soil data in the snoiv surface soil samples were enriched with nutrients (N and P). at Marble Point.

Vol 15 No. 2, 1997 Antarctic NATIONAL PROGRAMMES Re-mapping the Ross

By Tim Higham Maps of Antarctica's Ross Dependency are in for an overhaul, bringing them in line with modern technologies. Antarctic surveying has always had an element of the heroic: Sir Edmund Hillary's men were the first to dog sled over the ice shelf and glaciers of the Trans-Antarctic Mountains after Scott Base opened in 1957, setting up fixed points and triangulating from sun and stars. Even eight years ago, Vince Belgrave from Wellington camped on mountain Terralink surveyor Lawrie Cairns, from Palmerston North, removes a CPS receiver while a RNZAF helicopter waits at Cape Royds. (Photo by Tim Higham). tops — one of eight surveyors split into pairs — using theodolites and lasers to maps and even adjacent maps, drawn change will soon be able to measure fix coordinates between parties. from different data sets, do not corre against sea level, rather than an histor "We were totally reliant on fine late. The readjustment process will ical reference point. weather to make readings," he says. bring significant benefits for search and New Zealand's commitment to "Now we just put out our GPS receivers rescue and environmental monitoring. surveying and charting has been and sit back at Scott Base." (Field camps A scientist lost in a blizzard with a GPS rethought recently with restructuring of are also used with a small generator for beacon would be an easy target for a what was the Department of Survey and charging batteries and powering search team. Even without a beacon the Land Information into Land computers). search team can comb an area systemat Information New Zealand (LINZ) and GPS (Global Positioning System) ically, rather than blind. Terralink, and the creation of Antarctica involved computer calculation of Scientists studying lake levels in the New Zealand to manage New Zealand's interests on the frozen continent. geographical position based on triangu- Dry Valleys as indicators of climate lation from orbiting satellites and is accurate to 100 metres. Processing data DNA Studies Reveal Evolutionary Processes from two or more receivers can fix posi Serially preserved ancient DNA deposits microsatellite and mitochondrial genes tions to within one centimetre. have been discovered at a number of over a substantial time frame. These Belgrave and his two colleagues, Adelie penguin colonies on Ross Island, data will provide fundamental knowl Lawrie Cairns from Palmerston North Antarctica. edge about the genetic processes of and Wellingtonian Jerry Simonsen, A research programme conducted by evolution. duck below the rotating blades of a heli David Lambert and Peter Ritchie is During the 1996/97 season subfossil copter and disassemble a white, metre- taking samples from stratified deposits material at Cape Bird was excavated, wide dish attached by wires to a plastic- of sub-fossil bones of Adelie penguins to and in certain places there were five cased datalogger. They have no time to trace for the first time the evolution of distinct layers of preserved bones. These admire the iceberg-studded bay below several genes. samples were returned to New Zealand them, or the smoking cone of Mount The Antarctic environment is an ideal in a frozen state, where ancient DNA is Erebus. It is straight back into the one for the preservation of DNA. Using extracted under sterile laboratory condi RNZAF Iroquois to clatter off to the next modern DNA technology, samples from tions. DNA has also been collected from GPS receiver 30km along the coast of both extant and extinct penguin popula the contemporary populations which Ross Island. tions will be studied. will reveal much about their current While the surveyors were back at Specifically, the research will directly patterns of contact and their genetic Scott Base the GPS receivers collected examine evolutionary changes in structure. satellite information every 15 seconds, storing up to 57 hours of data in computer memory. The data is down loaded and the receivers are reset with some overlapping territory each time. Where surveys have been done in the past, several points are selected allowing all old datum to be corrected and brought into the new system. "GPS has brought surveying to the masses," Belgrave says. "Now every scientist wants to be able to use a hand held receiver and tell exactly where they are." At the moment the GPS co-ordi nates do not match the topographic Peter Ritchie — tracing evolution.

Vol 15 No. 2, 1997 Antarctic NATIONAL PROGRAMMES

Commuting Cuts into lost body mass as the season progressed, rearing but fish became increasingly indicated that birds at Cape Crozier important as time passed. Penguin Diets were not foraging optimally. Chicks at Cape Crozier grew much Analysis of diet samples, collected slower and reached lower body mass A team of researchers from Landcare weekly from parents as they returned than chicks at Capes Bird and Royds. Research in collaboration with an from the sea to feed their chicks, Reproductive success at Crozier was American science team, has continued a showed that the main prey items were lower as well. programme investigating population krill and fish. At Cape Royds fish was The diet at both Capes Bird and size and colony distribution of Adelie the most abundant prey for most of the Crozier was similar, which meant that a penguins. The team studied the impor collection period, although, in the last difference in food quality could not tance of the key resources of nesting week krill was dominant. explain the differences. This suggested, space and food, and the way they are The opposite was true at Capes Bird that in 1996/97, the distance to the pack allocated by behavioural traits (site and Crozier. Krill dominated in the ice was the factor constraining repro fidelity and movement between samples collected at the start of chick ductive effort. colonies). Automated weighbridges, which Looking for Lichens at High Altitude collect data on foraging effort (feeding trip duration and food load size), of Adelie penguins rearing chicks, were installed at the three Adelie penguin colonies (Capes Royds, Bird and Crozier) on Ross Island. Analysis of foraging effort data showed that parents at Capes Royds and Bird averaged 4.11kg upon arrival to feed their chicks and averaged 3.80-3.82kg after doing so. In contrast, parents arriving at Crozier weighed only 3.80kg before feeding chicks and 3.67kg after. This means that the meals fed to chicks at Royds and Bird were 57% heavier than the meals fed at Crozier. Using radio telemetry and satellite imagery the team analysed Adelie penguin foraging behaviour at sea. Adelie penguins apparently do not Sledging tozeards La Gorce Mountains over the ice of Robinson Glacier. forage in open water but seek areas of Visible life is a rare occurrence at the Leader and ensured the success of the pack ice in which to forage. Cape highest southern latitudes, a team led logistical side of the expedition. Crozier birds had to travel as much as by a University of Canterbury biolo Lichens were observed on only one 72km to reach pack ice. Birds from gist has found. rock outcrop. However, on ice-cored Capes Royds and Bird had significantly Dr. Paul Broady led a team of four moraine there were hundreds of ice- shorter distances to travel (10.5km and to perform biological and geological covered ponds. Several of these were 19km respectively). Trip duration was studies at La Gorce Mountains (147 sampled by coring through about directly related to distance to the nearest deg W, 86 deg 35 min S) and nearby 30cm of overlying ice to sample the pack ice. Nunataks for 18 days during January water and sediments below. Thin mats At Capes Bird and Royds, Adelie 1997. These are almost the furthest of algae occur in at least some, and penguins brought back larger food loads south areas of exposed rock and probably most, of the ponds. There when they stayed away longer. Trip moraine and lie about 800km south of were also algae outside the ponds length, however, Scott Base. A variety of sites was associated with the soils. rarely exceeded visited during about 250km of sledge A previously undescribed commu 24hrs. At Cape travel from two base camps. nity of green algae was discovered Crozier, where The team investigated the extent under the thin layer of gravelly i trips were longer and diversity of plant and microbial moraine covering the ice at one loca than 24hrs, parents life and collected rock samples for age tion. Other soil algae have appeared in brought back less analysis and geochemical studies. The cultures. In total, about 13 different food on long trips latter studies will help understanding algae were found during microscopic than they did on of the break-up of the ancient examination of the hundreds of short trips, indi Gondwanaland continent. samples and cultures established from cating that more of Also in the team was biologist Rick these. the foraging effort Adelie Penguin ° ° Weinstein (University of Cambridge). Laboratory work is continuing in was devoted to self Geological collections were made by New Zealand, United Kingdom and maintenance. This, along with the fact Trevor Ireland (Australian National Australia and the results will be that parents at Cape Crozier actually University). Eric Saxby was Field prepared for publication in 1998.

Vol 15 No. 2, 1997 Antarctic NATIONAL PROGRAMMES Dry Valley Survey Completed United States A new survey of the McMurdo Environments on Other Planets and Sound /Dry Valleys area of Antarctica has been completed. Earth One and the Same? The work was undertaken by What do boiling hot fissures in the environments might be analogous to Terralink NZ Ltd for Land Information Earth's crust, the insides of airplane the harsh conditions that now exist, or New Zealand (LINZ) between fuel tanks, vast expanses of ice in have existed, on Earth and other November 28, 1966 and January 13, 1997. Antarctica and the parched sounds of planets. deserts have in common with other "The study of microbial life forms The project team used Global plants? and the extreme environments they Positioning System (GPS) receivers in Scientists taking part in a new inhabit can provide new insights into an area covering Ross Island, Dry National Science Foundation (NSF) how these organisms adapted to Valleys from Mt Marston in the north diverse environments and shed light to Lake Miers in the south and west as funding initiative, Life in Extreme Environments (LExEn), hope soon to on the limits within which life can far as Mt Crean and Mt Dewitt, find out. exists." including White and Black Islands and Total funding of S6 million is being It has been established that esti Brown Peninsula. provided to explore the relationships mates of Earth's biomass beneath the between organisms and the environ surface exceed that of the biomass on ments in which they exist. its surface and that fewer than 3500 Extreme environments on Earth and distinct bacteria have been identified their associated life forms known to on Earth when estimates indicate there science include: may be a million more types alive on • sandstone rocks and cryptoen- the planet. Those already discovered dolithic organisms (lichens and exist at extremes of the pH scale, in cyanobacteria) living in winter high salt environments and at temperatures of — 45degC; subfreezing temperatures. Oxygen is seafloor hydrothermal vents and poisonous to some of them. bacterial mats; The LExEn research is expected to • ice-fields with viable yeasts found lead the discovery of a diverse group 2500m deep and 200,000 years old. of microorganisms, the lifestyle and Checking one of the GPS receivers used in the study. The co-ordinator of the NSF biologies of which may only now be The team reported excellent initial programme, Mike Purdy, says those guessed at. results with considerably more data obtained than was originally expected. Evolution of Fish Antifreeze Gene Sheds This was partly due to the co-operation Light on Climate History between Terralink and the USGH/Ohio State University project New research shows that fish in the tionary terms its molecular clock is being undertaken at a similar time. Antarctic and Arctic Oceans indepen quite recent. Applying the known rate Eight Trimble 4000 SSi GPS receivers dently evolved nearly identical at which DNA evolves in salmon mito with sufficient memory to log about 50 antifreeze glycoproteins. chondria, the researchers have pegged hours of data before requiring down Studies have pinpointed the parent the gene's origin at five to 14 million loading were used. 'Pelican' type cases of the Antarctic antifreeze gene — a years ago, close in time to the freezing were modified by drilling a hole in one digestive enzyme called trypsinogen. of the Antarctic Ocean. end to allow the power and antenna Researchers suggest the gene arose five Arthur DeVries, of the University of cables to enter and the receivers were to 14 million years ago, providing a Illinois, who first discovered the first housed inside when deployed in the new line of evidence to confirm when antifreeze gene in Antarctic fish 30 field. the Southern Ocean froze. years ago, says the new molecular Helicopters were used to access The research shows that the gene for evidence shows that the two polar survey stations with 68.1 hours of heli antifreeze glycoprotein (AFGP) found fishes, the arctic cod and the Antarctic copter time used to complete the in the Antarctic family of notothenoid notothenioid, developed their project. fishes, evolved in a unique way, antifreeze genes separately. All main observation sessions were arising from "whole cloth" By sequencing and analysing the run overnight with three to eight trypsinogen, an enzyme produced by Arctic AFGP gene the researchers have receivers deployed at a time. the pancreas. shown that it does not resemble the With the inclusion of data from the New genes are usually created gene for trypsinogen. USGS/OSU project many extra GPS through recycling of existing protein The similar AFGPs in two unrelated baselines were observed which genes. fishes exemplify convergent evolution — the development of a similar protein strengthened the project network and The AGPF gene differs very little added to new development inten- from its parent — only 4% to 7% in the from different parents under similar inherited gene segments, so in evolu environmental pressure.

Vol 15 No. 2, 1997 NATIONAL PROGRAMMES Antarctic Increased Ultraviolet Light Harms Antarctic Algae Italy

Scientists have discovered that algae in Antarctica's Weddell Sea are extremely sensitive to increased ultravi Italy's 13th Antarctic programme, which runs from October to olet radiation from the sun, especially ultraviolet-B (UV- February 1998, will concentrate on existing international B) let in by the ozone hole. engagements and oceanographic activities. The oceanographic programme will be carried out in two The discovery was made on a recent cruise aboard the National Science Foundation's research icebreaker, the legs; setting up a daytime accommodation camp for the Epica Nathaniel B Palmer. programme at Dome C, and planning for the establishment of the Concordia Base, which is an Italian and French collabora Studies by Patrick Neale, biologist at the Smithsonian tion. Institute's environmental research centre, show that UV- B exposure caused a greater reduction in photosynthesis Also on the programme are start-up activities for the Cape in Weddell Sea algae than in algae from Chesapeake Bay Roberts Project, including the first coring which was postponed and other marine waters. Algae are the base of the in 1996 because of adverse ice conditions and the implementa tion of the ITASE (International Trans-Antarctic Scientific aquatic food chain. Expedition) traverse (1100km long) from Terra Nova Bay to Why the Weddell Sea algae are more susceptible to Dome C UV-B is not clear but Neale's data show that UV-B have increased over Antarctica because of the seasonal deple Further tests in Italy of the instrumentation on board the tion of the protective ozone layer there. Neale will head stratospheric M-55 Geophysika aircraft for the APE (Airborne Polar Experiment), aimed at the study of the ozone hole, will follow-up studies in both Antarctica and Arctic oceans this year and next. also be undertaken.

United Kingdom

Scientists Predict Space Weather Storm

The first successful prediction of a finally giving rise to dramatic auroral effects all the way from the explosion major space weather storm was made displays over the Arctic and Antarctic. on the sun to the final dumping of earlier this year. "It was a very exciting moment," gigawatts of energy into the Antarctic On 6 January researchers observed a said Dr John Dudeney, head of the atmosphere. magnetic cloud, produced by a major Upper Atmospheric Research at the "The unprecedented global coverage disturbance on the Sun, heading British Antarctic Survey. "For the first we have achieved pushes us a huge towards Earth. It resulted in a signifi time we were able to see the birth of a step towards providing reliable and cant magnetic storm on 10 January. The space storm and have sufficient instru practical space weather predictions," failure of the Telstar 401 broadcast ments in the right places to follow its he said. spacecraft occurred early on 11 January cutting television coverage to millions of Americans. Australia British Antarctic Survey experiments at Halley Research Station show the storm hit the south polar region early Fiftieth Anniversary of ANARE on the morning of 10 January causing disruption to operational communica This year the Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE) celebrates tions with field parties and affecting air its 50th anniversary. operations for much of the rest of the The black sandy shore of Atlas Cove on Australia's remote Southern Ocean outpost day. of Heard Island was the site of the first landing on 26 December 1947. A motley group Scientists involved in the of Australians gathered among the grass tussocks around a rock cairn in which International Solar Terrestial Physics someone had placed a pole carrying the Australian flag. Programme (ISTP) had gathered for a So began ANARE, the brainchild of Antarctic pioneer, Douglas Mawson, who estab workshop meeting. The group uses lished the organisation under the leadership of Phillip Law, the first Antarctic Division about 20 research spacecraft, a wide director. range of ground-based research facili ANARE now has its own purpose-built headquarters in Tasmania, four major ties and computer simulations to study Antarctic and sub-Antarctic bases, its own Australian-built icebreaking research ship solar storms and their effects on Earth. and an array of scientific programmes. They watched with excitement as A comprehensive history of the modern Australian Antarctic Programme has been successive research spacecraft and compiled for the jubilee. The Silence Calling, by Tim Bowden is more than 600 pages ground-based systems detected the long and is fully illustrated throughout. disturbance (known as coronal mass A number of other events are being held throughout the year to commemorate the ejection) making its way to Earth and anniversary.

Vol 15 No. 2, 1997 Antarctic NEW ZEALAND ANTARCTIC SOCIETY Society Celebrates 40th Anniversary of Scott Base

In April the New Zealand Antarctic Society celebrated the 40th anniversary of the opening of New Zealand's Scott Base with a series of events.

Scott Base Reunion IIR Dinner Iterct/c im

One of the designers of the original Scott Base was a special guest at a dinner marking its 40th anniversary. Eighty-year-old Frank Ponder joined more than 200 guests at the Ngaio Marsh function centre for the reunion on Saturday 19 April. He told the gath ering of the almost impossible job of designing, constructing and shipping the base to Antarctica in kit-set form ^jfv. ^ without knowing where the final site would be or what foundations would be like. Bob Thomson, former superinten dent of Antarctic Division, outlined REUI how the old base had first been modi Above — Stalwarts of the 1950s. Left to right: sitting — Dick Barwick. John Findlay, Frank Ponder, John Claydon, Randal Ileke, Bill Johns: standing fied and enlarged as the New Zealand Bob White, Euan Young, Graeme Claridge, Robert Bucknell, Baden Norris. facility grew. Finally a seven staged programme was initiated with the framework of one stage being built the same season as the previous one was completed. The dinner had a pronounced Antarctic flavour with a commemora tive Scott Base menu that included "tide crack surprise with sledging biscuit," "skua legs in wine," "roast haunch of husky", "airdrop failure salad" and "hangar happiness".

Right — Sunny smiles and Antarctic ties at the 40th Reunion Dinner. Left to right: Harry Burson (Hut care taker), Randal Ileke (Foreman, original Scott Base), Bob Norman, RDRC Chairman. BOOK REVIEW Scott Base — Antarctica: A History of New Zealand's Southern-most Station, 1957-1997

by David Harrowfield sponsored by a Lottery Trust Board of the base to have been published, and writer-in-aid grant (environment & Harrowfield has dedicated it "to all A booklet covering the history of Scott heritage committee) and Antarctica who have passed through Scott Base". Base over the past 40 years has been New Zealand, and was officially At the back is a useful list of impor published by the NZ Antarctic Society launched at Canterbury Museum by tant dates for happenings at Scott Base, to mark the anniversary. Gillian Wratt, chief executive of and plans of the original base in 1957 The 48-page book, with 33 illustra Antarctica New Zealand, immediately and the base as it is today. tions, was written by Antarctic historian after the opening of the society's photo Malcolm Laird, Deirdre Sheppard David Harrowfield and is retailing at graphic exhibition. and Margaret Bradshaw reviewed the $10 to society members. The book was The book is the only complete history initial text.

Vol 15 No. 2, 1997 Southern Endeavour: New Zealand — The Trans-Antarctic Exhibition & International Geophysical Year 1956 - 58

The Antarctic Society's photographic exhibition contains 130 colour and black and white images, most of them never seen in public before. The pictures illus trate New Zealand's involvement in the Trans-Antarctic Expedition and International Geophysical Year. The exhibition was officially opened at C a n t e r b u r y M u s e u m b y W i n g Commander John Claydon of the TAE New Zealand Antarctic Flight to mark the 40th Anniversary of the opening of Scott Base. At the opening Mr. Claydon read an extract from his diary for 19 April, 1957, the day he flew with Ed Hillary to the Polar Plateau. About 70 people attended, some of whom were involved in the TAE, including Wing Commander Bill Panel 7, South to Antarctica. Cranfield (pilot, New Zealand Antarctic Right) and his wife Helen, Jeanne Ayres The exhibition was compiled and After six weeks at the Canterbury (wife of the late Harry Ayres), Frank arranged by Margaret Bradshaw with Museum, the exhibition was housed at Ponder (Scott Base designer), Randal assistance from Harry Burson, Baden the University of Canterbury library. Heke (foreman Scott Base construction Norris, David Harrowfield, Matthew Once travel sponsorship has been team), Bill Johns (crewman on the Lombard and John Bradshaw. arranged, the exhibition will travel to Endeavour), John Findlay (medical The exhibition comprises 14 panels museums and libraries throughout New officer) and Dick Barwick (scientist). arranged chronologically. Zealand. TRIBUTE

Geoffrey (Geoff) Markham, who was Geoff was seconded to DSIR in Geoff was appointed superinten New Zealand's founding administrator Wellington for the duration of the war dent of the Antarctic Division of for government funded scientific to work under Ernest Marsden's direc DSIR upon its establishment in 1959. research programmes in Antarctica, tion in research, development and He developed and managed the died earlier this year. He was 89. installation of the network of coastal organisation of New Zealand The son of English parents, he defence gunnery around New Zealand Antarctic research programmes by arrived in Auckland in 1921 as a 13- and in the South Pacific. both summer parties and wintering- year-old schoolboy. After From 1945 he worked as a over parties at Scott Base, and made completing his secondary senior and then principal scien trips to the ice. A highlight of his education at Auckland tific officer to successive secre work was in 1962 to guide the visit Grammar, Geoff began a taries and directors-general of to the South Pole of the then career in the New Zealand DSIR on a range of scientific Governor-General, Sir Bernard Civil Service as a survey cadet administrative issues, particu Ferguson. with the Department of Lands larly in geophysical and meteo He retired from the Antarctic and Survey. rological fields. Division in 1965, and took up an The department enabled In the early 1950s Geoff led appointment almost immediately as him to attend Auckland the first planning efforts in the first executive officer of the University, from where he DSIR to establish a scientific Royal Society of New Zealand in graduated with a bachelor's ... research capability on the ice, which he continued his interests and Geoffrey Markham degree in geology and physics and with others was respon association with science in in 1930. His work as draughtsman sible for seeing the construction of Scott Antarctica. with Lands and Survey continued until Base completed in early 1957. After his final retirement in 1974 1940. As an army officer on home In the same year he led the planning he and his wife moved to service his scientific knowledge was work from Wellington for the New Whangaparoa and led a happy brought to the attention Ernest (later Zealand research activities for the retirement until his death this year. Sir Ernest) Marsden, Secretary of the International Geophysical Year, and the He is survived by his wife Elma Department of Scientific and Industrial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of Sir (Sue) and their daughter and three Research (DSIR). Vivian Fuchs and Sir Edmond Hillary.

Vol 15 No. 2, 1997 Antarctic HISTORICAL The Riddle of the Antarctic Peninsula by David E Yelverton FRGS. 26 March they had set about hunting seals and penguins in an The Story of the Belgian Antarctic Expedition 1897-99: Part III energetic campaign which Lecointe described as "days of carnage". Five weeks later, faced with growing discontent The fate that awaited the Belgian explorers was beyond their among the crew over the diet, Lecointe confronted De imagining. Through two epidemics their will to survive Gerlache, pointing out that he had never been told how much would come near to extinction in a world of ice stretching to fresh meat they had amassed, and demanding to know why it every horizon. was not on the menu. To his amazement, the commandant's Three days after Lecointe thrust the Belgica into the leads explosive response was that of course there was plenty, but that beckoned De Gerlache and his men southward, they what would the press say later when it got out that they had were stuck fast in 71°20S 85°30W. They had got further eaten seals!! south than James Cook had in 1774, and were about 400kms After a long argument, De Gerlache produced a list of farther east. varied menus the next day. The trouble was that Michotte From late May, as the ship was carried this way and that had been unable to make the meat palatable, and no one could in the ice, the scene was lit dimly at midday as the northern bring themselves to eat the seal or penguin dishes he horizon glowed, varied occasionally by a day of bright prepared.(8) Of the two, the penguin was evidently the less moonlight, until the growing return of daylight in mid-July. nauseating. But their long imprisonment, destined to last far into the While Lecointe, who had been unconscious for some hours summer, was to show that the darkness and the weather at his worst, made his dramatic recovery in the second half of were not their main enemies. July, Michotte at last found out how to remove the oily taste Nor would the pack be the menace many feared. Only from the seal meat. It was too late to prevent Johansen joining once, the morning after Midwinter's Day, did its pressure the ranks of stiff-limbed sufferers while, disturbingly, another make them prepare to abandon ship. Far more silently, the sailor became hysterical. threat to their survival gradually appeared. Even then De Gerlache, Melaerts and two others refused As in the Arctic, whenever men had been denied fresh to eat seal meat. Amundsen and Cook recovered well like food for more than about two months, the dreaded scurvy Lecointe, and joined others in hunting seal daily, which made its appearance, but in this case complicated by acute Lecointe (9) implies most of them ate in large quantities, anaemia and circulation ailments in many of the party. The though Cook says Lecointe only ate penguin from then little band of men on the beleaguered ship faced that ordeal on.(g) twice before their escape. It first struck after two and a half Despite that all the deck crew, except the teenager Koren, months locked in the ice, but initially the symptoms were were afflicted with acute anaemia by mid-September and De not the usual ones. De Gerlache developed constant Gerlache started having headaches again. Although fresh headaches, and two weeks later Danco suffered from serious meat was almost their staple diet that month, the table being heart trouble. His condition rapidly worsened and by 5 June "liberally supplied with fresh steaks" he, Melaerts and he was dead. Michotte all developed the usual scurvy symptoms. Finally That didn't really suggest diet deficiency because De Lecointe, who claimed he continued eating seal, developed Gerlache had taken Danco on knowing he had a history of the symptoms in November and became too weak to carry on chest weakness. But Cook was already worried on 20 May the magnetic observations. about the general decline in health, and by early July Fie had recovered by the end of the month after eating as Lecointe had developed the classic symptoms of the disease: much extra seal and penguin as he could manage, but De swollen gums and stiff joints. A few days later Cook insisted Gerlache continued to worsen, and on 4 December he and that Lecointe, who was now sinking fast, should force Lecointe drew up a document appointing Melaerts and himself to eat penguin steaks. It was almost too late.(5) Somers to succeed them if they should die, it having been The fresh beef appeared to have run out late in March, agreed with the Brussels geographical society, their principal more than three months previously. In the meantime they sponsors, that command should remain in Belgian hands. had lived largely on a Norwegian version of tinned With some justification, Lecointe must have feared the pemmican recommended by Nansen — "made of minced scourge would return despite a diet of fresh meat. cats" Amundsen told them according to Lecointe. (6) If Happily it did not, for by mid-January 1899 all but two men Amundsen wasn't joking, it hardly sounds like the were fit enough to join in operations to cut the ship out, pemmican taken on the Fram expedition. It was called including the unhappy bosun who had developed persecu kjoedbollers and kjoedpolsers (meat balls and sausages). tion mania at the height of the first epidemic, and became The Belgians also had fiskebollers, similar but made from permanently deranged in December on return from a ski-trek fish, and some tinned Australian rabbit, which does sound to an iceberg nine miles from the ship — the longest journey like the "Australian pemmican" Nansen had used.(7) made from the ship. (10) De Gerlache had found it all quite palatable when freshly Not surprisingly during their long ordeal, little beyond prepared in Norway. Now it all tasted repulsive, the tinned valiant scientific observations had been accomplished. Back rabbit being worst of all. The experience of tinned food in May, before the first symptoms appeared, Cook had tried going bad aboard Discovery four years later suggests that this out his idea for a sail-driven sledge, but its centre of gravity also may have happened in the Belgica. was too high and it constantly overturned even with him The little-varied diet was endured, despite the fact that on riding on it and Lecointe steering. He tried in vain to modify Vol 15 No. 2, 1997 Antarctic it. Then came De Gerlache's headaches and Danco's death The remaining stock of the detested tinned food was sold and on the last day of June, little knowing that Lecointe and enabled the repair bills to be paid. De Gerlache then took would be at death's door and he himself seriously ill within the ship round to Santa Cruz, and put Lecointe ashore with a three weeks, the commandant had proposed Lecointe lead a party to make magnetic observations on a month's journey 15-day sledge journey to the south when daylight returned, into the mountains. Johansen and Koren were in the party, taking Amundsen and Cook with him. Arctowski had which had to return after Johansen was taken gravely ill. obtained soundings of 420 metres through the ice where Johansen was left at Santa Cruz. Lecointe himself got back too they were trapped and he believed (correctly as today's late, and, as arranged, took himself back to Belgium, while De maps show) that meant land was not far to the south. Gerlache and Melaerts, who could not afford to buy coal, left The trio's health being restored, they had set off on 30 July Buenos Aires on 4 August with the engineers, Michotte and to make the first ever sledge journey on Antarctic ice, using just four deck hands (I) to sail labouriously across the Atlantic. a small tent designed by Cook. The next day they were fog Forced near to the Newfoundland banks by contrary bound and built themselves an igloo in which they spent the winds, it took them more than 21 months to reach Boulogne, second night. The third day they advanced by moonlight, where they were joined by Lecointe and the scientists. Sailing stopping every 20 metres to take a compass reading. After into Antwerp on 7 November 1899 the first men ever to brave spending the night in the tent with the ice breaking around a true Antarctic winter received an ecstatic welcome. them, a mirage made them think the ship was in open water They had established the first year-round scientific record and they started back, fearing De Gerlache couldn't see south of the Antarctic Circle, interrupted only briefly at the them. However, he had seen them and sent sailors out to height of the second scurvy crisis. But the price of their meet them. They abandoned all their gear and hurried in, achievement had been very high, and for the men planning deciding that De Gerlache's plan was far too risky. expeditions in London and Berlin their story served as a Lecointe had found the experimental tent too cramped by double warning. Neither the British nor the Germans would half. Cook later modified it, but the Belgian, while finding no opt for the route they had followed. major fault, still thought it too small. Curiously Amundsen, Almost a year latter, as Scott read Cook's book in the train a taller man than Lecointe, made no complaint about it. It from Copenhagen to Berlin, the lesson of their terrifying expe only weighed 121bs, but it was anything but streamlined rience was taken to heart despite the fact that nowhere does should the wind shift to the entry side after it was pitched. Cook actually use the word scurvy. A further year later saw They never slept in it again, for the ice remained resolutely the Discovery at anchor opposite the whalers' huts on solid around the ship until Christmas, by which time all Macquarie Island and there Scott first put the lesson into prac possibility of reaching the Ross Sea had disappeared. tise. As he wrote in his report (No.3) mailed from By the middle of January, after being thwarted in an Christchurch: attempt to blast a way out to one piece of open water, they 'The opportunity was taken of serving out the flesh of the located a long belt of ice a metre thick leading in little over a penguins for food. I had anticipated considerable prejudice mile to another open pool where they began to cut triangular on the part of the men to this form of diet which it will so often pieces out of it from the water's edge inwards towards the be essential to enforce [author's italics] and was agreeably ship. After four weeks the ship was free and they made 20 surprised to find that they were by no means averse to it. km progress northwards only to have the ice close around Many pronounced it excellent, and all seemed to appreciate them once more. While the men aboard the Belgica woke the the necessity of cultivating a taste for it. I found no prejudice next day, Borchgrevink's party aboard the Southern Cross on more difficult to conquer than my own." the other side of Antarctica first sighted Cape Adare after a In Stockholm, when Otto Nordenskjold heard the Belgians' long struggle to get through the pack. story he believed that De Gerlache had found the real When Borchgrevink and his shore party were installed in Bismarck Strait, the key to the riddle as he and others saw it. their hut early in March, the Belgica was being carried WSW And from that moment on the Swedish Antarctic Expedition again and the survivors were wondering once more if they he was campaigning for numbered among its goals the would ever emerge into the Ross Sea as De Gerlache and discovery of an eastern entry on the western shore of the Lecointe had believed, when they had taken the fateful deci Weddell Sea. sion to push into the ice a year before. To reach it Nordenskjod would head south, to the east of Fortunately after six more days they were free. Two Hughes Bay, for De Gerlache had not been able to establish weeks later they dropped anchor in Punta Arenas on 28 that it was anything other than the channel Larsen believed to March 1899, evoking widespread consternation, for they had separate Trinity Land from d'Urville's Louis Philippe Land. long since been given up for lost. The ship needed to be overhauled before she sailed for Notes home, but there was not enough money left for that. So the (g) (Cook: Through the First Antarctic Night p333). Writing over 25 years later two scientists and their assistant were sent back by steamer (My Life as an Explorer p27) Amundsen also claimed that De Gerlache "forbade any of the ship's company to indulge in" eating seal or penguin. When the with part of the collections to start work classifying them commandant and Lecointe were bedridden Amundsen took command and "put and to study the physical records. Cook was released and, everyone on seal." Even De Gerlache ate his share and "all improved greatly after further study of the aboriginal Indians, returned to the within a week." States. The unfortunate bosun, once ashore, could not be (h) Vie letter quoted by Huntford (Tlie Last Place on Earth p73) reveals he also took it as a personal insult. persuaded to reboard the ship. Amundsen, who had (I) Van Mirlo, Dufour, Kmtdsen and Koren. handed De Gerlache a formal written resignation when he learned that Melaerts, and not he, would be promoted if Source refs: either De Gerlache or Lecointe died, escorted him back to (5) Cook: pp331 &3; (6) ibid p219; (7) Nansen Farthest North I/p478; (8) Lecointe p255; (9) ibid p282; (10) ibid p385 Norway, (h) Vol 15 No. 2, 1997 45 Antarctic 40 YEARS AGO Scott Base — the First 'Wintering Over'

Part III of a three-part series ridges. MacDonald had also temperature was only -30°C. by Margaret Bradshaw. installed a tide gauge the previous Blizzards, which occurred on 34 of summer, part of the apparatus the 153 days of winter, caused .he winter of 1957 was an lying on the sea bed in seven metres several problems. Dogs chains important time for the scien- of water under five metres of sea became effectively shortened from . tists on base, especially for ice. 2 metres to 60cms as the dogs observations of the aurora, which Like the other scientists, moved up to keep on top of the Trevor Hatherton had made Macdonald showed great dedica snow. Sometimes it took up to 12 himself personally responsible for. tion in preventing the recording hours to dig the line out and respan On clear days, Hatherton found apparatus from icing up over the the dogs at the new level. Sledges, himself extremely busy, for there winter. caches of seal meat, and both were only two days between mid- Neil Sandford's main task was to aircraft became buried and needed May and mid-August when measure the ionosphere using digging out. After one storm, only auroral displays did not appear. aerials mounted on two 27m high the propeller tip of the Auster was masts well away from the still visible. Snow drifted so high science laboratory where against the base that the inhabitants the ionoson de- could walk up onto the roofs with recording equipment ease. was housed. When one of The end of winter was t h e w i n t e r b l i z z a r d s approaching, but about a month I ravaged and entangled the before the return of the sun, a US aerials and its stays, helicopter crashed after a moonlit Sandford had the unenvi flight, with five Americans injured able job of climbing the and one killed. George Marsh mast in complete darkness hurried round to McMurdo to help and in the freezing cold to there for several days. On 17 sort the problem out. Meal time at Scott Base in 1957. August, the team at Scott Base Herbert Orr concentrated could see the sun lighting up the When most people were snug in on the seismological equipment but top of Mt Riicker in the Royal their beds, Hatherton was usually was also responsible for accurate Society Range across McMurdo standing with his head out of an timekeeping, vital for most of the Sound. Two days later, John open hatch in the lab roof, atmospheric and geophysical Claydon and Bob Miller flew high recording the display with theodo recorders. over McMurdo Sound, and were lite and an AllSky Camera with Within the base, geologists the first to see the sun's return low numb fingers. One of Vern Guyon Warren and Bernie Gunn on the horizon. The long polar Gerard's responsibilities was to spent many hours on the messy night was over, and the New measure the Earth's magnetic field task of slicing up rock they had Zealanders began to gear them- at Scott Base. Automatic recordings collected the previous summer on were made by instruments in huts small diamond-coated saws, then some distance from the base, but grinding them to translucency so the records had to be changed that their component minerals regularly. Regardless of whether it could be identified under a micro was blowing a full storm or was an scope. They also completed a icy cold clear 'night', Gerard had to geological map of the lower Skelton venture out twice a day to change area that had been drawn up for the records. Peter Macdonald was them by the surveyors. making a survey of McMurdo Ice But the winter was cold. Ron Shelf ice movement using oil Balham's meteorological readings drums mounted on snow cairns as show that the lowest temperature markers. was -40°C, and maximum wind He kept daily records of move velocity 80 knots. Surprisingly, ment rates, as well as the buckling Pram Point proved to be a colder of the shelf against Pram Point place than McMurdo Station just Trevor Hathetou checks the ionoson where it produced the pressure over the hill, where the lowest de-recording equipment. Vol 15 No. 2, 1997 Antarctjc Warren had taken one dog 04. The tractors completed 260 km team to Cape Royds, then in eight days with no mechanical across to the west side of failures. McMurdo Sound. They The last party to leave the base later met up with Bob was Harry Ayres, Murray Douglas, Miller and Roy Carlyon Ron Balham and Neil Sandford in who had driven two dog mid-September for Cape Crozier. teams via a more southerly The weather was not good, and it route past the Blue Glacier. took them 10 days to reach the Together, the four men had Emperor penguin rookery, where one last try getting from they reported a population of Butter point onto the Ferrar around 1000, including newly Glacier, then, being unsuc hatched chicks. The return journey jim Banks working in the garage in March 1957. cessful, turned north to took only three days. Cape Bernacchi and Gneiss Apart from a trip to Cape Royds selves up for a busy summer Point. After sitting out a violent and Cape Evans at the beginning of season. two-day blizzard, they returned to October by Miller, Carlyon, Gunn Communication with McMurdo base with about 275 km under their and Macdonald with two dog was improved when Peter belt, achieved in under two weeks. teams, work now focused on the Mulgrew and an American techni Meanwhile, Richard Brooke and main summer journeys in the north cian laid a telephone line between Bernie Gunn were exploring up the and the south, including depot the two bases in early September. Blue Glacier with one dog team, laying onto the Polar Plateau. From 9 September, the number of surveying as they went, and Ed people at Scott Base steadily Hillary, Jim Bates, Murray Ellis, diminished as successive sledging Peter Mulgrew and Herbie Orr parties left the base on short expe were testing the tractors following ditions to toughen up both dogs winter modifications. They replen and men. By the middle of the ished the depot at Butter Point and month only eight residents established another one further remained of the 23 who had north at Gneiss Point. A bonus was wintered over. the discovery of several supply George Marsh and Guyon boxes left by Scott's party in 1901- Spring trial and tractor train. Amundsen Ship Gifted to Canterbury Museum

The Canterbury Museum has been for his expedition, replacing the The model of Fram is now gifted a model of Norwegian steam propulsion with diesel and housed and displayed in the Sir explorer Roald Amundsen's ship rerigging her with a slightly Robertson Stewart hall of Antarctic Fram — the culmination of 10 year's different configuration of sails. Discovery. work by museum curator, Baden Morris. The metre-long model, made in Norway, was presented to the museum by Norway's ambassador to New Zealand Jon Bech. Baden Morris was helped in his quest to secure the ship by Anne- Christine Jacobsen, a grand neice of Amundsen. She secured finance from the Sigual Berisen Foundation of Oslo, and model maker Johan Jensen of Englesvik Norway agreed to produce the model. The model with a full press of canvas is of Fram as a steam auxil iary schooner, rigged as the ship was for her first two Arctic jour neys. Amundsen altered the ship Baden Morris (left) and Norway's ambassador to New Zealand Jon Bech cast an approving eye over the model o/Fram.

Vol 15 No. 2, 1997 Antarctic BOOK REVIEW Terra Incognita — With a different scale and scope It is extremely refreshing to see than Barry Lopez's famous book how Wheeler has interwoven Travels in Antarctica Arctic Dreams which focuses on the historical snippets throughout the opposite end of the polar spectrum, book. In preparation for the task Jonathan Cape — London 1996 Terra Incognita is pleasantly chatty ahead, she has read widely on Sara Wlieeler — $29.95 and certainly more witty. And yet, Antarctica so it is with consider Reviezoed by Colin Monteath Wheeler's use of language is able deftness that she has pulled precise, evocative and highly infor out pertinent pieces and integrated By coincidence two copies of Sara mative. She packs a lot of detailed them into her own text. She has Wheeler's new book arrived in the information into this book, so much also gone to some trouble to track same week. This was probably just so that it should be compulsory down and interview some of the as well for a battle was narrowly reading for short-term visitors such hard-bitten old timers who are still averted. My wife and I could both as government VIPs before they able to reminisce about epic dog sit up in bed and each read our journey south. sledging trips and life before the own copies! For two Antarctic Wheeler's great coup was in Dear John letters arrived by e-mail. buffs, grounded for the summer being able to organise officialdom The mix is a delightful polar out of sight of an iceberg and in the UK so she could dash home potpourri of ideas, information desperate for a long-overdue from McMurdo and New Zealand and humour. quality piece of writing to come to London, water the plants in her Returning to normal life in out of Antarctica, Terra Incognita's flat, then board a flight to the English suburbia proves to be diffi arrival was timely. Falklands, bound for the Antarctic cult for Wheeler. Before long, she Wheeler, an Englishwoman, is Peninsula. (Direct flights across is winging her way back to New the first non-American to visit the Antarctica are still extremely rare). Zealand for another flight to Ross Ross Sea region under the United It is unprecedented to be the guest Island. The US Program is to be States Antarctic Program Artists of both the US and British govern congratulated for coupling and Writer's Grant scheme. She ments in Antarctica in a single Wheeler with a US woman painter makes good use of the ultimate season. Getting her foot in the and letting them live in a hut on tiki-tour by hitch-hiking McMurdo door of the (still!) male bastion of the sea-ice near Cape Evans. By helicopters or long-range C-130 British Antarctic Survey is perhaps now it is September, the coldest flights to visit various field camps a further indication of her creden spring month, so they are able to strung out from the Dry Valleys to tials as a writer. experience and interpret with the newly-studied Ice Streams on A f t e r t h e fl i g h t f r o m t h e brush stroke and pencil the raw the Polar Plateau. Camping excur Falklands to Adelaide Island had beauty of the sun commencing its sions are interspersed with landed on the newly-completed swing south. sojourns at the Amundsen-Scott airstrip at Rothera base, Wheeler Cherry-Garrad's Worst Journey South Pole Station, Terra Nova Bay finds herself the only woman in the World has stood the test of and Scott Base. She provides an among a horde of males predomi time alongside graphic prints by accurate, lucid and up-to-date nantly in their early twenties. This Hurley and Ponting. Similarly, the portrayal of scientific endeavour situation is in contrast to her life at extended support which has and the idiosyncrasies of life at US, McMurdo where the staff are 40% allowed Terra Incognita to emerge Italian and New Zealand bases. female. It takes a while before she is proof that more high-quality The Antarctic is a bizarre place, is accepted at Rothera and can written work needs to come from attracting a host of unusual charac move on to remote camps further modern-day Antarctica to balance ters. Often as not they become south. Some of the lads do not the profusion of visual information 'lifers' and keep on returning to even acknowledge her presence. frozen on film each year. pursue their passion, be it quirky In taking a close look at her coun Thus far, I haven't been able to science or pushing snow in a bull trymen, Wheeler goes to some track down Sara Wheeler's earlier dozer. By living and working length to explain the boy's-own book (Travels in a Thin Country — alongside these people, Wheeler adventure club atmosphere of BAS Chile) which covers a fleeting visit tunes in to their irreverent brand of operations compared to the to a Chilean Antarctic Station. On humour engendered by the cosmopolitan, almost casual the flight back to Chile Wheeler strangeness of their working approach to American science. becomes intrigued to know more routine and otherworldly nature of Despite the retention of some about the Seventh Continent. She the environment. A keen observer, quaint and very British traditions, scratches Terra Incognita on the perhaps a cross between Colin the BAS system is efficient and cover of an empty note book. I'm Thubron and Diane Ackerman, produces good science. Never glad that notebook is now full. Wheeler is able to probe beneath before have I read a more cohesive Hopefully, when the Chilean book the surface to reach the heartbeat of and succinct comparison of the two surfaces there'll somehow be two the Antarctic sciences and scientists principal polar nations currently copies, so once again we can avoid she encounters. working in Antarctica. a dust-up at home!

Vol 15 No. 2, 1997 Antarctic BOOK REVIEW A Year on Ice — MEMBERSHIP You are invited to join the Antarctic Living and Working in Antarctica Society — please write to: by Warren Herrick staff at Scott Base in 1994-95. National Secretary, (Published by: Shoal Bay Press 1997, Beginning with the fire control P O Box 404, $39.95) training in Christchurch, the flight Christchurch 8000, Reviewed by Arnold Heine. south and the Base staff handover, NEW ZEALAND. Warren then sets about detailing the All New Zealand administrative In 1968 Adrian Hayter published his Antarctic Field Training (AFT), the inquiries should go to the National book The Year of the Quiet Sun, the New Zealand Science programme, a Secretary. All overseas branch inquiries story of his year (1964-65) at Scott Base. day in the life of Scott Base, recreation, should go to the Overseas Branch As Base Leader of the 14-strong and relations with the nearby US Secretary. Inquiries regarding back McMurdo Base. issues can be made to the Back Issues wintering-over party, he found it a Officer, P O Box 404, Christchurch 8000, unique experience and his book The mid-winter highlight of an air New Zealand. describes this very well. drop by C-141-Starlifter with its mail, Now, 34 years on, Scott Base has fresh fruit, etc and its welcome from been rebuilt and enlarged, science the wintering-over people is detailed, Members should direct other inquiries to their local branch. projects have greatly increased, and though regrettably this air drop has the inclusion of women in both field now been discontinued for economic Secretary, parties and Base support has vastly reasons. Auckland Branch, changed the challenges of running an Warren goes on to describe in some New Zealand Antarctic Society Inc., effective Antarctic programme. detail the "highs" and "lows" of his P O Box 8062 Warren Herrick in A Year on Ice team and how he himself approached AUCKLAND 1035 describes how he met these challenges. the personal conflicts within a small Secretary, This splendid book is essential reading team living and working together, 24 Wellington Branch, f o r O A E s a n d " w a n n a b e " hours a day, in relatively confined New Zealand Antarctic Society Inc., Antarcticians. Warren, together with PO Box 2110, spaces. WELLINGTON 6000 his publishers, Shoal Bay Press, have He details the changes that creep in produced a really neat book. So what with the approach of Winfly, the Secretary, is it all about? restricted spring flights from Canterbury Branch The introduction describes very New Zealand Antarctic Society Inc., Christchurch, when the wintering- P O Box 404 clearly the sun/darkness 12-month over period begins to break up. New CHRISTCHURCH 8000 cycle at Scott Base, and the mountains faces, new ideas, (and new bugs), are and valleys nearby. This important beginning to intrude in the close-knit Secretary Otago Branch background to working and living at community. It is coming close to their New Zealand Antarctic Society Inc., Scott Base has seldom been described, turn to be "supplanted and to go P O Box 7083 and it clearly sets the tone of this book. home". DUNEDIN 9030 Interwoven with the cheerful record of Placed throughout the main text of Overseas Branch Secretary day-to-day life and conversations of this book are brief articles by early New Zealand Antarctic Society Inc., his Scott Base team, Warren has care New Zealand Antarctic people, like P O Box 404 fully recorded many basic "bits" of Ray Logie, Rex Hendry, Tony Christchurch 8000 information about Antarctic living. Bromley, Leo Slattery and others, NEW ZEALAND While this book will invoke many offering their comments on their times memories of similar incidents among "down south". Four appendices give Advertising Enquiries to the: the thousand or so New Zealanders details of the '94-'95 Science who have been lucky enough to "go Programme, the Scott Base Met. National Treasurer south", A Year on Ice should be read Record, the '94-'95 Support Staff. New Zealand Antarctic Society Inc., P O Box 404 by any one heading south, particularly Appendix 5 records the Scott Base and if it is for the first time. Christchurch 8000 Vanda Wintering-over Teams from New Zealand While relationships and incidents 1956-57 to 1995-96 — a particularly useful record. As well a splendid mix may be unique to a particular group of Deadlines for advertising and copy are individuals, history does repeat itself of colour photographs provides visual the 20th of each month proceeding (many times) and it is useful to know backdrops to the text. publication. that the happy and sad times that must Antarctica is very much part of the always make up "a year on ice" are New Zealand world of mountains and bound to happen and do contribute to wilderness valleys. It has brought a a worthwhile memory bank. great deal of pleasure and challenge to A brief history of Scott Base is many New Zealanders. Here then is a followed by a continuous series of record of one brief period "down observations/conversations/commen south" which will evoke memories as ts on the lives of the 10 wintering-over well as stir new emotions.

Vol 15 No. 2, 1997 49 Antarctic LETTER TO THE EDITOR Dear Madam, Cape Roberts project. Gateway. Further, users of the base In an article on the celebrations of the None of these numbers are quite what include a stream of other visitors such as 40th Anniversary of Scott Base, the they seem. Foundation funding includes artists, musician, teachers, politician March issue of the Society's Journal, 12.57o GST on the salary component and diplomats, administrators, reporters, Antarctic, repeats, from a poorly a contribution to capital charges and boy scouts and cross-continent walkers. researched article in The Dominion, a costs of maintaining establishments in All these functions are recognised as claim about "the disproportionate costs New Zealand. Likewise 13% of parts of the brief of Antarctica New of keeping Scott Base operational for Antarctica New Zealand's budget is Zealand and all must bear a share of the about 31 science projects each year". capital charges to the Government and costs of the base. Historically the Society has supported is unavailable to support Antarctic oper Operating the base has high fixed involvement in Antarctica, and it is ations. costs which do not relate simply to the important to ask in what way the costs of The total overt costs of New Zealand's size of the science programme. The Scott Base are disproportionate. operations in Antarctica are under $9.0m proportionate cost of the base could be Currently the operations of Antarctica of which between 10 & 12% is spent reduced by increasing the miserable size New Zealand cost nearly $5.2 million, of simply on the running of Scott Base (one of the science budget which has been set which 9.3% is spent on the staffing of might ask whether a capital charge of at a level that has decreased the scope, Scott base. A further 17% is spent on 13% is a "disproportionate cost" for an scale, and breadth of outlook of New "Antarctic operations", of which I Antarctic operation). I do not think the Zealand's Antarctic science. suspect at least half is on the direct cost of Scott Base is an excessive propor It is a pity The Dominion of "politi support of science, making a total of tion. In addition, it is wrong to charge cally attuned Wellington" could not about $0.9m for the base. Funding for the full costs of the base to science. The have employed a reporter with a better Antarctic science through the existence and manning of the base grasp of arithmetic, and one who could Foundation for Research Science and underpins New Zealand's diplomacy have perceived a little more of the back Technology is under $2.0 million and it is and status as a Southern Hemisphere ground above the roar of grinding axes. believed that the Universities support nation and a member of the Antarctic research which would cost an equivalent Treaty system, it facilitates our moni Yours sincerely, amount if funded on the same basis, toring of the environment and of J D Bradshaw (Dr) making a total of about $3.5m. A further Antarctic tourism, and it contributes C/-Department of Geological Sciences 6.7% of Antarctica New Zealand's indirectly to the New Zealand economy University of Canterbury budget is being spent in support of the by enhancing our status as an Antarctic 17 June 1997

1 'The Ultimate A Year on Ice Antarctic Experience!' Living and working in Antarctica Warren Herrick is one of the few New Zealanders to have spent a full 12 months in Antarctica: after spending die summer at Scott Base, he stayed on to serve as manager of the ten- strong winter-over team of 1995.

Here he records the realities of day-to-day human existence in an isolated and unique environment. Some of the other New Zealanders who have wintered over at Scott Base at various times in its forty-year history also add their impressions.

This book is not only a vivid picture of those extraordinary natural events that have captivated explorers and adventurers 1 '^"^PS over the past hundred years, but also an absorbing description of life with the New Zealand Antarctic Programme, and the mniiEN scientific and environmental studies taking place there. Illustrated throughout with magnificent colour photographs, Herrick including unique views of the frozen continent in winter.

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