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Home , Bowers Mountains, Canada Glacier, Charles Green (cook), Commonwealth Glacier, Deep Lake (Antarctica), De Gerlache (crater)

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EQUIPMENT USED BY NEW ZEALAND DRILLERS IN THE INTERNATIONAL DRY VALLEY DRILLING PROJECT AT NEW HARBOUR, ABOUT FIVE MILES FROM LAKE FRYXELL AT THE EASTERN END OF THE TAYLOR VALLEY IN VICTORIA LAND. LAST SEASON A HOLE WAS DRILLED TO A DEPTH OF 157.31 METRES. ANOTHER HOLE WILL BE DRILLED THIS SEASON ONE KILOMETRE FROM THE PREVIOUS SITE. Antarctic Division. D.S.I.R. Photo

Registered at Post Ofﬁce Headquarters. Vol. 7 No. 3 Wellington, New Zealand, as a magazine. September, 1974 AUSTRALIA

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t:^i WAHWAIB(BWI1(BW (Successor to "Antarctic News Bulletin")

75th ISSUE September 1974

Editor: J. M. CAFFIN, 35 Chepstow Avenue, Christchurch 5. Address all contributions, enquiries, etc., to the Editor. All Business Communications, Subscriptions, etc., to: Secretary, New Zealand Antarctic Society (Inc.), P.O. Box 1223, Christchurch, N.Z.

CONTENTS

POLAR ACTIVITIES NEW ZEALAND 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 79 AUSTRALIA 80, 81 UNITED STATES 82, 83, 84 UNITED KINGDOM 85, 86 SOVIET UNION 87, 88 BELGIUM

GENERAL ERUPTION ON EREBUS SEALERS' LINKS WHALING COMMISSION OBITUARY 92, 93, 94 HISTORIC HUTS ; THE READER WRITES 96, 97 ANTARCTIC BOOKSHELF 97, 98 ANTARCTIC CENTRE

In 1841 James Clark Ross sighted the "High Land," a mountain emitting flame and smoke in great profusion. He named it Mount Erebus, and wrote that "the discovery of an active volcano in so high a southern latitude cannot but be esteemed a circumstance of high geological impor tance and interest, and contribute to throw some further light on the physical construction of our globe." This summer, New Zealand, French, and American scientists will make hazardous descents into the craters of Erebus to "throw some further light on the further construction of our globe." Let us hope they do not forget those who first braved the dangers of Erebus for science more than half a century ago. ANTARCTIC September 1974 SEA ICE DRILLING IN N.Z. PROGRAMME Two major international projects—a descent into the craters of Mount Erebus, one of Antarctica's two known active )volanocs, and drilling through the sea ice into the bed of McMurdo Sound—are included in New Zealand's Antarctic research programme for 1974-75. New Zealand, French, and American scientists will participate in the Erebus project and scientists from the United States, Japan, and New Zealand will be involved in the Dry Valley Drilling Project, a three-year programme developed by scientific organisations of the three countries.

New Zealand is responsible for all by Canadian experts, will have to cope drilling operations needed in the project. with drifting ice, vertical and horizontal Work was to have started early this tide movements, and the currents. All month on the shoreline of New Harbour the sites are above deep water, and at and then in McMurdo Sound. But the one the water is 900ft deep. programme was delayed for five or six Four holes will be drilled in the weeks by abnormally high tides in sound, the first north-east of New Har McMurdo Sound, followed by a fierce bour, in 480ft of water. It is hoped to blizzard towards the end of last month. penetrate the marine sediments and drill into bedrock. The three other sites are south-east of the first. PLATFORM LOST When the drilling in McMurdo Sound Many square miles of 5ft thick ice is completed the team will return to in the sound were buckled and cracked New Harbour. There, another hole will by thc tides, and then driven out by the bc drilled one kilometre inland from blizzard. As a result the drilling plat last season's site. The move inland is to form in the sound was lost, and an prevent heat flow measurements being American and New Zealand survey team affected by the water in McMurdo was unable to reach New Harbour or Sound. Marble Point across the sound where the drilling rig was left for the winter. SALTY LAKE Now the drilling team, led by the If the drilling programme can be com drilling superintendent, Mr J. Hoffman, will fly south early next month. Plans pleted at this stage before Christmas, are for materials to be ferried across the the team will return to Don Juan Pond, sea ice, and for the survey team from which is in the Wright Valley about 80 Scott Base to mark the drilling sites on miles west of Ross Island, and drill an other hole there. Don Juan Pond's the sea ice in McMurdo Sound, and measure the currents at various depths. waters are so salty that it does not freeze The drillers will spend two weeks at even at temperatures of minus 70deg New Harbour, which is at the eastern Fahrenheit. end of thc Taylor Valley, and then move Last season the drillers began drilling into McMurdo Sound. through sediment on the west side of the pond. They struck a granite boulder, Drilling through annual sea ice 6ft and later water started to rise in the to 10ft thick and in deep water has not drill hole. Drilling was stopped because been attempted before anywhere else in there was no way to control the flow, the world. The drillers, whose rig and which might have contaminated the equipment have been specially modified pond. September 1974 ANTARCTIC

From the west side of McMurdo Sound the team will then move to Black Island, which is south of Ross Island, and projects through the ice shelf between Brown and White Islands to a height of about 3600ft. It was dis covered in 1902 by Scott's expedition, and named because of thc black vol canic rocks there. A hole will be drilled on the island to enable scientists to study the volcanics. The drilling programme is expected to be completed late in February. On Ross Island the drillers will return to the hole drilled last season near the earth sciences laboratory at McMurdo Station. Then the hole was the deepest—378.7 metres—drilled on land in Antarctica. It was to have been taken deeper but drilling had to be stopped so the rig could be moved to Lake Vanda. This SHAUN NORMAN season the drillers will go as deep as they possibly can. Originally the hole was to have been taken to a depth of foremost vulcanologists, Dr Haroun more than 900 metres. Tazieff. The New Zealanders include Dr W. F. Giggenbach, of the chemistry division, Department of Scientific and THREE NATIONS Industrial Research, who explored the main crater in 1972 with Mr J. Shor Scientists of three nations will work land, and Mr P. R. Kyle, a geologist for nearly a month from a camp estab from the Victoria University of Welling lished at a height of 12,000ft on an old ton, who suggested the expedition to Dr lava flow on the west side of Mount Tazieff. He has spent one month on Erebus, which is 12,500ft high. Two Erebus during four summers in the Frenchmen and a New Zealander, wear Antarctic. Dr S. B. Travers, of the ing special heat-resistant clothing, will geology department, University of be lowered by winch into the inner Nebraska, who has been associated with crater of the volcano to collect gas the Dry Valley Drilling Project, is in samples and study the laval lake dis the American party. covered in the 1972-73 season by a New Zealand party. When the camp is established, the expedition will lower a man by winch Early in December the team of six down the steep wall of the main crater New Zealanders, six Frenchmen, and four Americans, will establish their to the flat floor 300ft below. Then a camp with the aid of United States Navy walkway with hand ropes will be built. helicopters which will transport all the Four winches will be used, two to lower equipment from McMurdo Sound and heavy equipment from the rim of the Scott Base 20 miles away. Another main crater, and the others to lower smaller camp may bc established on the men and equipment into the inner crater. floor of the main crater of Erebus. Dr Tazieff, his assistant, and Dr Gig Field leader of the Erebus project is genbach will work at a depth of 400ft Mr Shaun M. Norman, who was deputy just above the laval lake which has an leader at Scott Base for two summers. estimated temperature of HOOOdeg Fah In the French party is one of the world's renheit. ANTARCTIC September 1974

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A programme of vulcanological stud ies will include sampling gas and molten SUB-ANTARCTIC lava from the lake, and recording tem peratures. Geologists will work inside MAPS thc main crater and on the outside of the volcano, and two seismographs, one Existing maps of New Zealand sub- on the rim of the inner crater, and the Antarctic islands are being brought up-to- other several hundred yards below the date by the Lands and Survey Depart main camp site will provide continuous ment in collaboration with the Royal readings to check on small eruptions. A New Zealand Air Force. The R.N.Z.A.F. topographical survey will be made to has taken photographs from Orion air check for signs of decay in the crater craft during reconnaissance flights over walls, and measurements will be taken to the sub-Antarctic groups, and these will establish how far the laval lake is below bc used in the preparation of topographi the inner crater's rim. cal maps showing contours, reefs, rocks, As far as is known there are only four and shoals. volcanic laval lakes in the world. Study Several scientific expeditions have visited of the Erebus lake will help scientists the islands in recent years, and there to determine whether volanic activity is have been calls by ships of the United increasing or decreasing, and whether States Navy's Antarctic support force on such activity goes in cycles. their way to the Antarctic. September 1974 ANTARCTIC Field Projects for Summer New Zealand's Antarctic research programme this summer will be carried out by a support staff of 140, including guest scientists from three countries, and two women. Research will be conducted by scientists from six New Zealand universities, the Ministry of Works, the Geological Survey, the Oceanographic Institute, the Physical Engineering Laboratory, and the Antarctic Division, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.

These men, and thc two women, will research programmes, which include geo work at or from Scott Base, Vanda Sta magnetism, meteorology, ionospheric tion, and Cape Bird, in the Bowers physics, and seismology. Research will Mountains of Northern Victoria Land, also be conducted at Arrival Heights into on the Ross Ice Shelf, in the Darwin geomagnetism and the aurora. Mountains, and in McMurdo Sound. New Zealanders will work with the SCOTT BASE Americans on a joint upper atmosphere programme at Siple Station, and in the John F. Stanton (28), Christchurch. Ross Ice Shelf Project. Deputy leader. He is training officer for Miss Joy Woods will return to the the Christchurch combined civil defence Antarctic for a second season to do more organisation, and has hard rock mining study of the ecology of freshwater lakes and road contracting experience. with the University of Canterbury party William R. Sloan (28), Christchurch. at Cape Bird. The second woman to go Storekeeper. south this season will be Mrs Jo Knight. She and her husband will study the Kevin P. Riddell (28), Invercargill. nutrients and productivity of onshore Maintenance carpenter. waters at Cape Bird. Eric J. Stevens (25), Christchurch. Assistant maintenance officer. LONG TRAVERSE Eric J. Saxby (37), Springfield. Assist ant maintenance officer. A major project in the summer pro gramme will be a 1000-mile traverse by Nicholas L. Round Turner (28), Mos- two parties in the Bowers Mountains giel. Information officer. and the Evans Neve in Northern Vic Kenneth J. Dawson (20), Wellington. toria Land. The four-man parties will Assistant postmaster. be flown into the area and out again by Hercules aircraft of the United John M. Ronnie (21), Kaikoura. Radio States Navy's VXE6 Squadron. Both technician. parties are from the Geological Survey. G. L. Money, Christchurch. Radio Vanda Station, in the Wright Valley, technician. which has been a summer station since 1970, was occupied this winter. This sea son it will become a summer station VANDA STATION again, and will meet the needs of field parties working in the dry valleys. Geo Frederick D. Coc (47), Rotorua. magnetic and meteorological research Leader. He is a secondary school teacher programmes will be carried out by the with extensive mountaineering, and station staff. search and rescue experience. Nine men will work at Scott Base dur Graham C. Callander (29), Hamilton, ing the summer. They will continue the Technician. ANTARCTIC September 1974

M. Hodgson, Auckland. Meteorolo to determine increase in concentration of gist. carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. P. Bruce, Wellington. Meteorologist. Commonwealth Scientific and Indus trial Research Organisation, Australia. University projects are outlined else Collection of air samples from aircraft where. Other projects and the partici flying to and in the Antarctic. Samples pants are: will be analysed by the C.S.I.R.O. to Ministry of Works and Antarctic Divi determine the vertical and horizontal dis sion. Glaciology and hydrology in the tribution of carbon dioxide. dry valley area. T. Chinn, leader; P. Antarctic Division. Penguin count at Mason, hydrologist; W. C. King, field Cape Royds. J. A. Newman, leader. assistant; J. F. Williams, surveyor. Search and rescue training programme Geological Survey. (1) Stratigraphy with Royal New Zealand Air Force and sedimentology, Bowers Mountains. team. J. A. Cowie, leader; W. C. M. G. Laird, leader; J. Bradshaw, T. Freaney, R. W. M. Wills, field assist Wodzicki, geologists; I. Curphey, field ants. assistant. (2) Palaeontology and geo- Antarctic Division and Victoria Uni chronology, Evans Neve, Bowers Moun versity of Wellington. Physiological and tains. R. A. Cooper, leader; J. Jago, J. psychological studies of winter team at Simes, geologists; P. Braddock, field as Scott Base. Professor A. J. W. Taylor, sistant. professor of clinical psychology, Vic Erebus vulcanological studies. New toria University. Zealand. S. M. Norman, leader; W. Gig Staff at Scott Base will conduct a study genbach, P. Kyle, geologists; R. Dibble, for the University of Canterbury of the seismologist; J. R. Keys, chemist; R. amount of atmospheric corrosion of ex Rainsbury, field assistant; M. E. Lam posed aluminium ships. bert, New Zealand Press Association. FIELD PROJECTS France. H. Tazieff, F. Le Guern, J. Car- New Zealand and United States scien bonelle, J. Le Bronec, vulcanologists; K. tists will work together in other pro Staufl'er, winchman. United States. S. B. Treves, geologists; P. Paffit, film camera jects of the New Zealand programme, man. apart from the Mount Erebus expedi tion, and the Dry Valley Drilling Pro Dry Valley Drilling Project. J. Hoff ject. A French scientist is expected to man, drilling superintendent; D. Murphy, work with the University of Canterbury E. T. Ramsden, D. Lang, M. Williams, party at Cape Bird. J. Tanner, T. Griffiths, N. J. Stephenson, Dr A. deBries, of the physiological J R. Oldridge, B. Graham, E. Blackwell, research laboratory, Scripps Institution L. Olliver, J. Gupwell, D. McLeod; M. of Oceanography, University of Cali J. Gillies, K. T. Murray, D. Murray, fornia, has invited Mr D. Tattle, of the drillers; R. W. M. Wills, field assist University of Canterbury, to work on a ant; L. F. Todd, cook. zoological programme at the Eklund Oceanographic Institute. Current and Biological Centre, McMurdo Station. temperature measurements at selected Dr A. Watson, department of physiol sites in McMurdo Sound. B. Shake ogy, and anatomy, Massey University, speare, leader; N. J. Swindells, field as will work with Dr D. Siniff, University sistant. Antarctic Division. Continuation of Minnesota, on the anatomical, his of annual population studv of Weddell tological, and neuro-anatomic study of seal in McMurdo Sound. S. M. Norman, Antarctic seals, which has been con leader. ducted from McMurdo Station since the Physical Engineering Laboratory. 1971-72 season. Upper atmosphere joint programme with An American geologist, Mr P. May- United States, Siple Station. C. J. Sloan, weski, and an assistant, plan to accom leader; E. Stringer, tecnician. Institute pany the New Zealand Geological Survey of Nuclear Sciences. Monitoring pro parties which will work in the Bowers gramme by technical staff at Scott Base Mountains Northern Victoria Land. September 1974 ANTARCTIC WINTER TEAM AT SCOTT BASE

Ten men have been selected to winter at Scott Base through 1975. The leader is Mr J. A. Newman, a company secre tary, who is a former Royal New Zea land Navy electrical engineering special ist. He is an experienced mountaineer. Most of the men in the new team come from the North Island. Four are mar ried and six are bachelors. There is one 19-year-old, and the ages of the others range from 22 to 41. Members of the winter party are: James Newman (41), Auckland. Leader (see "Antarctic", June, 1974, Page 44). Bernard P. Sussmilch (34), Waiouru Military Camp. Base engineer. He is an A grade mechanic, who joined the Army in 1958, and has served in Thailand. Garry C. McCulIough (28), Waiouru Military Camp. Fitter-mechanic. He is JAMES NEWMAN a fitter and turner, and joined the Army in 1963. Robert M. Kitchener (27), Arapuni. Fitter-electrician. He is a maintenance electrician with the New Zealand Elec Storms topple tricity Department. Kenneth W. Parker (23), Christchurch. cross Cook. He joined the Royal New Zea land Air Force in 1968, and is a cook at Two violent storms this winter com Wigram. bined to topple the 9ft jarrah wood David G. Hope (25), Auckland. Tech cross erected on Observation Hill, over nician. He is in thc electrical section of looking McMurdo Station, in memory the Post Office workshops at Newmar of Captain Scott and the men who died ket, Auckland. with him on the return journey from Peter L. Jemmctt (22), Auckland. the South Pole. The cross, placed on thc Technician. He is a telegraph technician summit of the 830ft hill 61 years ago, in the Post Office Engineer's Office at has been on the lean for some years, Auckland. mainly because of some movement at the base, and batterings by the wind. Craig R. Nickerson (19), Waiouru Military Camp. Technician. He is an In July this year one storm tilted thc electronics technician, and joined the cross even further; the second last month Army in 1969. blew it down. This month a team from Alan L. J. Campbell (31), Invercargill. Scott Base plans, when the weather is Postmaster. He is supervisor of thc tele favourable, to climb the hill and re- graph branch in the Invercargill Post erect the cross. Later this summer the Office. Antarctic Division, Department of Allan Hai die (34), Napier. Radio tech Scientific and Industrial Research, pro nician. He is a radio technician with poses to reset the cross in a concrete the Post Office. base on its present site. ANTARCTIC September 1974 Six universities involved in N.Z. field projects Field work inside and outside thc craters of Mount Erebus, geo logical studies in the Darwin Mountains, and a seismic profiling survey in McMurdo Sound from an icebreaker, are included in the projects which will bc carried out by university scientists during the New Zealand Antarctic research programme this summer. All the New Zealand uni versities—Auckland, Waikato, Victoria, Massey, Canterbury, and Otago —arc involved in this this season's programme, and field parties will study Weddell seals, the ecology of freshwater lakes, marine life, and glacial deposits in the dry valleys. Some scientists will take part in United States projects.

Eleven scientists in Victoria Univer ties in the dry valleys to extend the cor sity's 19th expedition will work on six relation and improve the chronology of separate projects. These include the the glacial deposits there. Soil studies Mount Erebus expedition, the Dry Val alone seem unable to provide a much- ley Drilling Project, the Ross Ice Shelf needed basis for improved correlation Project, and studies of the basal Beacon and chronology, and tracing out of stra- and late Cenozoic stratigraphy, and of tigraphic marker horizons is required. saline deposits. The field leader is Mr J. R. Keys. Ph.D. student in chemistry, and Mr R. W. Plume will investigate in the scientific leader is Mr C. G. Vuce- detail the New Mountain Sandstone, the itch, reader in pedology. oldest formation in the Beacon Super group, to establish its environment of Three scientists will work with the deposition and, if possible, its age. The Erebus expedition, which was initiated marine versus non-marine character of by Mr P. R. Kyle. Mr Kyle has spent the lower Beacon has been debated for four previous summers doing field work many years, and fossils from which an for his petrographic and chemical study found. Mr Plume is at present studying of the McMurdo volcanics, of which one locality in detail. He intends to Mount Erebus is a part. Dr R. R. extend this study to other known expo Dibble, a geophysicist, will record seis sures of he formation. Mr Keys will mic activity to compare with his observ accompany Mr Plume to extend the ations of activity in the crater over the study of saline deposits into previously one month period. age can bc established have yet to be unvisited areas. SALT DEPOSITS Dr P. J. Barrett, geologist and direc Mr Keys will continue thc mapping tor of the university's Antarctic Re and collecting of saline deposits in the search Centre, and Mr R. D. Powell will McMurdo region by working in detail spend some time with the Dry Valley around the summit and in the crater of Drilling Project studying core from the Erebus. All three scientists will work McMurdo Sound drill holes. Later they inside and outside the craters, and will will process samples for grain size assist the French vulcanologists and analysis, magnetic measurements and other scientists working there. pebble characteristics. The results should reveal a record of advancing and re Mr C. G. Vucetich and Mr P. H. treating ice, and will help date these Robinson will visit several critical locali events. M ' * ! # ^ f . > ! ; . -tUn September 1974 ANTARCTIC

In addition, they hope to spend up to water lakes. Live specimens of the com two weeks at the Crary Ice Rise in the mon red rotifer. middle of the Ross Ice Shelf, examining A husband and wife team, Mr G. sediment frozen in the ice and revealed Knight, a Ph.D. student and Jo Knight, by crevassing. The aim is to find how B.Sc, will study the nutrients and pro the sediment was incorporated in the ice ductivity of the onshore waters. In par and where it came from. Dr Barrett ticular the influence of runoff from and Mr Powell will also spend ten days penguin colonies on nutrients and prim with Mr Plume, working on the New ary productivity will be investigated. Mountain Sandstone. Dr R. M. Kirk, senior lecturer in A seismic profiling survey is planned geography, and Mr D. Harrowfield, a for McMurdo Sound by Professor D. A. technician, will, in the latter part of Christoffel, a geophysicist, and Mr D. the season conduct studies on beach J. Northy and Mr C. Brown, graduate formation and the recent glacial history students in geophysics. They will oper of the area at Cape Bird. ate from an ice-breaker, first covering the area of the two drill sites in McMurdo Sound, but hope to extend the WAIKATO PARTY survey to the whole ice-free part of the sound. Scientists from Waikato University's research unit will investigate the The results should allow the layers chemistry, physics and sediments of recognised in the drill holes to be traced Lake Wellman in the Darwin Mountains. out laterally. In addition, the knowledge of sediment thickness in the sound, They will also study geochemistry, geo morphology, and limnology in this area. obtained by the profiling, will be import In thc dry valleys they will investigate ant in establishing the nature of the the geochemistry, physics, and sedi boundary between the Transantarctic ments of lakes, including an intensive Mountains and the Ross Sea. study by sounding and coring Lake Fryxell. CAPE BIRD WORK Members of the team are: Professor This summer the activities of the A. T. Wilson, Dr C. H. Hendy, Messrs University of Canterbury unit will be T. Healy, M. Grimstead, A Bonney, concentrated at Cape Bird station. They and P. King. will involve seven people for varying periods. A joint New Zealand and United States project will be a microbiological The station will be opened by Mr P. and medical study of the resistance to Sagar, an M.Sc. student, who will be infection of isolated groups working in going south for the third time. In the Antarctica. Thc study will be conducted early part of the season before his return by Professor J. A. R. Miles, professor of to New Zealand he will continue his microbiology at Otago University, who studies on the ecology and feeding of has previously made similar studies in the common bottom dwelling amphipod, tropical areas. Paramoera walkeri. For the rest of the season the party will be led by Mr K. An Auckland University team, Dr J. Duncan, senior lecturer in zoology. He A. McDonald (leader) and Mr D. Ensor will conduct physiological studies of (scientist) will be involved in another cold-adaptation in marine invertebrates. joint New Zealand-United States pro ject. They will investigate the noural Miss Joy Woods, an M.Sc. student will function in the sensory and motor nerves return for a second season to carry out of one of the Antarctic fishes in further study on the ecology of fresh McMurdo Sound.

■ v> I - ■ A -1 maW mam September 1974 Eruption on Mount Erebus continues for six hours Mount Erebus, one of Antarctic's two known active volcanoes, erupted on September 4. Thc eruption lasted six hours, and was reported to be more violent than activity in the crater during recent years. A grey eruptive cloud which reached a height of about 1000ft replaced the familiar white plume of steam at the summit of the 12,450ft volcano. Dr S. B. Treves, of the University of disperses, to be succeeded by another Nebraska, one of the geologists who will splendid exhibition of the same kind in take part in the three-nation expedition about half an hour afterwards although which will descend into the craters of the intervals between the eruptions were Erebus in December, observed the erup by no means regular. tion from the window of the earth The diameter of the columns of smoke sciences laboratory at McMurdo Station, about 45 miles away. He reported that was between two and three hundred feet, rocks were hurled from the crater into as near as wc could measure it, says Ross; the rapidly growing dark cloud of ash— whenever the smoke cleared away, the an indication that volcanic "bombs" were bright red flame that filled the mouth of the crater was clearly perceptible; and produced in the eruption. In the last two seasons Dr Treves and some of the officers believed they could Mr P. R. Kyle, a New Zealand geologist see streams of lava pouring down its from the Victoria University of Welling sides until lost beneath the snow which descended from a few hundred feet below ton, have studied the inner crater of the crater, and projected its perpendi Erebus. They have found intensified cular icy cliff several miles into thc activity within thc crater.

HIGH ISLAND Since men first lived on Ross Island more than 70 years ago there has been Chess is a favourite winter pastime in no activity from Mount Erebus to equal the Antarctic, and matches are played that observed in 1841 by Sir James Clark by radio between teams representing Ross and the men of the Erebus and several nations. This winter the Ameri Terror. When first sighted on January 27 can McMurdo Station team, led by a the land was first called High Island, but, Russian exchange scientist, played in the words of Ross, proved to be a against teams in New Zealand, on Camp mountain 12,400ft elevation above the bell Island, at the Amundsen-Scott Pole level of the sea, emitting flames and Station, Molodezhnaya, the main Soviet smoke in great profusion. station, and Vostok, the only Russian In the story of the voyage Ross says inland station. that at 4 p.m. on January 28 Mount Ere bus was observed to emit smoke and flame in unusual quantities, producing a most grand spectacle. A volume of dense smoke was projected at each successive jet with great force, in a vertical column, to the height of between 1500 and 2000 feet above the mouth of the crater, when condensing first at its upper part, it de scended in mist or snow, and gradually September 1974 ANTARCTIC Five New Zealanders meet high on Mount Newall For the first time other than in the summer season, Vanda Station, New Zealand's small scientific outpost in the Wright Valley, 80 miles west of Scott Base, was rcsupplicd with urgently needed scientific and medical equipment. Three men from Scott Base met two from Vanda Station on the slopes of Mount Newall. Their meeting took place on Black Friday, but it was a bright day for the five men—they had not seen each other for more than six months.

Messrs R. Newland and T. Smith left was time only for brief greetings before Vanda Station on September 11, and the two groups parted. tramped along the Wright Valley against By 9 p.m. the Scott Base party had a stiff wind and temperatures of minus rejoined the Americans. Together they 41 deg to a refuge hut on the Mcsserve covered the 80 miles back to Scott Base. Glacier. They moved on September 12 to The two men from Vanda Station another hut at the foot of Mount Newall, remained overnight in the hut at the foot which is more than 600ft high. At night of Mount Newall. Then with heavily they examined the inland terminal of the loaded packs they trekked back to the Wilson Piedmont Glacier over which thc Station on September 14. Scott Base party was to travel. Messrs H. W. E. Jones (leader), R. Colliver, and M. Wing, drove a light tracked vehicle across the sea ice of McMurdo Sound and over the coastal snow fields to a hut at Marble Point on thc seaward side of the Wilson Piedmont Glacier. For part of the way they acted U.S. task force as guides for a United States party from McMurdo Station which travelled to commander inspect the drilling rig for the Dry Valley Drilling Project at New Harbour Captain E. W. Van Reeth has as in thc eastern Taylor Valley. sumed command of the United States Navy's Antarctic support force. He With a heavier vehicle the Americans succeeds Captain A. N. Fowler, who has were able to carry a drum of fuel from held the post for the last two years, and which the New Zealanders refuelled their will be the ninth naval officer to com vehicle before moving on. On September mand the support force since 1955. 13 the Scott Base party drove up a steep Captain Fowler has retired from the snow slope and on to the Wilson Pied Navy after 28 years service. He is still mont Glacier. associated with Antarctic operations for Two hours later, after many anxious he is now deputy head, Office of Polar moments weaving through suspect areas Programmes, in the National Science on the inaldn side, Mr Newland was seen Foundation. standing on a distant snow slope. Mr Captain Van Reeth is a former com Smith had remained below in an effort mander of Antarctic Support Activiti- to make radio contact but this was pre ties, and has served at McMurdo Sta vented by a radio blackout. tion. Since early in 1972 he has been Fifteen minutes later, the supplies were associate manager of polar operations in passed over at a height of 2000ft. There the Office of Polar Programmes. ANTARCTIC September 1974

A.N.AR.E. REPORT

■ ■ >;<*: I Deep ice-core drilling project near Casey A deep ice-core drilling project for glaciological studies of the ice- shcct near thc coast and inland has been the major event in the winter pro gramme at Casey. Early in thc winter a ﬁeld party core drilled a hole to a depth of 350 metres several kilometres upstream from thc previous Cape Folger hole where the ice is about 450 metres thick. Later another hole will be drilled inland to a depth of about 500 metres.

Deeper penetration of the hole was This year's hole was logged for tem prevented by part of the drill sticking to perature and inclination changes, and the side near the bottom. In 1969 a the ice core will be returned to Austra hole was cored to 350 metres, reaching lia for detailed analysis. Comparison very close to bedrock. The core was with the previous core should enable obtained but the lower part of the hole signiﬁcant events in the past climatic was lost because of thc rapid deform record to be separated from local and ation. random variations.

A thermal drill developed by the Antarctic Division, Australian Department of Science, on the Polar Plateau near Casey. The drill was used for a deep ice-core drilling project near the coast this winter. Australian Antarctic Division Photo: Murray Price

»3LB I T'-- Septomber 1974 ANTARCTIC

After repairs and maintenance of some a cable which carries the electrical power of the equipment the field party will and can lower the drill to a depth of return to the drill site and attempt to 500 metres. drill another hole further inland to a In 1969 two previous holes were depth of about 500 metres, as near as drilled on Law Dome near Casey. The possible to bedrock. Drilling will have ice cores were successfully extracted to be done quickly to prevent the bore and part of them returned to Australia hole from closing under the weight of for analysis. the ice. These cores have already revealed im The object of drilling this hole is to portant climate changes that have taken study the in situ deformation of the ice place since the last ice age. The cores sheet right through to bedrock. To do provide a valuable record of the pre this it is planned to fill the drill hole cipitation and fallout over long periods with fluid immediately after drilling to of time. prevent closure. The oxygen isotope ratios of the ice The shearing deformation of the ice provides an important indication of past can then be measured by logging the climatic variations. In addition, the drill hole with a precise inclinometer cores allow a direct study to be made developed by the Antarctic Division, of the crystallographic and flow proper Department of Science, to detect the ties of the ice which govern the motion slow tilting of the drill hole caused by of the ice sheet. the ice motion. The base of the ice sheet is particu Holes are drilled with a thermal drill larly interesting because it contains thc developed by the Antarctic Division. It oldest ice. This region is also thc high operates with a drilling head which melts est in temperature and is generally an annulus of ice and extracts a core undergoing the most rapid deformation. about limm in length together with the This makes drilling through to bedrock melted water. The head is supported by a most hazardous operation. Antarctic conservation trophy The Antarctic Conservation Trophy has been awarded this year to Mr B. N. Norris, of Christchurch, for his work as a ranger for the Lands and Survey Department's outlying islands committee. Mr Norris was a member of the Antarctic tourist expedition aboard the Lindblad Explorer last sum mer, and during thc cruise studied thc protection of flora and fauna on some of New Zealand's sub-Antarctic islands. The award was announced last month also an honorary wildlife warden for the by Mr S. W. M. Smith, chairman of the Department of Internal Affairs. Canterbury branch of thc New Zealand Mr R. B. Thomson, superintendent of Antarctic Society. The branch has made thc Antarctic Division, Department of two previous awards of the trophy — a Scientific and Industrial Research, 17in carving of an Emperor penguin in described the work done by Mr Norris African walnut. The trophy is awarded to as outstanding, and said it fully met thc any person or organisation contributing conditions of the award. to the conservation of historic buildings Mr Norris also received a conservation or flora and fauna in the Antarctic or citation from the National Conservation the sub-Antarctic islands. Week campaign committee last month. Thc citation was for his consistent advo Mr Norris was a member of the cacy of measures for a healthier environ Antarctic Society's team which did re ment, and in particular for his dedicated storation work on the historic hut at voluntary work in the rehabilitation of Hutt Point, Ross Island, in 1964. He is injured or disabled wild birds.

^^îv*r :xî*?^*' ■ ANTARCTIC September 1974 U.S. operations start with McMurdo Sound flights United States operations in the Antarctic for the 1974-75 season began early this month when two ski-equipped Hercules aircraft brought mail, milk, fresh fruit, and vegetables to the men—and two women—of the winter party at McMurdo Station. The aircraft made three flights to McMurdo Sound breaking the isolation of more than 130 Americans, Russian and Polish exchange scientists who, since February 22, have endured four months darkness, blizzards, and bitterly cold weather.

In three flights the United States Navy sity, Chicago, and Sister Mary Odile VXE6 Squadron aircraft carried more Cahoon, professor of biology at St than 15 tons of supplies and 80 pas Scholastica College, Duluth, Minnesota. sengers south. The passangers included Dr McWhinnie returned on the first scientists who will make an early start flight. She accompanied the body of on research projtects, and 20 Navy con Mr G. W. Nickell, former manager of struction workers, meteorologists, equip the McMurdo Station biological labora ment operators, mechanics, and air traf tory. He was killed on May 16 in a fic controllers who will prepare the truck accident on the road between Williams Field ice runway for flights Scott Base and the station. by the United States Air Force Star lifters which will take the summer All the flights except the last were support and scientific staffs south, start completed without incident. The Winfly operation ended on September 4 when ing next month. a Hercules flew nearly 2200 miles to Christchurch on three engines. Power TWO WOMEN and propeller surges in one engine On the first flights the two aircraft left developed moments after the aircraft left McMurdo Sound. Christchurch at 12.40 a.m. and 1.40 a.m. on September 2, carrying 31 scientists— With favourable winds expected, the two of them women-—48101b of mail and aircraft commander, Lieutenant-Com 30001b of fresh food. The women were mander J. Paulus, who has been on the the Taiwan-born wife of Dr A. L. Antarctic run for five years, decided to DeVries, of the Scripps Institution of continue the flight to Christchurch. Oceanography, and Miss Marilyn Guin, Normally the journey would have taken of the University of Oregon. Dr DeVries six hours and a half; with one engine and his wife have been studying the shut down it took three hours more. biochemistry of freezing resistance in The aircraft landed with enough fuel Antarctic fishes for several seasons. left for three hours flying. When the aircraft landed in the twi For more than half the flight the Her light of Williams Feld at 8.5 a.m. and cules was accompanied by a search and 9.15 a.m., the weather was fine but the rescue Hercules which had flown to temperature was minus 42deg Fahren 60deg S. The crew of this aircraft re heit. On the first and last flights back mained in the air for 13 hours until to Christchurch the aircraft brought two assured that the crippled aircraft had women—the first scientists of their sex landed safely. to winter in the Antarctic. They were One New Zealand scientist flew south Dr Mary A. McWhinnie, professor of this month. He was Mr I. L. Thomas, biological sciences at DePaul Univer a physicist from the auroral station at September 1974 ANTARCTIC

Lauder, Central Otago, who will study McMurdo Sound, and the development the aurora. of soft bottom communities in the area. Among the United States scientists on Dr Samuel B. Treves, of the depart the Winfly flights was Dr Joseph A. War- ment of geology, University of burton, of the Desert Research Institute, Nebraska, flew south with three students University of Nevada. He and his party to take part in the Dry Valley Drilling will study the major chemical constitu Project. Later he will join the Mount ents of snow, and precipitation forming Erebus expedition, and then serve as site mechanisms on the Ross Ice Shelf. geologist for the drilling of the volcanic rocks on Black Island, and the deepen Scientists from the Scripps Institution ing of the DVDP third hole drilled on of Oceanography, University of Cali Ross Island. fornia, led by Dr DeVries, will continue In their six months' isolation the studies of the physiology and biochemis McMurdo Station community faced a try of freezing resistance in Antarctic fishes. This year's project will concen severe winter of blizzards, heavy falls trate on how the glycoprotein anti of snow, and low temperatures, as well freezes in the fishes' body fluids protect as four months of darkness. The winter them in their icy environment. took its toll of thc station's buildings. Some were torn apart and destroyed, and The effect of temperature acclimatis others were severely damaged by a storm ation on the oxygen capacity of the early in July when the wind reached 125 blood of the large Antarctic cod (Dis- miles an hour. sostichus mawsoni) will be studied with McMurdo Station's long, dark winter Drs W. Zapol and J. Quist, of the Bos ton General Hospital and the Gentofte began on April 24 when the sun drop ped below the horizon and the light Hospital, Copenhagen, respectively. steadily grew less. Research begun in 1967 will be con Although the sun rose on August 21 tinued and expanded by a party led by the weather did not improve. During Dr Paul K. Drayton, of the Scripps In the month another blizzard with winds stitution of Oceanography. The scien up to 90 knots drove many square miles tists will study sponges and starfish in of ice out of McMurdo Sound.

Orion delivers winter mail Early last month men — and two ing flown 900 miles south because of the women — of four nations wintering in bad weather. the Antarctic received mail from home Nine canvas mail bags attached to for the first time since February instead small parachutes were dropped from the of waiting for it until the United States afternoon of August 8 above the ice run Navy's Winfly flight early this month. way of Williams Field, which was illum The winter mail delivery was made for inated by field generators. Inside the bags thc second successive year on August 8 were letters, newspapers, and tape re by a Royal New Zealand Air Force Orion corder cassettes with personal messages of No. 5 (Maritime) Squadron, which for the 11 New Zealanders at Scott Base, flew 4500 miles non-stop in 12 hours from and 143 Americans, and Russian and Dunedin to McMurdo Sound and back. Polish exchange scientists, at McMurdo Station. High winds and poor visibility in the When thc Orion left Dunedin at 7.42 McMurdo Sound area prevented the mail a.m. it carried 11001b of mail, and some being dropped on August 7. The Orion, scientific equipment, the total weight piloted by Flight Lieutenant D. W. Paul being 13621b. The aircraft was over Wil son, left Dunedin on its navigational exer liams Field at 1.30 p.m. and was spotted cise at 7 a.m. It had to return after hav by the ground crew two minutes later. ANTARCTIC September 1974 Women scientists enjoyed first Antarctic winter Eight months' isolation in the Antarc Dr McWhinnie, who celebrated her tic—except for the company of more 52nd birthday on Ross Island, and Sis than 130 men—did not upset Dr Mary ter Cahoon, who is 44, had little leisure A. McWhinnie and Sister Mary Odile time. Sister Cahoon put on her skis for Cahoon, the first American women a run only once, and she did not get scientists to stay there all winter. When nearly as much knitting done as she they returned to "civilisation" early this thought she might. Both women gave month they agreed that their winter at lectures on aspects of their work. What McMurdo Station was the happiest they little spare time Dr McWhinnie had she could remember, and both said they used for reading. would be delighted to return if they had the opportunity. They were in the Although isolated, the women were Antarctic to work, and found the winter not completely cut off from the outside thc best time for sustained, steady work world. They were able to talk to friends on their project. in the United States by the ham radio system until the sun set in April, and KRILL STUDIES voice contact was lost for two months. Dr McWhinnie, professor of biologi Then they used radio telegrams, all at cal science at DePaul University and the station being allowed two messages Sister Cahoon, professor of biology of 100 words each week to send home at St Scholaslica College, Duluth, Min at no cost. Friends were able to reply nesota, flew south in January to study the same way at ordinary postage rates. krill, the shrimp-like crustacean ende mic to Antarctic waters. They worked McMurdo Station has closed circuit with three other scientists, including a television, a bowling alley, wide screen Polish exchange scientist, Dr S. Rakusa- films, and a good library. But there is no women's hairdressing salon. This did Suszcewsk-i, taking samples from thc water under the ice near McMurdo Sta not worry Dr McWhinnie and Sister tion. Studying their finds occupied most Cahoon. They made do with neat hair of the long dark hours of the Antarctic cuts from the station barber. winter. Both women believe that the work they accomplished is important in dis closing the mechanism of low tempera ture adaptation by a wide range of mar ine organisms—relatives of jellyfish to higher fish, including several crustaceans such as krill and starfish. Their work on krill will not encourage or discourage One of the 26 men wintering at Maw the commercial exploitation of Antarc son Station was killed in a tobogganing tic biological resources. accident close to the the station on March Neither of the women had any mis 24. He was Geoffrey Maxwell Cameron, givings at any time about spending senior carpenter ol the Austral an eight months in anisolated all-male National Antarctic Research Expedition, community. The men accepted them, who lived at North Williamstown, Vic and were very kind and generous, ac toria. cording to Dr McWhinnie. She says that scientists are scientists whatever There are now 83 men wintering at their sex, and there is no reason why Australian stations. Mawson has 25, healthy women should not cope with Casey 25, and Davis 14. There is a Antarctic winter conditions. staff of 19 on Macquarie Island. September 1974 ANTARCTIC

BRITISH SURVEY NEWS Stonington Island Base to be closed after 21 years The British Antarctic Survey base on Stonington Island in Marguerite Bay will bc closed at the end of the 1974-75 summer. It has been occupied from 1946 to 1950, and then from 1958 to date—21 years in all. Almost all the work that can be done most efﬁciently from the base has been com pleted, and it is being closed because there is a pressing need for economy.

Stonington Island may still be used dur Stonington Island, a low, rocky island ing the summer, but in future most field in Marguerite Bay, already has a place in work in the Marguerite Bay area and Antarctic history. It was there that thc further south will be undertaken by sum first women to winter in the Antarctic, mer parties operating from Adelaide Mrs Edith Ronne and Mrs Jennie Dar Island. To accommodate the increased lington, lived in 1947-48 as members of numbers the Adelaide Island base will be Commander Finn Ronne's private ex expanded, either at its present site or at a pedition. site about 40 miles to the north-east. As In 1940-41 the United States Antarctic it will not be possible to maintain the Service expedition led by Rear-Admiral dogs duing the winter, they will Richard Byrd established its East Base gradually be superseded by a new fleet of on thc island, which was named for thc vehicles. Connecticut seaport from which Nath Until the opening of Fossil BlulT in aniel Palmer and other sealers sailed on George VI Sound, Stonington Island was their voyages to islands off the Antarctic the southernmost British base. It has been Peninsula. Finn Ronne rcoccupied the an important centre for field work, and old East Base early in 1947. from it parties have travelled extensively around Marguerite Bay, on the Graham BRITISH BASE Land plateau and south to Palmer Land, Only 200 yards from the American basc George VI Sound, and Alexander Island. was the British base established by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey, SLEDGE TRIP now the B.A.S., which replaced the secret While he was basc commander at Ston wartime Operation Tabarin. Surgeon- ington Island in 1948-50, Sir Vivian Commander E. W. Bingham, R.N., and Fuchs, and thc geologist, Dr Raymond 10 men erected the Base E hut in 1946. Adie, sledged down George VI Sound to They were relieved in 1947 by a party the Ekland Islands and back. Their commanded by Major K. S. P. Butler, journey of 1084 miles took them 89 days. leader of F.I.D.S. Since 1961 much of the work south of This party co-operated with Ronne's Marguerite Bay has been centred on expedition, and British and American Fossil Bluff. This has been made possible aircraft, worked together during 1947. by thc regular use of aircraft based on The Americans were relieved in the sum Adelaide Island in the summer. They have mer of 1948 by the icebreakers Burton also been used to transport parties and Island and Edisto, units of the United supplies direct to remote southern areas, States Navy task force engaged in Opera by-passing Stonington Island. tion Windmill.

I ."-*■*>C .-_ ANTARCTIC September 1974

Work has gone on as usual at all bases, carried out long-distance flights and very broken only by thc traditional merry low-level radio echo sounding with the making on Mid-winter's Day. same fortitude, care and safety. Field work has continued from Fossil "His dedicated performance has made Bluff in George VI Sound, and glaci an unusual contribution to the Survey's ologists have inspected their marker programmes in topographical survey, stakes periodically although their Spar geology, glaciology and geomagnetism, tan Glacier refuge hut was closed for setting a fine example for the future." mid-winter. Mr Rowley is now with an airline oper Several parties from Stonington Island ating between south-west England and the have undertaken projects in the Mar Channel Islands. guerite Bay area, but these, and other The Survey's former director, Sir parties further north at the Argentine Vivian Fuchs, was recently elected to Islands, have been hampered as strong fellowship of the Royal Society in recog winds in July dispersed the sea ice. nition of his service to Antarctic science. Stonington Island itself is exceptionally A former B.A.S. geophysicist, Dr. bare of snow and ice. more so than at Drummond Matthews, now reader in any time since the basc was first opened marine geology in the department of in 1946, and good use has been made of geodesy and geophysics at Cambridge, has thc opportunity to carry out a detailed also been made a Fellow for his work local geological survey. on sea-floor spreading. Geophysicists on Adelaide Island have carried out a gravity survey in the area north-east of the base. TRINITY HOUSE Captain Thomas Woodfield, who has LACK OF ICE served in B.A.S. ships for 19 years and has been master of thc Royal Research Signy Island in the South Orkney Ship Bransfield since it was launched in Islands, has also suffered from lack of sea 1970, was recently appointed an Elder ice, and thc work of the marine biologists Brother of Trinity House, the body has been limited. On South Georgia, thc responsible for navigational aids and two-year reindeer study is now well under pilotage around the coasts of England way, and. incidentally, has kept the base and Wales. supplied with excellent fresh meat. Captain Woodfield joins Captain The Fuchs Medal, instituted in 1973 in Frederick White, former master of the honour of Sir Vivian Fuchs, has been Fitzroy, the ship which, for many years, awarded this year to the senior pilot, Mr was the sole link between the Falkland David Rowley, who has just retired after Islands and South America. The Fitzroy five Antarctic seasons with the survey. It was chartered between 1944 and 1948 to was presented to him at the annual brief assist in the establishment and relief of ing conference at Cambridge this month. the British Antarctic bases. The citation reads as follows: The new master of the Bransfield is "The Fuchs Medal is awarded to David Captain Stuart Lawrence, who has been Noel Rowley for outstanding services to first officer for four years. the field programmes of thc British An Thc chief geologist, Dr. Raymond tarctic Survey. For five years he has set Adic, has been appointed deputy direc an exceptional standard of safe and dedi tor of the Survey. Dr. Charles Swithin cated flying, under conditions where bank, the chief glaciologist, succeeds normal aids to navigation have been him as head of the B.A.S. Earth Sciences absent and weather forecasts of doubtful Division. value. Thc contract for the new B.A.S. build "Throughout he has ensured assistance ing in Cambridge has now been signed and support to distant field parties, often and work will begin on the site this landing on unknown surfaces; he has month. September 1974 ANTARCTIC

SOVIET NEWS Traces of Iron Ore Found in MacRobertson Land Soviet scientists have discovered signs of useful minerals, including iron ore, and also sulphur, during geological research in MacRobertson Land over an area of more than 100,000 square kilometres. Reference to their discoveries is made in the following article on scientiﬁc cooperation among nations in Antarctica by Dr Yevgeny Korotkevich, assistant director of the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute in Leningrad.

Dr Korotkevich has taken part in or smaller scale than that of other Antarc supervised several Soviet scientific expe tic Treaty nations such as the Soviet ditions to the Antarctic. He is the Union, the United States, Britain, author of "Polar Deserts." France, and Australia. Thc cooperation of scientists from In our time no successful work of various countries in Antarctica is, to scientists in any field is possible with my mind, thc model of an ideal co out reciprocal exchange of information. operation, in general. There, the col This is why Antarctic explorers from lective nature of present-day scientific various countries have long been stead research is not only recognised, but is ily exchanging both regular bulletins even implemented. and fundamental research papers. Thc countries which carry out scien Soviet scientists, drawing on the tific research in Antarctica are partici literature which the Arctic and Antarc pants in the international Antarctic tic Research Institute receives from Treaty and are members of the inter New Zealand, for instance, are watch national Special Committee on Antarc ing the interesting research conducted tic Research. by New Zealand scientists in the dry Wc know that this country, Antarc valleys. This is the name given to one tica's neighbour, conducts on the con of those rare areas that is free of an tinent active research, supervised by ice shield. such prominent scientists as Dr Wil Soviet scientists have not been there liam Budd, Dr Uwe Radock, and oth ers. I had the privilege of meeting them yet. To analyse adequately the data at various times in the Antarctic, Aus obtained in one spot, it is, of course, essential to have more information on tralia, and Leningrad. the general situation on the continent. I consider that the Australians can boast of a strong school of glaciologists In their turn, Soviet scientists supply and cartographers. They have equipped their foreign colleagues with the avail their permanent stations in Antarctica able information. In 1972, for instance, excellently and are successfully employ I brought to Australia a report on the ing and developing the latest research work of the 17th Soviet Antarctic methods, such as mathematical model Expedition. It explored comprehen ling. sively a most interesting mountain We know also that Antarctica is be glacier area in MacRobertson Land. ing investigated quite systematically and The Prince Charles Mountains, and with good results by New Zealand the Lambert Glacier and the Amery scientists, though the work is on a Ice Shelf were the subject of attention ANTARCTIC September 1974

by Soviet explorers. Geological re a core sample from a depth of a kilo search was conducted here over a terri metre. Study of Antarctic ice and tory of 100,000 square kilometres. rock at such a depth will aid materi Scientists drafted a geological map of ally in understanding the development the area, described the structure of out of the continent. cropping rocks in 180 spots, took more than 20,000 samples for sections, and The 17th expedition described vege discovered signs of useful minerals, for tation and collected previously un instance, iron ore. known specimens of mosses, algae and Incidentally, Antarctica is a continent lichens. Among the expeditions difﬁcult with rich entrails. The Australians and interesting tasks was the explora have found here hard coal deposits, and tion of areas of West Antarctica which a recent Soviet expedition found signs had not been studied before, being in of sulphur. accessible because of a belt of heavy Soviet explorers performed deep sea ice. Here the expedition chocs the drilling at Vostok Station. They took site for a new research station.

ANTARCTIC MEDAL AWARDS British scientists and others who have women—who serve or have served as served with United States scientific ex members of United States expeditions peditions in thc Antarctic have been since the beginning of 1946. The medal awarded the Antarctic Service Medal. can be awarded to both servicemen and Among the recipients of the American civilians. medal is an English-born New Zealander, Mr J. C. L. M. Mather, who spent two On the obverse of the medal are the seasons in the Antarctic investigating words "Antarctic Service" and a figure in insects for the Bernice P. Bishop polar clothing. The reverse displays the Museum, Honolulu. words "Courage, Sacrifice, Devotion," on an outline polar projection of the An Several New Zealanders were associ tarctic Continent, all encircled by a ated with this project, which began in border of penguins and marine life. 1960-61 and continued until the 1964-65 season. Mr Mather was a 19-year-old Clasps in bronze (one winter), gold student teacher when he first went south (two winters), silver (three or more) dis aboard the U.S.S. Arneb to gather insects tinguish individuals who have wintered between New Zealand and the Antarctic in Antarctica. Military recipients who for the project, which was concerned have wintered many wear on the ribbon with the dispersal and distribution of bar a small disc bearing a raised outline insects in the Pacific. of Antarctica. They may wear a ribbon Mr Mather, a member of the Canter bar to represent the medal; civilians can wear a miniature of thc medal's obverse bury branch of the New Zealand An tarctic Society for nearly 12 years, who is in their lapels. now teaching in Switzerland, made two round trips in thc Arneb in thc 1962-63 The ribbon of the Antarctic Service season. He continued thc same work in Medal is elaborate in its symbolism. the 1963-64 season. Outer bands of black and dark blue represent five months of Antarctic dark Thc United States Congress approved ness; thc centre portion going from the award of a medal for Antarctic ser medium blue through light blue and pale vice in 1960. Struck only in bronze, the blue to white symbolises seven months of medal can be awarded to men—and sunlight, and also the Aurora Australis. September 1974 ANTARCTIC Belgium associated with European research plan Belgium's association with the Antarctica, which began when Com mandant Adrien dc Gerlache led the Belgica expedition south in 1897-99, has not ended with the closing of the International Geophysical Year base, Roi Baudouin, in Queen Maud Land, three years ago. A report from Ex peditions Antarctiqucs Beiges in Brussels says that since then Belgium has been engaged in discussions with nine other European nations of an active European research programme in Antarctica. To help strengthen scientific co-opera recent changes in climate, pollution of tion in Europe three working parties—on the earth, and comparison of variations space biophysics, geodynamics, and polar of natural elements in relation to atmos research—were set up at the request of pheric conditions. the Council of Europe. The chairman of Study of the history of thc earth's the working party on polar research is climatic environment is the aim of the Baron Gaston de Gerlache, of thc Bel- second part of the programme. A seneral ;ian Antarctic Committee, who led the survey of an area of old ice, am xpedition which established Roi Bau studies of several sites, including deep douin Base in 1957-59. drilling to bedrock, are expected to pro In recent years small European coun vide a record of climatic changes cover tries have found it more difficult to main ing more than 100,000 years. tain a significant level of scientific activity, and to support a permanent and SOME PROBLEMS independent Antarctic programme. Since the middle of 1971 the polar research Baron de Gerlache has said that a working party, consisting of representa European glaciological expedition in tives of Austria, Belgium, France, Hol Queen Maud Land is not for tomorrow, land, Italy, Norway, West Germany, the but for some time hence. Problems still United Kingdom, Sweden, and Switzer to be solved are organisation, finance, land, has been considering a scientific and direction, the responsibilities of the programme to be carried out in Queen participating countries, and their share of Maud Land by a European Antarctic the financial burden. expedition.

FIVE-YEAR PLAN The estimated cost of a programme covering five years is 517,000.000. Most of the programme could be achieved dur New Zealand's main activity in thc sub- ing the summer seasons but one or two Antarctic has been the maintenance of parties might have to winter in Queen a meteorological station on Campbell Land. Final decisions on such a Island. Now oil exploration groups have been drawn to areas around the Chatham :nient between the countries re Islands, Antipodes Islands, and the presented on the working party. Bounty Islands. Expeditions have also ex A study of environmental conditions plored the possibility of exploiting thc has been proposed for thc first part of the supplies of large crabs in the waters of scientific programme. It would include the Auckland Islands.

ae*' ?» '[-•;-: ANTARCTIC September 1974 SEALERS' ANTARCTIC LINKS Two Canadian sealers which operate off the coast of Labrador have an historic association with thc Antarctic. They are the Arctic Endeavour, once H.M.N.Z.S. Endeavour, the Royal New Zealand Navy's Antarctic supply ship, and the Theron, which was chartered to take the advance party of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition to the Weddell Sea to establish Shackleton Base in 1955-56. The Arctic Endeavour has a much when she halted during oceanographic longer Antarctic history than the Theron. survey work. Originally she was a wartime United Thc Endeavour made her last voyage States Navy nctlaycr, thc Pretext. From south in the 1960-61 season. Then she 1947 she was the Royal Research Ship was sold to a Canadian sealing company. John Biscoe, and was used by the Falk News of the Arctic Endeavour in the land Islands Dependencies Survey, now role of a mail carrier appears in a recent the British Antarctic Survey. She carried issue of "Pole Post," a Dutch magazine men and supplies to British bases in the for collectors of Arctic and Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula area. stamps and covers. In March last year Sold to the New Zealand Government, covers were franked with a typewritten refitted, and renamed, the John Biscoe cachet: M.V. Arctic Endeavour (Ex made her first voyage south in 1956. In H.M.N.Z. Ship Endeavour ex R.R.S. the 1959-60 season the Endeavour was John Biscoe). At icefields off coast Lab fitted with sails—a large mizzen and a rador, March, 1973. (Seal fishery). M.V. foresail. These were to help stabilise her Arctic Endeavour. Capt. James Gillett. Icebreaker Atka Retired After nearly 30 years of battling Arctic and Antarctic ice the United States Coast Guard icebreaker Southwind was taken out of service at the end of last year. She is better known as the United States Navy icebreaker Atka, which made preliminary surveys of Antarctic conditions in 1955 as a preliminary to legislic support of thc United Stales programme for the International Geophysical Year, 1957-58. The Atka was a Wind class icebreaker Islands. Then she was sent south under similar to the Northwind, Eastwind, Bur the command of Commander Glen Jacob- ton Island, and Edisto, all of which have sen early in 1955. been used for American operations in Antarctic waters since 1955. She was The Atka spent six weeks in Antarctic built in 1944 and commissioned as the waters and sailed 7500 miles. Observers Coast Guard icebreaker Southwind. aboard thc ship made five landings, four of them at places previously unknown, Early in 1945 thc Southwind was trans ferred to the Russians under the wartime and found a sote for Little America V in lend-lease programme. Kainan Bay, 35 miles east of the original Little America. For five years the Southwind escorted cargo ships through the Arctic Ocean In 1956-57 the Atka was one of four north of Russia and Siberia. In 1950 she icebreakers in the Ross Sea group during was returned to the United States and Operation Deepfreeze II. She returned to allocated to the Navy, which renamed Kainan Bay to assist in the establishment her Atka after one of the Aleutian of Little America V. September 1974 ANTARCTIC WHALING COMMISSION FLXES OPTIMUM KILLING LEVEL An automatic ban on the killing of whales whose numbers fall below a scientifically determined optimum level has been adopted by the Inter national Whaling Commission. The plan, proposed by Australia, was adopted at the 26th annual meeting of the commission in London. It was an amendment to the renewed United States call for a 10-year moratorium on all commercial whaling for all species, which did not come to a vote.

Australia's proposal was to divide The commission's automatic ban on se pasiuSooai 3JB o[EqM uaoicq jo saiaads hunting certain species will operate on Jnoj •papajoid Airejoj aq oj pJiq) oqi a selective basis. whale species into three categories, two After determining the optimum stock to be fished in a controlled manner, and level for each species, the scientific com totally protected by the 15 member mittee will monitor stock and issue whal nations of the commission, who account ing stations with a red signal each time for 94 per cent of the world catch. They one or other of the whale species is are the blue, grey, humpback, and right threatened with decline. This will be done whales. as soon as it is determined that the re Last year the commission proposed that spective stock has fallen below the opti the fin whale should not be caught at mum level. Then whaling for that species all after 1976, but the proposal was re will stop until the scientific committee jected by Japan and the Soviet Union, decides that it may be resumed. which between them account for more than 80 per cent of all whales caught. The optimum level is that at which ' "ter next year, however, the fin whale, whales can continue to reproduce them most endangered species, will be pro selves to maintain the stock, taking into tected unless there are objections from account hunting within permissible limits. When it fixes catch quotas the Inter Japan and thc Soviet Union, which voted national Whaling Commission considers against the automatic restrictions. But what rate of catching will establish the they are expected to accept the commis sion's decision. This year the fin whale "maximum sustainable yield" from each species. An advocate of the maximum quota has been sharply reduced; but the sustainable yield theory is Dr R. Gam- quota on the minke whale, the most re cent to be exploited, has been increased. bell, chief scientific adviser on whaling to the British Ministry of Agriculture and Catch limits set by the commission for Fisheries. He claims there is no species the 1974-75 Antarctic season and thc 1974 of whale which is now facing extinction. season elsewhere were based on informa tion provided by the scientific committee, According to Dr Gambell, stocks of the and are expressed in stock units. Quotas four totally protected baleen whales for the three major whaling regions with should be slowly recovering although the last year's figures in parenthesis are: number of right whales is estimated at no Antarctic: 1000 fin whales (1450); 4000 more than 4000, and the world popula sei whales (4500); and 7500 minke whales tion of the blue whale is only about 17,000. Even the fin whale is probably (5000). increasing in numbers. Although the esti North Pacific: 300 fin whales (550); mated population of 155,000 is below the 2000 sei whales (3000); 6000 male and level at which the maximum level could 4000 female sperm whales. be sustained, last year's quota of 1450 Southern Hemisphere: 8000 male and should have allowed more fin whales to 5000 female sperm whales. be born than were killed. ANTARCTIC September 1974 Sir Raymond Priestley was explorer and academic Sir Raymond Edward Priestley, one of the few remaining survivors in Britain of those who went to the Antarctic with Scott and Shackleton, died on June 24 at the age of 87. He was an eminent scientist and university administrator, and the elder statesman of British Antarctic affairs. As acting-director of the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (now the British Antarctic Survey) he was one of the chief architects of the Survey as it is today. For a number of years he was guest of honour at the B.A.S. annual briefing conference, and his lecture on his Antarctic experi ences spanning 50 years was the major event of the programme.

Priestley joined Shackleton's Nimrod Campbell's party lived on the remains expedition (1907-09) as a geologist at the of their rations supplemented by 12 seals age of 21. Later, after writing a report and a few penguins. Seal blubber was on his work at Sydney University, he used as fuel for cooking and light, but not went south again as scientist with the to provide warmth as the cave had to be Northern Party of Scott's Terra Nova kept below freezing so that it did not expedition (1910-13). The task of the six melt. men of the party, led by Lieutenant Victor Campbell, was to explore thc coast of Victoria Land and carry out scientific SHARING FOOD work, while Scott and his Southern Party Priestley told the story of the Northern aimed for the Pole. Party and its ordeal in his book "An The Northern Party therefore spent tarctic Adventure", which is now being 1911 at Cape Adare, and was then picked reprinted. His scientific work on the two up by the Terra Nova and landed 200 expeditions, published in the official miles to thc south to continue its field series of reports, included an important work for another six weeks before being monograph on Archaeocyathinac, and a returned to Cape Evans. The men were large volume entitled "Glaciology" (of put ashore with provisions for six weeks, which he was co-author with Sir Charles two weeks' emergency rations, two tents Wright) which is a classic work on the and summer clothing. subject. Their meagre supply of food had to be HEAVY PACK strictly rationed, and it is a tribute to Unfortunately, heavy pack ice off shore Priestley's judgment and integrity that, prevented the Terra Nova returning with complete confidence, his companions before the onset of winter, and the men entrusted him with the responsibility of spent nine months there, suffering great eking out the food and dividing it equally privation, before they were able to under between them. take the gruelling 250-mile sledge journey Despite their privations Priestley and back to base. Seven of those months were his companions recovered swiftly after spent in a rock shelter on Inexpressible their return to Cape Evans. Less than a Island in Terra Nova Bay, and in a near month later, from December 12 to 16 by ice cave measuring 12ft by 9ft by 5ft, Priestley led the ascent of Mount Evebus, which they had excavated as a shelter this time by a new route. The volcano from the incessant gales. In the Antarctic, was mapped, and data and specimens col 1912 was the stormiest year on record lected, some of the latter being hurled out and the winter set in unusually early. of the crater while the party was there. September 1974 ANTARCTIC

Barley had Priestley become an under Then, in 1955, he was able to return graduate again when the First World War to his first love—the Antarctic, when he broke out. He served as adjutant to thc became acting-director of the Falkland Wireless Training Centre, was in France Islands Dependencies Survey, deputising with the 46th Divisional Signals and for Sir Vivian Fuchs during his absence finished active service as Chief Signals as leader of the Commonwealth Trans- Officer with the First Army, being Antarctic Expedition, 1955-58. This was awarded the Military Cross. Then he was a period of great expansion as it covered seconded to the War Office to write the the International Geophysical Year, "Official History of the Signal Service". 1957-58, for which interest was concen From him too, came "Breaking thc Hin- trated on the Antarctic and Priestley denburg Line", thc story of the 46th Divi chose "Twentieth Century Man in An sion. tarctica" as the subject of his presidential In 1920 Priestley returned to Clare address to the British Association for the College, Cambridge. There, with Frank Advancement of Science in 1956. Debenham (another member of the Terra Nova expedition and later professor of MODERN RESEARCH geography in Cambridge) he founded the Scott Polar Research Institute as a mem In 1957, he was able to see modern orial to Captain Scott and his com Antarctic research in action when, at the panions. Thc institute was the first of its age of 70, he accompanied the Duke of kind in the world, and today is one of the Edinburgh on part of his Commonwealth foremost polar libraries and an important tour and visited several British bases on centre for polar studies, both national board the new Royal Research Ship John and international. Biscoe. Two years later, he went south as an observer with the United States UNIVERSITY WORK Antarctic expedition, and was able to re visit the scene of his early labour on Ross r.*l(T«»V4|,!Ji ™JK Island and in Victoria Land. was appointed a Fellow of Clare College, where he remained for 11 more years. Although he retired for the third time For much of thc time he was secretary in 1959, Priestley remained active as first of the University Board of Research chairman (1959-60) of the Royal Society's Studies. He was also appointed the first British National Committee on Antarctic Secretary-General of the Faculties, a post created in 1934. Research, and from 1961-63 as president of the Royal Geographical Society. He Then for three years he was Vicc- retired finally only when old war injuries Chancellor of Melbourne University. For made him less mobile. 14 years he was Vice-Chancellor of Bir mingham University where he is remem Priestley was a first-class scientist and bered as one of the outstanding vice- an outstanding administrator, but those chancellors of his time. He also estab privileged to work with him remember lished close links with a number of Com him as much for his patience, kindness, monwealth universities, largely through humility and sense of humour as for his his work as a member of the University great achievements during a long and dis Grants Commission. tinguished career. At thc request of the Birmingham Uni He was awarded the Polar Medal and versity Council Priestley remained in office beyond the normal age for retire Bar, and the Royal Geographical ment. When he left in 1952 it was not to Society's Founders Medal, and in 1949 well-earned rest, but to new and equally was knighted for his services to educa tion. His wife, Phyllis Boyd, a New Zea challenging duties. From 1953-55 he was chairman of the Royal Commission on lander whom he married in 1915, died in thc Civil Service. 1961. He is survived by two daughters. ANTARCTIC September 1974 Dr H. M. Dater, U.S. historian A distinguished United States An One of Harry Dater's chief interests tarctic historian, Dr Henry M. Dater, was the Antarctican Society, which died in Washington late in July. He was includes in its membership polar veterans the United States Navy's eyewitness his and scientists and others who have torian for Antarctica, which he visited worked or arc interested in Antarctica. on a number of occasions in the last 20 He was one of thc founders, served as years. president, and edited thc society's occa Harry Dater was associated with Oper sional bulletin. The society owed much ation Deepfreeze from its beginnings in to his interest and enthusiasm. 1955. He was responsible for recording its work each season, and he also wrote As a result of his Antarctic visits articles and booklets on United Stales sea Harry Dater made many friends in and air operations in the Antarctic. Christchurch. He was a member of the At the time of his death Harry Dater Canterbury branch of the New Zealand was working with National Science Antarctic Society, and through the An Foundation support at the Centre for tarctican Society gave official and per Polar Archives, National Archives, on sonal support to the Canterbury thc early stages of a comprehensive his Museum's Antarctic centre which will be tory of recent United States experience established in the new wing. Largely in the Antarctic. He was to have retired because of his efforts the society made this year so his project may remain un gifts of S500 and exhibits for the An finished. tarctic centre.

---■ Lady Mawson and Mrs Byrd Widows of two noted Antarctic ex selected places, but a challenge to the plorers—Lady Mawson and Mrs Byrd— acquisition of physical knowledge. have died in the last six months. Mrs A vast area of Antarctica east of the Byrd, who was 85, died this month in Ross Ice Shelf bears the name Marie Boston. Lady Mawson, aged 82, died at Byrd Land. Rear-Admiral Richard Byrd thc end of May in Adelaide. named the north-west part of the land When Sir Douglas Mawson led thc which he explored from the air on his 1911-1914 Australasian Antarctic Expedi first expedition to honour his wife. In tion south, Lady Mawson, then Paquita his book "Little America" he said he had done so because she had backed and Delpratt, waited in Adelaide. She mar ried Sir Douglas Mawson on his return. helped him, and shouldered much of the burden of the expedition. Later the name In 1964 Lady Mawson published a bio was applied to the whole area. graphy of her husband called "Mawson After Rear-Admiral Byrd died in 1956 of the Antarctic." In it she argued that Mrs Byrd continued many of his fav the key to his career was that he was one ourite projects. She also made an inven of the first professional scientists to tory of the many historic items in the believe that thc Antarctic was not just a Byrd collection which spanned 50 years venue for races to the Pole or other of adventure and exploration. September 1974 ANTARCTIC Policy committee to study future of historic huts A special committee to consider future policy on the historic huts in the Ross Dependency, which are the responsibility of New Zealand under the Antarctic Treaty, has been established by the Ross Dependency Research Committee. The committee will study the Discovery hut at Hut Point, near McMurdo Station, Scott's hut at Cape Evans, Shackleton's hut at Cape Royds, and Borchegrevink's hut at Cape Adare. The chairman of the committee is Mr have corresponded over the last few years R. B. Thomson, superintendent of the because of their common interest in An Antarctic Division, Department of Scien tarctic stamps and the Antarctic but had tific and Industrial Research. Dr R. K. never met until they attended an Antarc Dell, director of the Dominion Museum, tic orientation course last month. They and the Surveyor-General, Mr I. Stirling, arc Messrs K. A. Smith, of Christchurch, are the representatives of the Ross De and Mr G. Sylvester, of Wellington. pendency Research Committee. The New Zealand Antarctic Society, Messrs Smith and Sylvester will fly which has provided caretakers for the south early in December and spend about huts in the McMurdo Sound area since three weeks looking after the historic huts at Cape Evans, Cape Royds, and 1969, was invited to nominate two repre sentatives. They are Mr R. M. Heke, a Hut Point. Mr Smith, who is 46, is a past president of the Canterbury branch, shed supervisor for thc Lyttelton Har who was in charge of the construction of bour Board, and a member of the com Scott Base in 1956, and Mr H. Burson, mittee of the Canterbury branch of the who was a caretaker in the 1971-72 society. Mr Sylvester, who is 30, is a fire season. man with the Wellington Fire Board, and This season the New Zealand Antarctic has worked as a deer hunter for the New Society's caretakers will be two men who Zealand Forest Service. Relics from Cape Evans An inkwell used by Captain Scott in thc expedition's hut at Cape Evans may be added to the collection of Antarctic relics in the Canterbury Museum. The inkwell is now at a school Scott attended when he was a small boy, but Mr Richard Pape, author of the Second World War book, "Boldness Be My Friend," hopes to be able to retrieve it. Mr Pape, who collected thc inkwell SomeSome of the of the material material added added recently recently to tarctic in 1958, now lives in Canberra. the Antarctic collection concerns the and other relics when he visited the An- relicf shif Morning, which made two ~ ,, r, ^ rr .- <• , voyages, the second in company with the Dr R. S. Duff, director of the museum, T££ Nq^ durjng ScQ{Vs firgt expedj. called on him last month, and he has now tjon Mrs Evelyn Forbes, daughter of presented to the Antarctic centre several the expedition's geologist, Hartley items from the hut at Cape Evans. They Travers Ferrar, has presented some of include an enamel mug bearing the name her father's personal relics. They include of-«».«. Captain , -..Oates, -• T a bottlej- -i music of Indian for ink a DoorIy> song composed ^ ofTicer £ by ^ Morning) Gerald used by Dr Edward Wilson, a funnel, a wjth words by the chief engineer, J. D. reel of cotton, and a ball of string. Morrison, for the first relief trip. ANTARCTIC September 1974 THE READER WRITES Sidelights of Antarctic Research Letters, preferably not longer than 500 to 600 words, are invited from readers who have observed some little-known facet of Antarctic life or have reached conclusions of interest on some Antarctic problem.—Editor.

SCOTT BASE HUSKIES on January 1, 1972, to give elfect to the Measures for the Conservation of Antarc Sir,—I was surprised and concerned to tic Fauna and Flora as agreed by thc read in your June issue a letter signed Antarctic Treaty countries at the third "Leptonychotes" which clearly indicates consultative treaty meeting. to me that it has been written with little knowledge of the real situation, particu Any New Zealander who commits an larly in regard to the stringent measures olfence against these regulations or fails of control on conservation matters New to comply with the conditions or limita Zealand has imposed over many years. I tions in any permit issued to him is liable am sure that the majority of your readers to heavy penalties. are well aware of the leading role New Full information on all permits issued Zealand has played in the development is required to be exchanged between and implementation of the Agreed treaty countries annually. They may take Measures for Conservation of Antarctic action where they consider permits have Flora and Fauna and I do wish to clarify been issued in contradiction of the prin the situation and correct any wrong ciples of the treaty, but such action has impressions resulting from "Leptony not been found necessary to date. chotes' " letter. In regard to the killing of seals strictly All New Zealand proposals to under for dog food it should be known that take research programmes in Antarctica these numbers are minimal (the last few are considered very carefully, particularly years average total = 52) in relation to for their scientific value, by the Ross thc estimated seal population of 48,000- Dependency Research Committee before 52,000 in the Western Ross Sea. It has being recommended to the Minister of not been proven (as your correspondent Science for inclusion in the New Zealand claims) "that the killing of even a few Antarctic Research Programme. Projects seals can upset future populations and of dubious scientific quality are turned breeding areas" but rather it has recently down at this early assessment stage and been claimed by some researchers that the arc not, as suggested by your corres selected killing, usually of old males as pondent, part of the New Zealand An we do, does in fact "aid reproduction of tarctic Research Programme. the species". Where an approved scientific project, The New Zealand Antarctic Research or indispensable food for dogs requires Programme includes a continuing annual the killing or taking of any fauna a programme of "research, population and further investigation is undertaken by behavioural studies of thc Weddell seal in myself as "the appropriate authority" the McMurdo Sound area" and one of and "authorising officer" as designated in the objects is to ensure as far as possible the Antarctic (Fauna and Flora) Regula that our limited issue of permits not only tions, 1971, to ascertain whether I should complies with but remains well within issue a permit, and if so, the conditions the requirements of the Agreed Measures and limitations to be specified in the particularly Paragraph 4: (a) no more permit. These regulations came into force native mammals or birds are killed or September 1974 ANTARCTIC

taken in any year than can normally be I have no evidence that even suggests replaced by natural reproduction in the New Zealanders have infringed these following breeding season; and (b) the measures. , . , , , , , , Y o u r s , e t c . , variety of species and the balance of the ^ g THOMSON natural ecological systems existing within Superintendent, Antarctic Division, the treaty area are maintained. D.S.I.R.

ANTARCTIC BOOKSHELFx THE BIOLOGY OF THE VESTFOLD HILLS, ANTARCTICA by G. W. Johnstone, D. J. Lugg, and D. A. Brown ANARE Scientific Reports. Series B (1) Zoology. Publication No. 123. Issued by Antarctic Division, Department of Science, Melbourne, Australia, 1973. This report reviews thc biology of the Prydz Bay. There are smaller ice-free Vcstfold Hill, Princess Elizabeth Land, areas along the coast of Prydz Bay, but from information obtained up to 1973 by the only oasis of similar size is at the Australian National Antarctic Research Bunger Hills. Thc area is bare, low-lying, Expeditions (ANARE) and other expedi hilly country, deeply indented by sea tions. The Australian station Davis was inlets, and studded with lakes and tarns established there in 1957. of varying salinity. Numerous small One of several ice-free "oases" round islands fringe the coast up to five kilo the coast of Antarctica, the Vcstfold Hills metres offshore. area has two unusual features: the exten In 1935 the Vestfold Hills were first sive area of snow—and ice-free land, and sighted by Captain Klarius Mikkelscn, the numerous saline and freshwater lakes. servicing whaling factory ships off the The review of biological data collected Mac-Robertson Coast. He named the by ANARE members stationed at Davis, area after Vestfold, a county in Noreay and by other visitors to the area, is to which it bears some resemblance. The intended to provide thc groundwork for Norwegian explorer Lars Christensen a continuing biological study of the visited the area in 1937 and carried out region begun by the Antarctic Division aerial photography which was the basis in 1973. of the first map of the Vestfold Hills. Although a reasonable body of infor Lincoln Ellsworth and Sir Hubert mation about the Vcstfold Hills has Wilkins made a brief visit in 1939, and accummulated over thc years, no continu in 1947 aerial photographic surveys were ing study of thc biology of the area has carried out by the United States Navy's previously been undertaken. A great deal, Operation Highjump. Members of the therefore, remains to be investigated. Soviet Antarctic Expedition made a brief Some of the significant findings produced landing in December, 1956. already by field studies during 1973 are The first Australian National Antarctic included in the report. Research Expedition to the area was in G. W. Johnstone, biologist, conducted early March. 1954. when an exploring a biological survey in the Vcstfold Hills party led by P. G. Law landed at the in the summer of 1971-72. Dr D. J. Lugg Vcstfold Hills. The party revisited the was medical officer at Davis for the year area in late January, 1955, and Davis was 1963-64, and D. A. Brown was radio established in January, 1957. Apart from supervisor at thc station in 1961-62. a temporary closure during 1965-68. thc An ice-free enclave of rock and water, station has been in continuous operation the Vestfold Hills occupy about 400 since then with an annual complement of square kilometres at the eastern side of up to 14 men.

*& ANTARCTIC

In their report the authors describe the Crabeater seals appear near Davis biology of the area in detail, listing all occasionally on the beaches and inshore species so far recorded. They say in their ice exclusively in summer, their true abstract that few invertebrate species home being in the pack ice. The carcases have been found, reflecting the compara of at least two were found about 15 tive youth of this ecosystem and the diffi metres from the water's edge at the south culty of colonising such a remote area. eastern corner of Deep Lake. Most seal Extensive fossil-beds occur on relict carcases found inland at other Antarctic marine beaches surrounding the saline oases have been identified as crabeaters, lakes. Six species of birds breed there, and probably many of those in the Vest- and the area includes the most southerly fold Hills will prove to be of this species. known colony of giant petrels. Amongst the four species of seals which occur, Leopard seals have never been recorded near Davis in winter. They occur occa especially interesting is the large non- breeding herd of southern elephant seals sionally on the sea-ice, and mainly in which occupies the beaches during sum summer. Leopard seals are notorious as mer. predators of Adelie penguins, and at Davis they have been recorded chasing Emperor penguins are regular visitors and catching Adelies on at least three to the Vestfold Hills area. Their nearest known breeding place is on the fast ice of Amanda Bay at the foot of ice-cliffs, No other Antarctic locality is known some 85 kilometres south-west of Davis. to attract elephant seals in such large The colony was viewed from the air twice numbers as the Vestfold Hills. The in 1957. On the first occasion the popu southern elephant seal is a predomin lation was estimated at 3000 to 5000 antly sub-Antarctic species, breeding at birds, and the second time the estimate most sub-Antarctic islands as far south as was 1000 to 2000. When a landing was King George Island (62deg S) in the made in 1960 3500 to 4000 birds were breeding season these seals disperse at recorded in two groups. South Shetland Islands. Outside thc The Adelie penguin is probably the most abundant species of bird in the Vestfold Hills. It breeds on at least 17 of Non-breeding groups occur at He St the outer islands, and at several locations Paul and He Amsterdam in thc Indian )n Long Peninsula. Population estimates Ocean and Tristan da Cunha to the north nade at different times during the slim ier vary from year to year, but the breeding population appears to be in the order of 130,000 pairs. hundred elephant seals come ashore to moult and rest was recorded in 1957. Weddell seals breed in the Vestfold Individuals have been recorded at other Hills area, and 150 to 200 pups are born localities, and a non-breeding group of annually. The Weddell is the only species up to 32 seals has been reported at Peter of Antarctic seal which breeds close in son Island about 30 kilometres from shore on fast sea-ice and not in the pack Casey. ice. In the Davis area they arc least com monly seen in winter when they arc pre Davis Beach, thc only beach actually in sumably concentrated around the outer thc station area has been particularly edge of the sea-ice. They start to re favoured by elephant seals in some years, appear close inshore in late September especially in 1970. Maximum annual and early October, and pupping occurs counts between 1957 and 1972 in thc from mid-October until late November. region from, two kilometres north of Counts of Weddell seals in Long Fjord in Davis south to the Sorsdal Glacier have November ranged from about 150 adults ranged from 380 on Davis Beach in 1971 and 149 pups in 1972 to 105 adults and to 703 on all the mainland beaches in 84 pups in 1960. 1969. i-p- September 1974 ANTARCTIC International interest in Antarctic Centre International support for the Antarctic centre in the Canterbury Museum's new wing has been obtained as a result of visits to 10 of thc Antarctic Treaty nations by the museum's director, Dr R. S. Duff. Mr Lars Eric Lindblad, whose travel organisation has been running tourist cruises to the Antarctic for several years, has agreed to contribute $10,000 a year for the next three years to the centre, and the United Stales National Science Foundation will add another $15,000 to last year's grant of $50,000. Antarctic material of scientific and historic interest will be provided by other countries.

After his visits to Australia, Argentina, of the Belgian expedition of 1897-99. Thc Belgium, Chile, France. Japan. Norway, Belgica was locked in the pack ice of the thc Soviet Union, Britain, and thc United Bellingshausen Sea for 12 months and States, Dr Duff says the Antarctic centre became the first exploring vessel to winter will have eventually the most complete in the Antarctic. First mate of the Bel scientific Antarctic library assembled gica was Roald Amundsen. under one roof. De Gerlache took the photographs, and Dr Duff considers that the most excit they have been presented to the museum ing material he obtained during the four by his grandson, Bernard de Gerlache, months he was overseas was a replica who, as an ensign in the Belgian Navy collection of equipment used by Amund doing his national service, was an observe sen—sledges, fur clothing, tents, and dog for the Belgian-Netherlands Antarctic harness. These were obtained in Oslo, Expeditions Committee at McMurdo in return for a small token payment, from Station in the 1972-73 season. the B.B.C., which has had a team in Nor A selection of water colours painted by way making a feature film about Amund sen's South Pole expedition. Dr Edward Wilson on Scott's last ex pedition will probably bc transferred on Other material includes thc only permanent loan to the Antarctic centre original item given for the centre. It is by the Scott Polar Research Institute. a caribou skin parka made by Canadian Also the centre will have on display Eskimos for Sir Hubert Wilkins, who busts of Antarctic explorers. Dr Dulf made the first Antarctic flight in 1928, and located busts of Shackleton, Fuchs, later was associated with Lincoln Ells Amundsen, and Byrd, and is negotiating worth in his attempts to fly across the with the countries of origin for copies to continent. be made and given to the centre. The parka was given by Sir Hubert The Dulverton Trust, London, has Wilkins to Dr Paul Dalrymplc at Mc Murdo Sound in November, 1957. Dr made a special grant to cover the cost of Dalrymplc. who served at the Amundsen- casting a bronze replica of the bust of Scott South Pole Station in 1957-58, gave Shackleton in the Edinburgh head the parka to Dr Duff in Washington quarters of the Royal Scottish Geo earlier this year. graphical Society. In addition to the busts of Scott, Shackleton, Fuchs, Dr Duff also has a set of 20 photo Amundsen, and Byrd, there will be busts graphs of the Belgica, the ship com of Charcot for France and Hillary for manded by Adricn de Gerlache, leader New Zealand. "ANTARCTIC" is published quarterly in March. June. September, and December. It is the only periodical in the world which gives regular up-to-date news of the Antarctic activities of all the nations at work in the far South. It has a world-wide circulation. Yearly subscription for non-members of the Antarctic Society NZ$3.50. Overseas NZ$4.50. includes postage (air mail postage extra), single copies $1.00. Details of back issues available may be obtained from the Secretary, New Zealand Antarctic Society (Inc.), P.O. Box 1223, Christchurch, New Zealand. Overseas subscribers are asked to ensure that their remittances are converted to New Zealand currency.

The New Zealand Antarctic Society (Inc.) The New Zealand Antarctic Society was formed in 1933. It comprises New Zealanders and overseas friends, many of whom have seen Antarctica for themselves, and all of whom are vitally interested in some phase of Antarctic exploration, development, or research. The society has taken an active part in restoring and maintaining the historic huts in thc Ross Dependency, and plans to co-operate in securing suitable locations as repositories of Polar material of unique interest. There are two branches of the society and functions are arranged throughout the year. You are invited to become a member, South Island residents should write to the Canterbury secretary, North Islanders should write to the Wellington secretary, and overseas residents to the secretary of the New Zealand Society. For addresses see below. The yearly membership fee is NZ$3.00 (or equivalent local currency). Membership fee, including "Antarctic", NZ$5.00.

New Zealand Secretary Mrs B. Hale, P.O. Box 1223, Christchurch.

Branch Secretaries Canterbury: Mrs E. F. Cross, P.O. Box 404, Christchurch. Wellington: Mr R. H. Blezard. P.O. Box 2110, Wellington. rvvv ajxii ;«> liji «>

A NEWS BULLETI N p u b l i s h e d q u a r t e r l y b y t h e NEW ZEALAND ANTARCTIC SOCIETY (INC)

QUE SERA SERA, THE FIRST AIRCRAFT TO LAND AT THE SOUTH POLE, TAKES OFF ON THE RETURN FLIGHT TO McMURDO SOUND. THE TIME IS AFTER 9.30 P.M., THE DATE IS OCTOBER 31, 1956. U.S. Navy Photo

Vol. 7 No. 4 Registered at Post Ofﬁce Headquarters. Wellington, New Zealand, as a magazine. December, 1974 DRAWN BY DEPARTMENT OF LANDS 8. SURVEY WELLINGTON. NEW ZEALAND. AUG 1969 3rd EDITION wx'AHlPiUB(BTPII(Dw (Successor to "Antarctic News Bulletin")

Vol. 7 No. 4 76th ISSUE December, 1974

CONTENTS

ARTICLE SOUTH POLE STATION 113, 115, 116

POLAR ACTIVITIES NEW ZEALAND 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107 ^'•'■jt AUSTRALIA 108, 109 UNITED KINGDOM 110, 111 112 FRANCE Sm UNITED STATES 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123 JAPAN 124, 125 UtK^fc* SOUTH AFRICA 126 | ;."• SOVIET UNION 127 fjsssi ARGENTINE 127 f"..'— ■ ■ -- "c. GENERAL OLDEST EXPLORER 109 ZTi PHILATELIC NEWS 116 A./iy^L BYRD FLIGHT ANNIVERSARY 122 : ,r~-' • OBITUARY 128, 129, 130 ANTARCTIC BOOKSHELF 131 sail

This is an Antarctic season of remembrance. The dedication of a new scientiﬁc station at the South Pole next month will mark 20 years of research in Antarctica by the United States. Before scientists could live and work at thc Pole other men had to risk the unknown as Scott and Amundsen had done. On October 31, 1956, seven Americans landed at the Pole and stood where no man had been for 44 years. They were there only 49 minutes, but time is no measure of how much they contributed to Antarctic research. ANTARCTIC Decembor 1974 Deepest hole drilled on Commonwealth Glacier

Early this month a New Zealand drilling team working on thc Com monwealth Glacier 60 miles west of Scott Base, in the Taylor Valley, drilled to a depth of 1076ft. This was the deepest hole ever drilled on thc Antarctic Continent. But soon after thc drillers reached this depth the drilling rig collapsed when a welded frame member broke, and was extensively damaged. Most of the damaged equipment was repaired in the engineering work- ships at McMurdo Station, and spare parts for the rig were flown from the United States. Drilling was resumed later in the month near an unnamed lake east of Lake Chad. The site is west of Canada Glacier in the Taylor Valley. Six men were working on thc rig when Treves, one of the United States scient- it collapsed. They were removing core ists associated with the Dry Valley barrel in readiness for the move to the Drilling project, and a New Zealand new site. Eight hundred and 50ft of team led by last season's Scott Base barrel were left in the hole when the leader, Mr H. W. Jones, made a traverse break occurred. from McMurdo Station to New Har- A helicopter attempted to lift the mast bour and back. into an upright position so that wreckage Dr Treves reported on his return that at the base could be cleared. But the the drilling shack had not wintered well, helicopter had to drop its load at the the cast wall of the building was the critical stage to avoid crashing, and only part left standing, and the roof more damage was done to the rig. had disappeared. All the lightweight Earlier in the season winter storms '^ms in the shack had been blown and high tides in the McMurdo Sound away, and the remaining equipment and area caused the abandonment of one of stores were in a shambles with large the major projects of thc New Zealand amounts of sand everywhere, programme — drilling through the sea Early in October a party from Scott ice into the bed of the sound. Base, which included the drilling super- Eighty per cent of the fast sea ice in intendent, Mr J. Hoffman, and members McMurdo Sound was broken up by a of his team, visited New Harbour to combination of high winds and high check the drill rig and its motor and re- tides in the middle of August. This store the wrecked drilling shack. Drill- was the first time there had been such >ng began on October 30 at a site one a major breakup for at least 60 years. kilometre inland from last season's site. As a result the plan to drill holes in Drilling was stopped after the first the central part of thc sound was 30ft to check the squipment. It was abandoned. Drilling at New Harbour found to be functioning well, and by was deliayed until the end of October November 4 thc drill had reached a because it was too difficult and dang- depth of 205ft. Progress through the erous to transport the drill crew, fuel, overlying sedimentary strata towards the and other supplies over thc remaining basement rock was checked on Nov- broken ice track across thc sound. ember 17. Thc drill was at 608ft when In the first two weeks of September salt water penetrated the hole and froze an American team led by Dr S. B. thc casing. December 1974 International scientific study of Mount Erebus New Zealand, French and United States scientists began last month the world's first major scientific assault on Mount Erebus, one of Antarc tica's two known active volcanoes. They will make a hazardous descent into the volcano's inner crater to collect samples of gas and lava, sus pended above a lava lake by a winch, facing high temperatures, choking gases, and minor eruptions and protected by special heat-resistant clothing, helmets, and gas masks.

One of the world's eminent vulcano near the summit the surveyors made a logists, Dr H. Tazieff, who is leading survey of the area, and mapped the rim the French party, has described the ex of the main crater. pedition as the greatest challenge he Before thc survey was completed the has ever faced. Mr R. B. Thomson, sup party suffered from lack of oxygen at erintendent of the Antarctic Division. the high altitude camp. An urgent re Department of Scientific and Industrial quest for oxygen was sent to Scott basc Research, says the project is possibly on November 18. A United States Navy the most exciting Antarctic event in helicopter left McMurdo Station with which New Zealand has been involved an oxygen cylinder, but took several since Sir Edmund Hillary's dash to the hours to reach the camp because of low South Pole. cloud and almost zero visibility. Early in November the field leader The worst-affected member of the of the Erebus project, Mr Shaun M. party was the field assistant, Mr Rains- Norman, and Dr S. B. Treves, the bury. He was flown back to Scott Base, American geologist in the joint New and has now recovered. But his place in Zealand-French-American expedition of the expedition has been taken by an 14 men, made a preliminary reconnais other field assistant from Scott Base, sance flight round Erebus and chose a Mr J. Swindclla. helicopter landing site, and the base camp site, which is on an old lava FRENCH PARTY flow about 500yds from the main crater Because of the dangers of altitude rim of the 12,450ft mountain. sickness the main expedition spent sev With the two men were a survey eral days acclimatising before beginning assistant, Mr J. Rotheray. and a field the crater assault. Dr Tazieff and the assistant, Mr R. Rainsbury. The party five other Frenchmen stayed in the walked to an old crater and built a sur Mount Cook area at an altitude of vey cairn in view of Scott Basc. A about 7,000ft to accustom themselves to tellurometer was set up for accurate the rarefied atmosphere before they flew measuring of distances by radio waves. south from Christchurch early last The men later walked round the crater month. rim and saw a minor eruption of lava The first phase of the Erebus project from the lava lake in the inner crater. ended on November 28, when the re Several days later the party, and a connaissance party returned to Scott surveyor. Mr J. Williams, and the main Base. Plans for the expedition provide expedition's official United States Navy for occupation of the summit camp Photographer, Mr Richard Beaudet. were about December 10, and the descent flown in two helicopters to Mount into the inner craler about 10 days Erebus again. Working from thc camp later. December 1974 GEOLOGICAL EXPEDITION TO BOWERS MOUNTAINS

A geological expedition to the Bowers Mountains in Northern Vic toria Land, one of the major events in this season's New Zealand Antarctic Research Programme, began early last month. Two field parties were flown into the area on November 10 by a United States Navy VXE6 Squadron Hercules. Using five sledges and three motor toboggans, the parties will remain in the area for two months, and cover 500 to 600 miles each in a detailed study of the geology of the Bowers Mountains, which lie between the Rennick Glacier and the north-west coast of thc Ross Sea.

One party led by Dr M. G. Laird, of with those in rocks of similar ages in the New Zealand Geological Survey, Australia, New Zealand, Eastern Siberia, Christchurch, is concerned with strati and China. These finds indicated that graphy—the differentiation and relation about 50 to 120 million years ago these ship between various rock strata and now widely-separated areas were much their ages. The other party, led by Dr closer together and shared a common R. A. Cooper, of the Geological Survey, sea life. Lower Hutt, specialises in palaeontology —the identification and dating of rocks FOSSIL EVIDENCE according to the fossilised marine Dr Cooper's party will attempt to find animals and plants trapped within them. further fossil evidence to confirm these New Zealand's expedition is part of relationships. The geologist will also an International Geological Correllation examine the various rock strata, using Project sponsored by U.N.E.S.C.O. to fossil evidence to map thc chronological examine the relationships between Aus sequence of events which formed these tralia, New Zealand, and Antarctica. In rocks and to show how they relate to Dr Laird's party are Dr A. Wodzicki, events elsewhere in Antarctica and thc Geological Survey, Lower Hutt, Dr J. world as a whole. Bradshaw, University of Canterbury, Dr Laird's party will seek to extend and Mr I. Curphey, field assistant, of the evidence from the limited area Greymouth. examined to date by travelling further Dr Cooper's party includes Mr J. north and examining the stratigraphy of Simcs, Geological Survey, Lower Hutt, similar aged rocks in other mountain Dr J. Jago, department of applied geo areas. The rocks of thc Bowers Moun logy, South Australia Institute of Tech tains belong to the Cambrian period of nology, Adelaide, and Mr P. Braddock, geological history, which extended from field assistant, of Picton. Dr Jago joined about 600 million to 500 million years the expedition because of his specialised ago, and they reach an estimated thick knowledge of Tasmanian fossil rocks, ness of 20 kilometres. which are closely related to those found Because the Bowers group is so thick, in the Bowers Mountains. and its upper part belongs to the late Thc geological research programme Cambrian period, there is a strong pos forms part of a larger study of the sibility that a complete sequence of oldest rocks of South-east Australia, Cambrian rocks may be found here. It New Zealand and Antarctica. Fossils may extend back to the truly ancient found by Dr Laird in the Evans Neve Pre-Cambrian area at the dawn of life area in 1971 mowed close relationships on earth.

r.Nr? ,»:=..»-• .^aM December 1974 ANTARCTIC

Recent reconstruction by geological to Mount Soza (7150ft), once again tak experts of the ancient super-continent of ing about 10 days to complete this leg Gondwanaland also place the western of the journey and explore the Mount half of New Zealand's South Island near Soza region. Northern Victoria Land. Detailed One week has been allotted to make studies of the Bowers Mountains can the 4600ft climb up the Sledgers Glacier help to construct a picture of the geo to the party's starting point. There the graphy of the South-west Pacific as it was millions of years ago. party will be picked up by a Hercules aircraft and flown back to Scott Base. Dr Laird's party landed on thc Leap If the party is unable to reach the start Year Neve at the head of the Leap Year ing point by January 10 it will cross the Glacier almost in the middle of the Rennick Glacier to an alternative land 120-mile long study area. Dr Cooper's ing site used by an American field party party was put down about 60 miles further south on the northern edge of operating further to the west. the Evans Neve. Dr Cooper's party will make a two- In the Leap Year Neve area Dr day journey to the Webb Neve 35 miles Laird's party will spend up to a week to thc south-east of the original landing studying the surrounding rock outcrops point. Here the party will spend 10 before moving north to thc head of the days examining Dr Laird's original Carryer Glacier, a distance of about 30 fossil locality. This is the only known miles. It will return to its starting point locality within 1000 miles for Trilo- this month and spend a week exploring bites, which are among the earliest to the south of the Molar Massif, a known fossil life, and have been extinct range of mountains forming thc western for 270 million years. flank of the Leap Year Glacier. R-SUPPLY FLIGHT SECOND STAGE When the party returns to the land At the beginning of the second week ing point it will examine small rock of this month the party will return to exposures nearby for a few days before its starting point again to meet Dr moving to the Houliston Glacier, 35 Cooper's party which will have travelled miles to the north. Here it will make a up from the south. The two parties will circuit round the Leitch Massif and the spend two to three days together, com West Quartzite Range. Then it will paring notes and revising plans for the travel north to meet Dr Laird's party second stage of the expedition. A re for the re-supply flight. This flight will supply flight will bring in extra fuel for bring in a new member of the team, Dr thc toboggans, mail and Christmas food, D. I. MacKinnon, of thc University of and take out rock samples. Canterbury, who will replace Mr Simes. Then Dr Laird's party will cross the Molar Massif, if they can find a negoti After the re-supply both parties will able pass, and travel slowly down the travel together to a point about half steep and narrow Sledgers Glacier, way down the Sledgers Glacier where it examining rock faces as they go. This turns sharply and pours over a huge ice- part of the journey, about 30 miles, will' fall. Once Dr Laird's party as nego probably take about 10 days because of tiated this difficult and dangerous ob the many rock outcrops to bc examined, stacle. Dr Cooper's party will return up and because of the dangerous nature of the glacier and go north to Helix Pass. the glacier terrain. On the way it will examine any fossil The Sledgers Glacier joins the Ren- localities noted by Dr Laird during his nick Glacier at one of its narrowest earlier traverse. Failing that, it will try to examine places missed by Dr Laird parts (about 12 miles wide) and the party will turn to thc north and travel before returning to thc pick-up point on down the edge of thc Rennick Glacier the Leap Year Glacier by January 10. ANTARCTIC December 1974 Exploration of Lakes in Darwin Mountains Previously unexplored lakes in the Darwin Mountains of thc Britannia Range, and the Brown Hills area, are being studied this season by scien tists from the University of Waikato. Their main object is to investigate the chemistry, physics, and sediments of Lake Wellman in the Darwin Mountains. They will also study the geochemistry, geomorphology, and limnology of Trough Lake and Lake Wilson in the Brown Hills. These three lakes arc closed drainage other four to Lake Miers. The six men basin lakes, and all are south of Lake will bc picked up by helicopter towards Miers, the most southerly lake at pre thc end of the month and flown from sent known to have perennial water. It Trough Lake to Scott Base. is possible that Lake Wilson will con While in the dry valleys the party will tain perennial water because it is only attempt to determine the reason for the 100 metres above sea level. Study of the two distinct ice thicknesses on Lake present composition of the lakes and Joyce. This lake was discovered by the their sediments will provide knowledge Waikato expedition in the 1972-73 of past climatic, glacial, and marine changes, and the geochemical processes now taking place in the basins. Leader of the Waikato team is Dr C. H. Hendy. Other members of the party Glacial history are Professor A. T. Wilson, Dr T. Healy, and Messrs A. Bonny, M. Grim- changes stcd, and P. King. The scientists were Evidence which modifies theories on flown from Scott Basc to Touchdown thc glacial history in the Table Moun Glacier by a United States Navy VXE6 tain area 115 kilometres west of Scott Squadron Hercules this month, and later Base has been found by geologists of the by helicopter to Lake Wilson. Victoria University of Wellington ex Later this month thc party will be pedition. About 6000ft up on the slopes flown by Hercules from Touchdown of Table Mountain Dr P. J. Barrett, Glacier to Midnight Plateau. From director of the university's Antarctic Re there it will walk to Lake Wellman. search Centre, and Messrs H. Keys, R. Early next month two helicopters will W. Plume, and R. D. Powell, found pick up the party and its equipment, fly deposits belonging to a temperate glac to Lake Wilson, refuel at Touchdown iation which took place more than five Glacier, and then proceed to Scott Base. million years ago. Next month the University of Wai This glaciation was already known; kato scientists will also continue their the latest discovery indicates that there intensive study of the bathymetry and were two glacial advances separated by sediment distributions of thc McMurdo a period of milder climate when the glac Oasis lakes by sounding and coring iers retreated. The deposits found by the Lake Fryxell in the Taylor Valley. Later party are different from those associated the team will continue its study of Lake with present-day glaciers in Antarctica. Bonney. Two members of thc party will They are separated by gravel beds de travel by helicopter from Lake Fryxell; posited by rivers and streams. the others will walk. Some of the deposits are carbonaceous Late in January thc scientists will and may contain pollen grains from return to Trough Lake, and also work plants of the period. Identification of at Lake Miers. Two members of the them will enable the glaciation to be party will go to Trough Lake, and the dated far more accurately. December 1974 ANTARCTIC Christmas Gifts for N.Z. Teams New Zealanders at Scott Base and the plastic or polystyrene trays in which Vanda Station will have home-made bis they are packed, and the plastic wrap cuits and fruit cake again this Christ pings, have to be returned to New Zea mas to add to the usual seasonal delica land. This is in keeping with the New cies. Early this month 133 dozen biscuits Zealand policy of protecting the environ and four cakes were flown from Christ ment. church to the Antarctic. Thc New Zealander Commissioner for Each year for the last 11 years mem the Environment (Mr I. Baumgart) who bers of the Canterbury branch of the made a familiarisation visit to thc New Zealand Antarctic Society have sent Antarctic this month, has praised the biscuits and fruit cake to Scott Base for New Zealanders working on the con Christmas. This year the biscuits — a tinent for the great care they are taking record number — and the cakes were to protect thc environment. He has noted baked by 15 women, nearly all of them that field parties are bagging their rub members of the branch. bish and returning it to Scott Base or Men working in thc field hundreds of even New Zealand. miles from Scott Basc also share the In the past rubbish was dumped on a Christmas gift, provided that re-supply tip and burned in a tip at Scott Basc. flights can be made in time. Otherwise Now it is burned in a special incinerator the biscuits arrive for the New Year because much of the material, parti celebrations. cularly plastic, does not decompose in Thc biscuits and cake are eaten, but the Antarctic climate.

ANTARCTIC COOKING CLASSES Several New Zealanders who spent to prepare Sunday meals on his day off. last winter at Scott Base returned home Most of Mr Colliver's holidays from in a better position to cook for them a hot stove were spent with a camera. selves. Every Tuesday night for 10 He also took a correspondence course in weeks they attended a cookery class run hotel management, and learned to play by the base cook, Mr R. Colliver, who the Spanish guitar well enough to give is now back on the job as a chef in an occasional performances at McMurdo Auckland hotel. Station. Eight New Zealanders attended the Two members of the winter party cookery class, and three Americans, who made wool rugs as a hobby, and all the went specially to Scott Basc from Mc New Zealanders made good use of a Murdo Station for thc tuition. News of pool tabic given to the base by the Mr Colliver's good home style cooking Canterbury branch of the New Zealand may have attracted the Americans. Dur Antarctic Society. Thc table was in use ing the winter 90 men from McMurdo three to four hours a day. Station, in groups of 12, went over to Mr Colliver did not spend all his Scott Base every second Friday to enjoy time cooking for hungry men. He and a four-course dinner. most of the New Zealanders managed to Most of what was taught at the visit the Amundsen-Scott South Pole cookery class was elementary. But hints Station, and Mr Colliver also took part about making pastries and decorating in thc re-supply of Vanda Station, 80 cakes were popular with Mr Colliver's miles west of Scott Base, and made a pupils. He had an interest in teaching 10-mile journey to Tent Island in Mc his colleagues to cook. They were able Murdo Sound. ANTARCTIC December 1974 ANTARCTIC MEMORIAL SERVICE A memorial service in remembrance of 41 Americans and two New Zealanders who have died in the Antarctic since 1946, was held in Christchurch Cathedral on the morning of October 6, two days before the start of the summer season's operations on the contintent. During the service, attended by about 500 people, the ﬂags of the United States, New Zealand, and the National Science Foundation were paraded, and an empty sledge bearing two ice axes was dragged behind them in memory of two Americans who died last season.

Readings from Antarctic history and literature were given by Mrs H. Holmes Memorial Cross and Mr J. A. Cross, president of the New Zealand Antarctic Society. Bible Re-erected readings were; given by Captain E. W. Van Reeth, commander of the United The jarrah wood cross erected on States Naval Support Force, and Mr R. Observation Hill, overlooking McMurdo B. Thomson, superintendent, Antarctic Station, in memory of Captain Scott and Division, Department of Scientific and thc four men who died with him on the Industrial Research. return journey from the South Pole, is Commander T. Kirkpatrick, United now firmly upright again after being States Coast Guard, introduced a re blown down last winter. Two storms corded message from Rear Admiral toppled the cross, which has been on the summit of the 830ft hill for 61 George J. Dufek, U.S.N, (retd), first com mander of Operate Deep Freeze from years. Late in September a party of New 1954 to 1959. He said that Antarctica Zealanders from Scott Base climbed the had gradually become safer and more hill and put the fallen cross back in its comfortable but its environment was hole. They packed rocks around and still the most hostile to man on the face secured the base with "Antarctic of the earth. The cost in money and cement" (water). lives of the United States programme Winds of up to 100 miles an hour, on the continent had been high but which might have damaged more worth it for science. modern buildings, left Shackleton's hut Prayers were offered for those going at Cape Royds unscathed last winter. south for the new season, and the ser Men from Scott Base found no signs mon was preached by the Rev. Angus of damage when they visited the 66- McLeod, general secretary of the New year-old hut early last month. Zealand National Council of Churches. After last year's service the United A dog team had its day at Scott Basc States Navy and the United States on December 3. It left the base with a Antarctic Research Programme presented geological field party because all thc the city of Christchurch with seven Motor toboggans normally used for most field trips were fully committed. With trees representing the world's seven the field party was the base dog handler, oceans. This year the gift was recog John Stevens, of Christchurch. nised by the presentation by thc Mayor Dogs were the basic transport for New of Christchurch (Mr N. G. Pickering) to Zealanders in the Antarctic from 1956 Captain Van Reeth of a plaque. It was onwards. But in the last few years they attached to one of the trees which now have been replaced almost entirely by stand in the centre of the city, Cathedral motor toboggans, and are now restricted Square. to local trips from Scott Base. December 1974 ANTARCTIC

ANARE REPORT Australian Party Will Make Survey in Enderby Land Scientists of the Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions will make a survey in Enderby Land this summer. They will operate from a base about 400 kilometres west of Mawson, and will have heli copter and aircraft support. The programme will include aerial colour photography, geodetic and geological surveys, establishment of ice move ment markers, gravity and magnetic observations, and a biological survey. Once again the Danish ice-strength pedition made a spring tractor-train tra ened Nella Dan will provide the main verse from Mawson to Knuckey Peaks support for ANARE parties. She re to establish depots of fuel and other lieved Macquarie Island in November, supplies in readiness for the operation. sailing from the New Zealand port of The leader of the Enderby Land party Lyttelton, and returned to Melbourne on is Mr G. W. McKinnon, a geographer November 29. with the Antarctic Division. There are Early this month the Nella Dan sailed also two glaciologists, a medical officer, for Mawson to disembark members of and a biologist from the Antarctic Div thc Enderby Land summer part, and the ision; two geologists from the Bureau of team for the base. In accordance with Mineral Resources (geology and geo ANARE custom the Minister for Science physics); and five surveyors from the (Mr W. L. Morrison) gave the expedi Division of National Mapping, Depart tion an official farewell from thc wharf. ment of Minerals and Energy. The leader of the expedition is Mr E. Some members of both the 1974 and Macklin, acting administrative officer of 1975 Mawson expeditions will take part the Antarctic Division, Department of in the operation. Seven members of a Science. He has wintered twice in civil air component will fly and main Antarctica, and has led many previous tain three Hughes 500 helicopters and relief expeditions. one Pilatus Porter fixed wing aircraft in Also on board the Nella Dan were support of thc party. An additional some members of the 1975 Mawson team, officer from the Bureau of Meteorology and the officer in charge, Mr L. H. will be stationed at Mawson during the Macey, and next year's party for Davis summer to provide weather forecasts for with the officer in charge, Mr G. C. the flying operations. Colback. The relief expedition also in From Mawson the Nella Dan will pro cluded a Japanese observer, Dr Yoshi- ceed to Davis to unload stores and equip kuni, a cryobiologist from thc National ment for the year, and exchange the Institute of Polar Research, Tokyo, and 1974 and 1975 winter parties. A small four men from the Australian Army, construction party will remain at Davis who will assist in unloading operations, for party of the summer to erect a new using amphibious vehicles. biology building. Thc Nella Dan will then sail for Free- BASE CAMP mantle with the returning 1974 winter Base camp for the Enderby Land party from Davis on board. Depending summer field operation will be at on ice conditions and other factors, she Knuckey Peaks, about 400 kilometres is expected to return to Freemantle on west of Mawson. Men from the 1974 ex about January 25 next year. ANTARCTIC December 1974

Because the Nella Dan could not re instead of Melbourne, the expedition turn to Melbourne in time for the Mac was given the customary official farewell, quarie Island voyage, thc 25 members of this time on board the ship, by an Aus the relief expedition were flown to tralian. The High Commissioner to New Christchurch, and joined thc ship at Zealand. Mr B. C. Hill, flew from Wel Lyttelton. Supplies for thc party were lington to wish the men, and two boy- bought in Christchurch and loaded scouts making the return voyage, a safe aboard thc Nella Dan. voyage and a successful term on Mac- Although they sailed from Lyttelton quarie Island.

OUR OLDEST LIVING EXPLORER Antarctica's oldest living explorer, Hugh Blackwall Evans, who was assistant zoologist with thc Southern Cross cxpcdilon of 1898-1900 to Cape Adare led by C. E. Borchgrevink, celebrated his 100th birthday on Nov ember 19. Mr Evans, who has been in bad health most of this year, is now in hospital at Vermilion, Alberta, where he retired after many years of farming in Canada. Hugh Evans, who was born in Chep stow, emigrated to Canada, where he attended an agricultural college and worked as a hired hand. He returned to ^ England in 1897, and then went to Aus tralia, where he joined a scaling expedi tion to Kerguelen Island. There he col- , lected specimens for Lionel Rothschild and the Tring Museum, worked for the naturalist, Robert Hall, learning taxi dermy, and sent home an albatross with a wing span of ﬁve metres. In 1899 Hugh Evans joined Borch grevink's expedition, and was one of the ten men left at Cape Adare. where the huh party spent a year. When the Southern Cross returned in 1900, the Ross Ice Barrier was charted afresh. Hugh Evans was one of a small party led by Borchgrevink which made a short sledge journey over the barrier to Lati tude 78deg 50min S. For two years and a half until Scott made his long journey, Evans and his colleagues shared thc dis tinction of having stood at the "farthest south." he returned from the Southern Cross ex- Hugh Evans is the last link with thc pedition, he met and talked to his mat- pioneer expedition of discovery and re- ernal grandfather's friend. Sir Joseph search led by Sir James Clark Ross in Dalton Hooker, who was the biologist the Erebus and Terror in 1839-43. When with Sir James Clark Ross. - ■ . ■ ' - V* I ^ri^h' km

_i-- -. .'4V* - December 1974 ANTARCTIC

B.A.S. ACTIVITIES Heavy ice and bad weather delay ship and aircraft Heavy sea ice off the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, and bad weather over several bases, caused some delay to relief operations by ships and aircraft of the British Antarctic Survey early in the season. The Royal Research Ship John Biscoe was unable to reach Signy Island, and the Survey's two Twin Otter aircraft were held up at Punta Arenas for five days on the way to Adelaide Island. The John Biscoe sailed sailed from from South South- When the Royal Research Ship Brans- amplonampton on October October 1 1 with with 22 22 men men for for field sailed from Southampton on Nov- thcthe bases. After an uneventful voyage voyage ember 7 she had a new master, Cap- she landed a party party of of men men on on Doumer Doumer tain Stuart Lawrence. He has succeeded Island, near Anvers Anvers Island. Island. From From there there Captain Thomas Woodfield who resigned thethc party was flown flown to to Marguerite Marguerite Bay Bay at the end of last season on his appoint- by the Survey's two two Twin Twin Otter Otter air air- ment as an Elder Brother of Trinity craft. The The party party included included glaciologists, glaciologists, House. who are are making making ice ice depth depth measurements, measurements, The Bransfield's first port of call was both on on the the surface surface and and from from thc thc air, air, Norfolk, Virginia, where she took on in thc the area area south-east south-east of of Marguerite Marguerite Bay. Bay. supplies for the Americans at Palmer Heavy sea sea ice ice prevented prevented the the ship ship from from Station on Anvers Island. On the Atlan- continuing further further down down the the west west coast coast tic crossing she ran into very rough of the Antarctic Peninsula, Peninsula, so so she she then then seas and damaged her rudder. She was turned north north to to relieve relieve the the bases bases on on put into dock for repairs before she Signy Island and and South South Georgia Georgia and and to to sailed for Montevideo to embark senior assist field field parties. parties. Signy Signy Island Island was was B.A.S. staff touring the bases, and Ameri- also inaccessible so so she she proceeded proceeded to to can biologists for Palmer Station. South Georgia. Georgia. After relieving Palmer Station the Field work work this this season season in in the the northern northern Bransfield will pick up more stores from areas includes land-form mapping on the Falkland Islands and then visit all South Georgia and and the the South South Shetlands, Shetlands, the main bases except Stonington Island, thc study of of the the moraines moraines of of glaciers glaciers of of Stonington Island and thc advance base, dilferent thermal thermal regimes, regimes, and and marine marine Fossil Bluff, in George VI Sound, which andand fresh water water biology. biology. The The latter latter pro pro- is relieved by air from Adelaide Island, jeetsjects involve involve diving diving in in standard standard wet wet suits, suits, will bc closed for the winter in future, and the the biologists biologists arc arc being being assisted assisted by by and therefore are not being re-supplied. a professional diver. A party of geologists will work also SCOTIA ARC at the south-eastern end of South Four geologists were among the 26 Georgia. This area has rarely been passengers on board thc Bransfield. They visited because it is very difficult to will spend several months in the South land there. At thc same time a diving Shetlands mapping ancient volcanoes team from H.M.S. Endurance will work- and searching for fossils. Their primary in thc area with B.A.S. men on a survey aims arc to provide information on thc of the seabed. geological relationships between the After Christmas the John Biscoe will South Shetlands and South America, and proceed to the South Shetlands. and thc on past climates. They will be accom Antarctic Peninsula bases. panied by two geophysicists from Birm- ANTARCTIC December 1974 ingham University, who will collect en route. Short journeys were also under volcanic rock for radiometric dating and taken on South Georgia, Signy Island, chemical analysis as part of the long- thc Argentine Islands, and Halley Bay. term investigation of the Scotia Arc. But those from the latter two bases were A glaciologist on board thc Bransfield brief holiday trips, not hard work. As will join three others at Fossil Bluff. usual, the Emperor penguin rookery at There the four men will take part in an nearby Emperor Bay was one of the international programme to study the main attractions for the men at Halley response of the Antarctic ice-sheet to Bay. present climatic changes. After being held up at Punta Arenas SLEDGING RECORD for five days waiting for the weather to clear over thc Antarctic Peninsula, the A document sealed in a bottle and Survey's Twin Otter aircraft arrived at left in a rock crevice at Three Slices Adelaide Island from Canada on Oct Nunatak (68deg 02min S., 64dcg 58min ober 17. The party from the John Biscoe W), 34 years ago was found by a field was picked up from Doumer Island, as party from Stonington Island, working planned, but the weather then deterior on the east coast of the Antarctic Pen ated over Adelaide Island so the aircraft insula. It was the travel record of the were diverted to Stonington Island. American sledge parly which made the first crossing of the Antarctic Peninsula Fortunately the weather soon cleared, and flights in support of field parties plateau to the coast of the Weddell Sea were able to start almost immediately, in November. 1940. These sledgers were one party on Adelaide Island being members of the East Base party of the flown to Rothera Point to reconnoitre a United States Antarctic Service expedi possible alternative site for the base. tion of 1939-41, which wintered on Ston ington Island under the leadership of Richard B. Black. The West Basc party OTTER'S FLIGHT of thc expedition wintered at Little America III. In mid-November one aircraft was flown to McMurdo Station by way of The sledge journeys and numerous air Siple and Byrd Stations, having been reconnaissances of the Stonington Island leased to the Americans for one month group extended the surveys of the Bri to ferry field parties working on the tish Graham Land Expedition, 1934-37, Ross Ice Shelf Project. This was the south-westwards down George VI Sound first time that a B.A.S. aircraft had to the Ronne Entrance (finally proving been flown in Antarctic beyond British that Alexander Land was an island) and Antarctic territory. south-eastwards over the Antarctic Pen Two B.A.S. men accompanied the insula plateau to the Black Coast of the pilot and mechanics. They will assist in Weddell. the field work, which includes seismic Three men, Paul Knowles (geologist). sounding, ice coring for stable isotope Donald Hilton (surveyor), and Harry studies, and ice movement and deforma tion studies. Darlington (radioman and dog driver) were the first to cross thc Antarctic Pen Field work from Stonington Island and insula and sledge down its eastern coast. Fossil Bluff began again at the end of They left East Base on November 19, August. Parties from Stonington Island worked again on the Palmer Land 1940, and after crossing the plateau, sledged south to the Eielson Peninsula plateau, and on the east coast of the (70deg 37min S), before turning back. Antarctic Peninsula. On January 17, 1941, they returned to Parties from Fossil Bluff worked at their base with 22 rock samples, exten both ends of George VI Sound, and sive photographs and survey data, and the northern group opened thc glacio all but two of their dogs. They covered logical field station at Spartan Glacier 683 miles in 59 days. December 1974 ANTARCTIC

EXPEDITIONS FRANCAISES 25 Years of Research Work by French in Adelie Land Expeditions Polaires Francaises will celebrate 25 years of scientific work in Adelie Land next month. The first base, Port Martin, 50 miles east of the present base, Dumont d'Urville, was built in January, 1950, and since then France has sent expeditions south each year except for the period 1953-55. Since 1956 the main base has been Dumont d'Urville, which is located on Petrel Island in the Point Geologie archipelago. This season the 25th expedition left SPECIALSPECIAL MISSIONMISSION France by air for Australia to join thc A specjaiA special mission mission led led by by RobertRobert Guil Guil- Thala Dan at Hobart. The winter party lardlard, wnj will make make groUnd ground preparationspreparations for of 34 men is led by a topographical eng-the lhe United United States States National National Science ineer, Claude Volck. It was followed by FoundationFoundation which which wantswants toto recover thc the summer group which will remain in wreckagewreckage ofof thethe NavyNavy Hercules which thc Antarctic until February. crashedcrashed on December on December 4, 4, 1971, 1971, while while Thc Thala Dan is expected to reach makjngmaking aa jet-assistedjet-assisted take-olftake-off fromfrom thethc Dumont d'Urville about December 20 polarpolar jce_cap ice-cap about about 200 200 kilometreskilometres from if she does not encounter heavy pack ice. Dumont d'Urville. She has nearly 600 tons of supplies andThis ^ aircraft aircraft provided ided support support forfor the equipment for the base and after theyFrench ^^ scjcntific scientific lraverse traverse partyarty on on thethc arc unloaded, she will relieve: the winterfirst stage ^ q£ of .^ its 2000.kilomctre 2000-kilometre two-year two.ycar party of 35 led by Bernard Barnquand.journey ^^ across wjlkcs Wilkes Land Land tQ to &e the SovjctSoviet SUMMER WORK Vostok Station in the 1970-71 season. Because of mechanical trouble, difficult During the summer thc base will be terrain, bad weather, and low tempera repaired and extended. The bathrooms tures, the party stopped at the 800-kilo and sanitary installations will be re metre mark although it planned to novated ,the kitchen modified and the cover 1000 kilometres. Similar difficul radio aerial overhauled. Two new shelt ties forced the 1972-73 party to end the ers will be built, the sea water desalina last stage at thc 400-kilometre mark. tion plant will be completely overhauled and a new platform will bc constructed This season the special mission will for the Air Force supply helicopter. prepare a landing strip at Carrefour, the A full programme of scientific work small advance basc about 32 kilometres will be carried out during the season. from Dumont d'Urville. It will make weather observations and provide a radio Biologists will tour the islands of the Point Geologic archipelago to check on link with McMurdo Station for thc its penguin population of 45,000 birds, arrival of a VXE6 Squadron Hercules and will observe and ring some. More reconnaissance aircraft. glaciological measurements will be taken A small group will also operate on the along thc coast. Ice movement and snow ice-cap about 1000 kilometres from accumulation will be recorded, and Dumond d'Urville. It will make prelim maintenance will be done on markers. inary studies for operations to be carried Topographical work will be done at out next winter. Scientists plan to re Cape Prudhommc to locate an ice-free sume thc Wilkes Land glaciological tra area where more buildings can be verse from the region of Dome C, a sub erected. A road for motor vehicles will glacial dome located about 400 to 500 also be traced out. kilometres south of Vostok. ^T^.vn^^. ANTARCTIC December 1974

SOUTH POLE STATION AND ITS BUILDERS Men have lived and worked at thc South Pole since 1957. But afte: 17 years of occupation thc first Amundsen-Scott Pole Station has become unsafe because its buildings and underground tunnels have been slowly crushed under thc weight of 35ft of snow. A new station, about a mile from the old station, will bc dedicated early next month, and the occasion will mark 20 years of operations in the Antarctic by thc United States. Next winter scientists will live less than area area in in thc thc new new station, station, and perhaps one-third of a mile from thc geographic in in all all Antarctica. Antarctica. Other facilities under South Pole in a complex of buildings the thc aluminium dome include a post housed beneath a geodesic dome 160ft office,office, a a photographic laboratory and a in diameter and 52ft high, and a corrug- small small computer computer for for the the compilation compilation of ated aluminium arch nearly 800ft long. data.data. Thc new station, built by Seabees of thc _ ...... , . „._c Two other buildings under the 800fl Navy's Mobile Construction Battalion TKW,° °thcr b"'!d'n8^ "^ the 800ft 71. has been handed over to thc National arch a;ch househou^c a vehiclevch.ee maintenance workwork- Scienceo • r- j «• Foundation, i -i! u .l »!_• and j shop, will a shop, be biomedical a the biomedical third lacilitv facility ,. scrvina■ serving' . , as as,i aj scientific„ - , - « . . , „ , research • ■ « . .„ dispensary station indispensary and Antarctica research and research .. laboratory, • laboratory, „ * ' and ,,and ■ to. i be, . • manned , , ... entirely a small gymnasium.by civilians.a small gymnasium. Set . b}. away Set taway from . from *au the the station under an arch separated by a A geodesic dome was selected to pro snow wall 8ft high is a fuel storage tect buildings from winds and drifting area to hold 225,000 gallons of petrol, snow. diesel fuels, and jet fuels. Under thc dome are three buildings Close to the geodesic dome is a tower of modular construction, each two stories 52ft. high, which will be used for high. They house science facilities, liv auroral studies. The so-called "skylab" ing quarters, a library, a store and re tower's height will alford an unobscurcd creation hall, thc dining room, and a view of the bleak polar plateau surround, conference room. Each building has in ing the new station. terior panelling and wall to wall car Twenty years ago the United States pet. was committed to one of the most diffi Scarlet carpet on thc floor, coach-style cult construction jobs in history — lamps, overhead fluorescent lighting, and building a permanent station at the South imitation rustic beams, make the dining Pole — almost by accident. Eleven nat room the most luxuriously appointed ions were expected to build stations in December 1974 ANTARCTIC

! 1 ANTARCTIC December 1974

the Antarctic for the International Geo Because of the bitter cold — the temp physical Year. erature was minus 58deg Fahrenheit, the When the first planning conference was Americans were at the Pole for only 49 held in Paris thc question of a South minutes. Rear-Admiral George J. Dufek, Pole station was not raised. But the Rus- first commander of Operation Deep sion delegates, who arrived late announ Freeze, planted the United States flag ced that the Soviet Union planned a on the ice, and two men set up radar station. The French chairman told the reflectors for the aircraft which would Russians he was sorry, and that thc bring the men to build the station. conference had accepted the American When the time came to take oft for offer to erect and man a South Pole thc three-hour flight to the small refuel station because it did not think there ling station at the foot of the Liv should be two stations. Glacier, thc aircraft would not move. Its NAVY'S TASK skis were frozen to the ice of the plateau. Lieutenant-Commander Shinn had to fire When the United States returned to all 15 of the JATO (jet-assisted take the Antarctic, thc Navy's task was to sup off bottles) under the aircraft before it port thc scientific effort, and build and broke free from the grip of the ice and man seven stations on the continent. The South Pole station was thc un staggered into thc air. Ten hours later Que Sera ended its historic flight at Mc known quantity. Men and materials had Murdo Station. to bc landed there by aircraft, and dur Because of the intense cold the first ing the summer the scientists and Navy men who were to live at the bottom of Seabees of the construction team were the world had to be supplied from Mc not flown to the Pole until November Murdo Station 825 miles away. risen to minus 30deg F. Lieutenant- Little was known of conditions at Commanders Shinn and Roy E. Curtis the Pole, and whether thc snow surface landed eight miles from thc Pole itself. was hard or soft. Thc only records avail able were those of Amundsen, from Dec ember 1911, and Scott, from Jan PARACHUTE JUMP uary, 1912. Rear-Admiral Richard E. Lieutenant Richard A. Bowers led thc Byrd had flown over the Pole in 1929 advance party of six Seabees, and Lieu- and 1947 — he flew over it again in »«nant John Tuck, jr., who was to be the January, 1956 — but the only report the miltary leader at the Amundsen-Scott Americans had was from Lieutenant- So. ith Pole Station for thc first year. Colonel Hal Kolp, a Marine Corps pilot. They brought a team of husky sledge Lieutenant-Colonel Kolp flew around dogs with them, and lived in tents until the South Pole for 30 minutes on Jan they were able to erect a Jamesway hut. uary 3, 1956 — this was the third flight Seventeen more men, including Dr Paul — and reported that thc surface from A. Siple. the scientific leader, arrived be 500ft appeared to be perfectly flat with fore December I. One man, Sergeant long, gentle snowdrifts, and moderate Richard J. Patton, made history by para swells up to 3ft high. chuting to the Pole from a United States Air Force Globemaster to guide the FIRST LANDING supply drops of building materials and Ten months later seven Americans supplies. became the first men to set foot on the By December 29 thc Pole Station was South Pole since Captain Scott and his ready for occupation. Nine scientists party. The first aircraft landing in his and a Navy support team of nine men tory was made by Lieutenant-Com said goodbye to the crew of the last air mander Conrad S. Shinn, piloting a craft on January 9, 1957, and prepared wheeled Skytrain aircraft called Que Sera for ten months of isolation from the Sera. The time was 8.30 p.m., and the world. They had company — a five- date was October 31, 1956. month-old husky called Bravo. But he Docember 1974 ANTARCTIC was lonely—the other 11 huskies had In 1965 thc Argentine flag flew at been flown back to McMurdo Station. the Pole. An Argentine Army expedition Early in November the first aircraft of eight men led by Colonel Jorge Leal arrived with mail and fresh food, and left General Belgrano Station on Oct- the first men to live at the Pole returned tober 26, 1965, and reached the Pole on home. December 10, travelling 825 miles. For the first few seasons after the Last to make an overland journey to the Pole were the Japanese. On Decem pioneers thc Pole Station seemed to be the most remote United States station ber 19, 1968. a party of 11 men from in Antarctica. But the Globemasters and the 9th Japanese Antarctic Research Ex the Skytrains gave way to thc ski-equip pedition, led by Masayoshi Murayama, arrived from Syowa Station. They travel ped Hercules aircraft which carried tons of supplies each season from McMurdo led 3,235 miles in 141 days—the longest Station in slightly more than three hours. journey of all. And then, suddenly the men at the Pole Today it is comparatively easy to found themselves entertaining foreign reach the Pole, provided transport is visitors who arrived by land. Once again available to McMurdo Station. Over the the South Pole was the goal of men of years since the Hercules aircraft were other nations. brought into use hundreds of men — and six women — have reached the HILLARY ARRIVES bottom of the world by air. But less First to reach thc Pole by land since than 100 have made the journey the hard the days of Amundsen and Scott were way since Amundsen and Scott. There Sir Edmund Hillary and his four com are 82 in this select band, representing panions. The New Zealanders arrived on eight nations. January 4, 1958, having driven their three small farm tractors 1250 miles from Scott Base in 82 days. Next came Sir Vivian Fuchs and his PHILATELIC party, which included a New Zealander. an Australian, and a South African. They completed thc first half of their crossing MAIL of the continent on January 20, 1958, Antarctic philatelic mail collectors will and two dog teams travelled 932 miles be limited to two covers a person this with the snocats. year. Covers, which must be clearly Sixteen Russians arrived at the Pole on marked in the lower left-hand front December 29, 1959. Alexander Dralkin corner with "McMurdo Station", led the tractor train, which left Mirny should be addressed to: Philatelic Mail on September 27, and covered 1670 Clerk, McMurdo Station, U.S. Naval miles. The Russians took 18 days to Support Force. Antarctica. F.P.O. San travel 800 miles from Kamsomolskaya. Francisco. California, 96692. the basc at the South Geomagnetic Pole. Philatelists will be advised later of The first Americans to reach the Pole procedures for sending covers to thc by land over an unexplored route were Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. 10 men led by Major Antero Havola. United States Antarctic operations this who reached thc Pole from Byrd Stat season will end in late February, 1975. ion on January 16, 1961. They travelled All covers mailed after that date will bc 800 miles in 33 days. Dr Albert P. Crary, held until the opening of next season's chief scientist of the United States operations in about the first week of Antarctic Research Programme, reached October, 1975. the Pole in early February of the same Covers to be cancelled in Antarctic year. His party of seven men, including must have either United States postage a Russian and an Argentinean, travelled or an international reply coupon en 1450 miles from McMurdo Station in 64 closed to defray postage to foreign coun days. tries. mwgjgmmmmMKL5A& J^s.^.VV

ANTARCTIC December 1974 U.S. SCIENCE PROJECTS THIS SUMMER

Geological studies to determine whether the ice sheet in West An tarctica is collapsing, and the establishment of an automatic station to monitor atmospheric conditions on thc Polar Plateau, arc among thc 64 projects of the United States Antarctic Research Programme this season. Scientists ﬁnanced by the National Science Foundation will work at the ﬁve United States stations on the Antarctic Continent, on thc Ross Ice Shelf, in North and South Victoria Land, and in the Amundsen and Weddell Seas.

This season programmes at the filled much of thc Ross and Weddell Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, and Seas. Continued collapse of this ice Siple Station at the foot of thc Sentinel would cause world-wide sea level rise, Mountains in Ellsworth Land, will con and perhaps would influence climate. tinue to concentrate on atmospheric Field work this season by scientists sciences, although one project at the Pole will be an attempt to drill to a from the University of Maine, will focus on glacial deposits that mantle depth of 100 metres into thc ice and obtain a continuous core. The emphasis Beaufort, Franklin, and Inexpressible at Palmer Station and in thc Antarctic Islands in the Ross Sea. This continues Peninsula area will be on marine the project to map the former extent of biology and penguin studies. Scientists grounded West Antarctic ice in the Ross at McMurdo Station will study seals, Sea, with particular emphasis on carbon- 14 dating of the recession of the lenguins, marine life, and Antarctic fishes. grounding line southward through the Ross Sea and McMurdo Sound. Several projects in the research pro gramme will be carried out in co-opera ROSS ICE SHELF tion with scientists of other nations. Once again surface studies by field United States scientists will accompany parties on the Ross Ice Shelf are in New Zealand and French investigators cluded in the programme. This season in an attempt to descend into the crate scientists from the University of Neb of the active volcano, Mount Erebus. raska, the University of Wisconsin, the They will work with New Zealanders Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State and Japanese in the dry valley drilling University, the University of Copen project, accompany a Norwegian ex hagen, the United States Geological pedition into the Ellsworth Mountains, Survey, and the University of Nevada, and have British, Argentinean, and will take part in the project. They will Chilean assistance in glaciological and continue the research begun in the 1973- geological studies on the Ross Ice Shelf, 74 summer. An additional project will and in thc Antarctic Peninsula area. be a study of the major chemical con stituents of snow, and precipitation Recent glaciological and geological forming mechanisms on the shelf. investigations have suggested the strong possibility that ice in West Antarctica, Continuing studies include a geo floored largely below sea level, is dis physical programme to make ice thick integrating from a full-boded state ness, water depth, and gravity measure attained when grounded ice recently ments, measurement of the ocean tide December 1974 ANTARCTIC beneath the shelf, and the collection of With the support of a United States ice cores for isotope studies. To Coast Guard icebreaker two engineers examine the dynamics, history, and sta with surveying equipment will made a bility of the ice shelf strain rates will be reconnaissance of Pine Island Bay and measured in a network of stations for Lindsey Island on the Walgreen Coast of the second season of a three-year pro Ellsworth land. A reconnaisancc of the ject. area as part of a study for a possible Scientists will work at last scason\s deep-water port was to have been made base camp at 82deg 30min S.. I66deg last season. But delay to the icebreaker Staten Island and heavy ice in the area W., at 82deg 22.5min S., 168dcg 38.7min forced the survey to be cancelled. W., the proposed site for drilling through the ice shelf, and on Roosevelt Island and several other locations. REMOTE PARTIES Drilling through the ice shelf has been Glacial geology and ice surface recon mb- structions in thc Bowers and Freyberg ling thc drill and associated equipment. Mountains of Northern Victoria Land Air support in the field will be provided will be studied by two scientists from by Hercules aircraft of thc United States the University of Maine. They were Navy's VXE6 Squadron, and a de Havil flown into thc area early last month by land Twin Otter aircraft. a United States Navy Hercules aircraft, AUTOMATIC STATION and will remain there for two months. Another geologist from Ohio State Uni Plateau Station, 700 miles from thc versity will study the sedimentary and South Pole in the direction of South volcanic rocks in thc Scott Glacier Africa, which was closed in 1969, will region, which is between the Amundsen be the site of the automatic station to and Leverett Glaciers in thc Queen monitor atmospheric conditions on the Maud Range of the Transantarctic high Polar Plateau nearly 12,000ft above Mountains. sea level. Wind speed and direction, On the other side of the Antarctic barometric pressure, air temperature, Continent oceanographers from the and power system performance will be Scripps Institution of Oceanography will transmitted to the Nimbus F polar make a physical oceanographic investi orbiting satellite and stored by it for gation of the northern and western parts later reading by National Atmospheric of thc Weddell Sea, operating from a and Space Administration tracking Coast Guard icebreaker. This is a con stations. tinuation of the International Weddell Temperatures at Plateau Station may Sea Oceanographic Expedition. An exceed minus 87deg Centigrade, which attempt will bc made to penetrate the are too low for standard battery opera pack ice near the Larsen Ice Shelf to tion. Therefore the station will be the north-east of the Antarctic Penin powered by cither a 10-watt propane- sula, a region previously unexplored. thermo-electric generator or a small A brief summary of other scientific radio isotope generator. projects follows. Two remote topographic sur-cy map ping operations this season will bc con ANTARCTIC PENINSULA ducted by United States Geological Sur vey engineers off thc Amundsen Sea University of Minnesota. Ecological Coast of Ellsworth Land, and in thc and behavioural studies of skuas, gulls, Ellsworth Mountains. Two engineers and terns begun at Palmer Station in will accompany a Norwegian expedition 1973. will be continued during thc next into the Ellsworth Mountains to estab two years. lish geodetic control to position satellite Case Western Reserve University. imagery for revising topographic maps Study of the sympathetic nervous system of the Sentinel Range. in the regulation of blood flow and ANTARCTIC December 1974 temperature responses in the flippers of infrared radiation budget over the Adelie penguins. The birds will dive station. Surface observation of wind under controlled experimental condi temperature, pressure visibility, clouds, tions to determine cardiovascular re and snow measurements. Upper air sponses to submersion. observations of the wind and tempera Scripps Institution of Oceanography, ture structures above the South Pole to Max Planck Institute for Physiological altitudes of 15 miles. Continuance of and Clinical Research. Observations of long-term measurements of atmospheric the responses of Adelie penguins to constituents that can influence climate altering central temperatures. Heating or shed light on climatic processes. central tissue induces eating of snow University of California, Davis, and and increased activity of the salt gland; Stanford University. Selection and in cooling inhibits these effects. Thermo stallation of data acquisition and com regulatory responses will be investigated putation equipment for the new South in Adelies implanted with a vertebral Pole station. Thc system is based on thermode. two mini-computers. University of California, Berkeley. Study of radioactive and chlorinated University of Maryland. Study of pollutants in Antarctic ecosystems. particulate trace elements in the atmos Large volumes of snow will be extracted phere. Samples will be collected for near Palmer Station. Chlorianted hydro trace metal and hydrocarbons, using carbon residues will bc analysed, and high volume samplers. lead-210 and plutonium measured, to Scripps Institution of Oceanography. determine the accumulation of these Twice a month all the year air will be natural and artificial radioactive fall- collected to extend nearly uninterrupted measurements of atmospheric carbon SIPLE STATION dioxide begun in 1957. These data furnish the most reliable record of the Stanford University. Use of the very world-wide rise in atmospheric carbon low frequency transmitter in studies of dioxide thus far obtained. wave-particle and wave-wave inter actions in the magnetosphere. Studies United States Army Cold Regions of coupled ionosphere-magnctosphere Research and Engineering Laboratory. effects involving electric fields and inter A 100-metre drill hole with continuous core will bc attempted early in the change of plasma. season. Initial core analysis will bc Universities of New Hampshire and done on the spot before the cores are Minnesota. Continued operation of a shipped to the United States. Then the sensitive micropulsation detector to 1967-68 Byrd Station drill hole will be study generation and propagation of resurveyed. A depth-velocity profile will signals near the plasmapause. A similar be obtained for a depth of 1545 metres detector will be operated near the foot of the Siple magnetic field line in by comparing data from the 1967-68 survey. Thc profile will bc used to Quebec, Canada. verify ice sheet deformation studies. University of California, San Diego. Measurement of ionospheric absorption, University of Bristol, England. Radio and comparison of results with very low echoes returned from the bed of the ice sheet will bc used to determine the hori frequency and magnetic data recorded zontal and vertical components of ice by other groups. This will lead to a better understanding of the complex movement at the surface. interactions of the sun, the ionosphere, University of California, Los Angeles. and the earth. Observations of long period earth tides and of earth's free vibrations excited by POLE STATION large quakes (should there be earth National Oceanic and Atmospheric quakes of sufficient energy, magnitude 8 Administration. Study of the thermal or more) will bc continued. December 1974 ANTARCTIC

DRY VALLEYS many years a penguin must reproduce Ohio State University, University of successfully to ensure replacement in the Georgia. Collection of samples for the population by offspring. study of the mechanism of chemical McMURDO STATION weathering in a polar desert. Examina University of Minnesota. Studies of tion of various localities in the dry the population dynamics of the Mc valleys to identify additional occur Murdo Sound Weddell sea population rences of a volcanic ashfall recognised will be continued. Underwater spacing in the Wright Valley. Geochemical of seals in the pupping colony will be studies of several ponds, and further measured at Hutton Cliffs, using sonic study of thc relationship of the Mc tags and a hydrophone. Murdo volcanics and thc glacial chrono University of Oklahoma Medical logy of the Wright Valley. Centre. Temperate zone and Antarctic University of Wyoming. Measure penguins will be collected to analyse ment of subsurface temperatures in new their gross and microscopic structure. and previously completed holes drilled Most research will bc at the University by the Dry Valley Drilling Project. of Otago Medical School, Dunedin, Studies to obtain new data on the thick New Zealand. nesses of permafrost, on palcoclimatc. Duke University. Study of energy on heat flow, and on the McMurdo expenditure and thermoregulation in Sound region's thermal history. fasting Emperor penguins, and the cost State University of New York. Rela of locomotion in little blue penguins. tions between Adelie penguins and The Emperor penguin will be studied at south polar skuas will bc studied at McMurdo Station, and the little blue Cape Crozier where breeding penguins penguin at the University of Canter are exposed to skua prcdation. The bury, Christchurch, New Zealand. breeding success of penguins within and Bartol Research Foundation, Franklin outside skua feeding territories will be Institule. Continuously recording high examined. precision cosmic ray detectors will ex Point Reyes Bird Observatory. Study ploit the special advantages of the polar of the breeding biology of nine to 13- regions for providing information about year-old Adelie penguins. It is hoped electromagnetic conditions in space, and to find how long Adelies live, and how about earth's immediate environment. Ice Will be Cut With Saw in Winter Quarters Bay To ease the movement of supply sidered the use of a giant saw to cut ships in Winter Quarters Bay below Mc through ice 30ft thick, ease the move Murdo Station this summer, the United ments of the supply ships in the new States Navy will use a modified trench season, and face the seaward edge of ing machine chain saw to cut through the ice wharf. ("Antarctic", June, 1974, thc annual 9ft sea ice. The chunks of Page 60). ice will then be towed out of Mc A company in California uses 16ft Murdo Sound by Coast Guard icebreak chain saws to cut giant trees. The ex ers. This will prevent damage by sea ice pense of having a bigger saw specially to the seaward face of the man-made made would have been considerable so ice wharf in Winter Quarters Bay. it was decided to cut the annual sea ice and not the ice wharf. The sea ice is Last summer Commander T. Kirk never more than 8ft to 9ft thick, and patrick, ship operations officer with the an adapted trenching machine will be Antarctic naval support force, who con used. It can cut through ice 10ft thick, ceived the idea of the ice wharf, con- thc cuts measuring 8in across. 9a -^T- - ■ -

ANTARCTIC December 1974 Antarctic support flights favoured by fine weather United States scientific research in the Antarctic this season will cost SUS26.2 mllion. Logistic support of the scientific activities by the United States Navy, Coast Guard and Air Force, will cost SUS16 million. The size and scope of the programme arc on the same level as those of previous seasons, and thc budget is about the same as last season's despite higher fuel costs.

This season the summer airlift of leader at the station, and 12 other Navy scientists, servicemen, and supplies by men, who spent nearly a year at thc Starlifters of thc United States Air South Pole, were the last to winter Force Military Airlift Command was there. favoured by almost unbelievedly good On November 15 a Hercules aircraft weather in Antarctica. The first aircraft made the first visit of thc new season of the summer flew from Christchurch to McMurdo Station on October 8 with to Siple Station, which is at thc foot of the Sentinel Mountains in Ellsworth 100 passengers, and mail and fresh food Land, and 1350 miles from McMurdo for the men who had been there for Station. Four men, all civilian scientists more than seven months. who spent thc winter at the most re By the middle of November the mote American inland station, wel supply flights were in full swing, and comed the visitors, and the mail, maga there were few delays to the pro zines, and fresh food they brought. gramme. Up to that time the Starlifters had carried south about 750 men and Lieutenant Braddock and his men. more than 1,000,000 pounds of cargo, who spent 363 days at the South Pole, supplies and spart parts. returned to civilisation last month, and in Christchurch looked forward to two Early last month the United States months' leave in the United States. Last Navy began its 20th season in support to leave the station was Chief Petty of scientific activities on the continent. Five VXE6 Squadron Hercules aircraft Officer R. L. Bowers, the third of his flew from New Zealand to start the name to reach the South Pole. transport of men and supplies to inland Horses, lettuce, children, freedom, air stations. and plenty of falling snow were some of the things Lieutenant Braddock's Twenty-one scientists and servicemen at thc Amundsen-Scott South Pole Stat team missed during their isolation at thc Pole. They also had trouble in the last ion, who had been isolated for more than eight months, received their first month with their home appliances. mail from home, and fresh food, on One man became a father while he November 2. The Hercules was the first was at the Pole Station. Only eight aircraft to land on the new 14,000 hours after his son's birth he was able skiway at the Pole. to hear the baby's crying by radio from the United States. CHANGE MADE Towards thc end of their stay the Three days later an historic change men had no ice-cream because the ice was made. The station, which has been cream making machine was out of act operated by the Navy since 1957, was ion. Thc waffle iron had to be repaired handed over to the National Science — it was well-used during the winter — Foundation. In future it will be operated and the home-baked bread had to be by civilian contractors for thc founda cut with a knife when the bread-slicing tion. Lieutenant R. Braddock, military machine was also out of action. December 1974 ANTARCTIC

Richard E. Byrd, sculptured in bronze, looks skyward at McMurdo Station. U.S. Navy Photo

FIRST FLIGHT OVER SOUTH POLE

Forty-five years ago Rear-Admiral When Rear-Admiral Byrd flew over Richard E. Byrd became the first man to the Pole he carried the Norwegian and fly over the South Pole. His flight, on British flags in the aircraft as a tribute November 29. in a Ford monoplane to Amundsen and Scott. He dropped a from Little America to the Pole and small American flag weighted by a rock back — a distance of 1380 miles, took from the grave of Floyd Bennett, who I8hrs 59min. was with him when he made the first On November 29 this year this his flight over the North Pole. toric flight was commemorated by the Commander F. C. Holt, commanding flight of a United States Navy Hercules officer of VXE6 Squadron, and his crew aircraft of VXE6 Squadron, which has re-created the scene when they flew over provided air support for American the Pole last month. An American flag operations in the Antarctic since 1955. lied to an Antarctic rock was dropped The flight to the Pole and back to Mc from the Hercules when it was over the Murdo Station took six hours, the Her flags of the Antarctic Treaty nations cules covering a distance of 1650 miles. which now fly at the South Pole. ■ _ v^Mi.

ANTARCTIC December 1974 Deep hole drilled at Pole United States and Norwegian scientists have drilled three holes through the ice of Antarctica this season, the first at the South Pole, the second on the Ross Ice Shelf, and the third at Siple Station, near the Sentinel Mountains in Ellsworth Land. The 101.5 metres deep hole drilled under the geodesic dome of the new Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station yielded the deepest core recovered from the Pole, and the drilling was the first scientific project at the station this summer. A light-weight shallow drill developed by Mr John Rand, of the United States Army's Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, was used to drill the hole at the Pole. In late September it had been used to drill a 100-metre hole through the Greenland ice-cap. Work began at 9 a.m. on November 19, and the hole was completed at 11.20 a.m. on November 21. Associated with Mr Rand in the Pole project were Dr Robert H. Rutford, director of the Ross Ice Shelf Project, and two scientists from the Norwegian Polar Institute. An icc-corc study team was led by Dr Chester Langway, a glaciologist, who was assisted by Mr Jim Cragin, a chemist from CRREL. Later the group moved to about the middle of the Ross Ice Shelf where a second 100-metre hole was drilled. Then the men flew to Siple Station to drill the third hole. Information gained from this season's drilling will be used next season when one event in the Ross Ice Shelf Project will be to drill a hole 30 centimetres in diameter through the 450-metre thick ice shelf. It is hoped to penetrate the ice in about a week, and reach the sediment of the sea bed 275ft below the shelf. A larger drill, which will have to be carried in a Hercules aircraft to the drilling site has been designed for the work. Drs Rutford and Langway, and Messrs Rand and Cargin, will test this drill in Greenland in preparation for next season. Next year New Zealanders will take part in the drilling project. They will come from the oceanographic section of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, and the Victoria University of Wellington.

AIR BOAT TESTS ON ICE

An air boat driven by an aircraft eng used successfully in work on the Alaskan ine will be tested on Antarctic ice this oil pipeline from the North Slope field season to determine whether it is a suit in the Arctic. Mr Smith flew to Mc able replacement for tracked vehicles or Murdo Station this month to supervise trucks. The air boat can carry 14 pas the trials of his boat. It will be tested sengers or 50001b of cargo at 50 to 60 between the ice runway on the Ross Ice miles an hour in shallow water; its Shelf, the Williams Field camp on thc American designer believes it could do sea ice in McMurdo Sound, and Mc the same on ice, provided the surface Murdo Station. is not too rough. If the boat lives up to its designer's Made by the American Air Boat Cor claims and proves economical, it will poration in Florida, thc boat, specially speed up travel between these points. strengthened for ice work, is 20ft long At present the time taken by tracked and 8ft wide, and is driven by a 250 vehicle or truck can vary, depending on horsepower aircraft engine. A large metal conditions, between 30 and 90 minutes. canopy is fitted to protect passengers The boat will bc left at McMurdo Stat or cargo. ion if it is suitable, and more may be The designer of the boat, Mr A. used next season. Otherwise it will be Smith, says that similar boats have been returned to the United States. December 1974

JARE 16 PLANS Survey in Yamato Mountains and Mizuho Camp drilling Glaciological, geological, and terrestrial surveys in the Yamato Mountains area, and a traverse to Mizuho, the small inland camp 185 miles south-east of Syowa Station, are among the planned activities of the 16th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE 16) next year and in 1976. Air support on these trips will be provided by a Cessna 185 aircraft. Routine meteorlogical, geophysical, and geochemical observations will be made at Syowa Station, and members of both JARE 15 and 16 will continue deep core drilling at Mizuho Camp next month and in Feb ruary. Forty men of the expedition left FIELD RESEARCH Tokyo towards the end of last month aboard the icebreaker Fuji, which is Research activity at Syowa Station and commanded by Captain Mamora Morita. in the field was described by Mr Mura Leader of the 1974-75 winter party is koshi, leader of JARE 15 in a report Dr Takao Hoshiai, associate professor received at JARE headquarters on Nov of biology at the National Institute of ember 22. He said that the Cessna 185 Polar Research in Tokyo, who is re aircraft had made several ice reconnais sance flights over Lutzow-Holm Bay turning to the Antarctic for thc fourth since the beginning of November. It will time. Dr Yoshio Yoshida, professor of be used for aerophotogrammetry and to geography at Hiroshima University, will lead the 1974-75 summer party. Captain support field parties. Men at Syowa Stat Morita is taking the Fuji south for the ion are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the new party. to Syowa Station aboard the Fuji is Dr The first party to move into the field Tetsuo Tomiyama, of JARE head was sent to Mizuho Camp at the begin I thirdquarters. time. One of three summer visitors ning of September. It found heavy snow The Fuji left Fremantle about the cover after thc winter inland from Syowa middle of this month for Syowa Station. Station. She is expected to send her first heli copter to the station about New Year's On October 1 a glaciological party led Day. She will make oceanographic by Mr Okitsugu Watanabe, who had observations in the Southern Ocean after previous wintering experience with the relief of Syowa Station, and then call JARE 11, left Syowa Station to make a at Cape Town early in March to dis resurvey of the strain network estab embark the JARE 14 winter party led lished in 1970-71 in West Enderby Land. The party will return to Mizuho Camp by Mr Nozomi Murakoshi, which will return to Japan by air. The Fuji will about January 10. call at Singapore, and is expected back Four men led by a geologist, Dr Keizo in Tokyo on April 20 next year. Yanai, left Syowa Station on October 30 Ship-board programmes this summer to make a geological survey of the will be routine marine, meteorological, Yamato Mountains, and to collect meteo and occangraphic observations, and radio rites. Meteorites were first found in the physics. Near Syowa Station the scienti area in 1969 and in 1973 were named fic programme will cover biology, glaci Yamato. Dr Yanai's party, which has ology, geology, cartography, geomor collected a number of meteorites, will I phology. and geochemistry. return to Syowa Station next month. ANTARCTIC December 1974

Deep core drilling was resumed at Dr Kaminuma is expected to instal Mizuho Camp at the beginning of this seismographs on Ross Island. He hopes month and two men doing the to register volcanic seismicity around work will remain there until the end of Mount Erebus in addition to his main next month. They expect to drill to a work wtih the Dry Valley Drilling Pro depth of 500 metres, but drilling is be ject. hind schedule at present. Members of the 16th expedition, and Biological and geochemical ﬁeld sur their scientiﬁc disciplines or capacities veys around Syowa Station were carried out all winter. The surveys were stopped in the middle of October when the sea ice deteriorated, and trips over it be SUMMER PARTY (1974-75) came precarious. Supplementary surveys Yoshio Yoshida (leader); Taizi Imoto such as the observation of the penguin (physical cceanography); Masashi Sue rookery will be carried out in the neigh (chemical oceanography); Masao Ohno bourhood of the station. (marine biology); Masao Ishihara (sur A maximum air temperature of 1.5deg veyor); Saioshi Nakanishi (biology); C above zero was recorded at the station Takatoshi Takizawa (glaciology); on November 5. With the return of pen Takeshi Kurokawa (drilling engineer); guins, skuas, and other birds to thc coast Mituru Wada (construction engineer); biological activities were in full swing. Masamichi Otaguro (general assistant).

DRY VALLEY PROJECT WINTER PARTY (1974-75) Since thc establishment of the Nat Takao Hoshiai (leader); Shigenori ional Institute of Polar Research, Jap Sakai (meteorology); Shinichi Okimasa anese responsibility in the Dry Valley (meteorology); Shigemi Meshida (met Drilling Project, in which New Zealand eorology); Takahiro Sakamoto (meteo and the United States are also involved, rology); Masahiro Manabe (geophysics); rests with the director of the institute. Kenji Chujo (surveyor); Hidetoshi Professor Takesi Nagata. Dr Katsutada Sugiuchi (ionospheric physics); Noriaki Kaminuma, a geophysicist, who is an Komiya (upper atmospheric physics); associate professor at the institute, will Fumiyoshi Ohmi (upper atmospheric act as liaison ofﬁcer with the project physics); Yukio Matsumoto (geology); while he is in the McMurdo Sound area Masahisa Hayashi (geomorphology); this season. Tsutomu Abiko (geochemistry); Hiro- Five other Japanese scientists will atsu Shimizu (biology); Yuhei Ichimaru work in the dry valleys and on Ross (medical science); Osamu Araki (med Island this season. Messrs Takashi Nishi- ical science); Noriyasu Sekiguchi (sur yama, a geologist at Kyoto University, geon); Katsuryo Yamazaki (mechanic); and Kikuo Kato. a geochemist at Shigekazu Imura (mechanic); Akira Nagoya University, went south in Octo Yamamoto (mechanic); Kiyoshi Taki- ber. They were followed by Dr Tetsuya gawa (mechanic); Satoru Ito (radio oper Torii and Mr Osama Waguri last month. ator); Tetsuo Takaoka (radio operator); Drs Kaminuma and Hajime Kurasawa. Yoshio Itabashi (radio operator); Yukio ﬂew to McMurdo Station this month. Endo (cook); Hisayosi Watanabe (cook); Mr Nishiyama will be in charge of Goro Nagata (aviation pilot); Masao Kuroki (aviation engineer); Yasuo X-ray diffraction analysis at McMurdo Station, and Mr Kato will work mainly Shimada (general assistant); Minoro on hydro-geochemistry. Dr Torii will Funaki (general assistant). work at Don Juan Pond in the Wright Valley with the assistance of Mr Waguri. Dr Kurasawa. who is on his second visit, will continue his isotope geology work. December 1974

SOUTH AFRICA .•>'v^-s.jj .} SANAE 16 Party Leaves Next Month for Queen Maud Land Twenty-one men of thc 16th South African National Antarctic Expedition (SANAE 16) who will spend 14 months in the Antarctic, are expected to leave Cape Town for Queen Maud Land aboard the research ship RSA on January 18 next year. The team, which is led by Mr E. P. Morkel, of Cape Town, is being trained at Pretoria this month. When the RSA completes unloading at Field work from Sanae Base (geology, Sanae Base in Western Queen Maud land surveying and radio echo sound Land, she will steam northwards through ing) is progressing well, and the Borga the pack ice to enable scientists from Team is expected back shortly after New the University of Pretoria to continue Year's Day. The upper air physics pro seal observations, and for the Bernard grammes at the base are running Price Institute for Geophysical Research smoothly. to do research. Then she will return Thirteen men on Marion Island ex to pick up members of SANAE 15, perienced a cold winter, the water supply and scientists and maintenance staff who being frozen for 16 days at one stage. visited thc base for the lake-over period. The team consists of four meteorologists, The RSA is expected back at Cape Town a radio operator, a radio technician, a towards the end of February. medical orderly, one geomagnetist-ono- This year six men wintered at Grune sphcricist, two zoologists, and three orni hogna (72deg 02min S 02deg 48min W). thologists. the geological basc in thc Ahlman Ridge One of the highlights of the mountain range, 215 kilometres south year was a visit by two ships in Nov of Sanae Base. The Borga team, led by ember. They were thc South African Mr H. P. Barrand, a radio echo sound Navy's survey ship Prolca, and the RSA. ing technician, included two geologists, The purpose of their visit was for the a surveyor and two diesel mechanics. erection of six refuges at strategic places round the island. DEPOTS STOCKED SEAL RESEARCH After the winter five men left Sanae The annual relief voyage to Gough Base to stock depots on the way to Island took place during October and Grunehogna. They also visited the base. early November. There are eight men The gcomagnctist in the party used the in the new team. The leader, Mr Andre opportunity to check on previous expedi Pretorius who is also the senior tech tions' measurements. On the return jour nician (meteorology) has already served ney both vehicles used by the party a year at Marion Island, and at Sanae dropped into crevasses, and it took four Base. days to retrieve them. With the permission of the British A second field party left Sanae Base Government, a zoologist has, for thc shortly after the return of the first. It first time, been included as a member worked its way to Borga Base (72dcg of thc meteorological team. He will con 50min S 03deg 48min W). This basc. duct a one-year programme of research established in 1969. is 350 kilometres on thc island's seals. Like the pro south of Sanae Base. It is at a height gramme at Marion Island, this study is of 7920ft in the Borga Massif, near the carried out by the Mammal Research Huldrcslottet Nunatak. Institute of the University of Pretoria. WmwfKmwSSsa^m^. •-■:*?& m

ANTARCTIC December 1974

SOVIET NEWS Veteran supply ship first to reach Bellingshausen Relief of Soviet stations in the Antarctic began early this month. The veteran supply ship Ob, which began Antarctic operations in 1956, was the first vessel of the 20th Soviet Antarctic Expedition to arrive at Bellingshausen Station, on King George Island, in the South Shetlands, and unload supplies. She will be followed by the research ship Professor Zubov with the new team for the station. Another scientific research ship, the they will construct three buildings from Professor Vize sailed from Leningrad aluminium panels. in thc middle of last month with 150 A ski journey of 1000 miles from thc members of the new expedition. A sec Pole of Cold to the South Pole is plan ond research ship, the Professor Vir- ned by a group of Soviet women next vugin, will spend the summer in Antarctic year, according to a report in thc Mos waters with a party of ichyologists from cow newspaper, "Komsomolskaya the Pacific Fisheries and Oceanographic Pravda." They hope to cover the dis Research Institute. They will study the tance between Vostok Station at the Pole migrations of marine organisms, and of Cold to the Amundsen-Scott South measure the temperature and salt content Pole Station in 50 days. of Antarctic currents. Scientists at Bellingshausen Station According to the newspaper report, thc will make meteorological observations, group, known as Metclitza (snow and temperature and weather soundings. storm) will dedicate the expedition to They will also continue to collect ice and International Women's Year, which thc hydrological data. During the winter United Nations has declared for 1975.

ARGENTINE POLAR FLIGHT Two Argentine Air Force Hercules transport aircraft flew from Christ church to Buenos Aires early this month, crossing the Antarctic Continent, and refuelling at an Argentine base off the Antarctic Peninsula. Thc two aircraft, which stopped for three hours at McMurdo Sound, had crews of 10 officers and sergeants each, and carried 67 passengers. Of these 56 were officer cadets of the Argentine Air Force Academy, who had made a 22-day instructional flight to countries round the Pacific. One Hercules left Buenos Aires on Last summer an Argentine Air Force November 18. and after visits to Colom Hercules flew from Buenos Aires to bia, the United States, Hawaii, Japan, Canberra and back by thc polar route, the Philippines, and Australia, reached landing at Christchurch on the way back Christchurch on December 9. The second to the Argentine. The commander of the Hccules flew direct to Christchurch over aircraft, Vice-Comodore Jose Gonzales, the South Pole from the Vice-Comodore also commanded the aircraft which flew Marambio basc on Seymour Island, off from Vice-Comodore Marambio base to the Antarctic Peninsula. Christchurch this month. OBITUARY Charles Green Was Cook on Shackleton's Expeditions A small Englishman with a high, squeaky voice, who cooked in the Antarctic under appalling conditions on the ice of thc Weddell Sea, in the semi-darkness of a primitive hut made from ships' boats, and aboard two ships, died in hospital at Beverley, England, towards the end of September. He was C. J. Green, one of the two survivors of Shackleton's 1914-16 expedition in the Endurance, who was also cook on thc last expedition in 1921-22 when Shackleton died aboard the Quest in the harbour at Gryt viken, South Georgia. In 1972 there were three survivors of But the finest tribute to Green can be the 1914-16 expedition. Walter How, an found in the biography of Shackleton able seaman, died in that year. Charles by Margery and James Fisher. They say Green's death at 85, leaves Commander that of all the men who learned endur Lionel Greenstreet, R.N.R. (retd.) the ance with Shackleton none learned the sole survivor of the men who reached lesson better or under harder circum Elephant Island after the Endurance was stances than Charles Green. crushed in the ice, and remained there Green was not thc original cook of for 137 days before they were rescued. the expedition. The first cook was dis Commander Greenstreet, who was first officer of the Endurance, is 85, and now charged when thc Endurance reached lives in retirement at Worthing, Sussex. Buenos Aires, and Shackleton instructed Charles Green, thc cheery cook, as Worsley to look out for another. Green, Commander Frank Worsley, captain of a baker and pastrycook, was aboard a the Endurance, called him, was both ship in Buenos Aires when he learned from the butcher that the expedition capable and resourceful. His experience in cable ships before he joined the En ship was looking for a cook. He ob durance had been hard. It became tained leave, went aboard the Endur harder long before the expedition ended. ance, and was engaged after an inter Under the most trying conditions view. Green always managed to scrape to After the expedition left the Endur gether some sort of a hot meal. He did ance and camped on the ice Green had nearly all the cooking for the Weddell to cook his first meals on a stove made Sea party after the Endurance had to be from an oil-drum mounted on three abandoned. His stoves were made from boat hooks. It was precarious and only oil-drums, he used seal blubber and moderately efficient, and not many days penguin skins for fuel, and the food he after the men had left thc ship it lost had to cook included seal and penguin them a good meal of Irish stew. meat, limpets, seaweed, and skua gulls. Men who served with Green and Green recalled nearly 20 years before wrote about their Antarctic experiences his death how 28 tins of Irish stew were have praised his skill, and his remark rescued from the Endurance in a case. able ability to contrive and make shift. A pound tin was distributed to each Some aboard the Quest believed that, man, and Shackleton told them thc cook given an ancient pair of seaboots, he would heat it up. Green put thc tins could serve up a dinner that would into the ash bucket, made a good fire leave those at the Ritz and the Carlton on the ice with wood, blubber, and behind. petrol, and a tin can underneath. But ANTARCTIC December 1974

just as he shouted out "Hoosh-O" the among the flying blubber soots gave bottom fell out of the bucket, and the him the appearance of a merry chimney men lost their Irish stew. sweep who had not washed for months. They ate raw meat for a day or two until Green was provided with a better ON DRY LAND stove. It was made from the ship's ash After the gruelling journey in the chute with an oil-drum for the fireplace, boats, suffering agonies of thirst and and a chimney made of biscuit tins. The cold, and existing on uncooked dog ship's wheel-house was put up with sails pemmican. the party reached Elephant and tarpaulins on spurs to form a galley Island, and there Green was able to and storehouse. cook on dry land. But conditions in thc Ocean Camp, thc Weddell Sea party's hut made with walls of stone and a roof first home on the ice, was a mile and a contrived from two of the boats, the half from the Endurance. Conditions Stancomb-Wills and thc Dudley Docker, for cooking were not so bad, and Green were e\ sn worse than on the ice. was able to provide meals far better Greeii did his cooking outside at first than those he had to prepare at Patience but then the cooking stove was rigged Camp and on Elephant Island. Decem inside the hut because enough shelter ber 22, 1915, was celebrated as Christ could not be provided. His cooking was mas Day, and once the sledges were done in twilight gloom, and in an loaded for the journey to Patience atmosphere of soot, smoke, and thc Camp the next day, the remaining stores fumes of improvised tobacco. were free to all, and Green's menu in Commander Worsley describes the cluded ham, sausages, jugged hare, scene in his book, "Endurance" in these peaches, and baked beans. words: "As the cook, Green, attended to his job, great volumes of black, greasy TOUGHER CAMP smoke would pour out and almost stifle Patience Camp was tougher. Green's the poor wretch. Every two or three galley was four oars pushed into the minutes he would rush from his 'galley', snow with an old sail strained round which consisted of a small sail spread them. He cooked in high winds and from the rocks to some packing-cases, freezing temperatures over a portable coughing and gasping, and wiping the stove improvised from two oil-drums tears from his eyes. Long before the and scraps of metal. His menus on New meal would be ready he would resemble Year's Day, 1916, included seal steak a very shiny darkie. Wonderful to for breakfast, flour and water pancakes relate, the grin never left his face." fried in seal blubber for dinner, and When Shackleton's 22 men were first stewed seal meat for supper. marooned on Elephant Island, the in But during the next three months domitable Green showed signs of a while Patience Camp on its ice floe breakdown and was relieved temporarily drifted in the Weddell Sea meals became by Hurley. But he recovered and re less satisfying. There were few luxuries sumed cooking. His soups may have except on special occasions. One of been thin, and there were often strange these was Leap Year Day when Green ingredients in the penguin hooshes, but was able to produce notable meals—seal the men kept healthy because there was steak and onions for breakfast, a flour so much fat in their diet. They were and dog pemmican bannock fried in able to eat thin slices of raw blubber blubber for lunch, and penguins' kid and drink penguin oil without revulsion. neys and Irish stew for supper. On Midwinter Day, June 22, Green Captain Frank Hurley, the expedi produced a memorable meal—at least to tion's photographer, refers in his book. those who ate it. Earlier Hurley had "'Argonauts of the South", to Green, our captured a sea elephant which contained capable cook, who continued his duties, 30 undigested fish. These preceded the undaunted, at Patience Camp. He says poultry course which consisted of that Green's never-ending activities gulls that had been snared with thread. December 1974 ANTARCTIC

And the best dish of all was Green's man in turn aboard thc Quest. He re pudding—12 mouldy nut food bars, 20 calls in his book "Into the Frozen mouldy biscuits, and four mouldy sledg South" how Green, "an enterprising ing rations, all boiled together. man who thoroughly revelled in his Despite the privations of the boat job," was able to produce meals even journey and Elephant Island Green when gales washed out the galley fire, never lost his ambition to go south and the floor was knee-deep in greasy again. He accepted at once when brine. Shackleton invited him to join the 1921- An American writer has claimed that 22 expedition. The original plan was to the little cook had no sense of humour. explore thc Beaufort Sea, and Green Marr disagrees, and offers the evidence wanted to be the only cook who had of Worsley's birthday. Green produced crossed both the Arctic and Antarctic a noble cake for the occasion, iced to Circles. perfection and inscribed with an insult When thc Quest sailed south one of ing motto. Worsley was given a board the crew was a 17-year-old Boy Scout ing axe and instructed to cut thc cake. from Aberdeen, J. W. S. Marr. who Worsley did his best but thc cake later had a distinguished career as a resisted his efforts. Green had carefully scientist in the Antarctic. Young James iced a 561b sinker belonging to the Marr was steward, stoker, and able sea Quest's sounding machine. .1 t^!^-.'^ ■ ■ r' Edward Wilson watercolours Four Antarctic watercolours painted The cost of each facsimile to overseas by Dr Edward Wilson on Scott's last customers is £2, and of the complete set expedition in 1910-12 have been pub £6. They should add 67 pence to thc lished in facsimile for sale to thc pub order for surface mail. Packing and air lic by the Scott Polar Research Institute. mail postage to New Zealand and Aus These paintings in full colour have been tralia costs £2.65p, and to the United published because of requests by States and Canada £2.1 Op. numerous admirers of Wilson's work, who have been inspired by the repro duction of some of his finest paintings in R.N.Z.A.F. SUPPLY his Discovery and Terra Nova diaries. The Scott Polar Research Institute has FLIGHTS in its possession thc largest single col Royal New Zealand Air Force Her lection of Wilson's paintings and cules aircraft of No. 40 Squadron began sketches. It has selected four which have flights from Christchurch to McMurdo been reproduced in facsimile by the Station last month in support of the collotype process on sheets each measur United States airlift of men and sup ing 22.5cm by 32cm. The paintings are: plies to the Antarctic. Seven flights will "Iridescent Clouds," "Hut Point from be made this season, thc last on Decem the top of Observation Hill," "Parase- ber 8. lena," and "Looking North in McMurdo Sound." Last season the R.N.Z.A.F. made 10 flights in Operation Ice Cube. The Overseas admirers of Wilson's work number has been reduced this season to who wish to purchase single copies of cut down flying hours and conserve fuel. the facsimiles or thc set can order them The first flight south was on November from thc Scott Polar Research Institute, 27, and others on which material for the Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1ER, New Zealanders at Scott Base was car England. Cheques should bc made pay ried also, were on November 28, 29, able to the University of Cambridge. December 2, 4, 6 and 8. Writers continue to find material for The birds of the Antarctic and the books in Antarctica. This year has been waters around the continent arc vividly marked by the appearance of at least five described in "Thc Sea and the Ice. A books about the continent, its natural Naturalist in Antarctica." The author is history, and explorers and scientists Louis J. Halle, well known in the United who have sought to unlock its secrets. States rs a nature writer and an ama Captain Scott has been the subject of teur specialist on seabirds. another study, an American naturalist has written of the birds of the Southern Mr Halle travelled south in the Coast Ocean, and the ice birds, and a history Guard icebreaker Staten Island from of Ross Island has been produced by Wellington in 1970. and saw much of an American author and critic. Some of the work of scientists in Antarctica. The the books have relied more on pictures Staten Island called at Campbell Island than words, and the authors have dis and Cape Hallett. and Mr Halle also covered photographs of past expeditions visited Scott Basc. Vanda Station, and which have not been published before. the historic huts at Cape Evans and Of all the photographers of the Cape Royds. Later he flew to thc South Antarctic one man stands supreme to Pole and Byrd Station. day although his pictures were taken Captain Scott's complex character is more than 60 years ago. He is Herbert examined in "Captain Scott and thc George Ponting, official photographer on Antarctic Tragedy" by Peter Brent. It Scott's last expedition. The pictures he is one of the scries, Great Explorers, took under extraordinary conditions the general editor of which is Sir Vivian with almost primitive equipment have Fuchs, and is illustrated with 100 black become classics. Few have been and white pictures, and 16 pages of matched by modern photographers in colour plates. Ian Cameron, who wrote the Antarctic. the story of Magellan in the Great Ex More of Ponting's work appears in a plorers series, has written also "Antarc new book, "Scott's Last Voyage tic—the Last Continent." which contains Through the Antarctic Camera of Her many previously unpublished prints and bert Ponting." The book has been colour photographs. edited by Anne Savours, who was also thc editor of Dr Edward Wilson's diary "Edge of the World. Ross Island. of the Discovery expedition of 1901-04. Antarctica" is a personal and historical Some of the photographs have been narrative by an American critic, Charles Neider. who has edited an anthology of reproduced in an English Sunday news paper's magazine. One of particular Antarctic literature, and written a pocket historical guide to Ross Island. interest to New Zealanders is of Thomas The book deals exhaustively with the Clissold, the expedition's "excellent Scott and Shackleton expeditions, and cook," who came back from the Antarc has detailed descriptions of the huts at tic to live and die in New Zealand. Tom Clissold is shown in the kitchen Cape Evans and Cape Royds as they are of thc hut at Cape Evans rolling out his today. pastry for rhubarb pies. On the table Mr Neider also writes of United are two pics ready for the oven, and States activities, and his personal ex some open tins of Frank Cooper's periences on two visits, including (he rhubarb (presumably the Cooper of crash of a helicopter in which he was a Oxford marmalade fame). Against the passenger near the summit of Mount wall of the hut is a box of Fern Leaf Erebus. His book is distinguished by butter, a popular brand in New Zealand its 15 excellent maps, and 33 of his own many years ago. colour photographs. ■ ' I -'-1 I H -: " I"--'-" "' I "^•"- •:- ' /Kr^-L # "ANTARCTIC" is published quarterly in March, June, September, and December. It is the only periodical in the world which gives regular up-to-date news of the Antarctic activities of all the nations at work in the far South. It has a world-wide circulation. Yearly subscription for non-members of the Antarctic Society NZ$3.50. Overseas NZ$4.50, includes postage (air mail postage extra), single copies $1.00. Details of back issues available may be obtained from the Secretary, New Zealand Antarctic Society (Inc.), P.O. Box 1223, Christchurch, New Zealand. Overseas subscribers are asked to ensure that their remittances are converted to New Zealand currency.

The New Zealand Antarctic Society (Inc.) The New Zealand Antarctic Society was formed in 1933. It comprises New Zealanders and overseas friends, many of whom have seen Antarctica for themselves, and all of whom are vitally interested in some phase of Antarctic exploration, development, or research. The society has taken an active part in restoring and maintaining the historic huts in the Ross Dependency, and plans to co-operate in securing suitable locations as repositories of Polar material of unique interest. There are two branches of the society and functions are arranged throughout the year. You are invited to become a member, South Island residents should write to the Canterbury secretary, North Islanders should write to the Wellington secretary, and overseas residents to the secretary of the New Zealand Society. For addresses see below. The yearly membership fee is NZ$3.00 (or equivalent local currency). Membership fee, including "Antarctic", NZ$5.00.

New Zealand Secretary Mrs B. Hale. P.O. Box 1223, Christchurch.

Branch Secretaries Canterbury: Mrs E. F. Cross, P.O. Box 404, Christchurch. Wellington: Mr G. D. Sylvester, P.O. Box 2110, Wellington.

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