A NEWS BULLETIN published quarterly by the NEW ZEALAND ANTARCTIC SOCIETY (INC)

Albatros chick on an artificial nest incorporating automatic weighing equipment. The chick's weight is measured every five minutes and stored centrally on magnetic tape, providing information on growth, feeding frequency and meal size. Eight such nests have been built at BAS Headquarters and will be used again at Bird Island (South Georgia) in the 19B5-86 summer. Photo: P. Prince, BAS

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Vol. 10, No. 11 119th Issue September, 1985

Editor. p.a. Box 2110, Wellington Address all contributions, inquiries to the Editor CONTENTS POLAR ACTIVITIES NEW ZEALAND 386 AUSTRALIA 399 AUSTRIA 398 CHI LE 399 INDIA 400 JAPAN 401 UNITED KINGDOM 404 GENERAL MIKHAIL SOMOV 407 90 0 SOUTH 409 NORTH POLE EXPEDITION 412 MICRO LITES AND COPEPODS 413 ENDEAVOUR 414 BYRD'S PAPERS 416 OBITUARIES 417 BOOKS 418

t$SN 0003·5327 New Zealand AntarctiC Society (tnc) 1978. r 10 nari 01 Ttl:·~ Du\)I'C.lllun may t)e reprOOllCctJ If) any way wlthOul the PIlOI oerml$SlOfl o! the publishers 386 ANTARCTIC September, 1985

NEW ZEALAND PLANS FOR SEASON

Radio tracking of Adelie penguins, further study of the effects of the volcanic loading on Ross Island and a pelagic litter survey are among the projects included in this seasons Antarctic research programme. Input over a wide range of earth, atmospheric, physical and biological sciences has been increased and will be covered by 52 laboratory and field events.

A special maintenance team will be at Cape HaIIett again to minimise the effeds of former human habitation at the joint US-NZ research station closed since 1973, and provide the best conditions for the rejuvenation of the site as a penguin rookery. They and the scientists are all members of the parties in the Antarctic Research programme for the 1985-86 season. Including support, logistic and construction activities this programme will call on up to 300 men and women.

New Zealand scientists will work Others will come from the Lands and tiils summer in the Beardmore Glacier Survey Department, the Meteorological area less than 400 nautical miles from Service, the Ministry of Works and the South Pole, at Cape Adare and on Development and the Commission . Ross Island. Others will work on the for the Environment. sea ice of McMurdo Sound, in the dry An army construction tcam will valleys of Victoria Land and on Mt. again join staff from the Antarctic Erebus. Division and the Ministry of Works Research projects will be conducted and Development in the Scott Base by scientists and technicians from five rebuilding programme. Post Office New Zealand Universities - Auckland, Staff will operate the Scott Base Waikato, Victoria (Wellington), Post Office and communications Canterbury and Otago. Others will tluoughout the year and aerial in­ come from Lincoln College, the stallations will be checked by Post Medical Research Council, the Office riggers during the summer Carrington Technical Institute and season. Canterbury Museum. Scientists from Australia, West The programme will also draw on Germany, United Kingdom and the staff from DSIR's Antarctic Division, United States will be included in Geophysics DIvision, Geological Sur­ research to be conducted by Victoria vey) Ecology Division, Division of University, the Physics and Engineering Marine and Freshwater Sciences, the Laboratory and the Medical Research Physics and Engineering Laboratory Council. Others will come from Japan and the Institute of Nuclear Sciences. and Sweden. September. 1985 ANTARCTIC 387

Vanda Station in the Wright Valley, Two new summer meteorological 130 km from Scott Base, will be outstations from Vanda are planned operated again litis summer by three for Lower Bull Pass and the Lower men. The leader is Peter Foster. Wright Valley. These will record Tills season's team will provide logistic wind and temperature. support for New Zealand, United The pilot trace gas measurements States and Japanese field parties and project started last summer will be conununications and meteorological extended with more samples of information. Field stations at Cape fluorocarbons and hydrocarbons to be Bird, Lake Fryxell in the Taylor collected and the installation of Valley and huts in the Miers and analy.tical facilities in the Scot! Base Lower Wright Valleys will also be Laboratory. used by New Zealand field parties. LAKES AND STREAMS CONTINUOUS PROGRAMMES Scientists from the Division of All the continuous long tcnn Marine and Freshwater Science Re­ seismic, geomagnetic, ionospheric and search ,Laboratory in Taupo will again meteorological programmes, will be examine the stream community struc­ malntalned at Scott Base. The. tures and functions in the Dry Valleys Meteorological Service will extend its of South Victoria Land. The study solar radiation measurements with the began three years ago. This season installation of new equipment at the Drs Warwick Vincent and Clive tower end of the Geophysicallabora­ Howard-Williams will work on the tory. This will improve diffuse, solar, nutrient uptake and transformation and global radiation measurements in the algal communities of three which will be recorded on data loggers contrasting streams. They will also in the laboratory. The meteorological quantify the photosynthetic charac· screen will be shifted to a new site teristics of the communities and the some 50 metres from the laboratory. deep phytoplankton populations of Building programme Rebuilding of Scot! Base will installation of equipment is be continued with the construction scheduled for the following sum­ of the new light workshop complex. mer season. This is stage VI of the projecl. It will include the carpenter's shop, Last season the interior of electrician and base engineer's Stage V, the Geomagnetics labora­ workshop and machine shop. The tory, was completed. It is 195 construction w·ill again be super­ square metres and 127 square vised by a team from the Ministry metres larger than the old labora­ of Works and Development and tory and was occupied in stages the work which was begun in from November 12, 1984. 8y the October will be undertaken by end of the season it accommodated thirteen New Zealand Army en­ equipment for seismological re· gineers. The building should be cording, and (he magnetics, upper complete by the end of January atmosphere, and meteorological 1986; internal finishing and programmes. 388 ANTARCTIC September,1985

Lake Fryxell. In the field from samples from the granite instrusions November to January the team will exposed in the area. Using fission work at Lakes Vanda and Miers and track dating techniques on apatite at the Walcotl Glacier. They will at Melbourne University the samples be assisted by Gillian Wratl, an Antarc­ should show the timing and rate of tic Division field assistant. uplift. The results will be compared Auckland University scientists Dr with similar work being undertaken in Steven de Mora. Stuart Campbell South and North Victoria land. and Alan Grout \~ill study the chemi­ cal and physical forms of trace metals CLIMATIC YARIATIONS in the waters of Lakes Fryxell and Bonny and the biological metal Long and short term climatic interaction in the biological com­ variations in the Dry Valleys will munity in the Lakes. Measurements be monitored again this year by will also be made of the baseline Trcvor Chinn and Peter Mason from organolead levels in the atmosphere the Water and Soils Science Centre, at Lake Vanda_ MOWD, Christchurch. They will Among ·the scientists from other be accompanied by Antarctic Divi­ nations participating in the programme sion field assistant Warwick Potter are five fmm the Japan Polar Research who will be replaced by Rob Association. Or Tetsuya Torti and Finlayson at Christmas_ They will his team working from Vanda Station study the flow regime, record the will continue their geochemical studies temperature and collect sediment of the highly saline but fresh water samples from the Onyx River, and lakes in the dry valleys. With him measure the levels of nine enclosed this year will be Dr Genki Matsumoto, lakes (Vida, Vanda, House, Joyce, Dr Katsumi Yoshimitsu, Mr Tetsuo Bonney, Henderson, Hoare, Fryxell Takeuchi and Dr Noriyasu Masuda. and Don Juan Pond). Longer term climatic variation SAMPLES FOR DATING study involves making mass balance measurements on the Heimdall Glacier From late October to mid-November and comparative ablation measure­ Dr Chris AdanlS and Pam Whitla ments at the margins of the inland from the Institute of Nuclear Sciences, Wright Upper Glacier and the coastal DSlR, will collect rock samples from Wright Lower Glacier. An electronic "eas of the Wright Valley and near water-level recorder system developed Lake Vida for dating by rubidium­ by the MOWD will be tested at some strontium methods. This should assist sites in the Dry Valleys and a brief in identifying the earlier phases of study will be made of the equilibrium regional metamorphism before the of the glacier margin at Cape Bird. emplacement of Granite Harbour Dr Paul Mosley, also from the Intrusives and the associated gneisses Hydrological Centre, and Antarctic and migmatites. Division field assistant Ralph Dickson Working from the U.S. Antarctic will ,inspect and survey suitable sites progranulle campsite on the Beardmore in the Victoria, Wright, Taylor, glacier 800 00'S l640 06'E and two Garwood. Marshall and Miers Valleys field camps Paul Fitzgerald of for the installation of special purpose Melbourne University and Ken Woolfe water level recorders. They will also of Victoria University will collect conduct a feasibility study on the use September, 1985 ANTARCTIC 389 of VHF radio telemetry from record life of six years were buried two sites to base stations at Vanda and or metres below the surface of thc tongue Scot! Base. This work will facilitate approximately 3.5 km from the snout the establisJuncm of a network of and 500 metres from the edges. They monitoring, recorder and lake level were connected by cable to a survey sites in the 1986/87 season wannigan placed by the southern when it is planned to commence a meter and are controlled by computer; five year programme which wilJ the data is being transmitted to provide infonnation on the spatial Arrival Heights by radio link and from variation of hydrological response in there by telephone link to SCOll the Dry Valleys. Base· where it is stored on floppy disks for subsequent analysis at ICE STUDIES PEL. Recordings are made for 30 minutes every 12 hours; the batteries Studies of the physical properties supplying power to the electronic of sea, lake and glacier ice will be and radio links being recharged by continued this summer by a team from wind generator and solar cells. The the Physics and Engineering Labora­ meters were recording in June and tory, DSIR, and two guest scientists althougll they switched off for a tin,e from Cambridge University. This long they are now operating again and term project, led by Dr Bill Robinson, accurate measurements are being made PEL, Wellington includes studies of of the effects of the sea swell on the strain characteristics of the sea ice and glacier tongue. dynamics of the floating ErebusGlacier Tongue in McMurdo Sound. The optical and electrical pro· This season Or Robinson, and perties of sea ice will be further Arnold Heine of PEL will continue studied by Drs Bob Buckley of PEL measuring the dynamic strain in sea and Joe Trodahl of Victoria Uni· ice induced by the landing and other versity who are trying to determine movement of aircraft and of vehicles the relationship between the scat· and by the movement of seawaves. tering and attenuation of light trans­ Such measurements are directly mitted through the ice and its struc· related to the load carrying capacity ture. Measurements of the spectral and length of life of the sea ice runway. transmission of light in sea ice will Drs Vemon Squire and Patricia be made al several locations near the Langhome of Cambridge University, ice runway and the Erebus Glacier who have developed ice strain meters, Tongue and the structure of the ice will join the New Zealand tcam and at those sites will be studied from record measurements for comparative core samples. purposes. An all year study of the physical In January Arnold Heine and Or properlies of sea ice will begin in Tim J-1askell will service the strain­ January. Mr Greg Crocker, Cambridge meters which were installed the University, will investigate fast-ice previous season on the Erebus Ice responses to wave and swell activity, Tongue. throughout the year and monitor Data on the dynamics of the tongue energy exchanges between the ice have been acquired over 15 years and the atmosphere. Ice salinity, but none has been obtained over a density and fabric profiles and the 12 month period. Last sensan two properties of the ice surface and snow strainmeters each with a designed cover will be measured. The project 390 ANTARCTIC September, 1985

is a 'component of the British contri­ extracted from beds not exposed to bution to an International survey and the surface in the valley where good s!Udy to determine the characteristics prospects for preservation and dating of Antarctic sea-ice for comparison exist. Core logging and sampling will with data already accumulated on be undertaken at Scott Base. Arctic sea-ice properties, ice dynamics, Sampling of the Ross Sea drift and air-sea ice interaction and the role of lacustrine sediments in the Miers sea-ice in climate. Valley and adjacent Koettlitz Glacier Valleys, begun earlier, will also be ICEBERG DISTRIBUTION completed. The distribution of icebergs in the BIOLOGICAL STUDIES Ross Sea, their residence times and the drift of the distinctive Mackay Dr Brian Foster and T.J. (Tref) Glacier bergs will be studied further Barnett from Auckland University will by Denis Fowler from the Commi~sion conduct an exploratory zooplankton for the Environment assisted by sampling programme to determine Karen Williams. Flying in a north pelagic fauna types and their signifi­ bound RNZAF C130 Hercules the cance to the Ross Sea marine eco­ team will take photographs of icebergs system with a specific focus on fish in the fast ice along the western coast­ biology. Samples will be taken from line of the Ross Sea. Results will a number of holes in the sea ice in be compared with observations on the North·South transect approxi­ iceberg presence during the previous mately 10km west of Hut Point season. Penninsula. Periodic collections will GLACIAL CHRONOLOGY be made to study the population interaction of zooplankton. The Between mid·December and late results will be compared with other January core holes will be drilled at world-wide studies of the role of three sites in the Marshall Valley to zooplankton and fish in temperate . obtain samples which shouid extend inshore ecosystems. knowledge of the chronology of Studies of fish feeding nnd cold successive Rass Sea Glaciations docu­ adaptation will be continued by mented by investigators over the last another team from Auckland Univer· 15 years. The programme is sponsored sity who this season will focus on sprint by Waikato University and led by speed in fishes, predator prey inter­ Dr Chris Hendy of Waikato and Dr action, neurophysiology in cold Paul Robinson of the New Zealand adaptation and macrozooplankton Geological Survey, Wellington. Other feeding in P Borchgrevinki. members are Jan Clayton-Greene and Led by Dr John Montgomery the Fiona Judd from the University. team will comprise Drs John They will be joined by two Antarc­ MacDonald and John Cargill and Mr tic division drillers. Gary Housley. For the first time a The site selected contains a sedi· limited number of dives will be made mentary record of successive glacia· und~r the sea ice to observe fish tions. A meltwater stream from feeding. The team will operate from the Rivard Glacier has eroded the till Scott Base and from Cape Royds sheets filling the valley floor and ex­ where fish tagging will be continued posing sections more than 2 km long to provide data on sizes and popula­ and as deep as 15 m. Cores will be tions. September. 1985 ANTARCTIC 391

The swimming ability of Antarctic of whether seals world·wide are fish will be further studied by a team natural hosts of influenza viruses or from Canterbury University led by whether they were recently infected Dr Bill Davidson and comprising from birds. Craig Franklin, Malcolm Forster and A team from the Medical Research Harry Taylor. They will be working Council led by Or FJ. Austin and in the Scatl Base area and in the new inclUding Or A.J. Robinson and guest wet lab. This year they will continue scientist Or R.G. Webster from St. earlier investigations of the muscle ludes Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee structure of Antarctic cod (DissOSlichus will be collecting blood and nasal Mawsoni); collect benthic and pelagic samples from Weddell Seals, Adelie fish for laboratory studies using a penguins and skuas near Scon Base tunnel respirometer to record com­ and at Cape Bird in an attempt to parative swimming ability and measure obtain more infonllation on the metabolic rates. Bio-chemical analyses extent to which influenz;'1 viruses of glycogen usage and laclic acid occur in isolated areas with limited buildup will be used to determine mammal and bird life. the utilisation of oxygen and the Laboratory tests will be conducted effects of gill damage, through possible on the samples in New Zealand for freezing of tissue, on swimming viruses and antibodies and the results ability and oxygen uptake. forwarded to the World Health Organi· Blood samples will be collected sation which maintains a continuing from Pycnogonids (sea spiders) to interest in the relationship between determine the composition, oxygen human and animal virus influenza consumption, metabolic rates and strains. nitrogenous excretion. Samples of blood will be returned to New Zealand PENGUINS for further analysis. Water turnover Foraging patterns of female Adclie will also be investigated. penguins will be further studied by Or Uoyd Oavis of Otago University SEALS who will be joined by Or John Dr Graham BurrcH, a scientist from Cock rem of Ecology Division. DSIR Lincoln College will investigate the in Wellington, Dave Ward, also of physiological processes in the Wed dell Ecology Division but based in seal which is exposed 10 constant Havelock North, and Miss Yolanda daylight during the polar summer. Of Van Heezik of Otago University. The particular interest is the timing of team will attach miniature transmitters seasonal events such as reproduction la the backs of six female Adelie which in many animals is innuenced penguins, monitor their movements by melatonin, a hormone secreted and establish foraging distances and in conditions of darkness. Melatonin patterns over a five week period at implants will be placed in a number of Cape Bird. They will also undertake pregnant seals and the response to additional research on metabolic rates the hormone measured. Dr BuneH and for<.lging habils, depths and speeds. will be assisted by Mr Sandy Sandblom Dr Cockrem will make further study of Christchurch. of how the penguins 'biological clock' Two recent outbreaks or disease funclions undcr conditions of constant in seals on the North East Coast of daylight: blood samples will be the United States caused by avian collected and melatonin levels inlluenza like viruses raise the question mC;lsured under laboratory conditions. 392 ANTARCTIC September. 1985

As part of New Zealand's contri­ investigation of the relationships be­ bution to the International Survey of tween various granitoids and their Antarctic Seabirds (lSAS) another surrounding crystalline basement rocks. aerial photographic survey of penguin This involves mapping in detail the colonies along the Victoria Land coast distribution of granitic rocks in the will be made early in December from central SI. John's Range area of South a Hercules during a !light from Victoria Land and making a represen­ McMurdo Station to Christchurch. tative collection of the granite rocks The project, which began in 1981, for subsequent petrographic, micro­ will be carried out by a team from probe and XRF (Xray Fluorescence the Ecology Division, DSIR, Rowley spectrometry) analysis in the labora­ Taylor. Or Peter Wilson and Bruce tory. Thomas. They will determine the LOADING STUDY location of all penguin colonies and make a census of Adelie Penguins. The Ross Island Loading study Another ISAS project will be the begun in the 1982/83 season will be ground census of the Penguin colonies continued by Drs Tin' Stern and Fred at Cape Bird and Cape Royds. Team Davey of the Geophysics Division, leader for this years count is Mrs Wellington and Georg De Lisle, BGR, Lynda Logan of DSIR Christchurch. Federal Republic of Germany. The She will be accompanied by Mr John team, accompanied by Antarctic Divi­ Fennell, Ecology Division, Darfield sion field assistant Brian Smith, will and Miss Rachel Brown of make gravity and seismic reflection Christchurch. The count will be measurements to deduce the sediment made during the last two weeks of thickness beneath the ice shelf. This November. will involve a traverse 300km across In January and February Dr rhe ice shelf south-east of Mt. Erebus. Graham Wilson of the University of The data will be used to study defor­ Canterbury with Rowley Taylor will mation associated with the loading conduct a ground survey at Cape of the young volcanic mass (Ross Hallett to record any changes to the Island) on the lithosphere. Gravity penguin population which may have measurements will also be made on occurred since the 1982/83 aerial Mt. Erebus. survey of the rookeries in the area. SEISMOLOGY The purpose of the programme is la determine man's long term impact Two bore holes will be drilled in on this colony following the closure the Wright Valley this season to of the station in 1973. house down-hole seismometers for a joint U.S. Geological Survey, N.l. BEDROCK STUDIES Antarctic Division and Geophysics Division project. Operations will Bedrock studies in rhe McMurdo begin in late October. The team, led Region will be continued for the by Jack Hoffman, comprises Kevin third year by scientists from Victoria Jenkins, Way ne Little all of Geo­ University. Thls year the field team is physics Division Wellington, Max Ken Palmer, Phil White and Ken Willi,ulls, also of Wellington, Pat Woolfe. They will be joined by Cooper (MOWD. Weslport), and Peter Dawkings an Antarctic Division Graham Brown (MOWD) Dunedin. field assistant. The team will under­ The holes will be drilled approxi­ rake a detailed field and laboratory mately 4.5 km east of Lake Vanda. September, 1985 ANTARCTIC 393

Recording equipment associated assist in the understanding of the with the programme will be installed mechanisms of large essentially in the physical sciences laboratory basaltic volcanoes. Such under­ at Scott Base. Data from the seis­ standing should result in the develop­ mometers will automatically be trans­ menl of more reliable eruption predic mitted by radio telemetry, via repeater lion techniques. The field work stations at Mt. Newall and Crater Hill, consists of monitoring the small to the main laboratory at Scott Base earth movements by geodclic surveys where it will be stored for later on­ of marks established in 1980/81 ward transmission to the data and later seasons to record changes collecting centre of the U.s. Geo­ in activity. logical Survey at Alberquerque in the United States. THE PALAEOENYJRONMENT The annual deformation surveys of Dr John Buckeridge, Carrington the Mt. Erebus summit area will Technical Institute, Auckland, will be carried out this year by Graeme investigate the biota (especially Blick and Roger Williams of the barnacles) of the Scallop Hill Forma­ N.Z. Geological Survey, Wellington. tion, Taylor Fonnation and other Peter Brailsford, an Antarctic Division associated horizons to reconstruct field assistant, will be with the party. the palacoenvironmenl and to provide This programme is in conjunction infonnation on the long range with the International Mt. Erebus dispersal mechanisms of biota in the Seismic Study (lMESS) a joint United South Ocean during the Quaternary States-New Zealand-Japanese pro­ era. Accompanied by Bob Finlayson, gramme. The purpose is to determine an Antarctic Division Field assistant, the nature and degree of defonnation he will spend eight weeks collecting associated with various levels of vol­ samples in the White, Black Island canic and seismic activity which will and Brown Peninsula areas, at Cape

Station. The two NelV Zealanders Survival training were Paul Bay"e alld Paul 0 'Dowd. Training \Vas given last summer Basic snowcraft and survival training for the Alltarctic Divisioll, DSIR, is beillg provided fr01ll ScOIl Base to American and New Zealand re­ again this season between October search alld support staff, Ullited States and January by New Zealand and aircraft alld helicopter flight crews, American mountaineers. Last sum­ men from the New Zealand Anny, mer's team provided training for alld crews of Royal New Zealalld 450 men and women. Air Force aircraft. Thirty members This summer the courses are n.m of the West Genllall GANOVHX IV by WaIter Fowlie (field leader), expedition to Northern Victoria Land, Peter Brailsford, and Bn'all Staite, cnd guest scientists from five COWl­ who are assisted for the fourth time tries also tack part ill the courses. by David Lasorsa, a United States Twellty-seven New Zealanders [roill Antarctic Research Programme moun­ the caterillg staff at McMurdo Statioll tain instnu.:tor. The field leader last made the journey to Scott Base to seasOIl was Rob Hall, who also lec­ attend the courses which were held tured 10 scientists and support staff betweell early October alld la,e at the Amundsen-Scotl South Pole January. 394 ANTARCTIC September, 19B5

Royds and in the Lower Wright two technicians and an Antarctic Glacier. Division field assistant. Part of the SEDIMENT TRANSPORT trip will be spent aboard a U.S_ Ice· breaker. A specially designed and built Two representatives of New underwater camera will be used by Zealand youth groups will spend three scientists from Victoria University weeks on the ice in January. They are to obtain representative photographs David Roy, a 17 year old Boys Brigade from several physiographic areas of Sergeant from Christchurch, and the sea floor in McMurdo Sound ­ Alison Lindores, who is 18 and a New Harbour, Cape RobeTts and Ranger at Ashburton_ Granite Harbour. Scientists Alex In addition to spending time at Pync, Andrew McPherson, and David Scott Base David Roy will join a Kelly will be joined by Antarctic party travelling to Butter Point to Division field assistant Peter Dawkings. carry out maintenance on the drilling They will be looking for features that camp and Alison will accompany indicate sediment transport directions. the New Zealand television/BBC crew mming for a natural history docu­ PELAGIC LITTER mentary. Depending on available icebreaker VIP groups will again visit Scott support Dr Murray Gregory (Auckland Base, Vanda and some of the field parties. Members of 1hese groups University) and Dr lan Owens (Canter­ are invited as representatives of the bury University) will continue a sur­ New Zcaland Government, RDRC, the vey of pelagic litter levels on the lew Zealand Universities, Vice- surface waters of the sector of the Chancellors Committee and govern· Southern Ocean lying south of New ment departments with interests in Zealand. They will map shore types the New' Zealand Antarctic research of the Ross Dependency and survey the seaborne litter reaching the shores. progr~ml11e. The extent, character and significance Further work on the clearing of the of sub-tidal platforms identified in site of I-Iallett Station will be done this previous expeditions will be investi­ year by John Alexander, Whakatane, gated, a survey of hydro·carbon Norm Hill, Wellington, Richard Garlick pollutants on beach environments will of Christchurch and Allan Weal of be initiated and the study of high Wailti. latitude beach forming processes con­ tinued. The programme will be under­ In a combined Canterbury Museum taken in late January and early and Antarctic Division Project a February. party will inspect the historic huts at Capes Royds and Evans and be VIPs, FILM CREWS, landed at Capc Adare to carry out YOUTH GROUPS some maintenance on Borchgrevinks Three film crew involved in ob· hut. David Harrowfield and Russell taining film for a joint Television Skerton of Canterbury Museum and New Zealand/BBC natural history Gerry Turner of Lands and Survcy documentary of the environment, will also make a detailed study of the flora and fauna will visit the ice. temperative, humidity and wind effect Neil Harrow of the Natural History on the hut at Cape Adare and carry Unit in Dunedin will lead the pro­ out a beach profile survey and penguin ject. He will be accompanied by census. September, 1985 ANTARCTIC 395

I.W. L:1ke, Te Anau. Assistant Summer staff maintenance officer (carpenter). Linda Harrison, Chrislchurch. SCOTIBASE lnformation officer. Bronwyn Baiteary, ChriSlchurch. P. L. Cresswell, Christchurch. General duties. Officer·in·charge. Barbara White, Napier. General .duties. DJ. Cowie, Christchurch. General duties. R ..C. Hoeskma, Palmcrstol1 North. Post Orrice technician. Pauline Galyer, Mt. Maunganui. Post Orrice clerk. Vivien Smith, Timaru. Post Omce clerk.

VANDASTATlON

JOHN PARSLOE J.R. Porsloe, Christchurch. Deputy officer-in-charge. He is 0 41-year-old sltip's omcer who served in the DSIR research ship Tangaroa, and then aboard the Benjamin T. Bowring, support ship for the British Trans­ globe Expedition. In oddition he has worked with the Norwegian research programme on Spitzbergen. K.M. Glynn, Wellington. SlOres officer. D.L. Briee, Christchurch. Storeman. A.P. Thomson, Unton. Plant operator. PETER FOSTER D.A. Eorl, Auckland. Rodio operator. P.A. Fuster, Waikouaili. Orricer­ A.A. Neels, Christchurch. Radio in·charge. He is a 39-year.old science operator. teacher who has a B.Se degree in S. Bates, Auckland. Mess manager. chemist ry fram Otago University. G.F. McGregor. Paltnerston North. M.F. Bourke, lnvercargill. Meteoro· Cher. logical technician. I. E. Rice, Waiuku. Assistant A.P. Sheppard, Christchurch. Field maintenance officer (mechanic). leader. 396 ANTARCTIC September, 1985

the Broadcasting Corporation in his Winter team own town. D. Wilkinson (23), Wellington. at Scott Base Technician. He is a telecommunica· tions teclUlician with the Civil Aviation Twelve men will winter at Scatt Division, Ministry of Transport, Base through 1986. One of them, Wellington. Mc G.B. Crocker, a Canadian-born M.J. Rarman (24), Wellington. glaciologist from the University of TeclUlician. He is an electronics Cambridge, will be the first foreign technician with AM International. C.M. alley (25), New Plymouth. scientist to winter at the base since 1959 when three Americans, one a Mechanic. Last summer he was a driller/mechanic with the CIROS pro­ glaciologist, worked there. Mr Crocker will be at Scott Base ject. He is a mechanic with a New from January to December under the Plymouth construction fIrm. sponsorship of the British Natural S.C. Pardoe (25), Napier. Electri- EnvironmCl).l Research Council in cian. He is an electrical overseer conjunction with the Antarctic Divi­ with the Napier City Council. sion and the Physics and Engineering S.M. Loney (25), Alexandra. Post­ Laboratory, DSIR. He will come from master. He is a supervisor from the the Scott Polar Research Institute Alexandra Post Office. P.S. Purves (29), Hamilton. Senior to investigate the physical properties of shore fast ice in McMurdo Sound Post Office technician. He is a radio during the winter for comparison with technician in the Hamilton Post data already obtained on Arctic sea Office. ice properties. SJ. Mosley (27), Auckland. Chef. He is a Royal New Zealand Navy Next winter's leader Mr J.R. Leading Cook in H.M.N.Z.S. Waikato. Rankin, knows Scott Base well. RA Balm (25), Arthur's Pass. He will return there next month for Field leader/dog handler. He holds his third winter as base engineer. He a science degree and is a park assistant wintered there first in 1971, and with the Arthur's Pass National Park again in 1977 when he was also Board. officer-ill-charge for the winter. Of the II New Zealanders in the A roundup oftiew Zealand News is team seven are from the North Island sent to the winter team at Scott and four from the South Island. Base every week, and a monthly The oldest is 54, and the ages of the newsletter comes back to the others range from 23 to 29. Antarctic Division, Department of Members of the team are: Se/em/jic and Industrial Research. J.S. Rankin (54), Kumara. He Last winter the 1J men at the base wintered in 1971 and 1977 as base started their own weekly newsletter engineer, and is a contractor and for Ross Island circulation only. engineer in his home town. It was called "The Pe/go Rumour", C.R. McDonald (27), Tokoroa. and .was edited by one of the techni­ Assistant base engineer. He works cians Peter Turner. Although its at Kinleith as an instrument teclmi· life was short - 26 issues - it would cian with N.Z. Forest Products. claim readership al the SOlllh Pole. R.W. PatelSon (24), ew Plymouth. A copy was flown there just before Technician. He is a technician with the summer season ended. September, 1985 ANTARCTIC 397 Antarctic rescue team commended

SLx New Zealanders and five with the highest traditions of the Americans who took part in the United States naval service. rescue of a United States Navy equip­ Of the six New Zealanders three ment operator, Jamcs E. Porter, who were members of the 1984 winter was 10S1 in a violent Antarctic storm team at Scott Base: Eric Saxby near McMurdo Station last season, (O.I.C.), Rod Vardy (base engineer), have received letters of commendation and John Hoffman (mechanic). The from the Secretary of the Navy others were Garth Varcoe, Antarctic (Mr John Lehman), for meritorious Division buildings officer, Paul service. Porter, a Seabee (Construc­ O'Dowd and Rob Hall (summer tion Battalion) bulldozer operator, snowcraft and survival team). was caught in the storm while working An American mountaineer David at Williams Field on October 7, last Lasorsa, who was with .the New year. Zealand survival team last season, Members of the joint New Zealand/ was one of four men - the others United States search and rescue team were Rob Robbins, Jim Gilchrist from Scott Base and McMurdo Station and Randy Chambers - from Antarc· had to conduct a search on the sea ice tic Services, the civilian support in zero visibility with winds up to 60 contractors for the National Science knots and a wind chill factor of minus Foundation, who took part in the 51.1 deg Celsius at great personal risk. rescue. The fifth was David Bresna­ Mr Lehman says in the letters that han, senior NSF representative at their courageous efforts, perseverance, McMurdo Station for the first part and selfless dedication wefe in keeping of the summer. U .S. cargo haul by sea and air

To support the United States and round trips between OCLOber 3 and New Zealand research programmes and November 12. two American stations aircraft carried Total cargo carried between New 710.54 tonnes and 1352 passengers to Zealanil and Antarctica by the United Antarctic during the four months of States aircraft anlOunted to 862.69 the 1984·85 season. In the 1983·84 lonnes. Of this total 152.14 tonnes season 783.71 tonnes of cargo and was northward bound. There were 1310 passengers were carried south. 2755 passengers, 1352 southbound, Between October 3 and February and 1403 northbound. 20 aircraft made 88 round trips More than six million gallons of between Christchurch and McMurdo aviation and diesel fuel for McMurdo Station. Of these 71 were made by Station and the U.S. Coast Guard the U.S. Navy's VXE·6 Squadron icebreaker Polar Star was taken which flew the National Science Foun­ south by the fleet tankcr U.S.N.S. dation's ski·equipped Hercules aircraft. Maumee. Last season the Polar Star The flights were made between was the only Coast Guard icebreaker October 15 and February 20. Wheeled operating in the Ross Sea area. U.S. Air Force Starlifters made 17 Only one voyage south was made 398 ANTARCTIC September. 1985 last season by the United States This included food, equipment, build­ Military Sealift Command's newly­ ing materials, and vehicles. chartered cargo supply ship Green­ On its return trip to Lyllelton the wave which replaced the Southern Greenwave carried 1007.5 tonnes of Cross. It brought 308 tonnes of cargo cargo. This included vehicles for from Port Hueneme, California, and maintenance and overhaul in Christ· took 3838.6 tonnes south for church and 24 containers of general McMurdo Station and SCOll Base. cargo. International:

Austrians plan to climb Mt. Minto

A first ascent ofMt Minto (4165m) Bu t the project was abandoned be­ in the Admiralty Mountains, Victoria cause the Ross Dependency Research Land, is planned by an Austrian Committee and the Minister of Science Antarctic expedition which is ex­ did not approve the expedition as part pected to leave Vienna early in Decem­ of the 169-70 New Zealand research ber this year. The five Austrians and programme. their Dutch radio operator are re· ANTEX I 1, as the Austrian expedi­ parted to have arranged to be taken tion is described, is led by Bruno south by the Footsteps of Scoll Ex­ Klausbruckner. The co-leader is pedition's support ship Southern Leopold Krenn (navigation), and the Quest, and to return with the British other members are Eduard Frosch party from Cape Evans early next (science), Werner Holzl (ftlm camera­ year. man), Bernd Saxinger (radio operator), Mount Minto (7ldeg 47min Sj and Sjoerd Jongens (radio operatorj 168deg 45min E) is a lofty, mostly mm cameraman) who is from Holland. ice-free peak in the central portion Some members of the present of the Admiralty Mountains. It is on expedition took part in ANTEX I. the south·west side of Robertson Under the auspices of the Austrian 8ay, and about 80km from Cape Himalayan Society (OHG) they were Hallett. Jt was discovered in January in an Australian expedition of scien­ 1841, by Sir James Clark Ross and tists, mountaineers, and ham radio named after the Earl of Minto who operators which sailed to sub· was First Lord of the Admiralty. Antarctic Heard Island aboard the con­ A New Zealund scientific and verted whale chaster Cheynes Jl in mountilineering expedition of seven the J982-83 season. With one Austra­ members of the New Zealand Alpine lian climber they made an unsuccess­ Club was organised in 1968 to work ful attempt to reach the summit of in a largely unexplored area north of the .island's active volcano Big Ben Ml Minto during the 1969-70 season. (2743m). Mt Minto was the main mountain­ eering objective, and scientific work -L:;:.----:--lft·:' .' ..-,"... ,;\~,,. planned by the expedition included ~~::.:; a topographical and geological survey. September, 1985 ANTARCTIC 399

Dolphin fossil found in Antarctica

A large bone fossil discovered in four and a half million years old. marine sediments near Australia's Twenty bags of fossil fragments, Davis Station early this year has many of them little slivers of been identified as part of the fossilised bone, were sent to Dr skull of a now extinct species of Fordyce who was asked by the dolphin. The identification was Antarctic Division to put the pieces made by a New Zealand geologist, together and say what creature Dr Euan Fordyce, of the University they came from. Dr Fordyce has of Otago, an authority on marine studied the fossil of a plesiosaur fossils. The fossil is thought to (prehistoric marine reptile) found be about four million years old at Shag Point, North Otago, and and appears to belong to a major worked on whales and dolphins. new group of dolphins. Dr Fordyce's task was to put together scores of pieces in a Discovered on February 9 near geological jigsaw puzzle. Assisted a lake margin on Marine Plain about by technicians, particularly Mr A. 5km from Davis by Dr Pat rick Grebnieff, he spent six weeks of Quilty, the Antarctic Division's painstaking effort to produce the chief scientist, the fossil is believed final picture. to be the first of a vertebrate to Dr Fordyce describes the dis­ have been found in East Antarctica. covery as the only significant Marine Plain is part of the ice-free Antarctic fossil find for the last Vestfold Hills area formed some 40 million years. As such it is the 18,000 years ago when the ice only substantial fossil find from cover retreated but studies of the before Antarctica's last ice age plain indicate that it is from four to which ended 10,000 years ago.

First Chilean flight to the Pole

Chile's nag was raised at the South Pole in stages by way of Chilean, Pole on ovember 30 last year by British, and American bases on the Squadron Commander Claudio Antarctic Peninsula and in Ellsworth Sanhueza Corvalan, chief pilot of the Land. They landed on the Pole skiway Chilean Air Force Twin Otter group in broad daylight at 1.36 p.m., and which made an historic night from began their return flight at 4.30 p.m. Punta Arenas, Tierra del Fuego, to The operation, named Polar Star, the Amundsen·Scott· South Pole Sta· covered a distance of 4627km from tion. As a result Chile joined five Punta Arenas to the Pole and back. other countries - Argentina, Britain, To prepare for the long flight Norway, West Germany and the a Chilean Air Force Hercules aircraft United States - whose nationals have new from Punta Arenas with a cargo nown aircraft to the South Pole. of food, fuel, and survival and com­ Two Twin Otter aircraft named munications equipment, which was Libra I and 11 made the flight to the dropped along the route. Logistic 400 ANTARCTIC September, 1985

support depots were established al flown beyond it during operations two Chilean bases, President Gabriel on the continenl. Gonzalez Videla, on the Antarctic Commander of the Polar Star Peninsula, Teniente Carvajal on Ade· project was General Maria Lopez laid Island, lhe British Antarclic Tobar, director of operations for Survey summer base, Fossil Bluff, the Chilean Air Force. He piloted lhe United States Siple Station in the leading aircraft on the final stage Ellsworth Land, the Ellsworth Moun· of lhe rught to lhe Pole. In addition tains, and the Martin Hills. At these to Squadron Commander Corvalan depots the Twin Olter aircraft re· the aircraft crews ere Flight Captain ceived the fuel and equipment which Francisco de Diego Vinas, Lieutenants enabled them to proceed on the next Ricardo Ruminot Saffirio and Leandro stage, and achieve their goal - the Serra Orellana (pilots), and Suboficial conquest of the South Pole. Chilean (warrant officer) Carlos Palaciolls Twin Otters have refuelled at Siple Velasquez and Sergeant Jose Bem'edo Station in previous seasons but not Villablanca (mechanics). India charters larger ship

India, which has sent four expedi­ square kilometres has been earmarked tions to Antarctica since 1981-82, for extending the station which is will send its fifth to Queen Maud in the relatively ice-free Schirrnacher Land towards the end of November. Hills regJOn aboul 1~.5km from the Dakshin Gangotri, the permanent Soviet station Novolazarevskaya. Three station established at 70deg 05min more buildings will be added to the 37sec S/12deg E in the 1983·84 main station complex which includes season, will be extended this summer. accommodation blocks, a biological This season the Department of laboratory, a meteorological observa­ Ocean Development (DOD), wl'ich is tory and a helipad. responsible for the Indian research As a base on the ice shelf in the programme, has chartered a larger Princess Astrid Coast area will still ship - the 2l,128-tonne Swedish be needed to transfer materials inland bulk carrier Thuleland". The first two to Dakshin Gangotri a larger ship expeditions used the Norwegian eqllipped with cranes like the research vessel Polarsirkel, and in the Thuleland is essential. Two Indian Air 1983·84 and 1984·85 seasons the Force Mi-8 helicopters and two Finnish ice·strengthened Finn Polaris Indian Navy Alouette III helicopters (682'6 tonnes) was chartered. provided logistic support during base Built in GOlhenburg in 1977 construction in the 1983-84 season_ lhe Thuleland is ice·strengthened. She Expansion of the station and plans has sL'X cargo holds and five cranes. for an ice runway for wheeled or ski· For Antarctic operations structural equipped transport aircraft arc ex­ alterations wiJI be made to provide peeled to call for the use of more helicopter decks and accommodation helicopters which can be better for about 80 scientists. accommodated on the Thuleland's A larger ship was needed because nat deck. Dakshin Gangotri will be expanded This winter the station has been in future seasons. An area of 200 occupied by a team of 15 scientists September, 1985 ANTARCTIC 401 and support staff led by an engineer, South Pole early this summer. Since Mr P. Kumaresh. Or S.Z. Qasim, then there has been no indication Secretary of 000, who heads the that the journey of up to 2500 research programme, announced in nautical miles 10 the Pole and back May that a traverse party from the will be undertaken. team would attempt to reach the fARE 26 Third Japanese base in Queen Maud Land Japan now has a third base in Antarctica. It is named Asuka Camp, and was established at 71 deg 31 min S/24deg 03min E in western Queen Maud Land near the Sor Rondane Mountains. The camp was built last summer by the 26th Japanese Antarctic Rcsearch Expedition (JARE26) and was occupied by eight geologists between late December and February. By the 1987·88 season Japan is Last season's programme began expected to make Asuka its third officially on 'ovember 14 when 48 pemlanent station. The others are members of the JARE26 winter and Syowa, on East Gogul Island in summer parties left Tokyo on board Lutzow-Holm Bay, which is 670km the icebreaking research and supply from Asuka, and Mizuho, 270km to ship Shirase. The leader of the expedi· the south-east on the inland ice tion and of the winter party of 35 is sheet. Mizuho is 760km frol11 Asuka. a National Institute of Polar Research A geological and geomorphological meteorologist, Or Sadao Kawaguchi. survey of the western part of the SOT A NIPR upper .atmosphere physicist, Rondane Mountains was made in Dr Hirushi Fukunishi, is deputy January and February by the party leader of the wilHer party. which worked from Asuka Camp. In addition field scientists worked at PENGUIN CENSUS Breid Bay (70deg 15min S/24deg 15min E) on the Princess Ragnhild Scientists and support staff in Coast 140km north of Asuka. the summer party come from the This winter members of JARE26 NIPR, the Maritime Safety Agency, are continuing the glaciological rc­ the Geographical Survey Institute, scarch programmc in eastern Queen and KumamolO, Nagoya, and Kochi MrHld Land which was started in Universities. The winter party comes 1982. Ice core drilling to about from the NIPR, the Japan Meteoro­ 200m is being carried out at 74deg logical Agency, the Radio Research S/36deg E and 73deg S/40deg E. Laboratories, the Geographical A team from Mizuho Station will Survey Institute, Maritime Safety make a traverse to the area around Agency, Okazaki National Research 77deg S/36deg E by way of the field Institute, the University of Electra­ camp at 74deg S/36deg E. communications, and Yamaguchi, 402 ANTARCTIC September, 1985

Kyoto, Kochi and Yokohama National situ measurements by balloons and Universities, and Saga Medical College. rockets. This year two sounding For last summer's support opera­ rockets for upper atmosphere research tions, marine research, ice recon­ and 11 meteorological rockets will naissance, and a population census be launched from Syowa. of penguins and seals around Lutzow­ Holm Bay JARE26 used the Shirase's ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS three helicopters - two Sikorsky Environmental science projects are S·61 As, and one Bell 47GA. also being continued at Syowa by Two fiXed wing aircraft, a Cessna JARE26. These include linmologi­ 185 and a Pilatus PC6 owned by cal studies of fresh and saline lakes the NIPR, which have been at Syowa around Lutz-Holm Bay and sampling Station since September last year, of soil algae and bacteria. The con· were operated by civilian pilots on centration of atmospheric carbon inland flights until January this dioxide will be monitored con­ year. tinuously. Routine projects include aurora, ionosphere and geomagnetic RELIEF studies, meteorological, seismological, and tidal observations, and the study From Tokyo the Shimse sailed of ground tilt. to Fremantle which she reached in Studies of biological processes in the last week of November. She the coastal ecosystems around Syowa proceeded first to Breid Bay and were among the major projects carried disembarked field scientists in mid· out by the summer party. These were December. The transfer of JARE26 started in 1982 in conjunction parties to Syowa began early in with the international programme January by helicopter, and the official BIOMASS (Biological Investigations relief of the JARE25 winter parties of Marine Antarctic Systems and at Syowa and Mizuho Stations was Stocks). completed early in February. In mid-February the Shirase re· MARrNEWORK turned to Breid Bay to embark the field party and then proceeded north. Marine scientists aboard the Shirase Calls were made at Port Louis, also measured chlorophyll content in Mauritius, and Singapore on the way the surface sea water, and made to Tokyo where the ship arrived in ecological studies of phytoplankton, late April. micro-zooplankton, and benthic fish. As part of a physical and chemical ROCKET FIRING oceanographic survey of the Southern Ocean measurements of vertical pro­ One of the major research projects ftIes of temperatures, salinity, and this winter at Syowa is to co-ordinate currents, were made regularly from observations of the polar middle the icebreaker. atmosphere for the Middle Atmos­ phere Programme, an international project which began in 1982 and will end this year. Observations are carried out by a combination of remole sensing techniques from ground level and space craft, "nd in September, 1985 ANTARCTIC 403 Japanese oil survey off coast of Queen Maud Land

Marine geophysical surveys in the out seismic reflection surveys, depth Norwegian sector of East Antarctica sounding, sub·bollom proming, and will be conducted this season by the bOllom sampling. Other work in· Japanese Metal Mining Agency's geo· cluded sonar radio-buoy refraction and logical survey ship Hakurei Maru gravimetric surveys and measurement under the sponsorship of the Japanese of terrestrial heat flow. ( Agency for National Resources and Energy. Scientists from the tech­ nology centre of the Japan National Oil Corporation will carry out the surveys to complete a three-year programme which began in the 1982·83 season in the Wilkes Basin area of the Dumont d'Urville Sea off Adelie Land and in the Ross Sea. Last summer geologists, geo· chemists, and geophysicists aboard the Hakurei Mafu completed their marine geophysical survey in the Australian sector of Antarctica as far as Aroundsen Bay (66deg 55min S/ Sibex Cruise 50deg E), Enderby Land, in two Marine scientists took part in stages between December and SI8EX 11, the second phase of the February. The ship. commanded Second International BIOMASS By Captain I-lideaki Okumura, Experiment, aboard the oceanographic carried a research staff of 22 led by research ship Kaiyo Mam, but not as Dr Koichi Aoyagi, who is a geologist. pan of the JARE26 programme. Senior staff included Dr Shunji Sa to During the first leg of their programme (co-chief scientist), Dr Seiji Nakao the research area was 60deg to 70deg (geologist/senior scientist), Dr TakeIni Sand 60deg to 90deg W, the second Ishihara (geophysicist/senior sciemist), leg covered between 65deg and 70deg Takao Saki and Manabu Tanahashi Sand froIll 30deg W to IOdeg E. (geophysicists), Toshio Sunouchi With a research staff of seven the (geologist), and Kunilliko Baisa Kaiyo Maro left Tokyo early in (meteorologist). October called at Honolulu, and f Early in December last year the sailed south on the first leg from Hakurei Moro sailed from Fremantle Valparaiso late in November. She Western Australia, on the first stage returned to Montevideo on Cluistmas of the survey. She returned early in Day, and reached the second leg January and completed the second rese.arch area earlY.in January. After stage early in February. The research three weeks' work she returned to area was reponed to be between Port Elizabeth, South Africa, at the 60deg and 90deg E and 60deg.70deg S. end of the month. A call was made In lItis area the scientists carried at Singapore late in February and the 404 ANTARCTIC September. 1985 ship reached Tokyo in mid·March. Projects in the research programme Leader and chief scientist on the included an acoustic krill survey. cruise was a marine biologist, Dc a physical and chemical oceanographic Yuzou Komaki. Principal members survey, and a net survey of micro· of the research team were Des Yoshinari nceton and plankton. The scientists Endo and Mikio Naganobu (marine also made observations of seabirds, biologist) and Dr Fukashi Fukui whales, and seals, and took samples (chemist). of surface water. BAS news Programme continues to expand The expansion of BAS, made possible by additional government funding from 1983-84 onwards, will continue throughout 1985-86. The 1984-85 budget of £ 11.5 million allowed staff members to be increased by 21 to 382 (the total includes the Air Unit and officers and crews of the two ships), most of the new posts being taken up by scientific and technical staff in earth sciences and marine life sciences. At the same time there was continued support for university-based research. Expenditure in 1985-86 will be about £ 12.85 million.

To provide for the expanding at the end of September. The ships scientific programmes, general facilities will sail from Grimsby, RRS John and logistic support are also being Biscne in mid·September and RRS increased. Rothcra station, Adelaide Bransfield at the end of October. Island (the centre for air operations) The John Biscoc's first task will and the Cambridge headquarters are be - in late October - to establish being enlarged in 1985-87, and Signy a two-man geological field party on biological station is likeiy to be rebuilt Livingston Island, South Shetland in 1987·90. Rothera station will Islands, and take a number of earth eventually provide accommodation for scientists to Damoy, Wiencke Island, 72 during the summer (mostly field for onward transport by air to Rothera. workers in transit), but the wintering In early November, ten men complement will remain at about 14. (geologists and assistants) will be taken to J3mes Ross Island - near SAS will continue to maintain the northern lip of the Antarctic five pennanent stations (Faraday and Peninsula. The Livingston Island party Halley geophysical nbservatories and will spend two weeks on the island Bird Island biological Slat ion), as and will then be picked up again by well as Rothera and Signy), and will the John Biscoe. They will later again operate two ships and three work at Anvers Island and Horseshoe Twin Otter aircraft during the summer. Island, off the west coast of the The aircraft are due la leave the UK Antarctic Peninsula. The James September, 1985 ANTARCTIC 405

Ross Island parties will spend nearly RRS Bransfield will be engaged three months there and will then be in relief work tluoughout the season, picked up by HMS Endurance. but will also undertake some The Jolm Biscoe will also take bathymetry with HMS Endurance in biologists to Bird Island, where three southern Marguerite Bay. As usual, men have been wintering, and to her first task will be the relief of several other localities around South Halley. She is due to arrive in mid­ Georgia including Grytviken and the December and will remain there for isolated Annenkov Island. Various twO weeks, during which time assis­ field huts and the botanists' reindeer lance will be given with lhe erection exclosures on South Georgia will be of a 3D·m mast which will carry checked and repaired' as necessary. anemometers and thermometers for In mid-December, the ship will a stable Antarctic boundary-layer proceed to Montevideo for the usual experiment in 1986. mid-season change-over of senior ship's The ship will next relieve Signy, officers and, at the end of the month, Soulh Orkney Islands, and will then will resume work on the long-term go north to Montevideo, via Grytviken, Offshore Biological Programme. Tills for the mid-season change-over of season's project is to concentrate senior officers and to take on more on the area around the nonhwestern cargo and personnel. After tltis, she extremity of South Georgia and will will assiS! in geological landings in last about twelve weeks. the Antarctic Peninsula area and then

Onc of two current meters recovered in f'ebruary 1985 from a rift near the southern ice front of Gcorgc VI Ice Shelf where they had been deployed at a depth of 250 metres for a year. I\. tide gauge was also recovered. Data from them are now being analysed as part of a long term study of the ice shelf ;llld its interaction with the water beneath - BAS photo 406 ANTARCTIC September, 1985 coUect a consigrunent of building measurements over James Ross Island materials from Montevideo before and Prince' Gustav Channel which gojn~ south to Rothera via Faraday. separates it from the Antarctic Penin­ Bo th ships will also visi t the sula. Airborne geophysics will include Falkland Islands three or four times reconnaissance aeromagnetic surveys during the summer. (BAS still main· over parts of Marie Byrd Land, tains a small office at Stanley). Ellsworth Land and southerrunost In addition to HMS Endurance Palmer Land. This is a continuation transporting field parties and under· of a joint BAS·USARP project taking bathymetric work, her heli· investigating the structure of West copters will assist BAS by carrying Antarctica and its geological relation­ out aerial photography. The WIllis ship to East Antarctica. Islands (west of Bird Island) and the The glaciologists' ice dynamics South Sandwich Islands will be photo· programme will comprise projects on • graphed for seal and penguin censuses, the Ronne Ice Shelf and Rutford and Signy Island for botanical studies. Ice Stream. Two men will traverse the ice shelf from the Rutford Ice SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMMES Stream to the ice front, measuring movement and other parameters. Four Geological field work in the coming men will continue work on the ice season will, as usual. cover a wide stream, measuring movement, ice variety of problems'related to the thickness and tidal flexore at the Antarctic Peninsula. On lames Rass grounding line. Both parties will be Lsland, work will continue on the mid in the field for about three months. to late Cretaceous sedimentology and the biostratigraphy of the back·arc ICE CHEMISTRY basin. A volcanologist will investigate the geochemistry of the I.ate Cenozoic The ice chemists are embarking basalts of the island, and his work on a programme of ice core drilling will be complemented by that of a in the Antarctic Peninsula, and aim collaborator working at Seal Nunataks to achieve a I,OOO·year record of past (about 160 km to the southwest) climate. Drilling in the coming and, later, on western Alexander summer will centre on Dolleman Island. Structural geologists will Island (off the east coast of the resume investigation of possible base­ Antarctic Peninsula in lat. 70deg ment rocks in eastern Graham Land 37min S), where the ice is some and the supposed accretionary prism 450 m thick. Ice cores will be terrain of central Alexander Island. returned 10 Cambridge for analysis Two biostraligraphers will con­ of stable isotopes, microparticles and tinue collecting across the impor­ major anions and cations. A combina­ tant Jurassic-CretaceOlls boundary tion of shallow pit and core sampling, sequence in eastern Alexander Island. together with an optical survey of the Long-term investigations into the ice dome, will be used to establish mineralization of the Antarctic Penin­ the flow regime around the drill sula region will commence with a site and to study the representative­ reconnaissance of Livingston, Anvers ness of the deep ice core. If possible, and Horseshoe Islands. drilling will also be undertaken at one Field geophysicists will undertake locality in the centra) area of the gr~vity, total-field magnetic, ice Ronne Ice Shelf. thickness and seismic depth-to-bedrock As well as resuming work on the September, 1985 ANTARCTIC 407

Offshore Biological Programme,' the and South Georgia. The medical biologists are continuing the long­ officers will be carrying out a number term monitoring of birds and seals of physiological projects, including at Bird Island and Signy Island, and one on thermal stress in divers. a wide range of marine, freshwater (Diving is undertaken by both the and terrestrial studies at Signy Island marine and fresJ1\vater biologists). Mikhail Somov out of ice after 133 days Trapped in the fast ice of the Amundsen Sea off Marie Byrd Land for 133 days from March to July the Mikhail Somov, flagship of the Soviet Antarctic fleet, was freed by the icebreaker Vladivostok with the help of the ice-strengthened cargo ship Pavel Korchagin. In 1977 she was held for 57 days off the Oates Coast.

Before the Mikhail Somov was in solid ice arrangements were made to first caught in heavy pack ice off the take off 77 members of the 30th Hobbs Coast she had completed the Soviet Antarctic Expedition (SAE-30) exchange of winter teams and resupply and leave 53 crew and scientists at the Soviet permanent station aboard. A meteorological research Russkaya (74deg 46min S/136deg ship Akademik Shirshov was diverted 51 min W) at Cape Burks, using her from the Indian Ocean, and 43 men, two Mi·g helicopters. But as the including Dr Oimitri Maksutov, leader result of a storm on March 15 with of the expedition, and Or Boris ferocious gusts of wind up to 97 Krulsikh, director of the Arctic and knots Captain Valent in Rodchenko Antarctic Research Institute, were found his ship's way blocked by ferried from the trapped ship by heli· heavy ice floes. copter and brought to Wellington on April 29. By the end of March the ship In company with the Mikhail managed 10 make her way out of the S0ll10V when she was caught in the ice danger zone but then became firmly was the Pavel Korchagin which re­ held in the centre of a vast field of mained on station outside the danger fast ice three to four metres thick. zone 10 give assistance. She returned In April the Mikhail Somov was to Wellington on June 5 10 refuel and drifting south-east at the rate of six to sailed again on June 12, carrying one eight kilometres daily. Early May of the MikJlail Sornov's helicopters brought darkness, gales up to 100 and its crew brought back by the knots, and increasing ice pressure Akademik Shirshov. which tilted the ship one metre. On June 10 tlte 13,290·tonne The engines could not operate and icebreaker VladivosLOk sailed from her the ship had no way for two weeks. home port, Vladivostok under the When Captain Rodchenko reporled command of Captain Gennadi that the Mikhail Somov was held fast Antokhin. She carried everything 408 ANTARCTIC September, 1985 necessary to give maximum .help much longer to see the icebreaker and to . the Mikhail Somov. Captain the men of the rescue expedition led Antokhin's mission was to get close by Dr Artur Chilingarov. enough to the trapped ship to ferry Although the temperature was fuel and food by helicopter bu t only minus 35deg Celsius the crews of the to attempt to break through the ice if two ships were on deck to cheer and conditions permitted. wave to each other when the Vladivostok rmally came alongside on FRESH SUPPLIES July 27. All the lights on both ships were turned on. and the winter After a call at Wellington where twilight was brightened by flares and she took on more fuel and equipment, rockets. and fresh fruit and vegetables, When the Vladivostok arrived the including New Zealand kiwifruit, the Mikhail Somov had only enough fuel Vladivostok sailed on July 5 to assist for 20 days despite strict rationing. the Mikhail Somov - a voyage of Even more welcome than fuel for the 1780 nautical miles. return voyage were the fresh fruit On July 15 the icebreaker reached and vegetables ferried across the ice the permanent ice edge. The Mikhail by helicopter. Other cargo included Samoy's helicopter was borrowed tents and survival gear in case the from the Pavel Korchagin for ice Mikhail Somov still had to be reconnaissance and the Vladivostok abandoned. Her crew had prepared began punching through 847nm of ice for such an event earlier by building to reach the trapped ship. a hut on the ice near the ship. Satellite pictures and reports from the two helicopters - one from the FREE AT LAST Vladivostok - which had only two to three hours of daylight for re­ Free at last from the ice which connaissance indicated· that the had' held her so long the Mikhail VladivoslOk would be able to reach Somov was able to use a turning basin Ihe Mikhail Somov. She was 323.7nm chopped out by the Vladivostok and away on July 20, working in poor foliow her down the entry channel visibility and cutting through ice one towards open water. But on July and two metres thick. 30 the ships still had lO make Iheir But to reach the Mikhail Samov way through 755nm of pack ice. A took the Vladivostok 12 days battling week later they passed 71 deg S, the against ice two (0 six metres thick, extreme boundary of rhe permanent searching for open leads or patches of ice, making slow progress in patchy broken ice. There were limes when ice, and with 539nm to go, the icebreaker was held for 10 to 12 Six weeks after leaving Wellington hours a day, and once for 19 hours. the Vladivoslok returned on the morning of August. 19, her mission FIRST MAIL accomplished. She and the Mikhail 8y July 24 Ihe VladivoslOk was in Somov were welcomed by a howling ice 1.5m thick and was only 90nm southerly and about 25 of the city's from the Mikhail Somov. A helicopter Soviet community clutching umbrellas took off with supplies and the mail and waving flags. for the 53 men aboard Ihe ship, the first they had received for several Reference: "Antarctic". March/ months. They did nOI have to wait June, i985. Pages 357-359. September. 1985 ANTARCTIC 409 Expedition to South Pole postponed

A British-Norwegian private glaciological expedition which planned to retrace Amundsen's route to the South Pole this summer, using two dog teams, has postponed the project for a year. The expedition, known as 90 Degrees South, was unable to arrange air transport from Christchurch to McMurdo Station, and then to the Bay of Whales, or provide for the establishment of five supply depots • between the Bay of Whales and the Pole.

Leader of the expedition, planned tic Survey between 1975 and 1981, since early 1980, and expected to cost and has spent three seasons as a boat about US$577,000, is a Norwegian captain for the Cambridge University glaciologist, Dr Monica Kristensen, of Spitsbergen Expedition. the Norwegian Meteorological Originally the expedition planned Institute. She has wintered for two to start its journey of 662 nautical years in the Arctic, and taken part in miles from the Bay of Whales in three expeditions to the Antarctic. October and reach the Pole early in Her co-organiser, one of the two January. The programme provided British members of the team is Or Neil for the laying of two supply depots Mclntyre, of the Mullard Space on the Ross Ice Shelf between 80deg Science Laboratory, University and 85deg S, one at the foot of the College, London. Axel Heiberg Glacier, another at Or Mclntyre, who completed his the head of the glacier, and the last doctorate on the topography and at Titan Dome, an ice dome on the flow of the Antarctic ice sheet at the Polar Plateau at 88deg S/165deg E. Scot! Polar Research Institute, is engaged at present in research into ROUND TRIP the application of satellite radar altimetry to polar ice masses. He After establishing its base at the has been on glaciological expeditions Bay of Whales (78deg 38min S/ to British Columbia and the ~lima· '164deg 20min W) the expedition layas, and to ice caps on Ellesmere proposed to make a two·week round Island and Nordaustlandet in the trip of 80.9nm across the Ross Ice Spitsbergen Archipelago. Shelf to exercise and acclimatise Third member of the team is the dogs (two teams of nine and four Or Bjorn Wold, head of the glacio­ in reserve), undertake preliminary logy section of the Norwegian Water scientific work and survey the first Resources Board. He has worked with part of the route. The main journey several expedit ions on Spitsbergen, split into six trips between depots, and made glaciological traverses in was to be covered in 82 days at a Queen Maud Land during two summer daily average of JO. 7nm. seasons. The other British member On the first stage the party planned is Nick Cox, who completed two to cover a distance of 142nm across tours of duty with the British Antarc- the Ross Ice Shelf from the Bay of 410 ANTARCTIC September. 1985

Whales to 81deg S in 16 days. The food and equipment, were to be second stage from 81deg to 83deg S transported from New Zealand to lVould take 13 days for the distance McMurdo Station, and the Pole party of 119.79nm. From 83deg to 85deg flown to its starting point. Even S was calculated to take 16 days more important were the logistic for 119.79nm. Eleven days were demands for establishing five supply set aside for the journey of 86nm depots by a ski-equipped aircraft. up the Axel Heiberg Glacier from Media speculation, mainly in 85deg to 86deg S, and 13 days for Britain, concentrated on how the another 119.79nm from 86deg to expedition would return from the 88deg S across the Polar Plateau. Pole if the United States was unable The last stage of 119.79nm from to provide air support. Little atten­ 88deg S to the Pole was expected to tion was paid to how the scale of take 13 days also, including two days assistance sought might relate to for science at 89deg and 90deg S. the United States Antarctic Research Including the journey to survey Programme (USARP) and its com­ the first part of the route 22 days.of mitment la support of major research the planned 82·day journey were to projects. be devOlcd to scientific work. The science programme covered three SCIENTIFIC APPROVAL glaciological projects to be. under­ taken along the route to the South Although Ihe expedition's plans Pole. They were: Flexural bending and scientific aims gained t.he approval of the Ross Ice Shelf which is related of such bodies as the Royal Geo­ to the stability of the West Antarctic graphical Society, the British National ice sheet and the buttressing effects Committee for Antarctic Research of some large ice shelves, among them (through the Royal Society), the the Ross Ice Shelf as a factor in pre­ Polar Regions Section of the Foreign venting the disi.ntegration of the ice and Commonwealth Office, and the sheet; collection of snow samples Polar Office of the Norwegian across the Polar Plateau between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Transanlarctic Mountains and Titan British and Norwegian Governments Dome for later oxygen isotope did nOt give it official backing. British analysis; and collection of ground Airways was approached by the truth for satellite imaging systems and organisers and arrangements were radar altimeters. made for a charter flight to J ew Zealand with the Pole party, its MAIN PROBLEM support team, dogs and equipment. in January United Slates, New In lhe early stages of Ihe ex­ Zealand, Norwegian, and United pedition's planning a statement that Kingdom representatives who were Or Kristensen and her party would attending an Antarctic Treaty work­ return from the Pole to McMurdo shop at a scientific camp in the Trans­ Station in a United States ski-equipped antarctic Mountains at the head of I-Iercules aircraft diverted attention the Beardmure Glacier met informally from the main logistic problem - how (0 discuss the logistic support needed one woman, three men (plus a support by 90 Degrees Soulh to carry out team of two), 22 dogs in self­ its science programme. Among contained boxes with their own representatives at the workshop were food and water, and five tonnes of Or Geoffrey Larlllinic, of British September, 1985 ANTARCTIC 411

Petroleum Ltd, chairman of the gramme. The two governments expedition's advisory group. and Dr asked whether the U.S. authorities John Heap, head of the Polar Regions would be prepared, in principle, to Section, Foreign and Commonwealth provide the support requested if the Office. expedition was able to make final SCALE OF AID arrangements for its remaining logistic requirements. But the governments As a result of the discussion the made it clear that they had not funded United Kingdom representative at the the expedition's logistic elements and infonnal meeting advised Or McIntyre were not prepared to assume any that the United States was unlikely financial responsibility for it. to provide assistance on the scale In addition to its request for trans­ discussed without prejudice to its port to McMurdo Station from Antarctic research programme. There­ Christchurch by November 10 at fore the expedition's programme the latest the expedition wanted the should be revised to reduce the re· use of radio communications at the quired logistic assistance to a station and acconunodation and meals minimum. for the support team of two men. When 90 Degrees South was unable After its arrival at the Pole between to make firm arrangements for trans­ mid-January and th~ first week of port and air support approaches were February next year the expedition made to the British and Norwegian asked to be flown back to McMurdo Governments for assistance in negotia· Station with its dogs and 500kg of lions with the United States National gear. It was assumed that the United Science Foundation which finances States would have taken the dog and organises the Antarctic research boxes back to McMurdo Station from programme. Their response owed the Bay of Whales and then flown much to the influential advisory them to the Pole. From McMurdo committee, which included Sir Vivian Station the party, plus the support Fuchs, Lord Shackleton, Dr David team, asked to be brought back to Drewry, director of the Scott Polar New Zealand as soon as possible with Research Institute, Mr OltO Norland, its gear and dogs, and by any means a Norwegian businessman with available. shipping interests, and a Conservative NOT OFFICIAL M.P., Sir Neil Marten, who is chairman of the Anglo·Norwegian Parliamentary These requests were discussed by Group. the State Department with the NSF and the director of ITS Division of SUPPORT SOUGHT Polar Programmes, Or Peter Wilkness, before a reply to the Note was pre­ As a result the two governments pared. Support for 90 Degrees addressed a Note to the United States South was then declined because it State Department seeking certain was regarded as a private expedition assistance from the United States and its scientific programme was not Antarctic Research Programme part of any official programme. (USARP) on behalf of 90 Degrees Private expeditions in Antarctica, South which wanted to reduce to a whether American or foreign, receive minimum the most time-consuming no support or any other services from elements of its logistic support poten· the United States Government. The tially prejudicial to the U.S. pro· Antarctic Policy Group, which 412 ANTARCTIC September, 1985

includes representatives of t~l"; State obtain assistance were made, but a Department, Department \.l( I'cfence, decision to postpone the expedition and National Science Foundation, was made towards the end of the has reconfirmed its policy which calls month. for a balanced programme of scientific Inability to obtain logistic support research, co-operative activities with was not the only reason for post­ the Antarctic prograrrunes of other ponement. Or Kristensen has suffered governments, ~nd full commitment of concussion in a car accident in operational and logistics capabilities Norway; Or Mclntyre was recovering available to the United States from an attack of glandular fever. Antarctic programme. When the United States decision became known 90 Degreas South was pianning to begin on October 16. A meeting of the advisory comJr.~ttee was held in London early in September to discuss a deadline for a decision on whether or not to proceed. Last-minute efforts to N.Z.er in North Pole expedition Seven men and one woman will four sledges, and will navigate by attempt to reach the North Pole early sextant and chronometer. A radio next year with dog sledge teams but beacon will be carried for emergencies no air or radio support. The expedi· and for confinnation by satellite that tion, wWch plans to leave Ward Hunt the expedition has reached the Pole. Island, the northernmost point of In January and February the ex­ the Canadian Arctic on March 3) pedition will prepare for the Pole expects to reach the Pole in 60 days. journey on Baffin Island. Then it A New Zealand mountaineer and wU! ny to Ward Hunt Island near electronics technician, Bob McKerrow, Cape Columbia to begin the crossing now director of the New Zealand of the frozen Lincoln Sea on March 3, Outward Bound School, who wintered the day which marks the end of the at Vanda Station in 1970, is one of Arctic winter darkness. the seven men. The co·leaders are To gain experience of travel on sea Will Sleger and Paul Schurke, who run ice five members of the expedition, a winter travel school in Minnesota, Steger, Schurke, McKerrow, Mantel!, and the others are three Americans, and Weber, drove their teams 1609km Robert Mantel!, Brent Boddy, and over the frozen Beaufort Sea in Ann Bancroft, Richard Weber, of the April/May from lnuvik, a Canadian Canadian national ski team. and field research centre near the south Jorg Mattner (West Germany). . (If the Mackenzie River to Point Although the direct route from Barrow, Alaska. Steger, who breeds Ward Hunt Island is 76Skm the his own huskies, and has 21 years' expedition expecls to cover about sledging experience, made a solo trip 1200km over the pack ice and through of 24 i4km across the Northwest the pressure ridges of the Arctic Territories to join his team-mates Ocean. It will use 40 huskies and at Inuvik. September, 1985 ANTARCTIC 413 Microlites and GQpepods There are many extinct llo/canoes Two ScolL,Base veterans, Muff and in Antarctica but to date only five his sister Karen, ended their working have been established as active. They days all ,March 9 this year. Both were are Mt Erebus on Ross Island, Mt. nine years old. The base husky popu­ Melboume in Victoria Land. and lation l~ Ilc. 1 \V lG adults and three three offthe Antarctic Peninsula. One pups. Herbie, Kiri, and Moltty have is on Deception Island in the S..··wh joined their working elders and three Shetlands, and two are Oil the Latsell bom this year, Ddin, Caspa and Tania Ice Shelf which nms along the IVNidell were seven months old in September. Seaside of the peninsula. Of these one is 209 km east of the United • • • States Polmer Station 011 Anvers Antarctic snow toads had a field Island. day with some ofthe final corrections for the MarchfJune bulletin. Most * * * imponant among them was an error on page 378. The I/ame should have Way back in 1963 the Soviet read Richard Waiter "Dick" Richards. Union named a group ofrock outcrops in Queen Maud Land after its Institute • * • of Arctic Geology. Institute Geologii A marble plaque on the memorial Arktiki Rocks is internationally recog­ to Scat! 's last expedition which over­ nised but not a mountain named after looks Port Chalmers has been wrongly another institute. it'll. lnstituto inscribed for at least 30 years. Antartico Argentina (2135m) is in the When the Footsteps of Scolf Expedi­ Diamame Range which nms between tion called at the parr in the Southern 830 and 820 South towards the Quest late in January a DWledin FilcllIler Ice Shelf The ral/ge was reSident, Mr A. Palmer, drew atteHtion first sighted during exploration flights to the wrong date of the Terra Nova's in 1955 by General Herman Pujato departure, and suggested if should be shortly after the establishment of corrected. The ship cast off at Argenlfno's firsl station. General 2.30 p.m. on November 29, 1910; Belgral/o. It was named after the the inscription says November 19. city of Diamante ill the province of Because the anginal plaque weathered Entre Rios. The peak was named by badly after the m01llWleJlt was Wl­ the Argentine Navy task force unit veiled in 1914, if was replaced, which flew to the South Pole in probably before i 953. January i 962. * • * • • • A United States Coast Guard Australians and New Zealanders helicopter from the icebreaker Glacier were able to buy Alllarctic krill as was called 011 to deliver peanut butter an ingredielll of a Japanese frozen and popcom to the Polish station, seafood marketed under the name of ArclOwsJ.:i, on King George island, Sea Shanty's (sic) for a short time SOlllh Shetlands, early this year. The this year. Woolworth s super-markets Poles had not del/eloped a sudden i11 New Zealand advertised 350 gram passion for two items; American packets of 10 Sea Shanty's for· scielllists workillg with them missed SNZ3.99. their home favourites. 414 ANTARCTIC September, 1985

POLAR HISTORY First Endeavour ends her days H.M.N.Z.S. Endeavour, New Zeabnd's first Antarctic supply ship which took the New Zealand section of the Commonwealth Trans­ Antarctic Expedition to the Ross Sea in 1956 has ended her days much later than expected by those who sailed in her. After five Antarctic voyages she was sold in 1962, renamed Arctic Endeavour and used in the Arctic sealing trade until 1982 when She sank in a Newfoundland port after springing a leak at her moorings. When our pioneer supply ship was John Biscoc, designated Royal Re­ sold to the Royal New Zealand Navy search Ship John Biscoe in 1953, and in 1956 for £20,000 and commis· renamed R.R.S. Pretext in 1956. sioned as H.M.N.Z.S. Endeavour she On the first of her five voyages to was already a veteran with more than McMurdo Sound H.M.N.Z.S. nine years of Antarctic service. She Endeavour was commanded by

was launched in 1944 as an Ailanthus Captain H. Kirkwood J R.N.) an experi­ class net·layer and designated U.S.S. enced British ice captain. Her second Satinwood. voyage south was in the summer of Completed in August of that year 1957 and on her return she brought the 90D-tonne wooden vessel was Sir Vivian Fuchs, Sir Edmund Hillary, handed over to the United States and other TAE members back to Navy and immediately commissioned civilisation. into [he Royal Navy as H.M.S. Pretext When Captain Kirkwood returned under the provisions of th~ Lend Lease to his Royal Navy duties he was Act. She was employed as a boom succeeded for the 1958·59 voyage by defence vessel during the war, handed Commander J.E. Wash bourn, R.N.Z.N., back to the U.S. Navy late in 1945 and and for 1956·60 by Conunander R. 1-1. struck from the naval register early the L. I-Illmby, R.N.Z.N. On this voyage next year. the diesel-engined Endeavour carried In 1947 the ship was sold to the sails, a large mizzen and a foresail, Falkland Islands Government and con· for the first time to stabilise her verted for service as a research and during oceanographic survey work. supply ship for the Falkland Islands Commander Humby lUok the Dependencies Survey (now British Endeavour south for the last time in Antarctic Survey). She was renamed the 1960·61 season. She sailed north

A lacollic elltry, SCUTTLED, ill the latest supplelllellt of Lloyds Register of Shipping, says the last word all the stout·lzearred Endeavour. "British "'/arine News" reported late las! year that having bought the Arctic Endeavour [or her sealing licence, 'he new owner subsequently scurtled her. "Antarctic" is grateful 10 "New Zealand lv/arine News", journal of the New Zealand Ship and j\llaril1e Sociel)', for the informaiioll and for material 011 which lhis anicle has been based. September. 1985 ANTARCTIC 415 on February 16, 1961 at the end of ended her life on November 11, 1982 her fmal voyage to Antarctica. After when she sank at Catalina, a small refit in Auckland she made two port on the nonh·easl coast of New­ voyages to 'Raoul Island in tl,e foundland. She was later declared a Kermadecs. carried stores, dumped constructive total loss. Her registered ammunition, and acted as a diving owners were the Mayhaven Shipping tender. Company, a subsidiary of tl,e original In late 196 I H.M.N.Z.S. Endeavour purchasers. which had two otJler which had logged 40,000 nautical sealers, Arctic Prince and Arctic miles while in service with the sealer, both. former Ailanthus class R.N.Z.N. was decommissioned and net-layers. advertised for sale. She was sold in Six months later came the news 1962 for £9,980 to the Shaw Steam­ that the Arctic Endeavour had been ship Company Ltd, of Halifax, Nova refloated and sold to Central Fuel and Scotia. Renamed Arctic Endeavour Building Supplies Ltd to whom she she was fitted out for sealing in the was delivered at Glovertown. New­ Arctic when she reached Halifax in foundland, on May 22, 1983. Early late January, 1963. last year she was reported to have been Satinwood, Pretext, 'John Biseoe, resold to J. Burry who acquired her Endeavour, and Arctic Endeavour, to obtain her sealing licence,

H.M.N.Z.S. Endeavour al LyUellon before her first vo)'age 10 McMurdo Sound in December, 1956. I'hotu: "Thl' Press", Christchurch. 416 ANTARCTIC September. 1985

Commander Humby once told the were weak. He was right about her New Zealand Antarctic Society many heart; the little ship proved him wrong years ago that the Endeavour's heart about her bones. was in the right place but her bones

Byrd's papers acquired by Ohio University

Rear-Admiral Richard E. Byrd's director of the institute, says that personal papers and the records of cataloguing the collection is expected his seven Arctic and Antarctic expedi­ to take at least a year. The document tions from 1925 to 1957 have been collection will be available for acquired by Ohio State University. scholarly research once the inventory The collection, bought from the estate and cataloguing have been completed. of Marie A. Byrd, the explorer's widow, for USSI55,OOO. is expected "Antarctic', to become the centrepiece of a memorial to Byed. for teaching When the executors of the Marie Byed eslme announced the selection Eight eXTracts from "Antarctic", of Ohio State University as the the New Zealand Antarctic Society's approved buyer, they cited the inter­ quarterly journal, have been selected national reputation of the university's by the Commonwealth Schools Institute of Polar Studies as a major Commission for inclusion ill a set of factor in their decision. Dr David H. teaching materials on Antarctica which Elliolt, director of the institute, says will be available to Austratian schools that the acquisition of this most next year. The extracts, which relate important polar collection means the to in/emational co·opera/ion in university is committed to achieving Antarctic emergencies, will be used the long-sought goal of creating a in one of the books in the sel, fitting memorial to the great American ''international Relations in Antarctica': explorer. as part of "The Antarctic Project ". Filling more than 35 filing cabinets, This projecl has been developed the collection contains book manu­ jointly by Australia and New Zeala1ld scripts and financial records as well as one of the activities of the Pacific as the expeditionary records. It Circle COllsortium, all DECD educa­ includes also such items as the logs Tiollal programme between Aus/ralia, and diaries of expeditions, corres· New Zealalld, Canada, Japan, and pondence between Byrd and other the United Srates. An i8-part set of noted explorers of the 1925-57 teaching materials now 011 trial in period, his personal correspondence several Tasmanian and Queensland and other personal memorabiJa schools this year has been put together relating to his polar achievements, during the last three years by the and supply and shipping manifests Canberra-based Curriculum Develop­ for numerous polar voyages. ment Celllre and the Education A leading authority on Byrd, Departments of Tasmania and New Peter J. Anclerson, who is assistant Zealand. September, 1985 ANTARCTIC 417

OBITUARIES "Ike" Schlossbach dies after long Antarctic career

A retired United States naval bushy red beard, his tattered clothing officer, Commander Isaac Schlossbach, held together with horse blanket pins who look part in seven expeditions to and antenna wire, who crashed the Antarctica and one to the Arctic, Fokker monoplane Blue Blade, and died peacefully in his sleep on August later successfully repaired and new the 20 last year in the townsllip of Wall, small Faircltild aircraft left behind by • New Jersey, aged 93. He wintered the first expedition (l92S-30). tluee times in Antarctica, was an Schlossbach went back to the Bay observer with Australian National of Whales as an executive assistanl Antarctic Research Expeditions with the United States Antarctic (ANARE) in the 1955-56 season, and Service Expedition (1939-41). He went south three times with Operation kept on nying there and when the Deep Freeze, the last in 1960·61 Un.ited States entered the Second when he was 70. World War he managed to return to HIke" Schlossbach graduated from active duty, being sent to Labrador the United States Naval Academy in and Baffin Bay to build airstrips and 19 I 5, went to the first submarine bases for aircraft being ferried to school in New London, Connecticut, Britain. in 1916, and in 1921 transferred to Pilots who served with the Royal naval aviation. He was a fighter pilot New Zealnnd Air Force in the when Ius naval career ended in 1931. Solomons during the war in the Pacific But in spite of the loss of his left eye may still remember Schlossbach. he continued to Oy for many more Someone who must have learned thnt years. he was a polar expert decided to In 193 I Lieutenant-Commander transfer him to Guadelcanal where he SchJossbach, U.S.N. (retd) began his served as commander of Henderson adventurous polar career. He served Field. He stayed there until early in with Sir Hubert Wilkins as navigator 1944 when he cracked up another and senior watch officer aboard the aircraft and allltis ribs as well. submarine Nautilus in the Wilkins· Then he left the Pacific for Hearst Expedition to the Arctic. Argentia, Newfoundland. He re­ The Nautilus encountered many mained there until YE-Day and was problems but it did go under the ice discharged with the rank of comman­ at SOON, travelling 32 nautical miles. der. Once again he turned to Two years later SchJossbach went Antarctica for challenges and excite­ south for the first time as one of the ment. He sailed south as commander five pilots with Byrd's second expedi­ of the Port of Beaumont, Texas, and tion. Veterans of the expedition will second-in-command of Finn Ronne's remember fondly the pilot with the expedition of which wintered on 418 ANTARCTIC September, 1985

Storungton Island in Marguerite Bay, October, 1983, was not noted in Palmer Land. Antarctic publications until last year. Schlossbach did no more fiying as a He began his dry valley research in pilot on his last four trips to 1959 and ended it in 1982, making Antarctica. But in 1968 when he was detailed studies of ice wedge and sand 78 he received an award for being the wedge polygons and their growth oldest pilot at a fiying meeting. Since rates. Internationally recognised for 1972 he had to live with pacemakers his pennafrost studies Black started and his last years were spent in a his professional career in 1941, nursing home. worked for the U.S. Geological Sur­ • • • vey, and was professor of geology One of the United States geologists at the University of Connecticut from who worked in Antarctica's dry valleys 1970. Black Glacier (71 0 40 min for many years was Robert Foster S/164° 42 min E) is a memorial 10 Black. His sudden death at 65 in his work.

ANTARCTIC BOOKSHELF~ ANTARCTIC DAYS WITH MAWSON, a personal account of the British, Australian and New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition of 1929-31 - Harold Fletcher.

Angus & Roberlson, London, Sydney and Melboume, 1984. 240 x 155 nUll 1SBN 0 207 148899,313 pages, hardback, New Zeoland $29.95.

~Iarold Fletcher was 26 years of Australian Museum in Sydney as age when he joined .the British, curator of paleontology eventually Australian and New Zealand Antarc­ retiring as deputy·director in 1967. tic Research Expedition in 1929 as Apart from short articles, including an assistant geologist. This BANZARE one chapter in a tribute to her late expedition was led by Sir Douglas husband by Lady Mawson only one Mawson, the Australian Antarctic hero book had ever before appeared on this and survivor of harrowing solo experi· expedition. It was GrenfeU·Prices, ences 17 years earlier during the first "The winning ofAustralian Antarctica" Australian Antarctic Expedition to published in 1967. a serious work Commonwealth Bay in 1912·1914. on a topic which daily becomes more Mawson had gone south with Shackle· important as matters of sovereignty ton, even earlier, in ]908. To some again arise with consideration of extent Ihis book is a tribute to the Antarctic resources. memory of that great man, but it is The BANZARE expedition was also much more. planned around two cruises, the first Over half a century has passed in the summer of 1929-30 from before Harold Fletcher has given us Capetown south into the Indian this edited version of his very copious Ocean via the Crozets, Kerguelen diaries meticulously kepI during both and Heard Islands to the continental the summer cruises of the Discovery. ice and eventually back to Adelaide During almost all of thal half-century and Melbourne. The second, one year Fletcher had becn employed by the later from Hobart, sailed ulmosl September, 1985 ANTARCTIC 419 directly south to Cape Adare, in New tered and nothing of their vessel the Zealand's Ross Dependency, then Discovery, designed and built thirty westward to and beyond Mawson's years earlier for Captain Robert previous base in Commonwealth Bay Scoll's National Antarctic Expedition and further westward around the of 1901-4. Frightfully underpowered complete Indian Ocean arc of the and constantly threatened by potential Antarctic continent. By late in shortages of coal the Discovery was February of 1931 the expedition often largely dependent on sail. The had crossed the path of the previous Discovery was known to have limi· year and more successfully explored tations, added to or because of which, the continental ice from the small some explicable decisions of her seaplane which they carried aboard. phlegmatic captain John K. Davies Having followed the dubious pro­ on the fust cruise and the surprisingly cedure of annexation of this enonnous unenterprising performance of Captain section of Antarctica in the name of MacKenzie on the second, increased King George V and buried the prover­ the trials of leadership. bial bottle containing the proclama­ tion to the sound of three rousing One observation which should not and hearty cheers they then sailed be lost sight of is that this expedition homeward for Hobart. took place in the gloomiest years of This says nothing of the stormy the great depression of the early seas which were fre uently enCQun- thirties. This. book .does not mention

Or Ritchie Simmers Sir Robert Falla Expedition members and fellow New Zealanders Or Ritchie Simmers and Sir Robert FaJla later became founder members of the New Zealand Antarctic Society. The phutograph of Sir Roberl Falla is repruduc~d by cuurlcs)' of the National Must:urn and the insets by permission uf the Ma\\'son Inslllute and Angus and Robertsoll, Sydllcy_ 420 ANTARCTIC September 1985 that the whole ships company volun­ the week as they skinned the hundreds tarily accepted the second years' of specimens collected during the cruise on half the allowances paid voyages. These were oceanographic for the first. voyages first and foremost hence the or interest to New Zealanders thousands of sampling stations and is that this expedition saw for the first soundings recorded. If anything time the official inclusion in the cornes through it is the strength of scientific personnel of two kinsmen ­ Mawson, a geologist, who laboured young scientists who w.cr..e destined to provide opportunities for his to remain in the forefront of New geologists. Zealand's Antarctic scene for almost Britain claimed sovereignty to this 40 years. Robert Falla, later Sir sector of An tractica by an order in Robert Falla, was official ornithologist Council in 1933. It included all that and Ritchie Simmers, later Dr Ritchie area south of 60 deg. South to the Simmers, was official meteorologist. pole and between the 45th and 160th Both men were to rise to the very meridians with the exception of pinnacle of their chosen careers, the small French sector of Adelie Sir Robert Falla as director of the Land. This whole area amounting to National Museum and first chairman one third of the Antarctic Continent of the Nature Conservation Council was passed to the Australian Govern­ and Dr Simmers as director of the ment to control and administer in Meteorological Service. These men, 1936 and Australia has not accepted quite recently deceased, became foun­ this responsibility lightly. Australia's dation members of the New Zealand concern is itself a tribute to Sir Antarctic Society founded in 1933. Douglas Mawson, as his Harold Fleteher the author and assistant FIetcher's most readable and gripping zoologist and Falla as ornithologist account of the voyages of the 1929-31 were thrown together by the day and BANZARE.

Whaling and Sealing at the Chatham Islands by Rhys Richards

"A most valuable contribution to New Zealand History. The research has been extremely thorough, with generous footnoting supported and assisted by an excel­ lent bibliography and index . ... an excellent contribution to South West Pacific maritime history; it deserves a wide readership." - Harry Morron, New Zealand Listener

HA comprehensive chronological record, Aichards' work is an extension of the pioneering histories of Robert McNab, particularly· his "Old Whaling Days" in 1913. ... among the sealing and whaling records lies a good deal of social history as well .. .. This book belongs in every collection concerned with sealing and whaling or the waters of New Zealand in general." - Briton C. Busch, The American Neptvne, Peabody Museum, Salem, Mass. Published by the Roebuck Society, Canberra, 165 pages and illustrations. Price SNZ20 or SUS15 post free. Copies now available from the Roebuck Press, 73 Seaview Road, Paramata, Wellington, New Zealand. New Zealand Antarctic Society Inc.,

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