A N E W S B U L L E T I N

p u b l i s h e d q u a r t e r l y b y t h e NEW ZEALAND ANTARCTIC SOCIETY

INTO THE FIELD Now Zealanders about to board a U.S. helicopter at Scott Base for transport to their field of operations. Photo G. Manncring.

Vol. 4, No. 2 JUNE, 1965 AUSTRALIA Winter and Summer bases. Scott Summer base only ,.. t Hallett* NEW ZEALAND Transferred base . . Wilkes us to Aust TASMANIA Temporarily non-operational HSyowi

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0RAWN IY DEPARTMENT OF LANDS 1 SURVEY WILUNGTON.NEW ZEALAND. MAR. I9fc4- 2".° EDITION wAH"ffAIB(DlPI13Jw (Successor to "Antarctic News Bulletin")

Vol. 4, No. 2 Editor: L. B. Quartermain, M.A., 1 Ariki Road, Wellington, E.2, New Zealand. Business Communications, Subscriptions, etc., to: Secretary, New Zealand Antarctic Society, P.O. Box 2110, Wellington. N.Z. CONTENTS EXPEDITIONS New Zealand The Northern Party Geologists Range Expedition: P. C. Le Couteur Canterbury University in Antarctica: B. Stonehouse McMurdo Ice Shelf Antarctic Soils: G. C. Claridge Ross Islands Survey Not Shown on the Surveyors Maps: M. R. J. Ford Terrestrial Biology: C. J. R. Robertson Argentina France Japan A u s t r a l i a . . . . South Africa Belgium-Holland United Kingdom Chile U.S.S.R U.S.A. Sub-Antarctic Islands Combined Services Expedition Patanela Returns Around the Sub-Antarctic Bases Big Break Out Antarctic Division Superintendent Antarctic Stations - 2 - McMurdo Obituary Whaling A Different Way of Life: J. R. Green Polar Hovercraft Coming? Bookshelf A N I A R June, 1965 MORE REPORTS OF SUMMER ACTIVITIES BY N.Z. FIELD TEAMS The reports in our March issue of work done by the New Zealand party on the central Nimrod Glacier and by the Victoria University of Wellington Antarctic Expedition 9, can now be" supplemented by an account of the programmes carried out by other field parties. THE NORTHERN PARTY at the western end of "Trudge Valley"* in the Allan Nunatak area. As mentioned in a brief December Here, the following morning, report, the expedition was planning Warren was climbing a frozen snow a geological study of the Allan slope when he slipped and fell on Nunatak, Carapace Nunatak and to the rocks below. A rescue flight Mount Fleming area lying at the was made by Lieut. Brandau, head of the Mawson, Mackay and U.S.N., the same afternoon, a dif Wright Glaciers, Victoria Land. The ficult operation at 7,000 feet (virtu plan was disorganised early on the ally the helicopter's ceiling) and in party's second day in the field, a temperature of 0°F with a steady November 23, by the accident in Plateau wind. which Guyon Warren, the party's "THE ALLAN HILLS" leader, broke his left leg. After a week's work on and Warren was the instigator of the project, which stemmed from his own interest in the area because of ber 29. following the western side of his work there as geologist with the the Odell Glacier. The party had no Northern Party of the Trans- dogs or motor transport,' as dist Antarctic Expedition in 1957-8. ances to be covered were not great, Following Warren's accident I. B. so man-mauling was used through McDonald, who was working on the out. No satisfactory camp-site could McMurdo Ice Shelf Project, was be found near the Allan Nunatak flown in to provide the essential supply dump so the sledge and field experience until M. R. J. Ford additional supplies had to be lower was able to assume the leadership. ed over several hundred feet of sleep This he did about a week after ice to a sheltered site in "Trudge Warren's evacuation. The party now Valley". comprised: Allan Nunatak has a complex M. R. J. Ford: leader, topography. It is an arid region Dr. P. F. Ballance: geologist, which would be more aptly named Dr. J. Townrow (Tasmania): the Allan Hills. Its many peaks and palaeobotanist, ridges and the numerous little dry Dr. W. A. Watters: geologist. valleys add beauty to the area A reconnaissance and photo through the colourful combination of graphic flight had earlier been un fossiliferous sandstones, volcanics dertaken with the cooperation of and black coal seams. the U.S. Navy to select suitable The whole area was now system landing sites and to examine the atically examined by surveyor Ford route between the Allan and Cara and the three scientists, generally pace Nunataks. The put-in point working in pairs. From the camp, chosen was on the Odell Glacier, a numerous long and often tiring tributary of the Mawson Glacier, foot-journeys were made, but by on the east side of Allan Nunatak. following relatively easy routes and The landing by R4D was an un "safe" ice, difficult areas demanding expectedly rough one and subse more than average mountaineering quent flights-in for short lifts were experience were avoided. The made by helicopter. The greater weather conditions, however, made part of the supplies were depoted * Names in quotes are unofficial. June, 1965

EASTERN ARM OF ALLAN NUNATAK looking towards Coombs Hills. U.S. Navy Photo. field work difficult. Temperatures Sandstone in this locality it was between 0°F and 10°F with a steady now considered unnecessary to trek katabatic wind of from 10 to 30 to Mount Fleming, and after con knots blowing down from the sultation with Warren in Christ Plateau made stationary work in church and the Leader Scott Base, particular very unpleasant. Skies this part of the programme was re were generally clear; but towards placed by a visit to the Coombs the middle and end of December, pre Hills which had not previously been sumably when the ice was going out examined. These hills lie to the of McMurdo Sound, it was common east of the Odell Glacier not far to see dense banks of cloud rolling from the Allan Nunatak. The Odell in during the day from the sea and Glacier was crossed for this pur stopping about the Coombs Hills pose on December 19 without un and the Convoy Range, before toward incident. reaching the area where the New Arrangements had been made for Zealanders were working. the pick-up to be at the original TO THE COOMBS HILLS landing site on the Odell Glacier on As it proved practicable to make the 21st. However, helicopter trans a study of the section of Beacon port was not available, so the party June, 1965

ON THE ODELL GLACIER, NOVEMBER 29, 1965 J. Townrow, W. A. Wafters, I. McDonald. Photo P. F. Ballance. carried 16001b of gear up the steep by sun azimuths, and a sunfix was ice slope mentioned earlier and observed to check the position de then man-hauled the load several rived from intersections on nearby miles down the glacier. The surface peaks originally fixed by Lt. Cdr. was poor for landing but wide re R. Brooke of T.A.E. and later by connaissance located nothing better. the U.S. Geological Survey. So an airstrip some 400ft. by 90ft. was dug out with ice axes and shovel and marked with bamboo EARTH CURRENTS flags. The weather either at one end or the other remained bad until J. P. Senior, Technician in the the evening of December 23. The Magnetic Survey, Christchurch, was^ R4D now flew in but the prepared at Scott Base from December 28* strip was considered too narrow till February 18, lowering the earth- and a very bumpy landing was current electrodes to a depth where made. A ski-line was broken. The they would continue to transmit to take-off was made from the air-strip the recording instruments in the and the return to Williams Field Base laboratory throughout the was without incident. winter. Previously, "using everything from cold chisels to gelignite", dril SURVEY WORK lers had been able to lower the A detailed survey of the Nunataks electrodes only about 18 inches be area was made. From a chained low the surface, and they had not base-line in "Trudge Valley" a tri- functioned after the freezing of the angulation net was extended over upper ground layer. Now, with the the Allan Nunatak to Carapace aid of a diamond-impregated type Nunatak and the Coombs Hills. of drill the electrodes were lowered This should provide adequate photo to a depth of ten feet and satis control for mapping to a scale of factory recordings are being obtain 1:20,000. The scheme was oriented ed. June, 1965

"CONSIDERABLE HEAT WAS AROUSED"

Two members of the Northern Party find that duelling with ice-axes is more warming than using some of the coal seam behind them to make a fire. Photo P. F. Ballance.

SCOTT BASE LEADER ted at Hutt Valley High School, majored in geography with honours at Victoria University of Wellington 1966 and won a diploma of teaching at Christchurch Teachers' College. He Mr. M. M. Prebble, deputy leader taught at Hutt Valley High School in at Scott Base last summer and an 1962. He is a mem' Jociety volunteer member storalion Party in Zealand Alpine Club , Tramping Club. Mi appointed leader at Scott Base for next year. joined the Antarctic Lx»,,, . ,.>. planning and preparations for the Mr. Prebble, a Wellingtonian educa next Antarctic season. June, 1965

Because of the small size of the GEOLOGISTS RANGE area (approx. 1,250 sq. miles) and the frequent stops, the dogs probably EXPEDITION did not reach peak fitness but never theless each team pulled loads of P. C. LE COUTEUR up to 1,5001b. Although the tobog gans of our neighbours in the Central The Geologists Range is a small Nimrod Expedition were better range on the edge of the Polar Plat suited to the terrain and objectives eau and is centred on 82° 30' S., of the two parties, there is ho com 155° E. The tops of the range emerge parison between driving a heartless as a line of cliffs which form a bul lump of rowdy metal and the thrill wark against the ice mass of the of driving well trained huskies. Polar; " ; Plateau ' ■ -' which■ •' spills■ • down"o the on Our route was planned so that the dogs would pull the heaviest load :,,., ... .,.. . , ...j end, downhill from a high put-in point and an unnamed glacier at the Nor just below the Polar Plateau to a thern end. depot at the mid-point of the route It was felt that answers to some and from there we would take only geological problems raised on an the equipment and food necessary earlier N.Z. expedition ('60—'61) in to complete the trip, returning to the coastal ranges to the East might the depot for several side trips and be found during the course of map to be picked up. ping the hitherto unvisited Geolo gists Range. Malcolm Laird, leader LOST —ONE NUNATAK of the '64- 65 Central Nimrod Expedi On November 28 and 29 the party tion and geologist with the '60-61 was flown in by two U.S.N. Dakotas Expedition, was examining the rocks to an ideal landing site at the North on either side of the Nimrod Glacier ern end of the range. On November some 30-40 miles away from the 30 we set off to visit a small nunatak Geologists Range for much the same that we had seen from the aircraft. reasons. After we had driven the dogs over The Geologists Range Party con- the lip of the Polar Plateau and a few miles beyond in fruitless search geologists; Murray for the elusive nunatak we returned, found that this nunatak has a single, arctica — Surveyor Bill Lucy. east-facing rock outcrop but from our position appeared as just an THE DOGS other billow on the rolling surface Our motive power was provided of the glacier. by two nine-dog teams trailing Nan- Over the next two weeks we were sen sledges. Both teams had been hampered by bad weather and made trained over the winter, one by Bill slow progress surveying and geologis Lucy, and the other by Dave Mas- ing down the Alexander McKay sam, who was very disappointed to Cliffs, named after an N.Z. geologist find that his mechanical skill was of the late 19th Century. Although required by the Central Nimrod we had not one blizzard on the entire Toboggan Party and he was there trip and rarely even had strong fore unable to take his dogs into winds there were many days when the field. The total weight of Bill's surveying or travel was not possible team, which proved very fast, was because of whiteouts. A factor con 850 lb., and included Apolotok, the tributing to the frequency of white ageing "King Dog" of the Scott Base out and cloudy conditions experi lines. All his dogs were willing enced in the Nimrod Glacier area fighters and there were a number of this season was the relatively high memorable brawls. Dave Massam's temperatures. team was run by Bob Adamson and myself and were lighter but well CREVASSES trained and willing. On December 16, we were fortun- June, 1965

ate in being able to avoid a badly 16-20, which meant that we had time crevassed area by taking the dogs for only one attempt to reach Endur down a steep snow-covered gut in an ance Nunatak and that we would icefall, and next day a survey base have to travel the 30-mile return line was set up. The camp by the journey on foot. baseline was one of thc most attrac It was decided that Bob and I tive campsites on the trip as we were would visit the Nunatak to do the able to look down on thc impressive geology and that Bill and Ivan, since cataract of ice that is the Nimrod a survey point on Endurance Nuna Glacier, and beyond to the imposing tak was not necessary, would carry mass of Mt. Markham (15,100 ft.). most of thc gear for part of thc way. After five days of geology and sur veying, interrupted by a snowfall, MORE CREVASSES we continued on to the depot. The next day we learned that Murray We set off on the evening of Janu Gregory was to be transferred to the ary 6 and after crossing several hun Central Nimrod Party as Malcolm dred crevasse bridges stopped in a Laird was the only geologist remain particularly unpredictable crevasse ing in that party. However, because field about four miles short of En of weather and other reasons this durance Nunatak. As travel was slow transfer did not take place until a and there was no indication that week later, by which time the depot further travel would soon take us camp began to look like McMurdo out of the crevassed area we decided dump. A very pleasant Christmas to turn back. Fortunately we were eve was spent doing some geology able to make observations on the and surveying on a distinctively geology of Endurance Nunatak with shaped nunatak which wc hope to binoculars and found that thc rocks name Maidenform Nunatak. were similar to those on Quest Nuna tak. Late on January 7 we returned END OF YEAR to camp having covered approxi mately 22 miles, about 18 of which On December 28 wc said farewell were on crampons — all for little to Murray Gregory and welcomed result. Ivan McDonald and next day set off We still had much to do in the toward the Southern end of the remaining week before our depar range. After eleven miles of uphill ture, but as we were favoured with pulling the dogs tired and we camped fine weather were able to finish the in a gathering whiteout. Next morn work between Quest Nunatak and ing thc weather cleared and we were thc depot and were flown out in two camped beside Quest Nunatak a few hours later. That evening, which was Dakotas on January 14 and 15. New Year's Eve, we surveyed and did some geology on this nunatak. LOOKING BACK From the 7,000 ft. survey point we From a geological point of view were able to look down on the gap the trip was a little disappointing between Quest Nunatak and the as the basement geology is well ex southern limit of the Geologists posed only on the Southern end of Range, Endurance Nunatak. The the range. Also, there is a large heavily crevassed ground between volume of dolerite intruded into the the nunataks is known as The Slot flat-lying Beacon sediments which and we were not looking forward overly the ancient, folded basement to crossing it. After several more rocks. However, we did find consid days spent on the geology of Quest erable diversity in the Beacon sedi Nunatak we set off to reconnoitre a ments, including low grade coal with route. It was soon obvious that it fern-like plant impressions, current- would be impossible to drive the bedded sandstones containing logs dogs across and even to manhaul one and branches of fossil wood, tillite, sledge over would be a major under and glacial gravels. The basement taking. On returning to camp we rocks include marble and schist and found that we were to be flown out are intruded by granite and a swarm on January 13 instead of January of dark igneous dykes. June, 1965 CANTERBURY UNIVERSITY IN ANTARCTICA

Bernard Stonehouse

The University of Canterbury entirely laudable, were to pay hom Antarctic Biology Unit began its age at Shackleton's hut and visit the long-term research programme in small Adelie Penguin colony. But 1961. Currently we are planning our many helicopters landed within a fifth season's work and thinking few yards of the colony on a con ahead for two or three further venient frozen lake, scattering birds years. We are mainly studying the in every direction, seriously inter effects of man on Antarctic verte fering with breeding routines, and brate animals—the biology of a driving away non-breeding birds population of Weddell Seals exploit which represent the future breeding ed for dog food, the decline of a strength of the colony. Many visi small Adelie Penguin colony under tors wandered through the colony pressure from visitors, man's in stirring the birds to make inter fluence on Emperor Penguin and esting photographs or tape record McCormick Skua populations with ings. Large areas of the breeding in easy reach of his habitations. grounds were vacated. In 1963 I Conservation studies may seem reported, from earlier records and xessary in the wide, under our own observations, a steady ^p- stated spaces of Antarctica. Are cline in the colony from about \ there enough animals to be upset? pairs in 1955 (when Operation Are there enough people to bother Deepfreeze began) to 1700 in 1958, them? Locally, there are large con 1600 in 1959, 1250 in 1961. and 1100 centrations of animals along the pairs in 1962. Antarctic coast .surviving in deli This is an important and inter cate balance with a harsh environ esting colony, southernmost in thc ment. Locally, too, there are plenty world, known to Scott and Shackle of people. Each of the past nine ton, and the subject of an import years has seen from two to three ant study by Taylor in 1959-60. It thousand summer visitors and resi has many biological lessons to teach dents in McMurdo Sound. Signifi us. It is also an amenity—one which cant numbers are flown by heli has given pleasure to hundreds of copter to Cape Royds, Cape Crozier, visitors in the past ten years. We and other centres of unique bio wanted to preserve it, both for logical interest, to see the sights. further biological study and for the Zoo collectors come and go; interest of visitors still to come. souvenir hunters enquire for the In 1963 we forwarded to the Ross nearest penguin colony. Hungry Dependency Research Committee sledge clogs are brought in and fed recommendations which, with the off the land. In parts of Antarctica, wholehearted support of the U.S. m a n i s c e r t a i n l y m a k i n g h i s military authorities, resulted in presence felt, and animals as usual more rational use of Cape Rovds disperse before him. as a centre of interest. The number Living at Cape Royds in 1961 and of casual visitors declined, strict 1962, we found ourselves at the flying regulations kept helicopters centre of a tourist attraction. well away from the breeding area, Weather permitting, two. three and and interest in the colony and its- four helicopters landed daily from problems grew. Now members of bases and visiting ships, disgorging our unit are present throughout the journalists, congressmen, parlia summer, keeping a watchful eye on mentarians, servicemen, scientists— visitors, giving information, pro a host of visitors of varying distinc moting interest, and at the same tion and responsibility. Their aims, time checking, without undue dis- June, 1965

ACRES OF PENGUINS Part of the Adelie Penguin Colony, Beaufort Island. Photo G. Mannering.

turbance, the welfare of the colony Beaufort Island and Franklin Is in successive seasons. Avoiding land, as nearly as possible on the mass banding and its commotion, same date each year. This helps us we follow from year to year a small to assess the effects of local con number of banded birds vvho pro ditions each year. The same recon- vide individual case-histories; we naisance flight, in a U.S. Navy R-4D count nests and eggs and assess aircraft, allows us also to photo nesting success, and watch with graph Emperor Penguins at Beau interest for the arrival of new re fort and Franklin Islands and esti cruits banded on this or other mate the size of their breeding colonies. We especially try to avoid colonies from year to year. disturbance while new arrivals prospect for and establish their The Emj Cape Crozier, made fai nesting territories. The policy is winter journey of Wil working; in 1965 we recorded for the first time an increase in number and Cherry Garrard, is now visited of breeding pairs, and the propor frequently throughout the season by tion of prospecting birds gives hope helicopters. The birds' habit of for further increase in the future. holding eggs and small chicks on their feet, withou t a protecting For comparison with Cape Royds, nest, makes them particularly vul we take annual aerial photographs nerable to disturbance in the cold of the large breeding colonies of months of early spring. We have Adelie Penguins at Cape Bird, recommended thc severe restriction of flights to the colony before the economic method of cropping the end of October. Annual visits in seal population, which at present late November, when the chicks are is showing evidence of over- larger, help us to estimate the size exploitation. of the colony, and we should now be able to detect any deterioration Seal studies have mainly been due to man's interference. The t h e w o r k o f M u r r a y S m i t h , a colony is at present well situated in member of the unit since its in an enclave of shelf ice, far safer ception, who has spent three sum from natural disturbance than it mers in the field, and wintered at was in 1904 or 1911 when earlier Scott Base in 1963 to study the studies were made. It enjoys a metabolism of sledge dogs. Warren Feathers ton, another of the unit's asprosperity the barrier which face will remains last as in long its founder members, worked with present form, and we watch with Smith for two seasons, and will interest the progressive barrier shortly complete his work on Wed movements which will eventually dell Seal intestinal parasites. Last shift the birds from their favoured season much of the pup branding was done by Ian Harkess, a mem position. ber of the Canterbury Branch of the This year Ian Spellerberg begins Antarctic Society, who joined our his third season's work on McCor expedition as a volunteer and help mick Skuas. Some of his birds para ed to strengthen the bonds which sitise the Adelie Penguin colony at are forming between our University Cape Royds, but most fend for them unit and the local branch of the selves at sea. They visit the ice society. We hope to place another breakers and supply ships, bring society member in the field this com ing home such unlikely souvenirs ing season, to continue the branding as corncobs and steak T-bones for programme and search for animals their young. McCormick Skuas now marked in previous seasons. breed further south than before, Other lines of research bear on responding perhaps to the presence the unit's main problems. For two of man and his rubbish-tips at the seasons Paul Fitzgerald has col southern end of McMurdo Sound. lected soil samples from old, long- These and other changes are part abandoned Adelie Penguin colony of Spellerberg's study, which in sites along the Ross Island shore; volves many banded birds and from carbon/nitrogen ratios and narked nest-sites throughout the other chemical relations he hopes Jound. to find out when and why the colon Between one hundred and three ies were deserted. John Hay, a hundred Weddell Seals, possibly geographer, is studying micro more have been killed annually for climates on the present colony at dog food at Scott Base during the Cape Royds, to find out why par >ast nine years. From 1961 our unit ticular areas are being abandoned has taken over the killing, securing while others become more densely populated. He also records tempera valuable weights, measurements, tures in some of the fresh-water skulls, skeletons and anatomical specimens before the dogs got lakes, on which we hope further them. Our data, specimens and field studies will soon begin. Other observations are the basis for a members of the unit —Terry Jacobs study of reproductive cycles, Oliver Sutherland, and Gregor -rowth and ageing. A parallel popu Yeates, have contributed in various lation study, involving the branding ways to the main research projects, of pups and periodic survey flights and the first of our scientific re to count adults, helps us to estimate ports are now in circulation. iopulation size and density. This The unit is part of the Zoology is a long term study; we shall need Department (Prof. G. A. Knox) of two or three further years' field Canterbury University, and is work to reap the benefits of our financed by the Research Com foundation surveys. The result will mittee of the N.Z. University help us to determine the most Grants Committee. June, 1965

accumulation poles and survey strain lines. The only crevasse area encounter ed was about 169°E where the McMURDO ICE SHELF McMurdo Ice Shelf meets the main flow of the Ross Ice Shelf 30 miles east of Scott Base. This is the During the 1964-65 summer, A. J. general locality where an American D8 tractor of "Major Dawson's "Ice Shelf Trail" was lost on December 1, 1958. Ross Ice Shelf which lies between Ross Island and the Black Island- Four new stations for resection White Island group and extends survey were set out and previously from the Koettlitz Ice in the west established stations resurveyed. to the main Ross Ice Shelf in the Further strain stations were also east, a distance of 30 miles east to set out and long oregon markers west and 40 miles north to south. and accumulation bamboos replac ed where necessary. A number of The observations of Mr. Heine and his assistants have included ice- pits and bores were made for den sity profiling. During a visit by two movement surveys and measure University of Wisconsin geophysic- ments of snow "accumulation and ists, opportunity was taken to make ablation, surface elevations, hori several short traverses using a zontal distortion and ice density at "radar" type pulse transmitter re various depths. These observations ceiver unit. Good reflections for ice have involved the erection of land thickness were obtained confirming survey beacons (generally three the 1958-59 Victoria Land traverse empty fuel drums bolted together, results. Sub-surface temperatures painted red, securely guyed and and brine density measurements partly filled with rock), accumula were obtained with the help of Ray tion poles and movement markers, Hoare of Victoria University of as well as the digging of a snow Wellington, and ablation measure mine 23 feet deep. ment markers were checked for Much of this work would have accuracy. been impossible without the help Within two miles of Black Island afforded by U.S. Navy VX6 helicop at the end of January numerous ters and by instruments and turbo deep pools (two to four feet) were prop helicopters made available by found, some of them covered by the Tellurometer Survey group of several inches of ice. A wide melt- the U.S. Geological Survey. stream three or four feet wide was found flowing east to west just 1964-65 SEASON north of the island. It is possible During the past summer, Mr. that the Ice Shelf north of Black Heine was assisted throughout most Island is aground. of the project period by Surveyor, A. Parton, and field-assistant, D. WHAT FEEDS THE SHELF? Lowe, and for various periods by surveyor W. Lucy and field assist The northern part of the Mc ants I. McDonald, J. Chappell and Murdo Ice Shell appears to re Boy Scout D. Crerar. As a rule, semble other Antarctic ice shelves Heme and Parton travelled by Sno- in that it consists of glacier-fed ice cat while Lowe drove a motor- supplemented by snow accumula toboggan. At one stage a dog-team tion, and floating on water. Mr. was also used to advantage. The Heine suspects that the major con Sno-cat, a veteran of the Trans- tribution to the ice of this shelf Antarctic Expedition, covered 900 is from the two glaciers Aurora and miles across the Ice Shelf during Terror which descend from Erebus- the season, towing a large "Maud- Terra Nova and Terra-Nova-Terror heim" cargo sled also of TAE vint respectively and debouch into Wind age. The toboggan was found ideal less Bight but observations to date for such lighter work as measuring do not make clear the relative con- June, 1965

tributions of the glaciers, accumula tion and the main stream of the BIG BREAK OUT Ross Ice Shelf. During the past few seasons there The unusual feature of mountains has been a progressively greater break-out of the 'last' sea-ice which lying to the north of the ice-shelf results in a much higher accumula normally forms the highway for tion than is normal elsewhere in vehicular traffic between Scott Base the Antarctic. The annual snow and McMurdo. The 1964-65 summer accumulation in Windless Bight is saw the most extensive break-out about four feet per year in con since American and New Zealand trast to an average over the Ross operations began in the McMurdo Ice Shelf of about two feet. This area. greater accumulation is partly due This has seriously affected several to the southerly winds striking the iniportant operational areas. At Wil Ross Island mountain barrier. In liams Field, the sea-ice air-strips addition, however, in summer the normally used for aircraft flying be open water in McMurdo Sound tween New Zealand and the Antarc creates cloudy conditions around tic have partially gone to sea. The Mount Erebus and this produces whole camp was shifted five miles more snow in the local area. One further from the ice edge and for snow-fall of several days duration the 1965-66 season a new airstrip early in February resulted in an will have to be made. accumulation of ten inches. Even the N.C.E.L. (Naval Civil Measurements of ice thickness on Engineering Laboratory) experi the 1958-59 USARP traverse suggest mental strip of compacted snow out ed an average thickness of 400-500 on the McMurdo Ice Shelp lost feet on approximately the parallel 4,000 feet of runway. 77°50'S, but thicknesses of up to 1,000 feet were noted by the Uni AT SCOTT BASE versity of Wisconsin team near the Terror Glacier in Windless Bight. Off Scott Base more sea-ice went out than in any previous season Other work carried out included since New Zealand operations be a study of the "brine layer" near gan in 1956; and the ice which re the edge of the Ice Shelf and local mained became cracked and loose. deformation measurements across The tide-crack in front of the Base, the pressure ridges to the east of usually a foot or two across, widen Scott Base. Further tritium deter ed to 20 to 60 feet, and thc pressure- mination and nuclear-bomb fall-out ridges, one of the "tourist attrac measurements were made back to tions" of the Antarctic, split up and 1942. Samples were also collected moved a considerable distance to from Pole and Byrd Stations to give the west. It thus became impossible a clearer picture of the regional to reach McMurdo over the sea-ice distribution of fall-out debris. and across the Gap. (The alterna FIELD FOR RESEARCH tive all-sea-ice route round Cape Armitage has not been used to any "It has been our aim", says Mr. considerable extent for some Heine, "to set up the frame-work years). for an extensive study of the Mc The bay-ice had been breaking Murdo Ice Shelf. This has now been out further than usual early in the done. The next stage is to begin New Year, but the first sign that investigations into aspects peculiar the ice right in front of Scott Base to this shelf. Access to the Shelf is itself might be in danger of a easy, both New Zealand's Scott break-out came on March 1. Men Base and the United States' Mc in the Scott Base Land-rover re Murdo being situated on its western turning from McMurdo found that margin and only eight hours flying the tide-crack in front of the base from New Zealand. The McMurdo had opened up so much that the Ice Shelf could well therefore pro vehicle was unable to cross it to vide a fruitful field for investiga firm land until the tide rose in the tion by glaciologists from manv evening and closed the gap enough parts of the world." to make a crossing possible. June, 1965

Next morning, in the space of ANTARCTIC DIVISION about an hour, two square miles of ice south of the base had moved SUPERINTENDENT RETIRES out and huge curved cracks in the Barrier ice ran out towards thc U.S. The retirement of Mr. G. W. Mark- emergency air-strip. Thc tide-crack ham from his post of Superintendent, opened to 60 feet of open water. Antarctic Division, D.S.I.R., marks Freezing temperatures during the the end of an era in New Zealand's week stopped this movement, but Antarctic work. on March 7 the millions of tons of jumbled ice again began to move. Geoff. Markham was born in Eng The pressure ridges, which for land and came to New Zealand in years have remained about 200 1921 wth his parents and other mem yards east of the base, began to bers of the family. He attended Auck move across the front to the west. land Grammar School 1923-25 and then joined the Lands and Survey PRECAUTIONS Department, studying meanwhile for Fortunately, the dogs had been his science degree which he obtained moved from their usual lines on the in 1931. During World War II he held ice to solid land, and the base's a commission as Meteorological supply of frozen meat had been Officer in the Artillery and worked removed from the snow-cave, which on Defence Research and Develop had become a sheer ice cliff facing ment at Auckland University, 1941-45. on to open water. After the war he became a profes The break-out removed what sional officer in the Head Office, normally was an easy slope negoti D.S.I.R., and was personal assistant able by weasels and other transport, leaving a cliff in places 10 to 12 feet high above the water, so that even when the sea re-freezes during the winter, access from Scott Base responsible for liaison between the to the new ice may be difficult. In scientific bodies and the armed ser time, no doubt, drift will re-form vices in the application of science to the easy slope. defence needs. Thc over-all effect is that al During the planning period for the though the present winter's new ice may provide access between Scott Base and McMurdo, and between Quarters Bay (very close, unfort McMurdo and the air strips, it rnay unately, to Scott's old hut) across for a time at least be a winding the Gap to the edge of the sea-ice. and difficult road through jumbled There is also a so-far rough road masses of ice. running off to the north from half way over the Gap to the American AT PORT McMURDO radio-transmitting installations on the slopes of Crater Hill. Adequate At Hut Point wharf an embank access would involve the comple ment has been constructed of rock tion of this road down to Scott and ice where ships can moor and Base, and its effective surfacing. discharge cargo direct on to wheeled This at present difficult access is trailers drawn by Fergussons and used by the Landrover and the Land rovers. Swedish Snotrac, but regular traf This development suggests that fic on it under present conditions in future the main access between would be difficult, and damaging the ship-unloading point and Scott to the vehicles used. Base will be by way of the road In any case, the old method of which the Americans have con unloading from ship to ice, reload structed during the past few years. ing on to sledges, and drawing them This is a broad raised highway with on the sea-ice round Cape Armitage bridges and culverts and is already the two and a half miles to Scott well-surfaced for a considerable dis- Base, would seem to be a thing of s t a n c e . I t r u n s f r o m W i n t e r the past. June, 1965

International Geophysical Year he became, in 1956, secretary of the inter-departmental committee for NEW SUPERINTENDENT the I.G.Y. When it was decided to form an Antarctic Division of the Mr. Markham's successor is Mr. D.S.I.R. in 1959, he was appointed R. B. (Bob) Thomson, W(" Superintendent, and he held this key both New Ze; ' post until his retirement in April this Antarctic men. year. Born in Raetihi and educated at Two tributes from widely differing the New Plymouth Boys' High School, sources will perhaps best sum up he worked as a technician in the Mr. Markham's personality and his radio and electronics industry until contribution to Antarctic research. he was appointed to the staff of the Mr. John Hanessian, American Geophysical Observatory, Christ scholar, writer and Polar specialist, church, in 1958, and took a course in writes in his "New Zealand and the Upper Air Physics and Ionospheric Antarctic" of his impressions formed studies. From October 1958 to Octo during a visit to the offices of the ber 1959 he was Senior Ionospheric Antarctic Division in Wellington: Observer on Campbell Island, respon sible for Radio Propagation, Aurora (After morning tea) "Usually Mark- and Geomagnetism. During 1960 he ham will excuse himself and return was Station Scientific Leader at Hal early to his office, where he will more lett, the joint United States-New Zea than likely be seen speaking into the land Antarctic Station. Here he was telephone cajoling some equipment responsible for the implementation out of a reluctant person at the other of all scientific work, both United end of the line. Chain-smoking, han States and New Zealand, as well as dling a dozen problems simultane for the welfare of all the civilian ously, Markham seems to typify all staff. From November of the same the best in a devoted public servant." year till February 1961, he served at Scott Base as Public Relations Officer And the Editor of the New Zealand and Postmaster. Journal of Geology and Geophysics, writing in that paper's Third Special Mr. Thomson now went to Austra Antarctic issue, says, "Geoff. Mark- lia and served as Stores and Logistics ham's appreciation of the importance Officer at the ANARE headquarters in of personalities and his ability to Melbourne from June 1961 until he co-operate with people in many was appointed officer in charge of the spheres (government, private life, 1962 Australian team at Wilkes Sta universities and the armed services, tion, taking up his post in the Ant of New Zealand and of other coun arctic in December 1961. From Sep tries), and his untiring zeal for the tember 1962 to January 1963 he was cause he served, have been among in the field leading the highly success the main reasons for the acknow ful Wilkes-Vostok Traverse (see ledged success of this country's Ant "Antarctic", December 1962, and Sep arctic efforts during the past 10 tember 1963). years." After the completion of his reports, It remains to add that he has been etc., for the Australian Antarctic a generous and understanding friend Division, Mr. Thomson became to this journal, which joins with Deputy Leader for the 1963-64 sum others in wishing him happiness, and mer at Scott Base. On his return to abundant scope for his abundant New Zealand he took up a position energy, in what will assuredly be a as Technical Officer with the Geo very busy retirement. physics Division, D.S.I.R., Wellington. In the Queen's Birthday Honours last June Mr. Thomson was awarded the O.B.E. for his "outstanding con tributions to Australian Antarctic research". June, 1965 New Zealand Scientists examine Antarctic Soils G. G. Claridge

During the summer just passed, a team of two. Dr. G. G. Claridge and Mr. I. B. Campbell, both of the Soil Bureau, D.S.I.R., travelled extensively in the Antarctic investigating chemical weathering and soil formation in the Ross Dependency. In contrast to the first Soil The next visit was to Inexpres Bureau expedition in 1956-60, when sible Island, where the expedition investigations were limited to the was landed by DC-3 aircraft about Taylor Valley and other places, in 10 miles away and manhauled to the vicinity of McMurdo Sound, a the island, which was found to be number of widely scattered areas as unpleasant a place as Campbell along the length of the Victoria found in 1912 because of the in Land mountains were studied this cessant wind. The site of Campbell's year. The areas visited were Hal depot was found, although the cave lett, Inexpressible Island, in Terra site itself was buried and the Nova Bay, Victoria Valley, the locality could only be distinguished Brown Hills region in the Darwin by the large number of old seal Glacier, asd the Shackleton Glacier bones and penguin skins scattered which is south of the Beardmore around. Glacier. To visit these areas, practic In December, three weeks were ally every form of Antarctic trans port was used, with the exception spent in the Shackleton Glacier, of Ana teams. Nearly every variety camping with a large party of American geologists, and travellin craft was used in getting to e various places visited, from by motor toboggan or HU-1B he] copter to the many areas of bare iper Constellation to Sikorsky ground that are found in this arid dition to the typical New Zealand style of travelling on foot. To visit some places it was even necessary to manhaul in the traditional manner. In all the Soil Bureau Shackleton glacier was the most party travelled over 4000 miles in various types of aircraft and over unusual of the areas visited and 500 miles on foot without counting soil studies involved much climb ing up steep scree slopes to flat the flights to and from the Antarc areas of bare ground at up to 10,000 tic. ft. above sea level. The expedition arrived at Scott Base in October, flew to Hallett air After leaving the Shackleton strip and manhauled around the Glacier, the party visited the Dar sound on which the station is win Glacier and the Victoria valley, situated, camping in several places both within helicopter range of and looking at soils on the ice- Scott Base, and spent nearly two free areas in the vicinity. On the weeks in each place, before return journey to Hallett Station at the ing to New Zealand at the end of conclusion of the work the party, January. while pulling a heavy sledge along The expedition was undertaken in the road, suffered the indignity of order to study the processes of rock being overtaken by a tractor which weathering and soil formation un did not offer a tow. der Antarctic conditions. This was June, 1965 for comparison with similar pro PLANS FOR 1965-66 cesses which have been studied in the remainder of the New Zealand No great changes are envisaged sector which extends from the pole in New Zealand's Antarctic Re to the equator and covers a wide search Programme for the coming range of climates and rock types. year. At Scott Base the only major Soil formation depends to a large development planned is the com extent on these two factors and the plete replacement of radio-com higher the temperature, the faster munication equipment. The winter the soil formation proceeds. There party as before is expected to num fore, in the Antarctic, where the ber 13. average temperatures arc very low, FIELD WORK these processes are also very slow, The pattern, initiated in 1964-65, and soils may be observed in the for summer geological field work very early stages of formation. A will be maintained. Instead of the greater understanding of the de earlier long sledge journeys with velopment of soils can thus be obtained. exploration as the main factor and geological reconnaissance as an im Considerable variations in the portant adjunct, small teams of rate of soil formation were found geologists with field asistants will in the various areas studied due to be flown into selected areas of variations in temperature and special geological interest for in humidity, in going from north to tensive study of special problems. south and from east to west from For the 1965-66 summer two such the coast towards the polar plateau. geological expeditions are planned: Many samples were collected to (1) a stratigraphical study of the verify the observations made in the coal measures and limestone of field and these will be studied in Mounts Buckley and Darwin at the the course of thc next few months. head of the Beardmore Glacier: (2) Geological studies along the western The only discovery of any pos side of the Campbell Glacier valley sible economic importance was in northern Victoria Land. In each made at the head of the Shackle case two geologists and two field ton Glacier on an outcrop of deeply assistants will participate and weathered dolerite. Wind and approximately a month will be weather had sculptured the dolerite spent in the field. into forms very similar to statuary by Henry Moore or Barbara Hep- ICE SHELF worth and with the prices such The study of the McMurdo Ice statues command, if these natural Shelf will be enlarged to include sculptures could be exported ice-coring with density and tempera economically they could perhaps ture profiling, and the setting up of form a worthwhile substitute. How small meteorological recorders in ever, exploitation may prove rather order to assess the varying meteor expensive. ological conditions and their pos sible effects. In conjunction with During the course of the soil sur vey several peaks nearly 10,000 feet the Ice Shelf project the quaternary high were climbed but these were geology of South Victoria Land and all bare rock and the ascents in patterned ground studies will be volved little more than scrambling undertaken. up rocky slopes. The only truly al VUWAE 10 pine ascent made was that of a The tenth Victoria University of 6000 ft. peak in the Hallett area Wellington Antarctic Expedition which involved a climb of 6000 ft. will be working in the same general from sea level, most of which was area as the second geological team over snow and ice. This climb was mentioned above. Four men will undertaken in order to collect a study the well-exposed basement sample from a high altitude but it complex and salt deposits in the also revealed a possible route on to coastal region near Inexpressible Is Mt. Herschel which lay several land. The planned duration of the miles further along the ridge. project is six weeks. June, 1965 ROSS SEA ISLANDS SURVEY

The joint United States-New Zealand Ross Sea Islands Survey, 1964-65, to some extent a follow-up of the Balleny Islands reconnaissance of the previous summer, was much more extended . i • ii_. *u_ ;..i^.,^K- pmmrorl raiKTinff frnm Reaiirnrt Island. just north of Ross Island itself, to Macquarie Island. The New Zealand component dredging and making sounding numbered 13: E. W. Dawson runs. (leader), J. C. McDougall, J. C. Gibb At Coulman Island several days and R. H. Blezard, oceanography; of persistent low cloud allowed only C. J. R. Robertson. B. L. Cope and a brief visit by landing craft at a R. D. Cooper, biology; D. C. Innes small penguin colony and on Jan and R. L. Ford, magnetics; B. C. uary 16 flights were made to deter Waterhouse, geology; M. J. Sheehan mine the location and size of pen and M. R. J. Ford, mapping; and F. guin colonies. The ship made the O'Leary, photography. The eight first circumnavigation ever of the United States members were W. R. island, navigating largely by radar. Seelig, coordinating scientist, R. B. From Moubray Bay, penguin Short and E. C. Powell, octopus colonies along the Hallett Peninsula parasitology; J. Zaneveld, J. M. were investigated from the air. A Curtis and J. K. Fletcher, algae; J. landing was made to resurvey the Sharp, insect collecting and A. L Edisto Glacier and Football Pass de Vries, anti-freeze properties of ice movement stakes left by the fish-blood. Dr. Z. Soucek, penguin N.Z. Geological Survey Tucker bacteriology, was a guest scientist Glacier Expedition of 1957-58. from Australia. A number of seals were collected The U.S.S. Glacier under Cdr. F. from ice floes at this time including J. Vaughan left McMurdo on Jan crabeater, Leopard and thc rare Ross uary 10. Steaming through brash seals. ice," the expedition made Beaufort Island the next day. A landing was Two days (January 21-22) were made on Cadwalader Beach. spent around the Possession Is From January 12 to 14 shore lands. The two main islands were well examined while the ship con parties had a full programme at tinued oceanographic work. The Franklin Island at the large penguin combination of quaint black rock colony and roaming the island for islands and pillars among the ice geology and mapping. Meanwhile the oceanographers steamed around floes and against the mighty back drop of the Admiralty mountains was most impressive. BIOLOGY A couple of days of dredging and sounding around ...Robertson Bay The Dominion Museum, Welling enabled shore parties to visit the ton, and the University of Canterbury will both again have teams in the genguinorchgrcvink's colony hut, at Ridley now boarded Beach, field, at Hallet Station and in the up, was still in good condition. A Cape Royds-Cape Crozier areas re geological landing was made at Rid spectively. ley Beach. Fine weather enabled the teams to admire the immense FALL-OUT grandeur and extent of the Ad Samples of snow, ice and water to miralty Mountains as Ross did provide basic data on nuclear pro when he discovered them in 1841. ducts occurring both naturally and "Glacier" now steamed a zig-zag as a result of nuclear explosions will course towards the Balleny Islands, be gathered, if possible at every five mapping and studying the sub degrees of latitude between New Zea marine Macquarie ridge on the land and the South Pole. way. The Balleny Islands lived up June, 1965

to their reputation for bleakness biology, including the flocks of and inaccessibility. In the three beautiful snow petrels, and to carry weeks that the expedition was out survey work. there, for only the occasional few On February 17 a rendezvous was hours was the area anything other made with H.M.N.Z.S. "Endeavour" than shrouded, gloomy and stormy. in difficult seas off Young Island. An exhaustive programme of Some of the party were transferred sounding runs and bottom sampl for return to McMurdo, and wel ing was carried out. Hurried heli come mail was brought on board copter landings were made when for the whole ship's company. ever possible. A brief touch down Work continued along the sub was made on Sturge Island (the marine ridge to Macquarie Island. first recorded landing) to collect Three days were spent ashore here rock speciments on January 31. making comparative studies of the On February 3 shore parties visit sub-Antarctic wild-life and being ed Sabrina Island and a nearby islet treated to very generous hospitality to the north-east, this last the first- at the Australian station. recorded landing. Chinstrap pen The Macquarie Ridge was follow guins were found among the Ade- ed to New Zealand and the ex lies. The surveyors spent three days pedition arrived at Lyttelton on on Sabrina after being caught out March 5. The whole cruise is re in a severe storm and waiting for ported as "especially memorable the weather to ease to allow a pick for its harmony and good humour." up. A second landing was made a The officers and crew of the week later to complete this work. "Glacier" were unstinting in their Two landings were made on Bor- cooperation and their efforts to radaile Island to study the local make the cruise a success.

Not Shown on the Surveyors' Maps

_ [Instead of a formal surveyor's report of the cruise, Malcolm Ford has kindly permitted us to purloin some very informal extracts from his racv story of the expedition.—Ed.] FRANKLIN ISLAND the penguin colony and hear the In the morning we climbed to the incessant clamour very much like summit of the island to continue the a crowd at a football test. Descend survey. ing the long scree slopes we were The apparently easy snow route amazed to find that even here the turned out to be one of quite toil penguins had built on almost every some ice with a few crevasses on conceivable piece of firm rock and top. The eastern side of the island there was a continual traffic of comprises steep 1000 foot cliffs birds: long thin ones heading down ending in a series of low peaks on for the sea and round pot bellied a level with the ice cap. The skuas ones laboriously toddling uphill. vigorously resented our presence Chaining a baseline through the anywhere near their chicks and we colony was a comic experience. The soon became quite adept at antici presence of the chain was indicated pating their low level attacks and by a long line of harrassed con warding them off with an ice axe. sternation that increased to out The southern end of the island ex right belligerence as the chain was tends in a long narrow ridge and tightened, divorcing couples on here the predators were well their nests and tossing the odd un entrenched. It seemed as though suspecting bird head over heels. this was used as a vantage point to spot any unguarded potential ROBERTSON BAY meals on the beach below. Even Barry Waterhouse wanted to col from this distance we could smell lect some type samples of Robert- June, 1965 son Bay sandstone from the Duke tent on the rubble with difficulty in of York Island so Barry, Jerry Gibb the steadily increasing wind, weigh and I were flown in by chopper. ing it down with rocks plundered We landed on the Murray glacier from nearby nests. and roping up probed our way to As night came on it became very the island which we climbed after dark and as it was clear that we a ducking in a hidden meltwater were in for a blow we piled more stream. Near the summit the chop rocks on the tent and waited. About per unexpectedly came back for us and we hastily scrambled down midnight it was roaring like a fury scree and snow slopes to the with the tent cloth cracking and flapping alarmingly and in the din glacier. About 30 feet from the we had to shout to make ourselves machine I disappeared up to my heard. At this rate it was only a armpits in a slot and floundered matter of time before the tent went helplessly while the other two and so, heavily clad, we pushed our calmly sat back taking the strain- way outside to check the guy ropes on the rope. I scrambled out thank and ease the ominous rips that ful that nobody had been quick were already starting to appear. enough to take a photo. The pilots were quite impressed by our off Somewhere in the lee of Buckle Is hand acceptance of the situation land the ship was recording 90 knots of wind and it must have though after a few days when the crevasse had grown to impressive been much worse in this exposed proportions the nonchalant remarks place. Walking was impossible but about it being "all in the day's by an odd lurching crawl and periodically lashed by gusts of grit work" were viewed with reasonable we robbed more rocks from the scepticism. cowering penguins to strengthen FIRST LANDING ON our defences. STURGE ISLAND Around dawn the outer wall Until our arrival Sturge Island finally tore open and we had to was still virgin and a good look at collapse the tent. With our sleeping the riddled ice tongues, overhanging bags tied inside and a heavily ice cap and sheer cliffs with no re anchored climbing rope knotted spite of a beach soon showed why. around the peak, we cleared away High winds and low cloud prevent the rocks and attempted to swing ed landing on the ice cap for sur the tent on to the ground. A play vey work. Hoping to collect rock ful spurt of wind hurled us bodily specimens we made a recce of the the other way and with only a few most likely looking cleft glaciers bruises we thankfully crawled back that have carved great notches into into our sacks. the body of the island. They turned Eventually the storm died away out to be decidedly unhealthy and to a strong breeze but dense murk as conversation on the intercom prevented any chance of flying. So was unintelligible I was reduced to we lay in relative comfort under the repeating loudly and anxiously "No, tent, smoking heavily, wondering no, no!' Back on board I learned about bed sores and glad not to be that Frank Lobb the pilot had been getting seassick on board. Occasion trying to tell me much the same ally a penguin came over to investi thing. However he is a very daring gate the sorry huddle. Being unable flyer and was able to put two to keep the primus going to melt wheels on a pile of rubble below snow for water we were reasonably a rock cliff while I slipped out and content to munch biscuits and drink grabbed a few specimens. It was a from a couple of tins of preserved rushed business probably taking no more than 20 seconds altogether. figs. A chopper came looking that evening with no possible show in On Sabrina Island the only the thick mist and had us very suitable campsite was the landing worried about the risk of its crash place in a small saddle, with cliffs ing. Two days later it cleared suf on one side and a big cornice on ficiently for a pick up and we were the other. Shooing a few penguins returned a little stiff and consider out of the way we pitched our polar ably relieved to the ship. June, 1965

TERRESTRIAL BIOLOGY C. J. R. Robertson Fine weather is an asset to field work anywhere and during the Ross Sea Balleny Islands cruise, person nel were fortunate to avoid many of the more unpleasant aspects of Antarctic sailing. The two terrestrial biologists Chris Robertson and Barry Cope were part of the 13-strong New Zealand party led by Elliot Dawson. With a very full programme of ob servations we found that the long hours of daylight were not always conducive to sleep especially in the earlier part of the journey. A con tinuous bird log was kept throughout the daylight hours of our time at sea. This not only gave an indication of "■3 different species present at that ci.ne of the year, but was also helpful in locating breeding areas and num bers of birds present in various lati tudes. In all, a total of 28 species of sea birds were seen during the Chinstrap Penguins 500 hours during which the log was on "Vaughan Island"*. kept. Photo F. O'Leary, Dominion Museum, N.Z. Included in the log were counts of seals and whales in various localities. packing. A very fine 14 foot speci Whales generally were scarce though men of a Leopard seal gave all mem more plentiful near the Balleny bers of the party and crew ample Islands where we found a Russian opportunity to see why this animal whaling fleet of fourteen catchers is entitled to a large amount of and a factory ship. It was estimated respect. that they would have caught 30-40 whales during the two days we were The major result of the survey was in their locality. the observation of 23 of the now 28 recorded breeding places of the All the seals of the area were Adelie penguin in the Ross Depen quite plentiful relative to the esti dency. Landings were made at 11 of mated size of their populations. A these, the rest being observed from particularly large concentration of the ship, or flown over by helicopter. Weddell seals was found at the By the end of the cruise Chris Rob tongue of the Tucker Glacier and ertson and Frank O'Leary the photo again at the head of Moubray Bay. grapher had become seasoned 'helo' During the first circumnavigation of Coulman Island we were particularly hourspassengers of survey as a result flights of to some known 14 fortunate in encountering a concen rookeries and in the search for new tration of the rare Ross seal with a smaller number seen at the mouth of Moubray Bay. We had a hectic week at this time as a total of 11 ils were collected for specimens nd ship and biological personnel -came very adept at manoeuvring ~ large ship alongside tiny ice floes and hauling the carcases on board * "Vaughan Island" is the suggested name for the arduous task of skinning and for a small island off Sabrina Island. June, 1965 covered by John Cranfield last Octo experience greatly facilitated by the ber was notable for its size and friendly interest and co-operation of particularly overpowering smell. Cmdr. V. J. Vaughan, U.S.N., and During the landing on Possession the Ship's Company of U.S.S. Island we took the opportunity to 'Glacier'. leave a record of our visit at the cairn originally placed there by Borchgrcvink in 1900. The wreck of a landing craft on thc beach here ARGENTINA ESTABLISHES was an admirable reminder of the hazards of beach landings which we NEW BASE had experienced earlier in the cruise. The rookery at Duke of York Island The Argentine Army has set up a was seen for the first time in 50 new scientific base in the Antarctic, years and seems to be thriving in only 590 miles from the South Pole. spite of the difficult locality at the head of Robertson Bay. The new base, called Sobral, was formally opened on April 4, the War Further observations were made of Office announced. Its position was Adelie rookeries in the Balleny given as 81° 4' W. on the southern Islands where at least 7 rookeries edge of the Filchner Ice Barrier. have now been recorded. Chinstrap The new base will be permanently penguins were again present and a manned by four men who will number were banded with USARP measure the movements of the ice bands. At all rookeries the scaveng barrier and make some astronomical ing Antarctic Skua was seen with measurements. some of the larger Southern Skuas being recorded from Cape Adare on Equipment was taken to Sobral wards. Base by six snocats, which covered a total of 2,485 miles to carry 40 tons Because of the fine weather it was of equipment from General Belgrano, found impossible to collect bird the nearest Argentine base 260 miles specimens by using the ship's search to the north. light, but a number of petrels of various species were collected ashore ROCKET in the Balleny Islands. The rocket launched by the Argen The visit to Macquarie Island com tine Air Force on February 9, its bined a most enjoyable social inter third in the Antarctic, was a Gamma- lude with two days of walking, a Centaur designed to give data on high- somewhat strenuous occupation altitude temperatures. It reached a after shipboard life. However, the height of 28 miles. wide variety of animal and plant material make the area a biologists' paradise. Apart from the four species of penguin (Royal, King, Gentoo and WEDDELL SEALS IN McMURDO Rockhopper) we had ample oppor SOUND tunity to become acquainted with the Elephant seal and the hazards We regret that some misapprehen of hidden wallows for weak ankles. sion may have resulted from our Of interest also was the thriving publication of an article in our last population of Wekas and the slowly issue "based" (as the prefatory note increasing colony of fur seals. The states) "on a recent report by Mur greatest impression though was the ray Smith". welcome green of the vegetation after the whiter tones of the previ The article is in no way to be ous few weeks. regarded as a scientific report. The "report" on which it was based was Returning to Christchurch with itself not intended by the writer for nearly a ton of frozen specimens and publication, but was produced for a wealth of valuable data we could distribution to the Antarctic Divi look back on two months of unique sion staff. June, 1965 FRENCH HAVE BUSY SUMMER AT DUMONT D'URVILLE The French expedition change-over from TA14 to TA15 called tor an unusually full programme at the Adelie Land Base.

"Thala Dan" left Hobart for Adelie bored, one 96 m. down to the base Tand on December 5, arrived at ment rock, the other in the nev Jumont d'Urville on the 11th, and interrupted at 40 m. by jamminr left for Australia on December 28 the drill. The requisite samHK, for service with the Australian Ant were collected and complementary arctic Expedition from January 6. observations made. The party re The vessel left Melbourne on' the turned to base on March 2. 8th and arrived at Dumont d'Urville again for a brief visit on January 15. MARINE ECOLOGY After the planned oceanographical Work carried out by a team under programme the ship returned to the P. Arnaud comprised dredging and French base for the repatriation of sea fishing from two small craft, the TA 14 team and the summer one equipped with winch, ultrasonic party, leaving for Hobart on Mar. 3. sounder and radio transceiver. In Three hundred and seventy tons vertebrates, benthic fishes and sea of cargo was unloaded at Dumont weed were studied to depths of 50- d'Urville during the first visit. 200 metres. Previously, this work Support to the operations was had been restricted to the surface supplied by the Alouette II heli —50 m. range. copter with its team of two pilots and two mechanics. Flying in BIRD ECOLOGY February was severely restricted by Mougin and Le Morvin carried bad weather, but 170 flights were out systematic banding of Pro- lade in the archipelago and on the cellarhformes (petrels, fulmars and ontinenlal edge, totalling 118 hours Cape pigeons) and of both Emperor nying time and carying 208 passen and Adelie penguins. Banding of gers and 402 tons of cargo, un pairs was first done after marking loaded by sling, in all. and numbering of nests, and then, Notable features of the summer's later, the chicks from the same work were (1) the logistic co-opera nests were also banded. tion with the Australian expedition made possible by the joint utilisa CONSTRUCTION tion of "Thala Dan"; (2) the exten The planned programme was car sion of the working period to almost ried out. As both inside and out three months, the maximum con side work was called for, construc sistent with the climatic conditions tion operations could be continued and the state of the ice; and (3) the in all weathers. The following in extensive construction work at the stallations were made fully opera ■ase and the installation of im tional: No. 1 laboratory, new garage, portant scientific equipment. old Marret Base, kitchen for sum GLACIOLOGY mer operations and seismological pit. The following were constructed: Six men under C. Lorius (expedi No. 2 laboratory, balloon-launching tion leader) were placed in the field shelter, and the foundations for vari on the edge of the polar ice-cap ous scientific apparatus. In addition, with a kitchen caravan, three radio- siting and preliminary work in con equipped weasels and a drill. Two nection with the construction of motor-boats and the helicopter en several other buildings was carried sured adequate communication with out, including a gas-oil cistern and the Base. After the taking of gravity a shelter for the geomagnetic measurements two drills were station. june, 1965

The original seismological station, The pit is situated in the centre of erected for the International Geo l'lle des Petrels, about three rniles physical Year, was closed in Decem south of the main camp. The seismo ber 1962. During 1963 "TA 13" dug a logical station itself will not be com pit in the most favourable situation pleted until next summer, only the available to shelter the seismographs, "short-term" equipment having been and erected a laboratory building. installed during the 1964-65 summer.

French Expedition Ship Rams Berg

When the ice-scarred 2,000 ton Danish ship "Thala Dan" berthed at Hobart on March 14, she carried two mementos of a perilous encounter nine days before. On her fo'c'sle was a 1501b. block About the same time as "Thala of ice, and the shank of her two-and- Dan" hit the 'berg, she lost both a-half-ton starboard anchor was 214-ton anchors. Thc starboard broken. anchor's shank snapped about two The ice was all that was left of an feet above the flukes. The port anchor estimated ten tons. cable parted about 15 fathoms from the anchor. On March 11, "Thala Dan" was anchored at Dumont d'Urville base Capt. Pedersen kept "Thala Dan's" in Adelie Land. There were icebergs engines full ahead and the rudder ahead, astern and off the port side. hard to port until she was at right- On her starboard side was a rocky angles to the iceberg. Then he backed island. her off gently and the bitter wind forced her bows seaward. The blizzard forced "Thala Dan" astern toward an iceberg. About 10 That night the crew forced most of p.m. Capt. Pedersen decided it was the ice off the fo'c'sle into the sea. time to "get out" and make for more AFTERMATH open sea. If he turned "Thala Dan" to star Next morning after the blizzard, board, he would have put her on the third officer FranceBoevingriskedhis rocks. To port he had less than three life for several hours alone in a 24- boat lengths. foot wooden boat. Most of it was in rough seas under the heavily rolling "There wasn't time to get the "Thala Dan's" starboard bow. Boev- anchors up, so I had to break them," ing had to fasten a steel wire "rope" Capt. Pedersen said. to what was left of the starboard Turning to port, "Thala Dan" anchor shank so that it could be crunched her bow into an iceberg hauled aboard and removed, and the about 10.25 p.m. "half-anchor attached to the cable. Chief Officer Paul Jorgensen (36), The operation took five to six Second Officer Bend Skcedt (32) and hours. "Thala Dan" was in rough Able Seaman Christiansen (28) were seas, among icebergs. There was a on the fo'c'sle working the anchor 45-knot wind and the air temperature windlasses. was about 26 degrees. "She hit the iceberg. We ran," Mr. "Thala Dan's" master (Capt. V. Jorgensen said in Hobart. The 10 tons Pedersen) said it had been his tumbled down. "closest squeak ever". Capt. Peder It gave the men on the bridge an sen has been sailing to Antarctica for anxious time. They could not see eight seasons, five of them in com whether the fo'c'sle party had got mand. clear. The "Thala Dan" has brought back June, 1965 samples of glacier ice for analysis. The samples, filling seven big trunks, NEW RESEARCH were drilled from a 300-foot hole in the Astrolabe Glacier. SHIP EOR JAPAN TA 15, the team for 1965, consists of 20 men led by glaciologist Claude "Fuji," the first ship con Lorius, who with three other mem structed in Japan specifically bers of the party has previously win for Antarctic work, was launch tered over. The summer party num bered 30, twelve of them forming ed at Yokohama in March. the construction team, and four the helicopter group. Of this total 36 "Fuji", from the Tsurumi ship were flown out from Le Bourget air yards of Nippon Koken Kabushiki port to Hobart where they were Kaisa, is a 7,760 ton vessel built at an embarked on "Thala Dan" on Decem estimated cost of nearly £4 million, ber 5. Also in the summer party were provided entirely from Government M. Pierre Rolland, Administator-in- funds to the specifications of th< Chief of Terres Australes et Antarc- Ministry of Education under th< tiques Francaises, and M. Paul-Emile supervision of the Defence Agency. Victor, Director of Expeditions Pol- The keel was laid last August and aires Francaises. completion is expected by July. "Fuji" is scheduled to leave Tokyo PLANS FOR 1965-66 about November 20, and to call at Next summer "Thala Dan" will Fremantle on her voyage to Showa Base. On the way home she is ex again be used by both French and Australian expeditions, and the sum pected to reach Cape Town in April mer working period will, it is hoped, 1966. extend from mid-December to early UNUSUAL FEATURES March. "Fuji" has specially designed TA 16, the team to occupy the trimming and heeling tanks # to Dumont d'Urville Base from late facilitate manoeuvring and ice- 1965 till early 1967, will consist of breaking. She has a double-hull con 30 men compared with earlier teams struction to afford additional safety of 20. This increase is necessitated in Polar seas. Her makers claim by the heavy building and scientific that she has the power to break ice research programme. The team up to six metres in thickness, said will comprise Leader, doctor, engi to be twice the ice-breaking power neer-mechanic, six technicians, five of her predecessor, the "Soya" and mechanics, radio-officer, cook, engi a 20 per cent improvement on Unit neer-surveyor, and the scientists ed States Wind-class ice-breakers. engaged in Ionospherics (3), Night The vessel can carry three heli Sky (2), Geomagnetism (2), Meteo copters with the necessary hangar rology (3), Cosmic Rays and Radio capacity and launching pad. activity, Seismology, and Biology. Living quarters are fully air- The summer party will comprise conditioned. The vessel has the 24 men, including a strong construc customary rounded hull bottom but tion team. also has provision for reducing roll. Her breadth (22m) is unusually wide for her length of 100m. IN NEXT ISSUE "Fuji" will carry a crew of 182, who will be Defence Agency per ANTARCTIC STATIONS: THE sonnel, and an expeditionary force ARGENTINE ISLANDS of 40 men supplied by the Ministry (the first British Base) of Education. "A STONE FROM THE DRY MAIDEN VOYAGE VALLEYS" It is intended that the ship will spend about a month in the Antarc (a striking poem by the wife of a tic on the 1965-66 expedition, while Scott Base winter party member) the base is being re-established. June, 1965 AUSTRALIANS' SUCCESSFUL YEAR SUMMARISED When Dr. Philip Law returned to Hobart on March 13 with 39 other ANARE men in the "Nella Dan", he claimed that most of the year's objectives in the Australian sector had been achieved. Pilots, geologists, surveyors, and Fuel dumps had to be set up when field assistants had shown courage helicopters were used to bring back and fortitude. men from Leckie Range and Fram Field parties had risked their lives Peak, about 150 miles from the "Nella camping in small tents in blizzards Dan". on remote mountain peaks. The geological work done in this Helicopters had been pushed to the area had been the biggest single geo limits of their range, carrying capa logical effort yet made, and was the city, and altitude performances. most complex summer operation. There had been many anxious The "Nella Dan" had on board the moments before men and machines damaged Beaver aircraft, the three had returned safely and the set tasks chartered helicopters, and two Army had been completed. ducks when she arrived at Hobart. The Beaver aircraft and helicopters The "Nella Dan" had a rough send- had flown 28,700 nautical miles in off from Antarctica. Just before her 460 hours, making 37 sorties and scheduled departure a 60-knot storm carrying a total of 312 passengers. struck Mawson, and the ship was unable to leave her moorings for two DAVIS CLOSED days. Mawson station had been relieved, VETERAN MASTER and Davis station had been closed down and sealed. Master of the "Nella Dan" is Capt. A running survey had been made Hans Christian Petersen, of Copen of the new edge of Amery Ice Shelf, hagen, who made the first trip to .nd several long runs of aerial survey Antarctica in the "Kista Dan". Since photographs had been obtained in then he has been with nine Austra Kemp and MacRobertson Lands by a lian and two British expeditions. Beaver aircraft flown by Capt. Whiting. TELLUROMETER SURVEY A comprehensive geological survey Surveyors successfully completed a of Kemp Land had been made under 300-mile survey traverse from Maw the direction of McLeod, while a son to Mt. Mueller, in Kemp Land. tellurometer survey traverse from The survey extended from Mawson Mawson to Edward VIII Gulf, direc through the Framnes mountains, ted by Kirkby, had provided a highly Baillieu peak, Fram peak, Leckie accurate baseline for future cartog range and Rayner peak to Mount raphy. Mueller. The expedition had been hampered Four surveyors of the National by sea ice blocking the ship from Mapping Division, led by Kirkby, entering Edward VIII Gulf, by the with four assistants from Mawson usual bursts of bad weather, and station, did the survey in arduous later by damage to the Beaver air and hazardous conditions. craft when it broke through the ice Starting on January 10 they worked and was submerged in the sea for at distances up to 100 miles inland about five hours. on the Antarctic continent. Landed The accident to the Beaver had by helicopter to camp in inland meant that the main work then de mountain ranges, they made long volved on the helicopters, which had daily climbs with heavy loads to to be used in frog hops instead of prominent peaks to carry out the direct flights by the Beaver. survey. June, 1965

Weather imposed severe limita tions upon the helicopter operations. CARAVAN NEARLY BLOWN During storms, survey parties hud TO SEA dled in tiny tents in blizzards up to 80 m.p.h. A Mawson caravan containing The accurate line survey will form scientific instruments, set up on the the basis for a series of detailed sea ice for glaciological observations, maps of Kemp Land and MacRobert- was saved from being blown out to son Land. sea on May 10. The officer-in-charge, Brian Woinarski, said that when a DEPOT LAYING JOURNEY violent blizzard endangered the cara FROM MAWSON van the whole 27-man Mawson party turned out to salvage it. A towrope A party of five, led by base leader half a mile long was needed to haul Woinarski left Mawson on March 19. the caravan back to safety because The party returned on April 16 to it would have been too dangerous for Mawson Station after three weeks a towing vehicle to venture nearer on the Antarctic plateau. over the treacherous sea ice. Men They were immobilised for five worked in an 80 m.p.h. blizzard. days in a field of drifting snow, with Shortly afterwards all sea ice blew temperatures down to minus 46 de out to sea leaving open ocean where grees. the caravan had been. They travelled in two tractors to the Stinear Nunataks, about 190 The instrument-packed caravan miles south-east of their station. They was established on the sea ice in established three depots, about 60 miles apart, with fuel for a survey party next spring. ing instruments to measure solar INVERSION OF TEMPERATURES radiation and temperatures above, on and below the sea ice surface. A During March, the outside meat companion station operating a mile refrigerator at Mawson had to be and a half inland on the blue ice attended to. The interior tempera behind Mawson enabled comparisons ture was 27 degrees above zero whilst to be made of the heat energy bal outside was minus 4! It seemed ance in contrasting situations. ridiculous for this to happen in the Antarctic. In April, with the sea ice in, the FIELD TRIPS 1965-66 nearby islands became accessible, enabling the dog teams to be given Thc Antarctic Division has tenta much more exercise. Several sorties tive plans (of a provisional nature have been made by various men with only at this stage) for the following the do°;s, some to get seal meat. field trips. From Wilkes: May-June, glaciology and geophysics; August, OUT FROM WILKES with dogs, glaciology in the Haupt Nunatak and Vanderford Glacier A party of six mn from Wilkes •"^re trapped for 15 days by blizzards area; September, glaciology, measur the Antarctic plateau at the begin ing the Wilkes Ice Dome; October- December, geophysics, rectangular ning of April. grid; December-January, glaciology, Three men suffered minor cases of dome triangle re-measurement; Janu frostbite as temperatures fell to 38 ary, glaciology, Vanderford Glacier. degrees below zero in the blizzards. The journeys would be from four to The party was surveying a 210-mile ten weeks' duration, and in all except line of markers set last summer on the August journey, would be with an extensive ice dome near Wilkes. vehicles. From Mawson: Survey, tri- The men returned safely to Wilkes lateration by tellurometerin Framnes ase after six weeks on the Antarctic Mountains; glaciology, mass econo plateau. my, ice thickness and movement The party was led by station leader studies, studies of plateau and sea John Lanyon. ice, heat and radiation budgets. June, 1965 THE CHANGE-OVER AT SANAE News of the Christmas festivities and the arrival of the 1965 team at the South African base SANAE came too late for insertion in our March issue. Events at the base during the last with diesel drums and marker poles. few months have been dominated by the Christmas festivities and prepar VOYAGE OF THE "R.S.A." ations for the arrival of the relief The research vessel "R.S.A.", which ship "R.S.A." The men had their carried the relief team to SANAE Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve. base, was very fortunate to encounter On the menu were items like rock very little pack ice on its voyage to lobster, chicken and asparagus. There the south. The whole trip from Cape was even talk of ice-cream to cele Town to Antarctica and back took brate a maximum temperature of only a little more than five weeks. +0.2° C. which occurred during "R.S.A." left Cape Town on December Decmber. The mean temperature of 29, stopped at Marion Island to put —4.3° C. showed a big rise from ashore a team of scientists, and November's —10.2° C. arrived at SANAE on January 15. For nearly all it was a first white Some pack ice was experienced but Christmas. Christmas decorations not thick enough to delay the ship. were hung up in the dining room and Polarsirkelbukta could not be used there was a special edition of the this year for off-loading owing to base newspaper, the "Sankrant". crevasses which had developed in the Christmas greetings were exchanged vicinity. Tottanbukta was used in by radio with other Antarctic bases. stead and even here there was some The departure of the "R.S.A. from danger as ice was continually break Cape Town after Christmas was glad ing off from the ice shelf. Luckily news for the men at SANAE. A pool, the weather was very favourable and in which one had to guess the time the off-loading was accomplished in and date of arrival of the "R.S.A.", about three days. Another five days was begun. were spent in handing over the base Since the old meteorological tower to the new team, shooting seals for was leaning over ominously the the huskies, and catching some pen mammoth task of erecting a new guins. Half a dozen Emperor pen tower was undertaken and com guins were brought along for the pleted before Christmas. It is now National Zoological Gardens in Pre a strikingly erect triangular tower 85 toria. Ten huskies, consisting of feet high. seven full-grown animals and three puppies, were also brought back. NORWAY BASE VISITED The "R.S.A." started her return On Boxing Day an excursion to the voyage on January 23. Taking the old Norway base was arranged. The same route by which she came, she way in which the weight of overlay soon ran into fairly heavy pack ice ing snow had bent and shattered the and no progress could be made. After woodwork within the base was very two days the ship was turned round instructive and at times a bit fright and sailed westwards to longitiude ening. 150° W. and from here northwards. The task of bringing all stores of No further pack ice was encountered diesoline, paraffin and petrol to the and the ship arrived back in Cape surface has at last been completed. Town on February 6. On the way Much difficulty was experienced with back a rendezvous was made with the diesoline, which was buried some the "Kista Dan" bound for the Bri six feet deep. tish base at Halley Bay. A reconnaissance of all suitable Dr. J. du P. de Witt was appointed buktas for off-loading purposes was physician to the S.A. Antarctic Ex undertaken. Tottan-bukta was con pedition in 1965 and accompanied the sidered the most suitable and the rest of the expedition when they route to SANAE was marked out sailed from Cape Town. June, 1965

L AT E R N E W S Radio operator Ray Statt is hard Usually when a new expedition takes over there is a surge of frantic at work er^r~tir,rr ° "«M»»oi ,-...o^j activity until the relief ship has left. The SANAE VI take-over from SANAE V was no exception. Despite During March a minimum temper the rush, the off-loading of stores and ature of —35° C. was recorded, a sign supplies, including two new muskegs and a new caboose, was accom that winter is rapidly approaching. plished without a hitch in perfect Some dazzling mirages were observed weather. After the departure of the in which the whole surrounding coast "R.S.A." everyone was anxious to get line and nearby icebergs were visible. organised as regards base work and scientific programmes. Very soon all All the men are in good health and food supplies, new scientific appara settling down to the routine of life at an Antarctic base. The met. team tus, etc., were safe and sound within the base. In the record time of three of Hennie Joubert, Pottie Potgieter days 800 drums of diesoline were and Dries Steyn has been very suc transported from Tottanbukta to cessful with radiosonde flights and SANAE. their average height reached for March should be very close to a The meteorological team installed record. Surveyor Johnny Strydom a new radio theodolite which is now has been most fortunate in his search working satisfactorily, providing up for supposedly lost beacons in the per wind speed and direction. SANAE region and he is now surevy- Ionosphericist Derek Sharwood has ing the net. Geologist Wolf Pollake installed, and is at present testing, a and geomagnetist Zac Ezekowitz nevy airglow apparatus. Geomag- recently undertook a field trip which netist Zac Ezekowitz is testing the took them to the substation Pingvin all-sky camera in preparation for the base and along the north-east coast winter auroral programme. A flux to the last icerise before the Troll- gate magnetometer has been success fully installed and final alignments tunga. Magnetic and gravity deter will soon be completed. Danie Jou- minations were done as well as some bert, who is responsible for the glaciology. Geophysicist Danie Jou cosmic ray programme, is preparing bert recently had a partially success electronic apparatus for a balloon ful cosmic ray balloon flight. Derek flight to be done simultaneously with Sharwood, besides keeping his beast a flight by other members of the the ionosonde in check is on night Potchefstroom University research duty for the airglow observations. team, during the Marion Island relief. REPAIRS? INTO THE FIELD During April some reparation work The four-man geological field party to the building had to be undertaken. 'leader Sewes van Wyk) left in mid- The only way to do it was to remove February for the mountains. How a nine-foot layer of snow under ever, after a harrowing experience between Dassieskop and Marsteinen which the roof was buried. After a in which the muskeg and the fuel huge effort this was ultimately done and everything was ready to com sledge fell side-on into a five-foot- wide crevasse necessitating the hasty mence repairing broken rafters, etc., departure of a two-man rescue team, the following morning. Alas, nature the party was forced to return to had decided otherwise and during base after muskeg and sledge with that night a severe gale restored the fuel had been rescued. A reconnais snow cover on the roof as if no sance of the region ahead revealed human hand had ever touched it. A that it was impassable, particularly fresh effort will be made at some to a heavy vehicle. other time. June, 1965

90 KNOTS PLUS R A S E R O I One of the most violent storms yet experienced at SANAE occurred dur BAUDOUIN ing April with winds gusting to over 90 knots. For most of the expedition BELGIAN-DUTCH EXPEDITION members it was a new experience but News received from Base Roi Bau the novelty soon wore off and was douin indicates that the scientific replaced by a feeling of utter help work is being carried out according lessness against the tempest when to the programme. The surveyor, J. T. the hatch exit disappeared from view amid swirling drift snow. Calm Derwael, has returned from a short weather followed and the men were sledge journey on the ice-shelf, dur ing which the first part of a triangu- able to assess the damage. Most in lation project was observed. The pro stallations above the surface were ject is part of a longer programme filled with snow, in particular the to study relative deformation of the cabin of one of the muskegs was filled right up. Drift snow just seems to get in everywhere. The newly On the technical side three diesel generators were recovered from the erected cubical quad antenna and the old base buildings, dating from 1958. cosmic ray balloon tracking antenna One of the generators has been over suffered fair damage. hauled and is now in use at the new After a period of considerable geo base. The old base is still accessible, physical activity a brilliant auroral but is progressively being deformed display occurred on the night of the by the eight metres of firn accumu 8th. The radial bands were often seen lated since 1958. Many girders are to pulsate, indicating considerable bent or sheared and many major activity. The all-sky camera photo cracks have developed. The interior graphs, riometer and airglow records panels have completely collapsed. should provide an interesting study. The glaciological pit is slowly closing because of the inward bulging of its MORE REPAIRS walls. A rhombic antenna has been put Urgent repair work had to be done to the roof of the so-called "ball into use, greatly improving the radio room" between the kitchen and the communications with Belgium. sleeping quarters. Supporting beams in this section have been bent and FEBRUARY WEATHER broken by the weight of the over lying snow and ice. This created a The minimum temperature at Base dangerous situation which, if ignored, Roi Baudouin in February was could eventually have caused the -18.2° C. (—0.7°F) and the maxi whole area to cave in. This necessi mum 0.2° C. (32.3° F.). The maximum tated the digging of a hole in the ice wind was 48 knots. some 12 ft. deep and 14 ft. square to Some field work was carried out uncover the sagging roof. They were during the month, including triangu- all but finished digging the hole when lation on the ice shelf in the direc much to their chagrin a storm came tion of Polarhav and Brelinken. up and filled the hole again. The Health and morale were reported second attempt met with more suc good. cess and the last sections of roofing were laid in total darkness with a storm brewing. INDEX Compilation of the Index for Vol ume 3 (1962-1964) is nearly com A Santiago message states that pleted, and the Index should be in helicopters from the British Antarc print within two months' time. Ad tic cruiser "Protector" helped ferry vance orders will now be accepted, food, building materials and other 2/6 per copy. Binding arrangements necessities to the area devastated by for the volume will be announced in the earthquake on March 28. our September issue. June, 1965 BRITISH BASES SECURED FOR THE WINTER

Now that the season is over it is possible to record the accomplishments of the 1964-65 season, and to assess the potential of the Survey for "Enterprise 22," as the twenty-second year of British work in the Antarctic is now designated.

The absence of ice made the relief a crevasse but was recovered: all and re-supply of all six British Ant three suffered mechanical trouble arctic Survey stations easy and they but were coaxed home. The round are all fully found for another year. trip of 650 miles was done in 28 days and they left a five-ton depot 140 REVISED PROGRAMME FOR miles from base. MARGUERITE BAY Work in the mountains and nuna taks east of Halley Bay will be As reported in the last issue of resumed in the spring of 1965. In 1966 "Antarctic", one of the Otters was it is expected that the provision of damaged beyond repair. The remain two International BTD 8 tractors will ing aeroplane returned safely to De enable surveyors and geologists to ception Island. If it can be made work farther afield, in particular in serviceable it will return to Mar the Theron Mountains and the Shac guerite Bay in the spring to support kleton Range. These tractors are field work, but without the support capable of pulling loads of up to 12 of another aeroplane its operations tons each and they should be able to will be limited. This has led to the support a full season's work without curtailment of the planned pro the necessity for laying depots. Dog gramme in geology and topographi teams will be used for reconnais cal survey. It is feasible only for one sance and for the field work proper, geologist with two assistants and dog supplemented as necessary by motor teams to sledge down to work in the tobaggans. The latter would probably Fossil Bluff area, so continuation of be transported to project areas on topography and the geology of the the tractor sledges, so that they west coast of Palmer Land must be arrive in the best possible condition postponed. Alternative programmes for work. have been initiated. These include efforts to link previous surveys in the MOUNT ANDREW JACKSON Loubet Coast area with more recent CLIMBED work around Adelaide Island and to extend the whole down the coast to The highest mountain in the Ant Stonington Island. A geologist will arctic Peninsula was climbed in the be working around Pourquoi Pas and course of survey work by a team led Horseshoe Islands and another in the by John Cunningham on December 23, 1964. A provisional estimate of region of Mobiloil Inlet. the height of the mountain is 13,000 HALLEY BAY feet which is 6,000 feet above the plateau and 4,000 feet higher than On April 4 a field group using dog any other known mountain in the teams returned to Halley Bay after Peninsula. The ascent was straight being away 205 days working in the forward apart from a large overhang Tottanfjella, the Vestfjella and the below the summit which required Heimfrontfjella. Three Muskeg trac much skill to surmount. Once this tors returned on April 7, having re had been overcome all the members lieved the remote ionospheric station of the survey team were able to reach called "Coats". One had a tussle with the top. Chilean Defence Minister tours Antarctic Bases The Santiago newspaper "El Mer- the establishment of the base, and his curio" for February 21 features a own visit. The correspondents noted full-page (front page) article "Ant- the "well painted" kennels for the artida Chilena, Reserva para el "Eskimo" dogs some 300 m. from the Futuro", which is in the main an Base Buildings, but were told that account by Jorge Magana N. of the the dogs obstinately preferred to visit by the Chilean Defence Minister sleep on the snow. to Chilean Antarctic bases referred ARMY BASE to briefly in our March issue. Featured is a striking photograph in colour of Next day the party arrived at the the Aguirre Cerda Base. Army base General Bernado O'Hig The Minister, don Juan de Dias gins in the extreme north of the Antarctic Peninsula (still, in th< Carmona, during the first week of Mercurio" article, called "Tierra February visited Chilean bases in the Antarctic. He was accompanied O'Higgins"). The base, just off the by top-ranking Army, Navy, Air Force shore of Bransfield Strait in 63° 19' and university officials. During the S., 57° 54' W., was founded in 1948. eight days' voyage in the frigate It has a wintering group of nine men. "Covadonga" the party travelled 3,500 The correspondents noted with evi km. and visited the three principal dent interest the presence of 18 dogs, Chilean bases at present occupied. 39 sheep and 130 hens. Perhaps Scott Base New Zealanders were rather From Punta Arenas, the visitors hasty in dubbing Hallett Station the travelled via the Argentine military Banana Belt of the Antarctic. base of Ushuaia to Puerto Williams, the most southerly regular settlement LAST STOP in the world with its approximately "Covadonga" now steamed south 500 permanent inhabitants. The west past the South Shetland Islands second day took the party past Cape to Deception Island to visit the Air Horn into Drake Strait, and on the Force Base of Pedro Aguirre Cerda third day "Covadonga" arrived off established at 62° 56' S., 60° 36' W. the South Shetland Islands, just on Caleta Pendulo (Pendulum Cove) north of the tip of the Antarctic in 1955. The more relaxed atmosphere Peninsula. Off little Table Island, of the closing stages of the tour is west of Robert Island, two helicop indicated by references to a "coctel" ters flew over the vessel in salute. and a game of "futbal" between Base AT ARTURO PRAT personnel and visitors while the visi At 11a.m. the vessel reached the tors were at this base. The players of both sides had had enough after o Prat naval base on Puerto two spells of 15 minutes anc rania, Greenwich Island. This station, situated in 62° 30' S., 59° 41' goals for each side. W., was established in February 1947. The return voyage to Punta Arenas, "Covadonga" anchored close to the by contrast with the gentle swell of relief ships "Piloto Pardo" and "Lien- the journey south, provided waves of tur". The Commander of the Antarc 30 to 40 metres, and more than 40 tic Task Force, Capitan de Fragata hours of severe tossing. Maurice Poisson, told the Press cor A NEW BASE? respondents that the re-provisioning and relief of the base, begun in During the Antarctic tour the Min December, had been completed and ister conferred with other officials that hydrographic and other work regarding the possibility of the instal had proved 'profoundly stimulating". lation of a new base south of the The Minister unveiled a plaque com Antarctic Circle in the not very dis memorating the 18th anniversary of tant future. SOVIET ANTARCTIC STATIONS READY FOR THE WINTER

LAST DAYS this winter into man's physical and mental acclimatisation to extreme Before the sojourn of the "Ob" cold and to solitude. came to an end the ship had covered more than 17,000 miles. Having STAYING ON brought the relief staff and the pro visions to Novolazarevskaya Station At the Soviet stations, with the in Queen Maud Land, Soviet oceano polar winter approaching fast, the graphers began the study of Antarc winds became stronger, snowstorms tic waters. During a fortnight's cruise more frequent and the temperature they reached the 6th degree East dropped. At Vostok Station the win Longitude, and by mid-March were ter team were already experiencing heading in the direction of home. 50°C below zero. The members of the tenth polar expedition are now ! ship's crew made more than carrying out scientific observations ou oceanographic stations and at all stations. They include scientists '•■died thousands of miles of lit- from Czechoslovakia, Germany, I .. _il waters by means of echo sound gary, the U.S.A. and Poland. ing. These included the bays of The 48-days voyage of the "Ob" Leningrad, Alashev, "Lena", Amund sen, Prydz, etc. Many huge icebergs along the route Mirny-Novolazarev- were encountered. Often the radar skaya-Mimy had been completed screen would show 700 to 800 moun when the captain, N. M. Sviridov, tains of ice floating within a radius radioed Leningrad on March 16. of 15 miles. On March 6, near the Almost 7,000 km. were covered by north-western shores of Enderby the "Ob" along the Antarctic coast, Land it took the "Ob" several hours bringing to Molodezhnaya (Enderby to pass an iceberg 52 miles long. Land) and Novolazarevskaya Sta While checking the boundaries of tions the new wintering-over staff the considerably shrunken Amery and large quantities of provisions and Polar Record ice-shelves, the and scientific equipment which will vessel passed through 300 miles be used for new construction pro where once, according to the map, jects. there used to be land. The members of the previous ex pedition were expected to arrive in The Russians had as their guests Leningrad towards thp pnH r\f Ant-il a iiuinuci ui luieigu sciciiiibis W11U returned to their countries at the end of the expedition. These included AMERICAN WITH RUSSIANS an English glaciologist, Charles During the "Ob's" voyage along Swithinbank, a Czech geo-physicist, the shores of Antarctica the Soviet Moimir Konecny, and Dr. Klaus scientists were joined by an Ameri- Eisner from Germany. man microbiologist, George Meyer. He had visited other Soviet Polar MEDICAL RESEARCH Stations including Novolazarevskaya which he had reached after a 100 km. journey by weasel-sledge, and now he has returned to Mirny where he will winter over. include nine men with doctorates in various sciences, and adds that RUSSIAN WITH DEEP FREEZE Mirny is equipped with a well- stocked bio-chemical laboratory. In The Russian scientist, I. Zotikov, tensive studies will be undertaken is wintering with the American Ex- June, 1965 pedition. He had been twice previ Lake Glubokoye (Deep) in Schir- ously to the Antarctic. He took part maker Oasis leads us to believe that in the fourth Soviet Antarctic Ex at some time in the past there was a pedition and also in the Moscow- variety of this species of moss grow Antarctica flight. Mr. Zotikov is par ing on land in the Eastern Antarctic. ticularly interested in the thermo- Lake Glubokoye is situated about physical properties of the ice-sheet. 300 m. west from Novolazarevskaya. He has proved that deep inside the The moss was named after a Soviet continent where the ice is thickest, glaciologist I. Simonov, who identi its lower layer keeps melting con fied and studied the conditions of its tinually. According to his calcula growth. He established that owing to tions this thawing process is taking the transparency of the lake water place in a large area of Antarctica. the daylight penetrates to a maxi mum depth of 32.3 m. in spite of a During the summer he visited two American Stations, Amundsen-Scott 2 m. thick ice cover and promotes and Byrd, and is now wintering at benthic vegetation. McMurdo. UNEASY UNLOADING ANOTHER VETERAN Nature in Antarctica is full of sur prises. When the "Ob" reached PASSES Pravda Coast and during the whole time she was being unloaded, the Scots-born Dr. James W. S. Marr weather was fine and warm (the has died at the age of 62. He was one temperature often rising to 3-5° C). of two Boy Scouts chosen from 1,700 Snowcats carried the load from the applicants to accompany Shackle "Ob" to Mirny over the fast ice. They ton's "Quest" Expedition in 1921, dur were driven by experienced members ing which Shackleton himself died of of the expedition and made a total of angina pectoris and was buried on 1000 km. on their trips back and South Georgia. Marr became a noted forth to the ship. Travelling on fast explorer and zoologist, a specialist in ice is dangerous. When cracks begin hydrological and plankton research. appearing in the ice the ship moves As a member of the "Discovery" to a safer place. Hydrologists are research staff he was seconded to continually watching the strip of fast Mawson's BANZARE Expedition of ice used for travelling from thc ship 1929-31. As a Lieutenant-Commander to the station and back. R.N.V.R. he led the secret war-tirne When the "Estonia" arrived she expedition "Operation Tabarin" had to be unloaded with the aid of which occupied a station at Port planes owing to a number of cracks Lockroy, Wiencke Island, in the south in the ice between her and the shore. of the then Graham Land, 1944-45, for Suddenly the weather changed. A military and administrative as well large number of new cracks appeared as scientific and exploratory reasons. and the ice began to move. The A party under Marr carefully sur "Estonia" found herself locked be veyed the island, manhauling their tween two ice floes which had de sledge for a month. This expedition tached themselves from the fast ice. was the genesis of the Falkland The "Ob" went to her rescue. It took Islands Dependency Survey, now the her three hours to break through the British Antarctic Survey. ice and reach the "Estonia" while the wind force reached 9 on the Beaufort scale. The fight for survival went on for two days and finally the ships French TV carried on June 30, 1964, a documentary on the life and work were free of ice, lying in a drift and of Admiral R. E. Byrd. The feature waiting for the storm to abate. was directed by Jean-Luc Dejean in a VEGETATION UNDER THE ICE series "Salute to Adventure". The commentary was spoken by Paul- The presence of moss (Pleuro- Emile Victor, Director of Expeditions carpi) on the bottom of the Antarctic Polaires Francaises. June, 1965

ANTARCTIC STATIONS 2. McMURDO N.A.F. (Naval Air Facility) McMur the Senior Lieutenant of the "Terror". do is the biggest and busiest station Most of the place names in the in the Antarctic: perhaps the only vicinity were given by Scott: Obser one which really gives the impression vation Hill, the Gap (leading to of being a town, with streets, har New Zealand's Scott Base on Pram bour, airport, community centres, Point), Cape Armitage, Crater Hill, church, hospital and — a shop. Here Castle Rock. in the summer months up to 1,000 American connection with McMur men may be from time to time in do began on February 20, 1947, during residence, and even the winter popu Operation High Jump, when a heli lation is approximately 200. copter from the icebreaker "Burton McMurdo is built on historic Island" touched down beside the old ground. A few hundred yards from hut and the visitors gazed with awe the "civic centre" and only a few at the pony-hitching rack and the hundred feet from the wharves and carcass of a sheep lying under the facilities of its port, stands the squat, verandah of the hut. square hut which was erected by The history-laden spot was now Captain Scott's first expedition in left once more to the penguins and 1902 and which gave sorely needed thc skuas until preparations began shelter to sledging parties during the in 1955-56 for the International Geo expeditions of Shackleton in 1907-8, physical Year. The United States Scott again in 1910-13, and the Ross planned six scientific stations and a Sea component of Shackleton's logistic support base, N.A.F. McMur Trans-Antarctic Expedition in 1914— do, at 77° 51' S., 168° E. After a recon 17. naissance cruise by U.S.S. "Atka" in The name "McMurdo Bay" for the 1954-55 summer, McMurdo was what is now McMurdo Sound was erected in 1955-56 during Operation assigned by Ross in 1841 in honour of Deep Freeze I to serve as a staging June, 1965

lost for the erection of the Pole ANTARCTIC AID itation in the following summer. •_Mca is not the only land frt .,,,, uiii the operations of U.J. ships, carrying in all 15 aircraft, Navy helicopters. staged through New Zealand, and a On December 30, 1964, two Austra runway was laid out on the fast bay lians visiting New Zealand were in ice. "Glacier" reached McMurdo on jured in a climbing accident 8,700 December 18, 1955, and a tent city feet up in the Southern Alps, when sprang up at Hut Point quite close an avalanche overtook them. to Scott's old hut. By late January, Asked for the use of one of the 1956, a supply dump had been estab Deep Freeze helicopters to uplift the lished on the slopes above Hut Point injured man from the base of the and a tank farm built on the neck of 200-foot cliff where he lay, Rear land joining Hut Point and Arrival Admiral James R. Reedy, Comman Heights. When Admiral Byrd flew in der U.S. Naval Support Force, Ant by helicopter OP Fphmnrv 7 ln> I mini! arctica, authorised full support for 11 prefabricatec the rescue team from his Advanced a site which omy ma w< Headquarters in Christchurch. Two helicopters from U.S.S. "Glacier" made 13 trips shuttling rescuers to the rescue site before first flight from New Zealand to flying the injured man to hospital, McMurdo, in 14 hours. Four other thus saving at least 16 hours in the aircraft had been forced to turn back. Two gasoline barges were fight for his life. towed to McMurdo for the storage * * * of fuel. WORLD-WIDE COVERAGE By March 10, 1956, when the last ships left for New Zealand, McMurdo There are few countries in the Station had been built. Ninety-three world that do not figure in the quar men, almost all naval personnel, win terly mailing lists for "Antarctic". A tered over. random check discloses that indi viduals or libraries in the following The building operations of 1956-57 countries are recipients — all States began with the arrival of a Skymas- of Australia, Malaysia, Japan, India, ter from New Zealand on October 16, China, South Africa, United King 1956, and other aircraft followed next dom, West Germany, Arabia, Sweden, day. One Neptune crashed on landing Norway, Poland, France, Belgium, and four men were killed. "Glacier" Holland, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, reached McMurdo on October 28, the U.S.S.R., Luxemburg, Ghana, Thai land, Argentina, Canada and most far south. States of the U.S. including Hawaii After the I.G.Y., Little America V and Alaska. The highest proportion was moth-balled and much of its go to the U.S.A., Australia, U.K., scientific programme was transferred Canada and South Africa. Iron cur to McMurdo, which now became tains, bamboo curtains and the vari much more than a mere logistic stag ous language barriers all seem to ing post. The biological sciences in have been successfully surmounted. particular have become an important Interest is natural from countries such as U.S.S.R., Norway, Alaska and Withpart theof the enhanced McMurdo status, programme. amenities Sweden. It must surely be envy that have also grown and the population stimulates reader support in places has increased. McMurdo now boasts such as Arabia, India and Ghana. an Atomic Power Station, a sea-water There may be a case for changing distillation plant — and a metalled the name of the N.Z. Antarctic So road (see "Antarctic", March 1965, p. ciety, as a large number of its 21). Wintering-over personnel num members are domiciled overseas. bered 93 in 1956, 112 in 1958, and 139 Certainly the reference in the back in 1960. By 1964 the number had page of the Bulletin is no longer strictly correct. June, 1965 ANOTHER DEEP FREEZE SUMMER ENDS With the first sunset in nearly four months, seen on February 20, came the first sign of the end of Deep Freeze 65. By the beginning of March nearly 4,000 Deep Freeze men were on their way to the United States and Rear-Admiral J. R. Ready, Commander of the U.S. Antarctic Support Force, was ending official contacts with his frozen command. Much had been achieved during the Two other non-fatal air accidents three years during which he had occurred during February, in both commanded Deep Freeze, said Ad cases the aircraft being landed and miral Reedy, particularly in the way the crew picked up. of management. Emergencies and Turn-around times at McMurdo for contingencies would continue to ships of the Support Force were con occur in Antarctica, he said, but ex- siderably reduced this year and this jerience had proved that they could was the outstanding feature of Phase oe faced adequately and thc men II. A cleared channel right through who had to face them were steadily to Winter Quarters Bay, a new quay gaining confidence. More time could from which ships could be off-loaded now be devoted to base management, directly on to the shore and the road which would allow more time for from water's edge to the station, scientific support work. combined to produce better facilities at McMurdo than had existed in pre Deep Freeze 65 opened with a vious years. record-making flight from Melbourne to Byrd and achieved during its sea * * * son the completion of Palmer Station A prize-winning cook has taken on Anvers Island, of the fresh-water charge of the galley at McMurdo. plant at McMurdo, an early ice Chief Commissaryman Alton B. Le- breakout and construction of various Croy won the coveted all-Navy "Ney projects across the continent, all of Award" for the best shipboard mess which combined to make this one of while serving in U.S.S. "Courteney" the most successful seasons to date. and now, a volunteer for Deep Freeze, has many plans for McMurdo's mess. LOGISTICS Sizzling steaks over a charcoal fire, special nights with traditional meals Operations of U.S. ships in the from many countries are included in Antarctic have three phases — cut the proposals of LeCroy and his six ting a channel through the ice to fellow-volunteer cooks, all of them McMurdo to open the Antarctic for representative of a culinary elite in summer; escort of supply vessels to a service famed for its food. their mooring areas; sicentific sup * * * port or some other non-escort duties A new Protestant Bible has re while the ice is sufficiently in abey placed the battered and well-worn ance during January. Bible presented to McMurdo Sound December 15 saw the close of at the beginning of Deep Freeze Phase I this summer, with no signifi operations. The old Bible will be cant damage to any of the ships, the come part of the archives of the only untoward incident being the American Bible Society which dona crash and burning of a Staten Island ted it originally, while its place will UH-13P helicopter returning from a be taken in the Chapel of the Snows photographic mission. There were no by a new one, presented on behalf of injuries. Dr. Billy Graham. June, 1965

TRAGEDY AT BYRD GIANT ANTENNA A 21-mile antenna, the world's longest, has been built on the Ant arctic icecap, some 900 miles from the South Pole, to reproduce the substation little more than a mile range of a vertical antenna one and in base. Mr. Disch a half miles hi ' ' > many times be tific studies Oxxxv, iiiuou^ .....v^w cerned with radio conditions far out fore, using the hand-line connecting the two buildings to guide him back, in space. Liphtnincr-P'-^diir^d VT "i and it is thought he must have waves will ir generated and scientists of the dropped the handle on this fatal National Science Foundation, which night and lost his way. worked in co-ordination with U.S.A.- Search parties covered his track R.P. in the installation of this for four miles before these became antenna, say that much more inform obliterated in snow, and despite ation about conditions beyond the floodlights and flares rigged up to earth will be available if they can guide the missing man back, should produce their own, controlled, "whis he survive the cold, no trace has yet tlers" (VLF signals) instead of hav been seen. Snow blowing in a 20-knot ing to rely on chance occurrences by wind could have hidden Mr. Disch ligntning. from the sight of a search party only 25 yards away. CRASH CREW PALMER STATION At Williams Field lives a crash crew, indispensable to any place Palmer Station, the only U.S. scien where there are aircraft and flight tific station north of the Antarctic operations. The eight men of this Circle, was begun in January with crew are on duty 24 hours each day the arrival of U.S.S. "Edisto" and of the operational season with two U.S.N.S. "Wyandot" with equipment, big "fire bosses" or tracked vehiclese supplies and men. An existing specially built for crash and rescue British hut has been renova work, which average 30 miles a day ted and a new structure built to a piece on patrol duty. house the four Navy men and five As well, all other fire fighting equip scientists (3 glaciologists and 2 biolo ment at "The Strip" is under the gists) who will winter over on Anvers crew's care and attention. Weekly Island, and were scheduled to begin inspections are held in all buildings, operations with the departure of and 150 fire extinguishers checked U.S.S. "Edisto" at the end of March. and serviced. Equally important and perhaps more entertaining is their responsi A record flying distance of 5,000 bility for keeping the runway and miles, the longest yet made in Ant skiway free of penguins and seals. arctica, was achieved in December, "Duke", a four-month-old husky, and when an LC-130F, equipped with an mascot to the crew, is a great help internal fuel tank and carrying a here. large team of observers including Rear-Admiral James R. Reedy, flew Necessity hastened the scheduled from McMurdo to the South Pole, opening of the first ground-controlled where fuel tanks were topped off. A approach equipment at Amundsen- jet-assisted take-off, from a strip Scott South Pole Station on January more than 9,000 feet above sea level, 31. A U.S. Navy LC-130F aircraft sent the aircraft off over a nearly carrying Rear-Admiral Reedy and two featureless plateau to the Sor Ron- visiting Senators found ice fog had dane Mountains, dropping flags and reduced visibility at the landing messages, before returning home, ground to about two miles, so the again via South Pole station. Total aircraft was "talked down" under the flying time was 17 hours 47 minutes. monitoring of Admiral Reedy. June, 1965

UNUSUAL FIELD WORK their way back to breathing holes. Analysis of the sounds, recorded in As always, a large number of scien the observatory, will require several tific disciplines have been pursued months and the conclusions tested during the recently ended season of on captive seals. light in Antarctica. ROCKS PENGUINS U.S. biologists under the combined Rocks from mountains all but buried beneath the Antarctic ice have leadership of Drs. Richard L. Penney (John Hopkins University) and John been taken back to the United States T. Emlen (Wisconsin), and working by three scientists who spent a with Air Development Squadron Six, month camping midway between the have proved yet further that pen Ross and Weddell Seas. Geologists Gerald F. Webers and Alan Rogers, guins not only have "clocks" that enable them to navigate with the sun, from the University of Minnesota, but also that these "clocks" seem to and New Zealand-born Roger Bucha understand time zones better than nan, a biologist with Hawaii's Bishop most laymen. Museum, sought information on sub- By observing the behaviour of snow and ice composition and on the Adelie penguins captured as far possibility of these rocks too cover afield as Cape Crozier and Mirny and ing certain primitive insects and then released at some remote spot plants, as do some others in the on the Antarctic icecap, the biolo Antarctic. There was no evidence of gists, aided by the portable trans such life. mitters carried by the birds, were The geological specimens brought able to "watch" them make their back will be analysed for mineral ways home. It was found that each and chemical content, microfossil penguin had a sense of time which presence, and magnetisation. Webers allowed navigation by the direction and Rogers were working for Dr. of the sun and that its "clock" was Campbell Cradock's investigation of set to the time of whatever longitude the actual nature of Antarctica — a orientated its nesting ground or series of islands or a continental rookery. If a penguin remains long union? — and final results of analysis enough in a new time zone, his clock of their work may help verify the is reset to the different time. continental drift theory which would link up all southern hemisphere SEALS lands in some far-off pre-history. The Weddell seal, too, has had its An international programme of privacy invaded in the cause of pesticide research, if ever held, will science. Seven feet below the ice of gain from the research done this McMurdo Sound this summer an season in Antarctica by Dr. J. L. observatory has been hanging, from George, close friend of the late which biologists from the New York Rachael Carson, whose "Silent Zoological Society and the Woods Spring" made man stop in his ex Hole (not ice hole, nominally) termination of insects programme Oceanographic Institution have been and wonder just how far it would go. watching the behaviour of Weddell seals. With searchlights ranging for Again, final results must await full analysis, but Dr. George believes that some 200 feet and hydrophones set at his specimens of soil, water and various depths, it has been possible animal tissue will prove Antarctica to to see and hear many surprising be the least contaminated area in the sights and sounds. world, and as such a datum point for From seals up to five miles away, pesticide levels elsewhere. Quite high •nvestigators heard a strange caco- levels have been found in animals in )hony of whistles, buzzes, beeps and isolated regions of the Arctic, per chirps suggesting that the seals may haps because of not only the "big not only communicate with each flea/little flea" cycle amongst earn? other by sound but even use sound vores but also factors such as atmos to navigate, to find food and to find pheric and oceanic dispersal. June, 1965

VISITORS field work in the Dry Valley area; a South African geologist from Wit- Furthering the exchange of scien watersrand University in the Royal tific personnel and the Treaty-spon Society Range; a New Zealand ornith sored inspection visits of all stations ologist aboard "EItanin's" cruise 16; in the Antarctic, U.S. official bodies an ice physicist from the Soviet are inviting outstanding civilian and Exchange; and scientists from the service personnel to be their guests Universities of Freiburg, Bruxelles in Antarctica. and the Norsk Polarinstitutt. United States scientists at foreign stations included a Harvard University party conducting marine biological investi- §ationstation and at the the U.S. Argentine Exchange Melchior Scien scientific, educational and similar institutions and organisations. tist with the Soviet Expedition at Vostok, and later Mirny. The first group for Deep Freeze 65 included representatives of the Bri tish Embassy in Washington, of the HONOURABLE RETIREMENT Hartford Courant, of Congress, of Super Constellation C-121J of Air various business organisations, libra Development Six this summer com ries, governmental offices, law and a pleted a century of round trips from former director of the National Christchurch to McMurdo, starting in Science Foundation. These men were 1958. The aircraft has flown more joined by ambassadorial representa than half a million miles in support tives in New Zealand, and two mem of the many facets of the Research bers of the Foreign Representative Programme, and clocked the fastest Exchange Program, one from Great time for the New Zealand-Antarctica Britain, the other from Argentina, trip on record for a piston-driven were also on the flight. aircraft, 8 hours 18 minutes. No other The U.S. Navy Office of Chief of aircraft in the world has made as many round trips to the Antarctic as other group, made up of personnel in this one has. the field of public information. Eight In December, the U.S. Navy air men, one from Sweden, one from craft that made the first landing at Germany and another from Japan, McMurdo Station during the I.G.Y., comprised the flight. Skymaster C-54Q, was honorably A second group of distinguished retired to the Naval Air Station in visitors travelled south as guests of Litchfield, Arizona. the United States Antarctic Projects During her 20,000 hours of naval Officer and included service repre flight service, the Skymaster had car sentatives as well as senators and ried, as the main logistic plane dur businessmen. ing the first four Deep Freezes, most of the outstanding figures in the fields AND WORKERS of science, aviation and exploration on her 14-hour long flights. Five nations — Argentina, Belgium, Chile, Japan and Great Brtiain — sent representatives with Operation Deep WEATHER MEN Freeze 65, some of whom were ex Vital to the successful operation of change scientists, others service the Support Force in Antarctica are and administrative personnel, while weather forecasts, supplied by a USARP's "Antarctic Report" for Jan small but experienced and efficient uary lists foreign scientists at U.S. crew of Navy men who have against stations as: them all the forces and unpredict Geologists from the University of ability of the driest, coldest and Sydney at work in the Dry Valleys; windiest continent on earth, and only a Chilean meteorologist aboard 17 weather stations in an area twice U.S.N.S. "Eltanin"; a five-man Japa the size of their homeland — which nese biological party completing its has more than 1,000. These weather June, 1965 stations provide the information of McMurdo Sound water. A storm essential to any weather predictions. carried away the raft containing the pumping station and parts of it At McMurdo, 28 men under the fell off into the sea. Undetered by the command of Lieut. Commander C. H. frigid temperatures, a diving team Zilch, gather the information from from Icebreaker "Staten Island" re U.S. and other broadcasting stations covered the missing parts which were throughout the continent, correlate it subsequently installed to operate this and put it on to the McMurdo immense labour-saving device. Weather Central charts. Navy aero- graphers, Weather Bureau meteor ologists and others supply the in formation required for keeping LITERARY BACKGROUND inland stations supported by air. Already the author of a treatise on Most of the weather in the southern the art of crossing crevasses, Chief hemisphere begins in Antarctica, and Warrant Officer George W. Fowler weather knowledge gained there is ("Featherfoot" by reputation), plans valuable not only to the men on the to spend some of his current spare spot but may be even more valuable time writing about more of his if long-range forecasts are made from the research conducted in Antarctica. experiences. C.W.O. Fowler, after 22 years' ser vice in the U.S. Army, eight of them in close connection with the Antarc COOL, COOL WATER tic, retired at the end of November, Water, water everywhere and never and his memories include the south a drop to drink? Not at McMurdo west Pacific during World War II, Station any more. Not since Rear- Korea, Thule (Greenland), polar navi Admiral James R. Reedy pressed the gation at Fort Eustis, Deep Freeze 60, button that started the evaporator in 61, and 62, during which he was the first-yet salt water distillation intimately concerned with a number of hazardous traverses, from Byrd to plant in Antarctica. the South Pole for Deep Freeze 61 Gone then were the days of digging (for which he received a Navy Com snow and melting it, of watching mendation Medal), from Little every drop that was drawn with America to Byrd during Deep Freeze jealous eyes, of rationing showers to 62 and, after a spell of passing on one a week. Now, with the fresh the knowledge he had gained, was water capability of McMurdo all but once more loaned to the Naval Sup tripled, to upwards of 14,000 daily port Force and led the notable tra gallons, yet another hardship of life verse from Byrd to Eights stations. in Antarctica has been removed. Running on waste steam from the nuclear power plant, the evaporator "ELTANIN" uses the "flash" principle, utilising pressure reduction rather than tem Cruise 15 of U.S.N.S. "Eltanin" perature elevation. Heated to 170° F., took her from Valparaiso, Chile, on the water is then forced through a October 1, 1964, to Auckland, New series of chambers, with a decreasing Zealand, on December 4. Main objec pressure, at each one of which a tives included locating the Antarctic certain amount of water will Convergence; sampling of waters, vaporise or flash off. One gallon of ocean bottom and marine life; col fresh water flashes off ten of salt and lecting geological and biological bot the residual brine is piped back into tom samples; surveying the trend, the sea. Eleven gallons of fresh water tonography and extent of the so- per minute can be produced, auto called Eltanin Fault Zone; collecting, matically, as a centrifugal pump and for comparison with organisms of insulated pipe line carry water 1,000 higher southern latitudes, marine bio feet up Observation Hill, despite logical collections from Chilean and their one-time immersion in 30 feet New Zealand coastal waters. June, 1965 COMBINED SERVICES EXPEDITION RETURNS TO ENGLAND

In our December and March issues (Vol. 3, No. 12 and Vol. 4, No. 1) we gave brief accounts of the work carried out by the 10-man Combined Services Expedition to South Georgia led by Lt. Cdr. M. K. Burley, R.N. We have now received the Report of the Expedition.

Some alterations in the team as of thc danger areas before thc Leader and two others crossed thc originally selected changed its com position to Navy 4, Army 3 and Air Lyell Glacier, through Echo Pass anc Force 3, and no medical officer was down into Grytviken, where the; taken. H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh were given a warm welcome and was the Expedition's Patron. returned to the rest of the team, who had been lowering stores down a Lt.-Cdr. Burley's account of "the very difficult ice-fall. The whole party Shackleton Route" —by which Shac now made the crossing to Grytviken kleton, Worsley and Crcan crossed with all their stores, arriving there thc island to summon help for their on January 29. companions left on Elephant Island in 1916 —is so detailed and illumin At Grytviken the expedition was accommodated at "Discovery House" ating that readers of thc accounts by and on the Sunday a service was Shackleton (in "South", 1919) and held in the normally unused Kirk. Worsley (in "Endurance", 1931) would do well to re-read those classic The final phase comprised geologi stories of great adventure with Mal cal, glaciological and survey work in colm Burley's account as commen the Royal Bay area south-east of tary. Grytviken. The Norwegian whaling manager conveyed the team by CLIMBING launch across Cumberland East Bay, The ascents of Mounts Paget on a very considerable saving of time. December 30 and Sugartop on Janu This allowed the geological and glaci ary 4 have been described. The expe ological team to survey the snouts of dition's next task was the crossing the Hamberg, Harker, Nordenskjold of the Allardyce Range from south and Lyell Glaciers, and to locate and to north in approximately the longi plot igneous intrusions between Mor tude of Grytviken. A reconnaissance aine Fjord and Royal Bay, re-joining team of three probed a difficult and the main party at Royal Bay on dangerous route till stopped by "lack February 16. The surveyors mean of visibility and exceptionally diffi while worked from their landing cult snow conditions' and decided point at the Sorling Valley and Royal that a crossing was practicable. On Bay, while the remaining four re January 19 the attempt began with layed the stores to Royal Bay. A new thc lowering of stores 900 feet on map will be produced covering over sledges to the preliminary dump 100 square miles of coastline, moun which had been laid by helicopter in tainous country and glaciers. mid-November above Larvick Har Considerable observations were bour on the south coast. The "neatly also made of reindeer, King and piled dump" was found to have been Gentoo penguins, "acres" of elephant completely engulfed by a huge aval seals and a few fur seals. Wretched anche. When all hands had dug out weather hindered the survey work in the stores from the "sea of ice particular and the last observations debris" they were surprised that were taken on the final evening be more damage had not been done. fore embarkation. No plant life was Camp and stores were sledged clear observed above 4,000 feet, and only June, 1965 PATANELA RETURNS TO AUSTRALIA HOW BIG BEN WAS CONQUERED As our March issue went to press decided that five men only should before the South Indian Ocean Expe form the landing party as there was dition to Heard Island returned to obviously no safe anchorage and the Australia, we were unable to give five other men would be needed to any details of the most spectacular man the schooner for the run back achievement of Major Warwick Dea- to Kerguelen. The 18 ft. rubber boat cock's party, the first ascent of Heard was lowered, but within half an hour Island's dominant mountain, 9,000 ft. a rising gale made it necessary to Big Ben. It is now possible to give pull the boat back on board just a fuller account of the climb and before the wind rose to Force 8, driv some more details of the 63 ft. cray ing the schooner helplessly to the fishing schooner's voyage. south. OUTWARD VOYAGE PERILOUS LANDING "Patanela" sailed west from Albany The gale lasted for three days and on approximately lat. 33° S. in order when it was possible to head up to take advantage of the trade winds, again to Heard Island all on board passed the longitude of Heard Island were wet through and very cold. (59° E.) still on a westerly course, They had no idea of their exact posi and did not turn south until Decem tion, there was no sun and it was ber 22. On the 26th the 40th parallel with considerable relief that they was crossed and the seas became saw the island loom out of the mist boisterous, but the Kerguelen group, on January 11. After another look at 300 miles from Heard Island, was Winston Lagoon it was decided to sighted on New Year's Day. A landing attempt the landing. Deacock was made on the main island. Two (leader), Budd (the only other Heard Island veteran in the party) and days were spent filling the water tanks and making final preparations Crick, Putt and Temple (all three for the landing on Heard Island. The New Zealanders) clung to the lash team was entertained "hilariously" ing-ropes as the rubber boat drove at the French base on the island be in on the back of a breaking wave. fore leaving. Suddenly, in the treacherous surf, the boat rose high in the air and On January 7, Heard Island was overturned. Three of the men were sighted. The "Patanela" hove to while temporarily pinned under the heavily the team examined the possibility of laden boat but it was righted and landing at Winston Lagoon. It was all five managed to struggle ashore. Nothing was lost but Temple records that according to Putt this was four (two lichens and two mosses) "probably the first mountain climb above 2,000. to start from below sea-level". In the absence of a doctor, Lt.-Cdr. Burley himself acted as "medical THE CLIMB adviser" and although no serious The party set off on January 17 to accidents occurred it is a measure of establish the base camp on a pass at the strain imposed upon him that he 4,000 feet up the mountain where strongly recommends that "a doctor should be included in further expedi they would have to await a spell of tions of this nature". good weather for the final climb. They had food for 21 days. They H.M.S. "Protector" steamed into aimed to reconnoitre the route as far Royal Bay on March 5 and the mem as they could and then await a bers of the Expedition were ferried "good" spell of weather for the final aboard by helicopter. Lord Shackle rush assault — for it would be a ton (son of Sir Ernest) was expected short spell only, perhaps six hours. to meet the team on the vessel's arri There were 5,000 feet still to go. This val at Portsmouth on May 14. did not come until January 25. The June, 1965

final 1,500 feet of 45-degree ice-slopes Macdonald Islands as had been on Mawson Peak, above the main planned, but Putt surveyed the South crater and seamed with dangerous Barrier area for a 50 ft. contour map, bridged crevasses, still lay ahead as and three of the landing party made ominous signs of an impending nor'- a collection of plants and insects wester became all too clear. At 3 p.m. from Spit Bay. Coming back to their the climbers passed a great white base-camp this trio went through the mound emitting steam, caught their previously unvisited Green Valley first whiff of sulphur dioxide and with its lush grass and abundant made their way through remarkable animal life. pinnacles of ice to reach a knoll, the summit. There were at least two vents pouring out fumes. Big Ben is HOMEWARD BOUND still active! "Patanela" picked up the shore Two of the team tried to get down party on February 10, but the surf into the crater but the storm broke was so "marginal" that all the non and there was nothing for it but to essential but expensive gear had to make with all speed for the base be abandoned. On the return voyage camp. They lost the route and, roped she made up to seven knots under together, raced blindly downhill until foresail and staysail, and in 14 days they were lucky enough to sight one covered 1,650 miles. A radio message of their marker poles and so reach received on February 23 said the ship the camp. was making 150 miles a day running down the Roaring Forties under re During the following two days of duced sail. She reached Albany on blizzard they lay in their tents trying February 29, leaving for Sydney the to keep warm. In a report to ' The following day. Three days before Australian", which sponsored the ex reaching Sydney the engine gave pedition, one member says "We had trouble, and as a result of rough the feeling the mountain was alive weather in the forties a shroud was and resented our presence. It was broken. just as if a slow-witted giant realised something had been put over him "Patanela" was 87 days at sea. For and reacted in a towering rage." fifty days she was under sail, the rest of the time under power-assisted Once back at their base camp, Putt sail. and Crick undertook a survey of South Barrier, as well as collecting Crowds gathered to welcome the geological specimens and lichen, bearded adventurers as the schooner while Deacock, Budd and Temple set was escorted up Sydney Harbour by off across Winston Lagoon Glacier cruisers of the Royal Motor Yacht to an aircraft-crate shelter at Spit Club after a voyage of 10,745 miles. Bay to collect insects and animal parasites, soil samples and pond algae, and to make a census of King penguins and fur seals, which are beginning to breed again on the NZ. ANTARCTIC SOCIETY island. TIE POPULAR SCHOONER IN DANGER Judging from comment received both from within N.Z. and Overseas Meanwhile the five men under the quality and design of the skipper Major Tillman who were Society's tie has met the tastes of taking "Pantanela" to the shelter of O.A.E.s and summer tourists alike. the Kerguelen Islands were also in Members need not be surprised to trouble with winds reaching force 11. see it sported anywhere from Ghana trip overseas should take care to started just in time. pack it along with the shirts. It might prove a good meal ticket in It was not possible to visit the either Abadan or Alaska. Around the Sub-Antarctic Bases

CAMPBELL ISLAND ber agreeing to speak on a variety of interesting subjects. (New Zealand) The opening speaker in this series was compensated in a novel manner. The weather after a summer of The Captain of the U.S.S. Mills on record temperatures has reverted to the ship's last call at the island had the Antarctic normal with snow, hail presented the party with the ship's and never ending gales. However, only copy of that much esteemed work has been going on as usual, cultural magazine "Playboy", and it all the expedition members have was decided that the first speaker been enjoying good health and in this series could have first use of morale has never been higher. this magazine. So much for culture. A most comprehensive Albatross FIRST LADY? banding programme has been suc cessfully undertaken with over 1,500 A report that Mrs. Svetlana Solya- birds being banded. A new "World nik, wife of the Soviet whaling cap Record" for the number of Royals tain, had been the first woman to set banded in a single day has been foot on Campbell Island, at least established; Mike Criglmgton, Gor since the legendary "Lady of thc don Surrey, Alan Guard and Colin Heather", brought to light the fact Clark banded 231 birds in the Mount that at least three women have been Fahe region. As Campbell Island is on the island. the only breeding ground for this In 1905 Andrew Nicholson, who was managing the sheep farm on the species, world records are not hard island for Captain Tucker, took his to come by: they still involve hard two daughters with him to the island work however. to collect wool. They are now Mrs. A number of interesting recoveries C. Reid of Queenstown and Mrs. N. have been made. Of 600 chicks Donne of Dunedin. banded in 1962, 8 birds have been Then in 1946 a member of the recovered in South American waters, meteorological team on the island some off the coast of Brazil. Two fell ill, a doctor was sent down and bands also recovered on the island as it was thought an operation might this year are from Royals originally be necessary, he was accompanied by banded by J. Sorensen in 1943. One Sister G. L. Hammond of the Well of these was a breeding adult when ington Hospital. banded 30 years ago, and is still going strong having sired a healthy chick this year. KERGUELEN (France) Thc other routine scientific work of the station has been proceeding The excellent series of articles of at the usual high standard. Radio historical interest is continued in reception maybe as a result of the recent issues of "TAAF", the journal quiet sun year has been good. The of "Terrcs Auslrales et Antarctiques T.V. set sent to the island for experi Francaises". In numbers 28 (July- mental purposes has not produced September 1964) and 29 (October- a picture as yet. However, a trans December 1964) appeared the early lator is being built and hopes are chapters of a translation into French high. Other work undertaken has of "Narrative of the Wreck of the involved the collecting of plankton 'Favorite' on the Island of Desola crabs and crustaceans for Victoria tion" by John Nunn, published in 1850. As very few will have access to University Zoology Department. the original English book, the French On the lighter side to help the translation will be very welcome in winter pass a series of lectures has English-speaking as well as French- been arranged, each expedition mem speaking countries. The moving story June, 1965

of "adventures, sufferings and priva M A C Q U A R I E I S L A N D tions" is made still more effective by the reproduction of the original wood (Australia) engravings, and there is an adequate The new surgery was given its map. christening during March when John Smith came down with appendicitis. MARION ISLAND This was a good test for both equip ment and personnel. The operation (South Africa) was carried out at night by Dr. Gerry Lim, surgeon, with Brian Jackson December was a very busy and enjoyable month on Marion. The Christmas dinner will long be re thctists. membered, especially Louljie de Beer's mutton steak, an invention Weather report for the month: which should be patented. Unfortun highest temperature 50° F.; lowest 34.8° F.; highest wind 76 m.p.h.; sun ately the beautiful Christmas tree shine for 80 hours; rain on 29 days caught fire during the celebrations and in the ensuing scramble for fire with a total of 407 points for the extinguishers the dinner came to an month. abrupt end. A dove was trapped near With only a short while before the the fowl run. It is being kept for penguins leave the island, field trips identification by the scientific team. have been fairly frequent. Ken Simp son's job of banding penguins entails On the afternoon of the third of numerous trips away from the sta January an iceberg was spotted near tion. Usually, after a week away, Ken the island and that same evening the returned scratched, bruised and "R.S.A." arrived at the island with a group of six scientists under the leadership of Prof. Van Zindcren IN APRIL Bakker and including Dr. Verwoerd, son of the Prime Minister, Dr. Ver The first snowfall lasted for eight woerd. The marine biologist brought days. With snow, wind gusts are along a special diving suit and the usually from the south-east, just the elephant seals had to get used to right direction for radiosondes to someone swimming along with them. become entangled in radio masts and The albatrosses have to put up with so necessitating a second balloon to thermometers in their nests for the be sent up. sake of science. Weather report for April: highest temperature 45.2° F.; lowest tempera During April the "R.S.A." carried ture 27° F.; highest wind 86m.p.h.; the new relief to Marion Island and sunshine 39.7 hours, and rain or snow brought back the old party. The new team consists of six men with Ben on 23 days with a total of 292 points. Sciocatti as leader. The new men are With heavy seas pounding the east slowly finding their feet on the island coast in April, the lack of readings or, more correctly, learning how to on the tide gauge chart suggests that get their feet out of the mud. when the weather permits consider able lime will be spent repairing A few ships dropped anchor off the tubing broken by the sea and kelp. island one night but unfortunately they left early the next morning with PLANS FOR 1965-66 out any indication as to their identity. Tentative plans for next summer The great trek of the indigenous envisage the completion of a series bird and animal population is In pro- of observations in as many coastal localities as possible in order to gressecoming and deserted. the beaches are gradually study the trapping of wave energy. The men are looking forward to A concerted botany programme the first snowfall as it will be a new comprises work on: experience for several of them. (a) The regeneration of rabbit-grazed June, 1965

herb-field and grassland in selec BOUVET ISLAND ted areas, bounded by rabbit- (South Africa) proof fences The July 1964 issue of "Antarktiese (b) The pattern and seasonal growth Bulletin", the journal of the South of the herb-field and grassland in African Antarctic Association, con relation to environmental fac tains an interesting account by the tors editor, J. J. Taljaard, of the little (c) The possibility of studying trees publicised reconnaissance expedition on the island. to Bouvetoya in April last year. South Africa's first attempt to investigate the possibility of setting up a meteor GOUGH ISLAND ological station on the island was in January 1955, when only two brief During April the "R.S.A." carried landings were made. Subsequently an the relief staff to Gough Island also. apparently suitable beach was dis The new team consists of seven covered and the opportunity afforded members with Gawie Viviers as by a visit to the island by H.M.S. leader. "Protector" was taken to send a Everyone is still enjoying the South African party of two meteoro new environment and the beautiful logists, a geologist, a glaciologist, scenery of the island is the subject and representatives of the Civil Avia of much photographic activity. tion and Public Works Departments, On the way back from Gough the at the same time, in "R.S.A." This provided three helicopters. •.A." stopped for about two weeks Both ships lay off the island from at Tristan da Cunha where a bull- March 30 till April 2, but bad weather made any sustained helicopter work construction of a breakwater for the impracticable, and it was considered quite unsafe to attempt a landing on island's harbour. the eastern ice slope, the main objec The men on Gough seem to be lead tive of the South African party. ing a tranquil existence. Fishing is Three South Africans were able to good: a "blue fish" of 55 lb. was travel with British parties to the caught and rock lobsters seem to be West Wind plateau. But as this area in good supply. The chickens are is clearly unsafe for a manned thriving and before Christmas there station and the eastern ice slope were 6i of them, ranging from day- appears to be "a relatively thin ice old to very old. After Christmas there shield resting on an uneven rock were probably quite a few less. foundation'*, it was obvious that WAS QUINN MISTAKEN? Bouvetoya could be "a hard nut to crack". EmBIBi^EiBlliml V. Pedersen of "Thala Dan" said at BECOMING A HABIT Hobart on March 13 that he believed As with New Zealand teams, the American Lee Quinn was mistaken USARP lists contain many names in his position when he sailed his of men who have previously yacht "Neophyte" south from Hobart served in the Antarctic. In on January 9, returning on the 22nd, 1964—65 these include such well- 13 days later, with the report that known men as Alton Wade, he and his crew (Miss Barbara Sodt Philip M. Smith, J. Linsley Gressitt, nf Chiraon} hnrl •jiahfpH an irehprcr fharlpc Rf»nflf»^r Cinnrap T lann nnrl p. 44.) with a New Zealand field party last "To have sailed due south to 61° summer. Kiwis who are with the south and back to Hobart he would Americans this year after serving have to have covered 2,610 miles and previously with New Zealand parties averaged seven knots," said Captain are Keith Wise (biologist), Graeme Pedersen. "That was impossible in Johnstone (warehouseman wintering the current conditions. . . . We didn't at McMurdo), and Harry Gair (geolo reach icebergs until 63° south." gist). June, 1965 Russian Whalers at Work off Coast of Western Australia The activities of Soviet whaling fleets off the Western Aus tralian coast in March and April, during their return to Russia after the Antarctic whaling season, aroused considerable news paper excitement in Australia. The factory-ship "Yuri Dolgoruky" Meanwhile, the "Slava Sevasto with 17 chasers was seen from the pol" of the Slava fleet, which was air about 40 miles south of Albany sighted 25 miles south-east of Hobart late in the afternoon of March 24. It on March 25, moved on to Melbourne was reported that the fleet had taken for supplies. The refrigerated cargo about 50 whales over a wide area. ship "Sebastopol" called at Hobart The Cheynes Beach Whaling Co., on April 1 and took on 430 tons of whose three catchers had been aver water. aging eight whales a day before the FLEET AT SYDNEY Russians arrived, now captured only four whales in four days, and spokes The giant 32,000 tons factory ship men for the company expressed fears "Sovietskaya Ukraina", built in 1950, that the Russians were taking whales entered Sydney Harbour with 21 under the 35-ft. limit imposed by the chasers on April 7, but the Sydney- siders' interest was much less tinged Whaling Convention. with fears of pecuniary loss. Before The Federal Government said that the fleet left on its way home to there appeared to be no grounds for Odessa on April 10, the 1,200 whalers protest as the Soviet fleet was oper (including the 41 women — doctor, ating well outside the three-mile stewardesses, cleaners and book limit, but agreed to point out to the keepers) are reported to have Russian Embassy in Canberra that "bought everything from plastic operations by a big fleet so close to flowers and kangaroo skins to paint the shoie-based Australian company's for the cars they left behind in headquarters threatened the very Russia". existence of the local industry. The Government admitted that the Rus SUCCESSFUL SEASON sians were within their legal rights The Commander, Commodore and that it had no confirmation of Alexiey Solyanik, said that his full the claim that under-size whales were fleet of 33 ships had caught 5,914 being taken. In reply the Russian whales of all types. The rest of the Embassy said that the fleet was ships were on their way home to observing the Convention, but that it Odessa. would look into the complaints. In The whales had yielded 33,201 tons Melbourne, Commodore Solyanik of oil, 14,742 tons of blubber, 10,842 nettled by the newspaper criticisms, tons of meat meal fertiliser, and 7,585 said that the Soviet whalers had tons of frozen meat. every right to be there, and added "If they are catching more whales The catch also produced about £500,000 worth of ambergris. than the Australians it is because Commodore Solyanik said his fleet Russians are the world's most effi had caught its quota by March 25 and cient whalers." had stopped operations. It continued The fleet soon moved on, but on to catch sperm whales off South April 10 the factory-ship "Gaaba", a Australia, because there was no limit cargo vessel, a tanker and eight on their number, only their size. chasers were reported 14 miles west He said the other Russian whalers of Bunbury, causing a brief flare-up working off Western Australia were of excitement. also catching sperm whales. June, 1965

CENTRE OF ATTRACTION cover to a commercially productive , - . Jvetlana, who level; some of them may never lv in the illustra- recover. This prospect is distressing enough in itself, but becomes even ss more so if one considers its implica een with him for two ineer tions for the exploitation of other living resources of the sea, which are iiim w«_ii i\.3 an o a.in. tvj j p.in. day. also common property. One of her jobs is to check whales for radioactivity. So far there had "It is universally agreed that there is an urgent need to improve nutri been no trace of radiation, she said. tional levels in many parts of the NEW ZEALAND ALSO world, but it is in fact becoming increasingly difficult even to main A "giant" whaling factory ship was tain the old inadequate levels. In this seen off the New Zealand coast near situation it is encouraging to know Whangarei, North Auckland, on April that in recent years the total produc 25-26. Twenty-four catchers were tion of food from the seas has been observed from the sparsely popula rising quite rapidly. However, the ted coastal area apparently being increase can only be maintained in refuelled and provisioned for the voy the future if the resources are used age back to Russia. wisely . . . thc unofficial Antarctic quotas on which the pelagic whaling FREIGHTER TRANSPORT countries attempted to reach agree A fivc-monlh-old Swedish freighter, ment outside the International Whal ing Commission were set so high that "Argonaut", this year carried whale had they been adopted they still meat from the Soviet Antarctic whal would have imposed no effective ing fields to Osaka, Japan, the first restraint on whaling. ..." time, it is claimed, that a merchant ship has been called in to assist in the transport of the catch. JAPANESE CATCH The ship started taking whale meat Seven Japanese whaling expedi on board when east of the Falkland tions, including 78 chasers, took 4,125 Islands on January 8, and covered an blue-whale units in the past season, area of 300 miles in the course of reports the Japanese Fishing Agency. three weeks. Loading was carried on But Japan failed for the first time to night and day, under Japanese steve achieve her allotted quota which for dores, from barges which plied be 1964-65 was 4,160 units. Three firms, tween the Japanese ships and the Taiyo Fishery Co., Nippon Suisan "Argonaut". In all about 7,000 tons of Kaisha and Kyokuyo Hogei K.K., whale meat cut up into 35 lb. chunks were operating, in all, seven fleets. were loaded and put into refrigerated hatches where the temperature was 22° below zero. QUOTA FOR 1965-66 A 17-nation whaling conference WHALE STOCKS opened in London on May 3 to en In a letter to the Secretary of the deavour to come to an agreement on International Whaling Commission, tighter restrictions for the next whal published in "Norsk Hvalfangst ing season in view of falling catches Tidende" for February, Dr. B. R. Sen, and the catastrophic depletion of the Director-General of the FAO, stressed whale population which threatens to the gravity of the position in respect render the whaling industry uneco of wnale stocks. nomic. "... It is clear that the stocks Before the conference, there were are now so small that without the reports that the Netherlands would most drastic action ... it can only propose a general ban on the catch be a very few years before the yield ing of "blue finback" whales for a drops to a level at which commercial number of seasons, but that Japan whaling will be impossible. If whal would propose a catch limit of 5,000 ing then ceases it will be generations blue-whale units. The limit last sea before the residual stocks can re son was 8,000. June, 1965

DECISION face by tectonic processes taking place in the interior of the earth. It was reported on May 9 that the Nowadays these mountains rise International Whaling Commission 3-4,000 m. enabling scientists to study had adopted a compromise agree the history of geological formations ment providing for a maximum catch in the southern hemisphere during of 4,500 blue whales during thc 1965- the so-called Precambrian era—three 66 Antarctic season. thousand million to 500 million years Delegates were directed to urge ago. their governments to agree to further The discoveries made in Eastern reductions in the two succeeding Antarctica enabled us to establish seasons. thc fact that the sixth continent does The four-day special meeting which not represent a homogeneous whole ended at the weekend was called in from the geological point of view, as an effort to keep the big sea-going was assumed earlier, but consists of mammal from being hunted into three structural strata formed during extinction. different geological eras. The lower stratum belongs to the pre-Cambrian era, the second is 600 to 350 million years old, and thc third stratum is anchored off Port Melbourne on Feb 350 to 150 million years old. This is ruary 9 carrying a seriously ill very important because on their age engineer, Gcozgy Marov (44) of the depends the quality and character of Slava whaling expedition in the Ant the minerals they contain. We dis arctic. After spending the night in a covered in Antarctica also some very Melbourne private hospital, he was young rocks, formed only 7 to 8 mil flown via Sydney and Paris to Mos lion years ago. These consist of lava cow, where he was due to arrive late from extinct volcanoes. There are in on February 11. A member of the Antarctica also active volcanoes (Ere tanker's crew accompanied Marov on bus, Terror) which erupted early this his long flight. century. All these new discoveries enable us to form a better idea about the geo A GEOLOGIST EXPLAINS logical pattern of thc southern hemi sphere. This is particularly important [Year after year Russian geologists from because of the fact that Antarctica, Leningrad travel to thc Soviet Antarctic bases as it has become known recently, has and probe inland to explore the depths of the Antarctic Continent, collect rock samples much in common with the other con from nunataks projecting above the thousands tinents of the southern hemisphere. of feet of ice, take them back to Russia for studv, and publish papers and books like the The hypothesis propounded earlier recent work "Thc Pre-Cambrian Era in East of the existence of a single Gondwana ern Antarctica" by M. G. Ravich. L. M. Klimov and D. S. Soloviev. completed in time for the continent many hundreds of million il Congress held in years ago has been confirmed. This writer, I. Malcv, in continent consisted of Antarctica, jrad explains simply something of the purpose of the geologists' activity.] Australia, South America, Africa and In between expeditions the re India. search workers studied the rock Among many valuable minerals dis specimens which they had brought covered in Eastern Antarctica by the with them to Leningrad, and inter Soviet geologists were beds of mar preted data of geological and geo ble saturated with mica and graphite, physical surveys. By way of scientific thousands of pegmatite veins con exchange, data collected by the taining rock crystal and beryl, ferru Americans, Australians, British, New ginous quartzite and many other Zealanders, Japanese and others were rocks containing useful minerals. sent to Leningrad for their perusal. So now Antarctica is no longer the This interest in the mountains of mysterious land it used to be but it Antarctica did not originate by still holds many secrets in its depths. chance. Once upon a time these That is why geologists continue to mountains were thrust up to the sur sail towards its shores. June, 1965 A DIFFERENT WAY OF LIFE

by John R. Green Operations Officer, British Antarctic Survey (The views expressed in this article are those of the writer in a private, not an official, capacity.)

As Exchange Representative with When I went down to the Ross Sea the U.S. Operation Deep Freeze 65 in December 1964 I expected to see I visited the Ross Sea area for the something new. I had read all about first time, after fifteen years with the complexity and size of the U.S. the British Antarctic Survey. I effort, I knew what kind of equip should like to take this opportunity ment they were using and I was of thanking those who made my visit aware that with large aircraft they possible and those who gave me un maintained well found inland sta bounded hospitality at McMurdo and tions. The idea of flying to the Ant Scott Base. Many asked me what I arctic from New Zealand was in thought of my experience and how triguing. Such a well established air did it compare with what I had route is without doubt a singular known before. Here is an attempt achievement. Not only does it create to answer these far from easy ques a long 'open' season but it allows tions. senior scientists to work in Antarc On the map the Antarctic Penin tica without having to winter over. sula sticks out like a sore thumb. What I did not expect to find, One third of its length lies outside however, was a fundamentally differ the Antarctic Circle. From 73 south ent life. Snow and ice is much the it reaches north 600 miles almost to same wherever you go. A blizzard is Latitude 63 south which corresponds something you avoid going out in; closely with the position of the Shet your huts and tents are strong land Islands. On the other hand it enough to withstand it. Men live lies wholly within the Antarctic Con together in confined spaces and soli vergence which means that the sur tude is at a premium. They adapt to rounding seas are considerably the life as best they can and try, colder than those north of Scotland. with varying degrees of sucess, to It is a narrow peninsula but there forget about women. is less of the coastline exposed to But adaptation is not always a the sea in summer than one would matter for the individual. A lot expect. The pack ice of the Weddell depends on thc pattern of life Sea protects the east coast which adopted by the group. There will be is also flanked by ice shelf; on the some tradition and there will be west coast the sea reaches the nor some regulation, with a moulding of thern part every summer, the middle national characteristics. So, I was part two summers out of three and prepared for differences but not to the southern part never. the extent that soon became appar Thus situated, the Antarctic Penin ent. sula must be a little different from How you work and behave in Ant the rest of the continent. Obviously arctica is affected by thc weather. it will mainly be warmer, parts of By that I mean wind, precipitation it will be easier for ships to reach and cloud; not necessarily tempera and the shipping season will be ture. I got my first eye-opener in longer. There is certainly more, and Christchurch when at a briefing a greater variety of natural life about session we were told ". . . Antarctica than elsewhere but this applies to is the dryest continent in the world". the coastal fringe; the hinterland is This had never occurred to me be no less inhospitable. fore— we get so much snow, sleet June, 1965 and even rain in the Peninsula. When profound effect on man and his atti I reached McMurdo I soon noticed tude to the environment. The first the difference in relative humidity thing that struck me was the ap and the absence of precipitation. proach to wintering over. Almost one hundred per cent of B.A.S. I suppose all my ideas about the people winter over. Those few who basic details of life and conditions do not feel somewhat inferior. Down in the Ross Sea region had been in the Ross Sea sector the position formed when reading books on the is almost reversed. The Elite Scott and Shackleton expeditions. But have you noticed how rarely "come down with the vernal there is mention of a fine day though breeze, bad weather is described minutely? Their cohorts all gleaming with PhDs" Reading them again one sees straight away that, judging by their outside Replete with data they retire with activities, there must have been a the sun leaving behind lesser mortals lot of good weather but who wants to maintain the stations and con to hear about the easy times when tinue the routine observations. This there was so much hardship about? is perhaps pitching it a little strong Another reason for the omission is that in the spring and summer we but something of the sort obtains follow the fortunes of the sledgers; and it reflects upon the life. the life of those left at base is natur As we all know, one's mode of life ally neglected. in Antarctica is basically affected by The proportion of fair weather to whether one's work is field or station foul in the Peninsula is roughly 1 orientated. In the B.A.S. most field to 3 and this may even become projects are mounted from shore sta 1 to 4 when the pack ice has dis tions and the two kinds of workers persed. I hardly thought that I would usually live together for half the experience anything very much year and sometimes even change better in and around McMurdo. The places. This means that field workers fact is that in 42 days we only got become "base trained" and station 4 on which the wind gusted over 50 staff "field conscious". Our people knots and 6 when flying was impos are encouraged to think less in terms sible. Moreover I was told the of field and base projects than of weather had been perfect for 3 weeks the programme as a whole. In this before my arrival. way the spirit of joint effort is fos tered and it usually prospers except Herein lies the clue to the effec when an awkward customer turns tiveness of large scale operations in up. Since most people would rather Antarctica. Without such weather travel than stay put, there is great the operation of big aircraft with competition to become a full time necessarily elaborate support facili field assistant; failing this to get out ties would become uneconomical. and help when possible. These optimum conditions appear to obtain in the segment between longi There are some obvious advantages tudes 160 degrees and 170 degrees in this system. What is not so obvi West. The Americans have exploited ous, perhaps, is the improved per the opening to the full. Into it they sonal safety margin it develops. have driven a wedge of massive logis There are few who do not practise tics and high technological achieve snow and ice travel techniques when ment such as the region has never ever they can; they are therefore seen before. With thc gate thus held less likely to get into trouble out firmly back scientists flock through doors. If others get into trouble and deploy with a minimum of dis there are people competent to help traction and hardly any delay. What without exposing themselves to they can do in a season is limited danger. Perhaps all this is old hat. only by their own physical and men No American or New Zealander need tal stamina. worry too much about emergency situations. With almost continuous Clearly all this is going to have a air cover he need never prepare to June, 1965 walk home nor is anyone likely to tance seems to dwarf it. The same come out on foot to rescue him. applies to the mountains of Victoria Land. Most British bases have glori To get back to thc point. . . . Where ous views on a fine day and the ships field workers can fly in for the spring actually sail through the scenery. and summer and out in the autumn Who can ever forget the vertiginous and where, during their stay, they walls and hanging glaciers of the Le- are entirely air supported and pro maire and Neumayer Channels. tected they tend to have nothing in common with base personnel. The Clearly there are opportunities in latter are forced to become more the Ross Sea region for sophisticated insular in outlook; by acquiring studies and quick results. Those who extra comforts and seeking artificial work away from base can wish for distractions they spin a cocoon nothing better in the way of weather, against the environment. Since surfaces and logistic support, but tedium has thc peculiar quality of for base life and wintering over give thriving on conscious attempts to me thc Peninsula every lime. dispel it, no wonder there are few advocates of two year tours in these parts. So much for life at base but what about life in the field. This is quite LOST LETTER another matter. What would our men not give for three months among C. E. Borchgrevink, "seaman" on the mountains of Victoria Land with "Antarctic" in 1894-95 and leader of only fifteen days lie up. No need to the expedition which wintered for lay depots in advance or carry 50 the first time on the Antarctic con per cent extra rations. One clay off tinent in 1899-1900, wrote a series of the air and there's an aeroplane out articles for the Century Magazine looking for you. With so much air which were republished in 1896ln the freight space available why not "Southland Times". Borchgrevink's spread yourselves a bit? Just think of story of an undelivered mail seems it — unlimited "goodies" and even a worth re-telling. Thc "Southern sack of frozen steaks one inch thick Cross" was south of Campbell Island. and as big as a plate. All that sun shine too, building up a rich tan "With scrupulous care we now ready for the bright lights. Then composed a letter upon which each there are the snow surfaces — apart of us carefully inscribed his signa from some rather nasty sastrugi in ture. Having placed it in a small places the going is usually firm and bladder, which had been given us fast. This is why the motor toboggan for the purpose by the Norwegian has proved so successful as com consul in Melbourne, we consigned pared with our experience on the it to the waves and leaned over the Peninsula. Geologists and Surveyors bulwarks to see the mail depart. will be pleased to hear there's no Much to our chagrin a large alba longer any need to sweat up moun tross hove in sight and before our tains with 80 lb packs. Here wc have message had gone many yards the the U.S. Army helicopter HU IB. It huge bird gobbled it up." lands you at 13,000 feet day in, day out; then finally disappears inside its own portable workshop for a rou ERRATA tine check before moving it, and the camp, on to the next location. [All Vol. 3, No. 10, p. 449. Bird Island in all it is a sledgers' paradise, the lies off the western end of South perfect Valhalla for O.A.E.s.] Georgia, not off thc Antarctic Penin sula. Finally there's a point about the scenery. Ships and shore stations in Vol. 3, No. 11, p. 474. Charles the Ross Sea see very little of it. I Swithinbank is British, although he know Mount Erebus can be a fine was for some years associated with sight from McMurdo Sound but dis the University of Michigan. POLAR HOVERCRAFT COMING? Considerable interest is being taken in the possibility of using vehicles of the Hovercraft type for travel across Arctic and Antarctic ic fields.

ARCTIC TRIALS Both Sir Raymond Priestley and Sir Vivian Fuchs refer to hovercraft United Slates Army experts are in their respective articles in the new testing an air-cushion vehicle on British publication "Antarctic Re Greenland's icy expanses. Capable of search" (see March, p. 49). skimming over rough ice with two Priestley writes, "The nation with men aboard, the polar "jeep" uses a out true icebreakers is at a marked hovering principle similar to that of disadvantage especially if, as in the British air-cushion craft. case of Britain, it has no near-by air The Army calls the vehicle a strips that can accommodate aero "ground effect machine". It will be tested for use over swamps and planes of the largest size. rivers as well as over ice. Several "This lesson has been driven home problems must be overcome, how time and again in the harsher ice ever, before it can be adapted for years of the last decade . . . more polar or jungle use. efficient means of dealing with ice- One is the difficulty of slowing the infested seas must be found if pres vehicle down as it descends a hill. tige is to be maintained. The ultimate Conventional brakes are no good answer may be the hovercraft, but since the machine has no contact for the present icebreakers are essen with the ground. Experiments are tial." being made with a lever which will bite into the ice when needed. "THEIR TIME WILL COME" The machine also tends to drift Fuchs in his article on "Polar sideways in a cross wind. One way of Travel" says: "Vertical take-off air stopping this is to install discs which craft may well replace the helicopter, can be lowered to the surface. and it seems certain that the 'Hover The machine was designed by the craft' (Ground Effect Vehicle) will Bell Aerosystems Company of Buf come into its own. While it may be falo, New York. The company called some years before ocean-going hover it the Carabao, after the eastern craft can be expected, the present water buffalo, since it was intended development should soon provide to travel over water. types capable of meeting a vessel at In a demonstration last winter over the edge of the sea ice and ferrying an ice-jammed Potomac River in supplies over 40 or 50 miles to the Washington, the Carabao skimmed coastal station. Tractors cannot be along at speeds of about 40 m.p.h. used for this purpose where there The Carabao keeps itself aloft by are leads of water, nor in the break means of three downward-blowing up season. The unlikely chance of fans. The air-cushion is surrounded finding a suitable airstrip among the by flexible skirts, and is propelled by icefields near the ship, and the ever- an aircraft engine. Its fuel consump present threat of bad weather, pre tion is high. cludes reliance on the use of ortho dox aircraft, while helicopters are EXPERTS CONFIDENT limited as to load and are controlled All this is no mere pipe-dream fol by the weather. lowing an overdose of science-fiction. "If small hovercraft were used, The acknowledged experts are think they could operate over floes and ing hard about the future use of open water leads in weather that hovercraft in Polar travel. would prevent aircraft flying. In the June, 1965 event of trouble, they could sit on a floe to await repair, or improved SOCIETY NEWS weather, regardless of the risk of WELLINGTON BRANCH being blown out to sea. "A number of problems have yet The following meetings have been to be solved before hovercraft can be held so far in 1965: satisfactorily used. Since sea ice is March 24: The New Zealand Film always crossed by pressure ridges, Unit Antarctic film "140 Days hovercraft could not travel in a under the World" was screened. It straight line and would have to seek can be highly recommended to all a winding route over the level areas." interested in Antarctica. After referring to such further April 28: Howard Mallitte, an artist problems as protection for the hull, with Tourist and Publicity Depart the fact that at slow speed an un ment, presented an exhibition of blown curtain of snow shuts out all his work, based on his 1963-4 visit visibility, the inability of the hover to Antarctica. Mr. Mallitte vyas craft to extricate itself if lodged in principally concerned with "Activi a crevasse and the climbing of steep ties and Personalities" rather than inclines, Sir Vivian continues: "There landscape and his drawings of is no doubt that their time will come. engine rooms, galleys, science labs, Then perhaps the traveller will be excited much comment. able to move swiftly, smoothly and The Annual General Meeting of safely from one point of scientific the Branch will be on Thursday, June study to another." 17, and will be followed by a wine and cheese supper. "PARTICULARLY SUITED" CANTERBURY BRANCH Dr. Phillip Law joins in the chorus of assurance that the day of the Meetings held during 1965: Polar Hovercraft will come. Writing on Techniques of Transport in thc April 8: Ian Harkess, a member of New Zealand Antarctic Society's the Branch Committee, spoke of scientific work in the McMurdo forthcoming book "ANTARCTICA" he says: Sound area in the past summer, and of his own experiences with "Finally, some mention might be the Canterbury University Biologi made of the possibility of using vehi cal Unit at Cape Royds. cles of the Hovercraft type. From a number of points of view these The first Canterbury Branch Bur should be particularly suited to Ant sary awards were made to Gregor arctic conditions. Over the flat plat Yeates, zoological work at Cape eau and over sea ice they would Royds, and John Hay, work on the obviate the hazards of crevasses and microclimate of the Adelie penguin weak ice respectively. It remains to rookery there. be seen how they will perform on The Annual Meeting will be held heavy sastrugi and side slopes and on May 27 and the Midwinter's Din in high winds. Perhaps some com ner on June 22. promise vehicle, such as a vehicle on A presentation of silver and greei. sledge runners using the Hovercraft stone coffee spoons was forwarded to principle merely to reduce the Rear-Admiral and Mrs. J. R. Reedy. ground pressure, might be more effective?" At the Annual Meeting on May 27, Mr. H. F. Griffiths was elected Presi dent and Dr. B. Stonehouse and Mr. SOCIETY TIES J. H. M. Williams Vice-Presidents. Mrs. E. F. Cross is the new Secretary, Ties are available from Branch replacing Miss H. S. Hill who has Secretaries of the Society at a cost resigned after a lengthy period of of 17/6 each. Overseas members splendid service to the Branch but should in addition remit postage. remains a member of the Committee. June, 1965

BOOKSHELF A MEDLEY OF ANTARCTIC PUBLICATIONS

N.Z. Jnl. Geol. Geophysics "ANTARCTICA" THIRD Society's Book Delayed Owing to the sale of the American SPECIAL ANTARCTIC ISSUE rights, publication by Methuens of the New Zealand Antarctic Society's ditor of the "New Zealand . of Geology and Geophysics" important new book, "Antarctica" . W. Collins) must be warmly (reviewed in our last issue), has been ratulated on the publication of delayed, and it may be some months the third special Antarctic issue of yet before the book is on sale in New the "Journal" (Vol. 8, No. 2, Mav Zealand bookshops. 1965). ANTARCTIC BIOLOGY The 240 pages, lavishly illustrated, comprise nine important papers on Biologists — and many others — Antarctic Geology, an account of the will be interested in a special Antarc Balleny Islands Reconnaissance Ex tic issue of the American Journal pedition, 1964, numerous maps and Bio-Science, volume 15, No. 4, April diagrams, a supplement to the list of 1965. Thirty-eight pages of the 75-page New Zealand Antarctic Publications issue are devoted to articles by dis in thc second special issue (141 new tinguished American scientists on a titles), full reviews of several recent dozen aspects of Antarctic Biology. Antarctic publications, and shorter Articles of very general interest are items. This is really amazing value at "Ornithological Research in Antarc 7/6, and early application to the tica" (W. J. L. Sladen), "Some Prac Publications Officer, Department of tical Aspects of Penguin Navigation Scientific and Industrial Research, — Orientation Studies" (R. L. Pen P.O. Box 8018, Wellington, New Zea ney) and (surprising no doubt to land, is advised. The first special some) "Entomological Field Research Antarctic issue was quickly out of in Antarctica" (J. Linsley Gressitt). print. Madison E. Pryor describes the Bio logical work by the Russians at ANTARCTIC GEOLOGY Mirny. Published by the American Institute of Bio Geology and Morphology of Antarc logical Sciences, 1323 Greenwood Road, Balti tica, H. J. Harrington, 71 pp., 7 more, Maryland, 21208, U.S.A. figures, in "Biogeography and Ecology in Antarctica" edited by P. METEOROLOGY 2, SCOTT BASE, Van Oye and J. Van Miegham. Pub McMURDO SOUND. 24 pp., charts lished by Dr. W. Junk, The Hague, and ills. Trans-Antarctic Expedition 1965. 1955-58. Scientific Reports No. 14. R. W. Balham. English price 10/6. Dr. Harrington was Leader of the first two New Zealand Government Dr. Balham of the Victoria Univer Geological and Survey Antarctic Ex sity of Wellington acted as meteorolo peditions, in northern Victoria Land, gist to the New Zealand component 1957-58, and in the McMurdo Sound of the T.A.E. at Scott Base 1956-58. area, 1958-59. He is now on the staff The report is obtainable from the of thc University of New England, T.A.E. Committee, 30 Gillingham Armidale, N.S.W., Australia. Street, London. June, 1965

U.S. ANTARCTIC paper cover is insubstantial, the reviewer's copy already tearing at the MAP FOLIO SERIES front fold. It ought to be possible, in this day and age, in the United States, We have received the first two to produce a strong flexible cover. folios of a series of 20 folios to be T.H. published by the American Geogra phical Society, each devoted to the Antarctic significance of one subject PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF or scientific discipline. A single folio THE ANTARCTIC ICE SHEET. C. R. will contain several map sheets gen Bentley, R. L. Cameron, C. Bull, K. erally measuring 22 in. by 17 in. and Kojima and A. J. Gow. Folio 2. A folio an authoritative explanatory text. of 10 pages of text and 10 folding AERONOMICAL MAPS FOR THE maps 22 in. by 17 in. American Geo ANTARCTIC. R. Pcnndorf, T. M. Noel, graphical Society. Price $4.00. G. F. Rourke and M. A. Shea. Folio 1. 6 pages, 5 figures, 9 plates. American This second folio in the Antarctic Geographical Society, New York. Map Folio Series (Editor Vivian C. Price S3.00. Bushnell) published by the American Geographical Society under contract The nine plates present ionospheric to the National Science Foundation, and magnetic parameters over the is notable for its clear and precise Antarctic regions, based on record presentation. The Introduction, Ice ings from 28 stations south of lati Surface Topography and Ice Thick tude 30° S., fourteen of which are ness is written by Dr. Bentley, per located in Antarctica. Four of the haps the most experienced Antarctic plates summarise f0E, f0Fi, f0F:, in geophysicist at the present time. Dr. July and December 1957, and March Cameron, the leader of last summer's 1958, representing winter, summer South Pole-Pole of Inaccessibility and equinoctial conditions. Three U.S. Traverse, summarizes the annual plates deal with the percentage of amount of snow accumulation over time during which f0Es>5Mc/s, and the continent, while Dr. Colin Bull, the final two plates map the magnetic late of Victoria University, New Zea B and L values. These magnetic para land, sets out the present knowledge meters, B and L will not ring any relating to the mean annual surface chord of memory in the minds of temperature. Dr. Kojima explains the those who laboriously toiled, during two maps showing average snow I.G.Y., to transmit quarter-hourly densities to 2 metres and at 10 metres values of the ionospheric parameters in depth. Tony Gow, a New Zea back to headquarters. B and L have lander, who has spent a number of only recently been adopted, for their summers working in the Antarctic usefulness in dealing with problems for thc U.S. Army, clearly describes involving trapped radiation. the range of glaciological field work with particular emphasis on the The six-page text is a succinct in stratigraphy of deep pits and bore troduction to the plates discussing holes. the data, their origins, methods of computation, etc. There are short A list of references relevant to the discussions by the various authors on text and an excellent Appendix The Regular "Ionic E and F Regions, containing details of all Antarctic Synoptic View of the Spatial and Traverses, and listing data sources, Temporal Variations of Sporadic E, completes the text section. The 10 The Auroral Zone, and Magnetic B maps clearly illustrate the descrip and L Values. The last would have tions of the text and, without a doubt benefitted from explanatory di complete an easily understood and grams for ionspheric observers, like up-to-date account of the Antarctic the reviewer, well past their prime. Ice Sheet. Though otherwise well produced, the A.J.H. The New Zealand Antarctic Society is a group of New Zealanders, many of whom have seen Antarctica for themselves, and all of whom are vitally interested in some phase of Antarctic exploration, development, or research. You are invited to become a member. The membership fee includes subscription to "Antarctic." BRANCH SECRETARIES Wellington: W. J. P. Macdonald, Box 2110, Wellington. Canterbury: Mrs. E. F. Cross, 34 Clissold St., Christchurch 1.

"ANTARCTIC" is published quarterly in March, June, September, and December. Subscription for non-members of the Antarctic Society, £1. Apply to the Secretary, New Zealand Antarctic Society, P.O. Box 2110, Wellington, New Zealand. OUT OF PRINT Volume 1, numbers 1, 2, and 9; Volume 2, numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9 are OUT OF PRINT. Some others are in very short supply. Copies of available issues may be obtained from the Secretary of the Society, Box 2110, Wellington, at a cost of 5/- per copy. Indexes for volumes 1 and 2 are also available, price 2/6 each index. An index for volume 3 has been prepared.

SOCIETY TIES The N.Z. Antarctic Society tie is now available. The design is similar to those used for the ties of kindred organisations in the United Kingdom and Australia. The dark blue background, light blue and white stripes and motif of penguins and kiwis provide a striking pattern, yet a reserved note is retained over all. Ties are available through N.Z. and Branch Secretaries of the Society at a cost of 17/6.