DOCSLIB.ORG

In the Footsteps of Nordenskiold: Through the Northern Sea Route

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
In the Footsteps of Nordenskiold: Through the Northern Sea Route IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF NORDENSKIOLD: THROUGH THE NORTHERN SEA ROUTE It was during the Vega Expedition of 1878 - 1880 that Swedish stations constructed to provide ice and explorer Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld would prove, despite insurmountable odds, that it was possible to sail across the top of Russia to the Pacific and, ultimately, ports in Asia during the first transit of the Northern Sea Route. While hopes it would become a regular trading route were never realised, ice and weather conditions were too unpredictable, the Russians persisted and in 1914 the icebreakers Taymyr and Vaygach would complete the second successful transit. In 1932 the Soviet Government established the Northern Sea Route administration to oversee the development of the passage. Bigger and more powerful icebreakers were built and a significant number of polar weather stations constructed to provide ice and weather updates for convoys transiting the route. The vast majority of these stations now lie in ruins, the data they once supplied now effortlessly downloaded directly weather updates for convoys transiting the route. The vast from satellite and automatic … It was during the Vega majority of these stations now lie in ruins, the data they once Expedition of 1878 - 1880 that Swedish explorer Adolf Erik supplied now effortlessly downloaded directly from satellite and Nordenskiöld would prove, despite insurmountable odds, that it automatic weather stations. Recent changes in the Arctic was possible to sail across the top of Russia to the Pacific and, summer sea ice means that it is now possible to navigate the ultimately, ports in Asia during the first transit of the Northern Northern Sea Route during a brief window of opportunity without Sea Route. While hopes it would become a regular trading route icebreaker assistance. These changes open a whole new world were never realised, ice and weather conditions were too of Arctic history and wildlife to discover - one never dreamed of unpredictable, the Russians persisted and in 1914 the for those of us fascinated by these once off-limits, high icebreakers Taymyr and Vaygach would complete the second latitudes. Our expedition will follow Nordenskiöld's route visiting successful transit. In 1932 the Soviet Government established the many islands and locations he discovered and described the Northern Sea Route administration to oversee the during his remarkable journey including the Severnaya Zemlya development of the passage. Bigger and more powerful Archipelago, New Siberian Islands, Novaya Zemlya (New Land), icebreakers were built and a significant number of polar weather Cape Chelyuskin and Nordenskiöld Archipelago, plus additional 0800 945 3327 (within New Zealand) | +64 (0) 3 365 1355 | 1800 107 715 (within Australia) [email protected] | wildearth-travel.com sites like the De Long Islands. While the brief Arctic breeding different landing sites which may include Cape Spory, the Oransky Islands, Navalok, Cape Zhelaniya, Russkaya Gavan and Inostrantseva Bay where season will be over, much of the region's abundant wildlife will breath-catching panoramic views of pristine Arctic wilderness can be enjoyed. still be present. We are sure to enjoy encounters with Polar Rightly regarded for its unrestrained high Arctic beauty and as a wildlife haven, Bears and there is also an opportunity to observe three species during our explorations here we will look to make several landings, Zodiac cruise imposing cliffs, glaciers and shores looking for Harp, Ringed and of walrus (Pacific, Laptev and Atlantic), whales (Beluga, Bearded Seals, Polar Bears, reindeer, Arctic Fox, walrus haulouts, whales and Bowhead and Narwhal) and Arctic Gulls (Ivory, Sabine's and a number of bird species including Peregrine Falcon, Tundra Redpoll, Snowy Ross'). Our team of on board naturalists will be working with Owl, Guillemots and Puffins. you to ensure the best possible sightings and photographs. Join Day 6: Isachenko Island us as we retrace history on this unforgettable voyage aboard our Sailing east we reach Isachenko Island, the largest in the Kirov Island group in ice-strengthened Russian research vessel Akademik Shokalskiy. the Kara Sea. There is much to explore on this remote, tundra-covered island No stranger to this region, she has participated in Soviet where we will be looking to land, ice and weather conditions permitting. Home to deserted research station Polyarnaya Stantsiya, the sandy shores and convoys in during the late 1980s and completed a double coastal lagoons of Isachenko Island, part of Russia’s Great Arctic State Nature transit of the Northern Sea Route with us in 2017. Reserve, abound with wildlife in the thriving intertidal zone and are often frequented by Polar Bears. This afternoon we make our way to the Nordenskiöld Archipelago. ITINERARY Days 7 to 8: Nordenskiöld Archipelago Day 1: Murmansk Our days in the Nordenskiöld Archipelago celebrate the true expedition nature Murmansk is home to the Russia’s icebreaker fleet and featured as a of our voyage as we explore this little-known and rarely-visited cluster of strategically important port throughout the history of Russia. Join Akademik around 90 islands in the eastern region of the Kara Sea. Surrounded by ice for Shokalskiy this afternoon and prepare for our departure from the Port of most the year, these remote and windswept outposts including Russky Island, Murmansk. After we sail there will be introductions to ship, staff and crew plus the largest and location of a former Polar research station which closed in compulsory safety briefings. 1999, were named by Norwegian polar explorer Fridtjof Nansen on his 1893-1896 Fram Expedition. In 1900 the majority of the islands were charted Days 2 to 3: Barents Sea and named by Captain Fyodor Andreyevich Matisen during the Russian polar expedition, who named the archipelago in honour of Nordenskiöld. The Barents Sea was named in honour of Dutch seafarer and navigator, Willem Barents, who explored this region on expeditions in 1594 and 1596. During our two days at sea we will start our lecture series and as we move Days 9 to 11: Severnaya Zemlya Archipelago northwards there should be opportunities for spotting Humpback Whales, Harp The Severnaya Zemlya Islands translated into English mean ‘Northern Land’. Seals and possibly other species that feed in these waters. They are on the border of the Kara and Laptev Seas and are an extension of the Taymyr Peninsula. These islands were not discovered until 1914-15 when Days 4 to 5: Novaya Zemlya Russian explorer Vil’kitskiy finally charted the island. This was the last significant archipelago in the world to be discovered. The three largest islands We plan to spend the following days exploring the remote, mountainous are heavily glaciated with deep fiords and majestic tidewater glaciers that are archipelago of Novaya Zemlya (or New Land). Bounded by spectacular regularly calving icebergs, providing a magnificent environment for cruising. glaciers, jagged peaks and rich in wildlife and history, these rarely visited isles This is one of the last strongholds for Ivory Gulls and we look for an consist of two large islands separated by the narrow Matochkin Strait and a opportunity to visit a colony. myriad of smaller islands. Discover a northern Arctic desert landscape on Severny Island and new landscapes along the coastline as we look to explore Days 12 to 13: Taymyr Peninsula and Laptev Sea 0800 945 3327 (within New Zealand) | +64 (0) 3 365 1355 | 1800 107 715 (within Australia) [email protected] | wildearth-travel.com We enter the Laptev Sea through the Vil’kitskiy Strait which separates Day 17: East Siberian Sea Severnaya Zemlya from the mainland of Russia and also marks the northern-most point of the Eurasian continent. This is a significant milestone This sea is defined by the Novosibirskie Islands in the west and Wrangel Island on our journey; traditionally the last area where the ice clears and the to the east. Along its southern shores are three of Siberia’s major rivers, the biological divide between the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean wildlife. This sea is Indigirka, Alazaya and the Kolyma. The average depth is only 54 metres bounded by the Taymyr Peninsula and Severnaya Zemlya in the west and the making it ideal habitat for walrus and Bowhead Whales. Novosibirskie Islands in the east. It is named in honour of cousins who were both Arctic explorers. The Lena and the Yana are two of the larger rivers that Day 18: Medvezhyi Islands drain into this sea. Along the western shore of the Laptev Sea we will take the Today we will explore the little known and seldom visited Medvezhyi Islands opportunity to explore the Taymyr Peninsula and the infamous Cape (Bear Islands), an archipelago of five granitic islands. As the name suggests, Chelyuskin at its tip. Cape Chelyuskin is of particular interest on our voyage as the islands have a sizeable population of Polar Bears which often den on the crew of the Vega left message of their voyage thus far under a stone these shores over winter. A landing on the island of Chetyrekhstolbovoy offers memorial here. Laptev Sea Walrus are only found in this area and we will be the opportunity to hike to the unusual rock ‘pillows’ which the island is named on the lookout for haulouts where we can spend time photographing this after, the largest of these resembling Moai from a distance. The abandoned unique and isolated population of walrus. weather station here is a fascinating example of the effects of permafrost melting as it slowly slumps into the sea while the very land upon which it was Days 14 to 15: Noviye Sebirskiye (New Siberian Islands) built disintegrates. On Pushkareva Island investigate the old lighthouse or These islands, which consist of three major groups – Southern, Central (Anzhu) enjoy the Arctic flowers that cover the expansive tundra during the brief and Northern (De Long), mark the border between the Laptev and East summer.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Northern Sea Route Cargo Flows and Infrastructure- Present State And
    Northern Sea Route Cargo Flows and Infrastructure – Present State and Future Potential By Claes Lykke Ragner FNI Report 13/2000 FRIDTJOF NANSENS INSTITUTT THE FRIDTJOF NANSEN INSTITUTE Tittel/Title Sider/Pages Northern Sea Route Cargo Flows and Infrastructure – Present 124 State and Future Potential Publikasjonstype/Publication Type Nummer/Number FNI Report 13/2000 Forfatter(e)/Author(s) ISBN Claes Lykke Ragner 82-7613-400-9 Program/Programme ISSN 0801-2431 Prosjekt/Project Sammendrag/Abstract The report assesses the Northern Sea Route’s commercial potential and economic importance, both as a transit route between Europe and Asia, and as an export route for oil, gas and other natural resources in the Russian Arctic. First, it conducts a survey of past and present Northern Sea Route (NSR) cargo flows. Then follow discussions of the route’s commercial potential as a transit route, as well as of its economic importance and relevance for each of the Russian Arctic regions. These discussions are summarized by estimates of what types and volumes of NSR cargoes that can realistically be expected in the period 2000-2015. This is then followed by a survey of the status quo of the NSR infrastructure (above all the ice-breakers, ice-class cargo vessels and ports), with estimates of its future capacity. Based on the estimated future NSR cargo potential, future NSR infrastructure requirements are calculated and compared with the estimated capacity in order to identify the main, future infrastructure bottlenecks for NSR operations. The information presented in the report is mainly compiled from data and research results that were published through the International Northern Sea Route Programme (INSROP) 1993-99, but considerable updates have been made using recent information, statistics and analyses from various sources.
    [Show full text]
  • Novaya Zemlya Archipelago (Russian Arctic)
    This is a repository copy of First records of testate amoebae from the Novaya Zemlya archipelago (Russian Arctic). White Rose Research Online URL for this paper: http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/127196/ Version: Accepted Version Article: Mazei, Yuri, Tsyganov, Andrey N, Chernyshov, Viktor et al. (2 more authors) (2018) First records of testate amoebae from the Novaya Zemlya archipelago (Russian Arctic). Polar Biology. ISSN 0722-4060 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-018-2273-x Reuse Items deposited in White Rose Research Online are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved unless indicated otherwise. They may be downloaded and/or printed for private study, or other acts as permitted by national copyright laws. The publisher or other rights holders may allow further reproduction and re-use of the full text version. This is indicated by the licence information on the White Rose Research Online record for the item. Takedown If you consider content in White Rose Research Online to be in breach of UK law, please notify us by emailing [email protected] including the URL of the record and the reason for the withdrawal request. [email protected] https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/ 1 First records of testate amoebae from the Novaya Zemlya archipelago (Russian Arctic) 2 Yuri A. Mazei1,2, Andrey N. Tsyganov1, Viktor A. Chernyshov1, Alexander A. Ivanovsky2, Richard J. 3 Payne1,3* 4 1. Penza State University, Krasnaya str., 40, Penza 440026, Russia. 5 2. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskiye Gory, 1, Moscow 119991, Russia. 6 3. University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, United Kingdom.
    [Show full text]
  • Revisiting Trans-Arctic Maritime Navigability in 2011–2016 from the Perspective of Sea Ice Thickness
    remote sensing Article Revisiting Trans-Arctic Maritime Navigability in 2011–2016 from the Perspective of Sea Ice Thickness Xiangying Zhou 1,2, Chao Min 1,2 , Yijun Yang 1,2, Jack C. Landy 3,4, Longjiang Mu 5 and Qinghua Yang 1,2,* 1 Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Atmospheric Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519082, China; [email protected] (X.Z.); [email protected] (C.M.); [email protected] (Y.Y.) 2 Key Laboratory of Tropical Atmosphere-Ocean System, Ministry of Education, Zhuhai 519082, China 3 Department of Physics and Technology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, 9037 Tromsø, Norway; [email protected] 4 Bristol Glaciology Centre, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1 HB, UK 5 Qingdao Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, China; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: Arctic navigation has become operational in recent decades with the decline in summer sea ice. To assess the navigability of trans-Arctic passages, combined model and satellite sea ice thickness (CMST) data covering both freezing seasons and melting seasons are integrated with the Arctic Transportation Accessibility Model (ATAM). The trans-Arctic navigation window and transit time are thereby obtained daily from modeled sea ice fields constrained by satellite observations. Our results indicate that the poorest navigability conditions for the maritime Arctic occurred in 2013 and 2014, particularly in the Northwest Passage (NWP) with sea ice blockage. The NWP has generally Citation: Zhou, X.; Min, C.; Yang, Y.; exhibited less favorable navigation conditions and shorter navigable windows than the Northern Landy, J.C.; Mu, L.; Yang, Q.
    [Show full text]
  • BOLD ENDEAVORS: BEHAVIORAL LESSONS from POLAR and SPACE EXPLORATION Jack W
    BOLD ENDEAVORS: BEHAVIORAL LESSONS FROM POLAR AND SPACE EXPLORATION Jack W. Stuster Anacapa Sciences, Inc., Santa Barbara, CA ABSTRACT Material in this article was drawn from several chapters of the author’s book, Bold Endeavors: Lessons from Polar and Space Anecdotal comparisons frequently are made between Exploration. (Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. 1996). expeditions of the past and space missions of the future. the crew gradually became afflicted with a strange and persistent Spacecraft are far more complex than sailing ships, but melancholy. As the weeks blended one into another, the from a psychological perspective, the differences are few condition deepened into depression and then despair. between confinement in a small wooden ship locked in the Eventually, crew members lost almost all motivation and found polar ice cap and confinement in a small high-technology it difficult to concentrate or even to eat. One man weakened and ship hurtling through interplanetary space. This paper died of a heart ailment that Cook believed was caused, at least in discusses some of the behavioral lessons that can be part, by his terror of the darkness. Another crewman became learned from previous expeditions and applied to facilitate obsessed with the notion that others intended to kill him; when human adjustment and performance during future space he slept, he squeezed himself into a small recess in the ship so expeditions of long duration. that he could not easily be found. Yet another man succumbed to hysteria that rendered him temporarily deaf and unable to speak. Additional members of the crew were disturbed in other ways.
    [Show full text]
  • Arctic Marine Transport Workshop 28-30 September 2004
    Arctic Marine Transport Workshop 28-30 September 2004 Institute of the North • U.S. Arctic Research Commission • International Arctic Science Committee Arctic Ocean Marine Routes This map is a general portrayal of the major Arctic marine routes shown from the perspective of Bering Strait looking northward. The official Northern Sea Route encompasses all routes across the Russian Arctic coastal seas from Kara Gate (at the southern tip of Novaya Zemlya) to Bering Strait. The Northwest Passage is the name given to the marine routes between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans along the northern coast of North America that span the straits and sounds of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Three historic polar voyages in the Central Arctic Ocean are indicated: the first surface shop voyage to the North Pole by the Soviet nuclear icebreaker Arktika in August 1977; the tourist voyage of the Soviet nuclear icebreaker Sovetsky Soyuz across the Arctic Ocean in August 1991; and, the historic scientific (Arctic) transect by the polar icebreakers Polar Sea (U.S.) and Louis S. St-Laurent (Canada) during July and August 1994. Shown is the ice edge for 16 September 2004 (near the minimum extent of Arctic sea ice for 2004) as determined by satellite passive microwave sensors. Noted are ice-free coastal seas along the entire Russian Arctic and a large, ice-free area that extends 300 nautical miles north of the Alaskan coast. The ice edge is also shown to have retreated to a position north of Svalbard. The front cover shows the summer minimum extent of Arctic sea ice on 16 September 2002.
    [Show full text]
  • Plumulitid Machaeridian Remains from the Silurian (Telychian) of Severnaya Zemlya, Arctic Russia
    NORWEGIAN JOURNAL OF GEOLOGY Plumulitid mochoeridion remains from the Silurion, Arctic Russio 53 Plumulitid machaeridian remains from the Silurian (Telychian) of Severnaya Zemlya, Arctic Russia Anette E.S. Hogstrom, Olga K. Bogolepova & Alexander P. Gubanov Hogstrom, A.E.S., Bogolepova, O.K. and Gubanov, A.P.: Plumulitid machaeridian remains from the Silurian (Telychian) of Sevemaya Zemlya, Arc­ tic Russia. Norsk Geologisk Tidsskrift, Vol. 82, pp. 53-55. Trondheim 2002, ISSN 029-196X. The machaeridian genus Plumulites is reported for the first time from the Severnaya ZemlyaArchipelago of Arctic Russia, where it occurs in limes­ tone concretions within the Sredninskaya Formation. Graptolites fromthe same concretions indicate the late crispus- griestoniensisBiozones of the mid Telychian (Uandovery). Similarities to plumulitid sclerites from the Upper Ordovician of the Tairnyr Peninsula promotes further interest in machaeridian faunas fromthis region. A.E.S. Hogstromi, O.K. Bogolepova and A.P. Gubanov, Historical Geology & Palaeontology, Dept. of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Norbyviigen 22, SE-752 36, Uppsala, Sweden. I Temporaryaddress: Dept. of Earth Sciences, Wills Memorial Building, Queen's Road, Bristol BSB l RJ, UK. lntroduction Stratigraphy and locality The global record of Silurian machaeridians is limited, Machaeridians discussed herein originate from the but includes rare articulated specimens, and more com­ Lower Silurian Sredninskaya Formation (Matukhin et monly isolated sclerites that have been found in Britain al. 1999). To avoid nomenclatural questions, it should (de Koninck 1857; Woodward 1865; Withers 1926 and be noted that these rocks were previously referred to as Adrain et al. 1991), the Baltic Region (Aurivillius 1892; the Golomaynnaya Formation (Menner et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Sverdrup-Among-The-Tundra-People
    AMONG THE TUNDRA PEOPLE by HARALD U. SVERDRUP TRANSLATED BY MOLLY SVERDRUP 1939 Copyright @ 1978 by Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, elec- tronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the regents. Distributed by : Scripps Institution of Oceanography A-007 University of California, San Diego La Jolla, California 92093 Library of Congress # 78-60483 ISBN # 0-89626-004-6 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We are indebted to Molly Sverdrup (Mrs. Leif J.) for this translation of Hos Tundra-Folket published by Gyldendal Norsk Forlag, Oslo, 1938. We are also indebted to the late Helen Raitt for recovering the manuscript from the archives of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The Norwegian Polar Institute loaned negatives from Sverdrup's travels among the Chukchi, for figures 1 through 4. Sverdrup's map of his route in the Chukchi country in 19 19/20 was copied from Hos Tundra-Folket. The map of the Chukchi National Okrug was prepared by Fred Crowe, based on the American Geographic Society's Map of the Arctic Region (1975). The map of Siberia was copied from Terence Armstrong's Russian Settlement in the North (1 965) with permission of the Cambridge University Press. Sam Hinton drew the picture of a reindeer on the cover. Martin W. Johnson identified individuals in some of the photographs. Marston C Sargent Elizabeth N. Shor Kittie C C Kuhns Editors The following individuals, most of whom were closely associated with Sverdrup, out of respect for him and wishing to assure preservation of this unusual account, met part of the cost of publication.
    [Show full text]
  • Living in Two Places : Permanent Transiency In
    living in two places: permanent transiency in the magadan region Elena Khlinovskaya Rockhill Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1ER, UK; [email protected] abstract Some individuals in the Kolyma region of Northeast Russia describe their way of life as “permanently temporary.” This mode of living involves constant movements and the work of imagination while liv- ing between two places, the “island” of Kolyma and the materik, or mainland. In the Soviet era people maintained connections to the materik through visits, correspondence and telephone conversations. Today, living in the Kolyma means living in some distant future, constantly keeping the materik in mind, without fully inhabiting the Kolyma. People’s lives embody various mythologies that have been at work throughout Soviet Kolyma history. Some of these models are being transformed, while oth- ers persist. Underlying the opportunities afforded by high mobility, both government practices and individual plans reveal an ideal of permanency and rootedness. KEYWORDS: Siberia, gulag, Soviet Union, industrialism, migration, mobility, post-Soviet The Magadan oblast’1 has enjoyed only modest attention the mid-seventeenth century, the history of its prishloye in arctic anthropology. Located in northeast Russia, it be- naseleniye3 started in the 1920s when the Kolyma region longs to the Far Eastern Federal Okrug along with eight became known for gold mining and Stalinist forced-labor other regions, okrugs and krais. Among these, Magadan camps. oblast' is somewhat peculiar. First, although this territory These regional peculiarities—a small indigenous pop- has been inhabited by various Native groups for centu- ulation and a distinct industrial Soviet history—partly ries, compared to neighboring Chukotka and the Sakha account for the dearth of anthropological research con- Republic (Yakutia), the Magadan oblast' does not have a ducted in Magadan.
    [Show full text]
  • INAUGURAL SEASON 2020-2021 Antarctica | Greenland & Iceland
    EXPEDITION CRUISES INAUGURAL SEASON 2020-2021 Antarctica | Svalbard | Greenland & Iceland | Norway & Russia | Northwest Passage | North, Central & South America | Europe new Alaska & Canada Content 2020-21 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– We take you far beyond the ordinary 6-7 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Our Expedition Fleet 8-9 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– The future is green 10-11 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Antarctica 12-15 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Greenland & Iceland 16-19 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Russia 19 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Svalbard 20-23 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Norway 24-25 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Northwest Passage 26-27 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Alaska & Canada 28-29 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– North & Central America 30 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– South America 31 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Europe 32 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Extend your stay 32-33 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Terms and conditions 34-37 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 2 “Ever since Hurtigruten started sailing polar waters back in 1893, we have been on a constant look out for new worlds to explore.” © HURTIGRUTEN Hurtigruten is an exploration company in the truest sense of the word; our mission is to bring adventurers to remote natural beauty around the world. Our experience in the feld is unparalleled, and we draw on our unique
    [Show full text]
  • Scurvy? Is a Certain There Amount of Medical Sure, for Know That Sheds Light on These Questions
    J R Coll Physicians Edinb 2013; 43:175–81 Paper http://dx.doi.org/10.4997/JRCPE.2013.217 © 2013 Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh The role of scurvy in Scott’s return from the South Pole AR Butler Honorary Professor of Medical Science, Medical School, University of St Andrews, Scotland, UK ABSTRACT Scurvy, caused by lack of vitamin C, was a major problem for polar Correspondence to AR Butler, explorers. It may have contributed to the general ill-health of the members of Purdie Building, University of St Andrews, Scott’s polar party in 1912 but their deaths are more likely to have been caused by St Andrews KY16 9ST, a combination of frostbite, malnutrition and hypothermia. Some have argued that Scotland, UK Oates’s war wound in particular suffered dehiscence caused by a lack of vitamin C, but there is little evidence to support this. At the time, many doctors in Britain tel. +44 (0)1334 474720 overlooked the results of the experiments by Axel Holst and Theodor Frølich e-mail [email protected] which showed the effects of nutritional deficiencies and continued to accept the view, championed by Sir Almroth Wright, that polar scurvy was due to ptomaine poisoning from tainted pemmican. Because of this, any advice given to Scott during his preparations would probably not have helped him minimise the effect of scurvy on the members of his party. KEYWORDS Polar exploration, scurvy, Robert Falcon Scott, Lawrence Oates DECLaratIONS OF INTERESTS No conflicts of interest declared. INTRODUCTION The year 2012 marked the centenary of Robert
    [Show full text]
  • Foreign Military Studies Office
    community.apan.org/wg/tradoc-g2/fmso/ PENDING PUBLIC RELEASE/APPROVAL - QUESTIONS: 757-501-6236 Foreign Military Studies Office Volume 9 Issue #10 OEWATCH October 2019 FOREIGN NEWS & PERSPECTIVES OF THE OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENT EURASIA 28 New Chinese Aircraft Carrier to Carry 50 Percent More 3 Sinking the Armata? Fighters AFRICA 4 Where is Strelkov Aiming? 30 China and Kazakhstan Upgrade Ties 59 Urban Deployment Reveals South African Military Deficiencies 5 Northern and Eastern Military Districts Get S-300V4 Air 32 China and Russia Sign Heavy Helicopter Deal 60 South Africa’s Xenophobic Violence: Foreigners as Scapegoats Defense Systems 34 China Reports the Launch of Unmanned ‘Mini-Aegis-Class for Failing Economy 7 Russian Ground Forces’ Air Defense: A Look At Russia’s Destroyer’ 61 Somalia’s Newest Military Commander Also Its Youngest Threat-Based Military 35 Contrasting Chinese and Foreign Media Accounts on 62 African Union Raises Concerns Over Foreign Military Bases in 8 The Modernization of Russian Coastal Defense Missiles Xinjiang Africa 10 Mines Seen as Key Capabilities for Russian Naval and Coastal 37 Papuans Hope for Independence, but is it Possible? 63 Regional Rivalries Heat Up as AMISOM Leaves Somalia Defense 39 Another Counter-Terrorism Operation in Palu, Indonesia 64 China’s Investment in African Aviation 12 Russia Developing On-Orbit Fueling Technologies 40 India to Create New Chief of Defence Staff Position 65 International Connections to Guinea-Bissau Drug Trafficking 13 Public Protests and “Hybrid War” 66 Borno Governor
    [Show full text]
  • Accelerated Glacier Mass Loss in the Russian Arctic (2010-2017) Christian Sommer1, Thorsten Seehaus1, Andrey Glazovsky2, Matthias H
    https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2020-358 Preprint. Discussion started: 28 December 2020 c Author(s) 2020. CC BY 4.0 License. Brief communication: Accelerated glacier mass loss in the Russian Arctic (2010-2017) Christian Sommer1, Thorsten Seehaus1, Andrey Glazovsky2, Matthias H. Braun1 1Institut für Geographie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, 91058, Germany 5 2Institute of Geography RAS, Moscow, 119017, Russia Correspondence to: Christian Sommer ([email protected]) Abstract. Glaciers in the Russian High Arctic have been subject to extensive warming due to global climate change, yet their contribution to sea level rise has been relatively small over the past decades. Here we show surface elevation change measure- ments and geodetic mass balances of 93% of all glacierized areas of Novaya Zemlya, Severnaya Zemlya and Franz Josef Land 10 using interferometric synthetic aperture radar measurements taken between 2010 and 2017. We calculate an overall mass loss rate of -23±5 Gt a-1, corresponding to a sea level rise contribution of 0.06±0.01 mm a-1. Compared to measurements prior to 2010, mass loss of glaciers on the Russian archipelagos has doubled in recent years. 1 Introduction The Arctic has undergone large environmental changes due to increases in temperature and humidity (Box et al., 2019) and an 15 increase in glacier mass loss has been observed in many polar regions (Morris et al., 2020). The Russian Arctic, including the archipelagos Novaya Zemlya, Severnaya Zemlya and Franz Josef Land, is one of these regions. Despite a glacierized area of ~52,000 km², in-situ observations of glacier mass change are sparse.
    [Show full text]