AUSTRALIAN

MAGAZINE ISSUE 28 2015 AUSTRALIAN

ANTARCTIC ISSUE 2015 MAGAZINE 28

The Australian Antarctic Division, a Division of the Department of the Environment, leads Australia’s Antarctic program and seeks to advance Australia’s Antarctic interests CONTENTS in pursuit of its vision of having ‘Antarctica valued, protected and understood’. It does this by managing Australian government activity in Antarctica, providing transport and SCIENCE logistic support to Australia’s Antarctic research program, The good oil on krill 1 maintaining four permanent Australian research stations, and conducting scientific research programs both on land Acoustic technology provides insights into blue whale behaviour 4 and in the Southern Ocean. Sound science finds Antarctic blue whale hotspots 6 Australia’s Antarctic national interests are to: Measuring clouds from every angle 7 • Preserve our sovereignty over the Australian Antarctic Future ocean success 8 Territory, including our sovereign rights over the adjacent offshore areas. Totten Glacier melt-down 10 • Take advantage of the special opportunities Antarctica Hidden oceanic gateway beneath Totten Glacier 12 offers for scientific research. What lies beneath 13 • Protect the Antarctic environment, having regard to its Household pollutants detected around Antarctic stations 15 special qualities and effects on our region. • Maintain Antarctica’s freedom from strategic and/or Refining gravity waves in climate models 16 political confrontation. Iconic Macquarie Island cushion plant dying out 18 • Be informed about and able to influence developments Rare sub-glacial eruption at Casey 19 in a region geographically proximate to Australia. Sweating the small stuff 20 • Derive any reasonable economic benefits from living and non-living resources of the Antarctic (excluding deriving Changing Antarctica 22 such benefits from mining and oil drilling). Fulbright scholar to advance whale ageing technique 23

Australian Antarctic Magazine seeks to inform the Australian HISTORY and international Antarctic community about the activities Antarcticans and the war 24 of the Australian Antarctic program. Opinions expressed in Australian Antarctic Magazine do not necessarily represent Antarctica 1 – Volkswagens in Antarctica 26 the position of the Australian Government. ARTS Australian Antarctic Magazine is produced twice a year (June and December). All text and images published Living data: how art helps us all understand climate change 28 in the magazine are copyright of the Commonwealth OPERATIONS of Australia, unless otherwise stated. Editorial enquiries, including requests to reproduce material, or A busy season on the ‘bacon index’ 30 contributions, should be addressed to: IN BRIEF 31 The Editor Australian Antarctic Magazine FREEZE FRAME 33 Australian Antarctic Division 203 Channel Highway Kingston, 7050 Tasmania, Australia. Australian Antarctic Division Telephone: (03) 6232 3209 (International 61 3 6232 3209) email: [email protected] Facsimile: (03) 6232 3288 (International 61 3 6232 3288) Editor: Wendy Pyper Production: Sally Chambers, Jessica Fitzpatrick. Graphic Design: Paper Monkey Issue 28: June 2015 ISSN 1445-1735 (print version) Australian Antarctic Magazine is printed on Monza satin recycled paper; a 50% post consumer waste and ABOUT THE COVER 50% FSC certified fibre stock. Australian Antarctic Magazine can be viewed online: Casey station mechanical supervisor, Gordon Tait, captured this image of the www.antarctica.gov.au/magazine aurora australis (southern lights) in March this year. The photo is part of a panorama of three images stitched together to show the extent of the aurora over Casey and the amazing colours produced. Gordon used his Nikon D750 with a 20 mm lens, set to 20 seconds exposure, an aperture of f2.2 and ISO 1250. In balmy -12°C temperatures and no wind, Gordon said conditions were perfect for setting up his shots.

AAD9614rj SCIENCE ROB KING REBECCA MCWATTERS

The good oil on krill

New research investigating the oils or ‘lipids’ in Antarctic krill will provide scientists and the krill fishing industry with improved tools for measuring the health of krill populations and their environment. 1

Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) are a Investigator and Australian expert on krill lipids, ‘This information is critical for estimating textbook example of the phrase ‘you are what Dr Patti Virtue, from the Institute for Marine krill production to assist the Commission for you eat’. As these shrimp-like creatures graze and Antarctic Studies, along with scientists from the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living the tiny phytoplankton and zooplankton the Australian Antarctic Division, CSIRO, Griffith Resource (CCAMLR) to set sustainable catch (marine plants and animals) with which they University and the University of Tasmania, have limits and to understand how environmental share the water column and sea ice environment, teamed up with Norwegian krill fishing company change may affect krill populations.’ they assimilate the long-chain, omega-3 fatty Aker Biomarine — a manufacturer of krill oil Over three years, Aker Biomarine will collect acids (see ‘Unravelling the fatty acid chain,’ supplements and other krill products. daily krill samples from the South West Atlantic page 3), produced by these organisms, Using Aker Biomarine’s considerable krill catching fishing grounds, which encompasses waters near into their bodies. capacity, the team will be able to investigate the Antarctic Peninsula, South Orkney Islands These individual fatty acids are incorporated research questions at a scale unprecedented and South Georgia. into lipids in the krills’ bodies, where they in traditional scientific research. The work will Scientific advisor to Aker Biomarine and are important for cell membrane structure enhance the quality control of commercial a former krill researcher at the Australian and function and as an energy reserve for krill products and collect data essential to Antarctic Division, Dr Steve Nicol, said the growth, reproduction and survival over the understanding krill and managing the fishery. Marine Stewardship Council-certified company harsh winter months. ‘Over the past 20 years scientists on research uses a specially designed pumping system Among these fatty acids are those vessels have only been able to collect small that excludes bycatch and delivers krill to the essential to human brain and heart health, krill samples in a limited time, and while we’ve ship alive and in pristine condition. Scientific including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and done some good research, we really only have a samples will be snap frozen in a -80°C freezer docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Fish oil and snapshot of what’s going on in the wild and very onboard the ship. increasingly krill oil supplements supply a little information about what happens in winter,’ growing market for these essential fatty acids. Dr Virtue said. But the quantity and quality of krill oil extracted ‘This means that key questions of the 1. Krill incorporate long-chain, omega 3 fatty acids from a catch — the amount of EPA and DHA and basic biology and ecology of krill remain from the food that they eat into structural and functional lipids in their body. These fatty acids the ratio of the two — varies from season to unanswered — in particular, what is the season, most likely reflecting changes in krills’ include the essential fatty acids human’s need for relationship between seasonal dietary brain and heart health, which are concentrated environment, and particularly diet. changes and krill growth, condition, in krill oil supplements manufactured by Now, an innovative collaboration between maturity, reproduction and the recruitment Aker Biomarine and others. The digestive gland Antarctic scientists and the krill fishing industry of young krill into the adult population? in the krill in this photo is coloured green from the animal’s diet of phytoplankton. aims to better understand the reasons for this variable oil quantity and quality. Project Chief

ISSUE 28 2015 AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE 1 SCIENCE ZHONGNAN JIA AKER BIOMARINE

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‘This will allow us to look at lipid changes on a Lipid fingerprint Oil change daily, weekly and seasonal basis,’ Dr Nicol said. To understand how and why lipid content and Alongside the signature lipid research, Australian Aker Biomarine will also collect oceanographic composition changes, Dr Virtue, CSIRO’s Dr Peter Antarctic Division krill scientist Dr So Kawaguchi, data (sea surface temperature, currents) Nichols, and Aker BioMarine’s Dr Nils Hoem, will will conduct experiments on live krill in the and bathymetric data (seafloor structure). study ‘signature’ lipids. Like a human fingerprint, Antarctic Division’s krill aquarium, to look at The ship’s acoustic data will be used to analyse these lipids are characteristic of the organisms the effect of dietary changes on lipid content the density and vertical distribution of krill, that produced them — the krills’ food source. and composition, as well as the effects of patterns of daily migration (day/night) and ‘Krill primarily feed on larger phytoplankton — climate change. swarm aggregation behaviour. Scientists will also the diatoms and dinoflagellates — which are both ‘We’ll be able to look at environmental changes, collect phytoplankton samples from onboard microalgae,’ Dr Virtue said. such as temperature and carbon dioxide the fishing vessel, and satellite information on ‘Diatoms tend to be dominated by EPA and levels, on growth, reproductive potential and phytoplankton production and abundance. dinoflagellates by DHA. However, krill are also other metabolic processes that affect lipid ‘We’ll be able to match all this information omnivores, depending on the season and the accumulation and profiles,’ DrKawaguchi said. with the results of our lipid studies, to relate food source available, and we have seen lipid Previous research at the Australian Antarctic the physical condition of krill at different signatures for bacteria, detritus and copepods.’ Division by Dr Andrew Davidson (see page 20) times of year with what’s happening in their Dr Nichols said there would be a staged also suggests that warmer ocean waters and environment,’ Dr Virtue said. approach to lipid analysis. ocean acidification (due to increasing amounts ‘This will allow us to identify the of carbon dioxide dissolving in seawater) could ‘The first thing we’ll do is look at the lipid factors governing the lipid content and favour smaller phytoplankton species over content of the whole animal or individual tissues, composition in krill.’ larger diatoms (Australian Antarctic Magazine such as the ovaries. This will give an indication 24: 22–23, 2013). This knowledge could help commercial fishers of the condition of animals in different to better plan their fishing strategy. Most of the seasons,’ he said. ‘Many of these smaller phytoplankton are less 300 000 tonnes of krill caught in the fishery nutritious for krill than the larger diatoms, and ‘Then we’ll look at the lipid classes — so whether (from a total allowable catch of 620 000 tonnes changes in their abundance or composition they’re structural or storage lipids. This will tell for the South West Atlantic — about 0.3% of could alter the types and amount of fatty acids us whether they’re starving or not. Then we’ll the total estimated biomass of krill), is used available for krill growth, reproduction and identify the individual fatty acids that make up for aquaculture. About 10% of this catch is recruitment into the fishery,’ DrKawaguchi said. the lipids and compare these to our database of processed for oil. algal lipids to see what they’ve been eating.’ ‘These changes will have implications for krill ‘If krill are predicted to have a favourable lipid fishery management into the future.’ The work will also provide insights into the role profile at a particular time of year, for example, of lipids in krill during periods of limited food fishers could target krill specifically for their POP populations supply (particularly over winter) and whether oil, based on that knowledge, and ensure a krill exploit alternate winter food sources for The research team will also analyse field-caught standardised product,’ Dr Nicol said. growth and survival. krill for persistent organic pollutants (POPs), to provide clues to krill population ‘This will allow us to develop a seasonal distribution and movement. nutritional model to predict variability in spawning and recruitment,’ Dr Nichols said.

2 AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE ISSUE 28 2015 SCIENCE LUCIA SIMION ALICIA SUTTON STEPHENIE CAHALAN

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POPs are chemicals found in common household items which persist in the Unravelling the fatty acid chain environment (see page 15) and accumulate in the lipids of plants and animals. Therefore, Krill assimilate ‘long chain’ omega-3 fatty acids into their bodies from their food. populations of krill found in the vicinity These fatty acids have 20 or more carbon atoms in their structure (hence the term of local contamination sources will carry ‘long chain’), in contrast to other shorter chain (18 carbon) omega-3 fatty acids distinctive POP ‘signatures’, which will be such as those found in chia or flax seeds. Krill are a good source of health-beneficial reflected in their tissues. eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). EPA has 20 carbon atoms and five double bonds in the chain (20:5ω3), with the first double By examining these signatures, scientists bond beginning at the ‘tail’ or omega end of the chain (ω3). DHA has 22 carbon atoms hope to determine whether krill populations and six double bonds (22:6ω3). intermingle or remain separate. ‘Recent research suggests that Antarctic krill A sustainable krill fishery do not move passively on ocean currents Despite reports of unsustainable and even illegal krill harvesting, illegal harvesting does but may be capable of maintaining distinct not occur and would not be cost-effective in the current market. Krill is one of the few population distributions,’ Dr Virtue said. marine resources with the potential for a large but sustainable increase in catches, if an ‘The question as to whether krill are one appropriate management scheme is in place. CCAMLR sets and regularly reviews and or many populations has implications revises precautionary catch limits based on the best available science. The krill fishery for management, so we will use POPs to is currently operating only in the South Atlantic sector with an annual catch of up to determine whether fishing operations are about 300 thousand tonnes. The sum of the precautionary catch limit established for targeting one or many krill populations.’ the Antarctic krill fishery is presently 5.6 million tonnes in the South Atlantic Ocean and Ultimately, the research aims to provide 3 million tonnes for the South Indian Ocean. win-win outcomes for scientists, the krill fishery, the krill population and the predators that feed on them.

‘Our current view of krill is all built on the 2. Aker Biomarine’s fleet of krill fishing boats in Antarctica capacity of scientific research vessels,’ Dr Kawaguchi said. 3. Krill lipid expert, Dr Patti Virtue, is leading the study on changes in the quantity and quality of krill oil. Here she collects larval krill from under the ice using a zoo-net, during a winter/early ‘Now we have a chance to use a completely spring research voyage to the Southern Ocean in 2012. different way of sampling to understand 4. Krill oil (orange colour) and a marine oil extracted from phytoplankton (central green flask). what’s happening in the wild.’ The colour of krill oil is due to a carotenoid pigment called astaxanthin. WENDY PYPER 5. Dr So Kawaguchi monitors phytoplankton cultures in the Australian Antarctic Division’s krill Australian Antarctic Division aquarium facility. Dr Kawaguchi will investigate the effects of changes in diet and environment on lipid accumulation and profiles. 6. Dr So Kawaguchi (right) and Mr Rob King in the Australian Antarctic Division’s krill aquarium.

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Acoustic technology provides insights into blue whale behaviour DAVE ALLEN, NIWA

Australian and New Zealand scientists encountered an aggregation of an estimated 80 rare Antarctic blue whales during a six week ecosystems research voyage to the Balleny Islands and Ross Sea in February this year.

The encounter was made possible largely scientific methods to estimate the abundance ‘We started getting frequent, loud calls from the through the use of underwater listening devices, and distribution of whales and describe their direction we were headed. And then we were known as sonobuoys, which the Australian role in the Antarctic ecosystem. inside the aggregation and the noise drowned team, led by the Australian Antarctic Division’s Like many whales, Antarctic blue whales out everything else,’ Dr Miller said. Dr Mike Double, has trialled and refined on were hunted to the brink of extinction ‘We re-sighted the two whales we’d seen at the previous blue whale voyages (see related during industrial whaling, and sightings have Balleny Islands, so they must have taken a similar story on page 6). been extremely rare in the past 50 years. path to us to join the aggregation. ‘For quite a few days we didn’t hear any whales Between 1978 and 2010 blue whale surveys ‘These observations support the idea that blue and we wondered whether there were any recorded only 216 visual encounters. whales communicate with each other over vast around. Then suddenly they “switched on”,’ ‘With such a patchy distribution it is only distances. It could be that they’re calling to Dr Double said. possible to study this endangered species assemble in groups for feeding or breeding.’ ‘We were able to triangulate their position with efficiently using acoustic technology,’ Dr Miller said the whales made two types of calls the sonobuoys and when we got to the location Dr Double said. within the aggregation — frequency modulated a few days later we were staggered to witness Australian Antarctic Division acoustician, (FM) calls and tonal ‘Z’ calls (Figure 2). The first many large groups of whales in a relatively small Dr Brian Miller, said the acoustic technology component of the Z call, a 26 Hz tone, was heard area of about 100 square kilometres.’ and methodology used by the team has at large distances from the aggregation. For the duration of the the voyage, on board developed sufficiently to allow them to gain ‘We discovered a variety of forms of FM calls, New Zealand’s research vessel Tangaroa, insights into the behaviour of blue whales. which seem to be associated with animals in the sonobuoys allowed the team to pick up ‘We can hear and track these animals over groups and may be shorter range, social or more than 40 000 whale calls, some more ranges much bigger than you can see them, foraging sounds. The tonal calls seem to be than 1000 km away, and make 520 hours of so to try and study them without listening produced more by individuals and could be song recordings. The team was also able to to them only gives you a part of the picture,’ for longer range communication.’ photo-identify 58 individuals through the Dr Miller said. The team also recorded vocalisations while filming mottled patterns on their skin, and collect one ‘By looking and listening at the same time, individual whales. Using a video coupled with a skin biopsy for DNA analysis. The photos and we’re beginning to reconcile what we hear GPS and gyro compass, the team recorded dive biopsy will contribute to a global repository of with what we see.’ times, surfacing locations and blows (Figure 3). circumpolar data, for longer-term analysis. For example, at the start of the voyage the ‘One of the whales we filmed would dive for The work is part of the Australian Government’s team saw and heard two blue whales at the about five minutes and then surface to blow a ongoing commitment to the International Balleny Islands. However, they also heard a few few times. It did this for about an hour and then Whaling Commission’s Southern Ocean calls to the east of the islands and decided to its movements completely changed and it turned Research Partnership. The partnership aims follow their acoustic bearings. Within days their in circles and surfaced every minute, which is to develop, test and implement non-lethal decision proved correct (Figure 1). likely to be indicative of feeding,’ Dr Miller said.

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1. Members of the 2015 ‘close approach’ blue whale team (L-R): David Donnelly, Natalie Schmitt, Blake Hornblow, Paula Olson, and Australian blue whale project leader Mike Double. GLENN WALKER, NIWA GLENN WALKER, 2. The New Zealand research vessel Tangaroa searching for whales in the Southern Ocean in 2015. 3. Researchers found themselves surrounded by an estimated 80 rare and endangered blue whales during an ecosystems voyage to the Southern Ocean in February this year. Scientists photo- identified 58 blue whales during the voyage using the mottled patterns on their skin. 2

Figure 1: This map shows the location of detected blue whale calls by sonobuoys (black dots) during the six week 3 voyage. The ship travelled to the Balleny Islands, east to the whale aggregation, south to the Ross Sea for fishing studies and then northwards, back to New Zealand, via the aggregation. FM and Z calls were predominantly heard inside the whale aggregation, while longer-range 26 Hz calls were detected over vast distances. (Brian Miller) PAULA OLSEN PAULA

‘By matching sounds with movements such As well as the blue whale research, the team as this, we may be able to identify sounds spent time tracking humpback whales near associated with feeding or breeding.’ the Balleny Islands, again acquiring photo- While observers were enjoying the blue whales’ identifications and 10 biopsy samples and antics from the ship’s deck, a hardy group of collecting samples of water, krill and fish data miners were analysing echosounding data to understand food availability. in the bowels of the vessel for evidence of the With the whale studies completed, the whales’ food source — krill. expedition moved to Terra Nova Bay in the Echosounders send pings of sound into the Ross Sea to explore any ecosystem effects water and then record the returning echo, which of commercial toothfish fishing. Figure 2: The sonobuoys detected a variety of forms in FM changes when it bounces off fish, krill and National Institute of Water and Atmospheric (frequency modulated) calls of Antarctic blue whales within the aggregation. The most common call types are to the left other reflective objects in the water column. Research (NIWA) fisheries scientist, and Voyage of the spectrogram. (Brian Miller) The resulting images provide information Leader, Dr Richard O’Driscoll, said the team about the location, distribution and density conducted 18 trawl surveys to examine the of the objects. abundance and distribution of species that make Australian Antarctic Division krill survey up the bycatch of the toothfish longline fishery, designer, Dr Martin Cox, said the krill aggregated including grenadiers and icefish. in a distinctive way, quite different to anything ‘We caught over 100 species or species groups he had encountered before. from the trawls and collected 370 sample lots ‘Typically you’ll get dense patches of krill, but for taxonomic identification,’ Dr O’Driscoll said. you’ll also get a sparse background level that sit ‘The data collected will help validate models in layers, 20 to 30 metres deep, which can stretch and inform management decisions by the Figure 3: An example of an Antarctic blue whale (blue line) for tens to hundreds of kilometres,’ he said. Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic tracked using photogrammetry (video) on 10 February. Blue ‘We didn’t see that at all. Instead we found huge Marine Living Resources.’ crosses indicate surfacing locations of the whale. The black balls of tightly packed krill and nothing else — The team also deployed an echo sounder, line shows the track of the Tangaroa. At the end of the track the whale can be seen turning and blowing frequently no background. We estimated that one of the moored in 550 m of water in Terra Nova Bay, — indicative of feeding behaviour. (Russell Leaper and balls contained 100 tonnes of krill.’ to monitor the spawning of Antarctic silverfish; Susannah Calderan) The whale team hypothesize that blue whale one of the main Antarctic prey species. aggregations could be driven by foraging and ‘The instrument will detect and record the that these dense krill swarms suit the whales, abundance of silverfish over winter to see Read more about the voyage at allowing them to feed quickly and efficiently. whether there is a mass migration of the fish to www.niwa.co.nz/antarctic-ecosystems-voyage However, more blue whale and krill surveys are the Ross Sea over winter, or whether their eggs WENDY PYPER need to confirm this. drift in from somewhere else,’ Dr O’Driscoll said. Australian Antarctic Division ‘We always found krill when we saw whales, After their 15 000 km journey, the team is so it could be that blue whales somehow know confident the data and samples collected will that krill form these dense aggregations in add significantly to scientists’ understanding certain areas,’ Dr Cox said. of the Southern Ocean ecosystem.

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1. A blue whale research voyage in 2013 1 identified seven blue whale hotspots using acoustic technology. 2. Susie Calderan deploys a sonobuoy. The acoustic listening devices allowed scientists to pick up more than 40 000 whale calls and make over 520 hours of individual song recordings during the 2015 voyage.

Sound science finds Antarctic

blue whale hotspots OLSEN PAULA

Australian Antarctic researchers have used underwater acoustic technology to find ‘hotspots’ of endangered Antarctic blue whales in the vast Southern Ocean.

Project leader, Dr Mike Double, said that the ‘Initially we deployed single sonobuoys to whales were clustered together into distinct establish the direction of the sound, and then regions, generating an intense source of as we got closer and the intensity of the sound low-frequency calls. increased, we deployed multiple sonobuoys to ‘We encountered seven distinct hotspots for triangulate the whales’ position. blue whales in our survey area and some of ‘This method allowed us to locate whales to these were detectable from 600 nautical miles within a few kilometres — close enough for (1100 kilometres) away,’ he said. our observers to visually sight them.’ 2 DAVE ALLEN, NIWA ‘There was a steady increase in the intensity The researchers are optimistic their work has of song and other vocalisations as we demonstrated a new blueprint for future studies The research, led by the Australian Antarctic approached these regions, which suggests of Antarctic blue whales. Their expectations Division and published in January in Endangered that these acoustic hotspots may persist for were validated during the most recent blue Species Research, was conducted during a seven several days, even if individual whales within whale voyage in February this year, when they week voyage to the Southern Ocean in 2013 them may change. successfully used the technology to locate large (Australian Antarctic Magazine 24: 16–17, 2013). ‘This means that targeting acoustic hotspots, aggregations of blue whales (see page 4). The Antarctic Blue Whale Project team even from long distances, is a reliable method ‘Acoustic tracking allows for a fundamentally used directional sonobouys to listen for the for encountering Antarctic blue whales.’ different kind of survey than those of the past,’ whales’ distinctive songs and calls across a Australian Antarctic Division acoustician, Dr Miller said. 9300 km survey area. Dr Brian Miller, was part of the 18-strong ‘It provides a way to stay with a group of whales They identified seven areas of high acoustic team of observers, cetacean biologists for as long as they continue vocalising, allowing activity where they were able to visually and acousticians. sampling of as many individuals within a group sight 84 Antarctic blue whales, take 50 photo ‘Antarctic blue whales have very loud, low as possible, and providing time to study their identifications, collect 23 biopsy samples for frequency songs that are distinctive from other behaviour and ecological linkages.’ genetic analysis and deploy two satellite tags. populations of blue whales,’ Dr Miller said. WENDY PYPER Australian Antarctic Division

6 AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE ISSUE 28 2015 SCIENCE Measuring clouds from every angle An array of atmospheric instruments will be deployed on Macquarie Island next year to measure clouds from every possible angle.

For most people clouds are ephemeral shapes Dr Alexander’s project will involve deploying ‘Together these instruments will give us details in the sky or harbingers of rain, but for climate numerous atmospheric observing instruments about the phase of clouds; that is, whether they’re modellers they are a conundrum, especially in on Macquarie Island in March 2016, for a full composed of ice or water or a mixture of the two. the Southern Ocean. year, to determine cloud thickness, height and We’ll also determine the altitude at which these Australian Antarctic Division atmospheric composition, as well as the surface energy different cloud phases occur, how frequently they scientist, Dr Simon Alexander, says Southern budget (the balance between incoming and occur and how they’re related to weather systems Hemisphere climate models are afflicted by a outgoing solar radiation). The experiments will and the surface energy budget.’ lack of data on clouds that prevents them from be repeated a few years later on the Antarctic The team will use their Macquarie Island-based accurately representing atmospheric energy continent at Davis, with related experiments to instruments to measure clouds from about 100 m balance — heat coming into the atmosphere be conducted at other East Antarctic stations. to 10 km in altitude. Satellite-based instruments versus heat going out. This in turn prevents Members of the scientific team will contribute a will measure the clouds from above, including high accurate representations and forecasts of range of instruments that use electromagnetic cirrus clouds that the ground-based instruments atmospheric temperatures, the movement radiation (such as light, radio waves and can’t reach if there is thick lower-level cloud. of weather systems, sea ice formation and microwaves) to measure cloud properties. By combining all the data the team will be able to ocean currents. These instruments will include a cloud ‘lidar’ validate satellite measurements of clouds over the ‘Most research on high latitude clouds has (light detection and ranging), a cloud radar and Southern Ocean and improve the representation focussed on the Arctic, but the southern high a microwave radiometer. Other instruments will of Southern Ocean cloud processes in models. observe incoming and outgoing solar radiation. latitudes are a different environment, so the ‘One of the first things we’ll do is look at the results from the Arctic can’t be directly applied’, ‘The cloud lidar uses laser pulses to measure seasonal and altitudinal distribution of clouds Dr Alexander said. light scattered off cloud water droplets or ice relative to the centres of low pressure systems PAULA OLSEN PAULA ‘One of the key unknowns in the Southern Ocean particles, which gives us information about the and cold and warm fronts,’ Dr Alexander said. thickness, composition and height of the clouds,’ region is the occurrence of super-cooled water ‘We will compare how models represent Dr Alexander explained. clouds, which remain as liquid water despite these distributions with our observations to being at sub-zero temperatures. ‘The cloud radar will provide us with the liquid understand the discrepancies.’ and ice water content of clouds, amongst ‘To address this and other knowledge gaps, we Dr Alexander said positioning instruments on other properties, which will complement have established an international collaborative Macquarie Island was the best way to capture measurements of the total amount of liquid project to characterise clouds present above the information representative of the Southern Ocean. Southern Ocean, so that we can validate satellite water and water vapour obtained by the ‘Macquarie Island is in the path of all the weather measurements and improve climate models.’ microwave radiometer. systems that circulate around the Antarctic continent,’ he said. Similarly, when the experiment moves to 1 the Antarctic continent in a few years’ time, instruments at Davis and Dumont d’Urville will capture cloud processes that are representative of coastal East Antarctica, while instruments at the French/Italian station of Concordia (at Dome C, about 3000 m above sea level), will capture cloud processes representative of the high Antarctic plateau. WENDY PYPER Australian Antarctic Division

1. One of the key unknowns in the Southern Ocean region is the occurrence of super-cooled water clouds, which remain as liquid water despite being at sub-zero temperatures. TODOR IOLOVSKI TODOR

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Future ocean success AAD

The first Antarctic ocean acidification experiment using four specially designed underwater chambers, was successfully conducted under the sea ice at Casey for eight weeks this summer, according to Project Chief Investigator Dr Jonny Stark.

Two of the four semi-enclosed chambers ‘The scientists and science technical support ‘On the shore we had our “silver chalet” were used to mimic future ocean conditions team at the Australian Antarctic Division did a containing all the sensing equipment to under a ‘business as usual’ carbon dioxide lot of work to modify the system for the rigours monitor the experiment, such as oxygen and emissions scenario, to examine the impact of of Antarctica, such as the sea ice and cold water pH sensors, as well as computer equipment ocean acidification on marine and sediment and air temperatures,’ Dr Stark said. to relay this information back to the station,’ communities. The other two chambers acted ‘We also had to identify a suitable site close Dr Johnstone explained. as ‘controls’ for comparison. to the shore, so we could set up shore-based ‘We also had a generator van for power, cage ‘The aim of the Antarctic Free Ocean Carbon infrastructure to power and monitor the pallets of gas cylinders full of carbon dioxide, Enrichment (AntFOCE) experiment was to create experiment. The site also needed to retain and pumps for pumping water up and down. ocean conditions that we might expect to see sea ice over the summer to provide a platform ‘All this was connected across the intertidal zone by the end of this century if we continue to for us to work on.’ and tide cracks by a big umbilical cable and a emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere at the In November 2014 the team finally got the float, which took power, data and water between current rate,’ Dr Stark said. chance to put all their hard work, planning the surface and under the ice.’ ‘This carbon dioxide dissolves in the ocean and and design to the test. Project Manager, To deploy the chambers on the sea floor the causes chemical changes that make seawater Dr Glenn Johnstone, was amongst the first team used lift bags and ropes to gently lower more acidic, with profound implications for of the 15-strong team to arrive at Casey and them and avoid disturbing the fine layer of marine life. So we wanted to look at how begin the process of deploying the chambers sea floor silt. Similarly, a complicated rope and these chemical changes might affect the in O’Brien Bay. pulley system was rigged to carefully deploy community of plants and animals living on The team — which included scientific and and connect the ducts to the chambers. the Antarctic sea floor.’ commercial divers, dive supervisors, engineers ‘Equipment like this has never been deployed For the past two years the AntFOCE team has and technicians — began by drilling holes in Antarctica,’ Dr Johnstone said. been developing and testing the design of the in the sea ice to deploy their chambers ‘However, our team had a lot of different underwater chambers for Antarctic conditions and four 40 m-long ducts or ‘slinkies’ that expertise and experience, and we were able (Australian Antarctic Magazine 27: 4–5, 2014). would carry the carbon dioxide-enriched to combine mountaineering and climbing The chambers were adapted from a prototype and untreated seawater to the experimental experience with commercial diving experience developed by the Monterey Bay Aquarium and control chambers. to rig up a system that would suspend the Research Institute in California that has been used ducts and allow us to control their descent in temperate, tropical and sub-tropical waters. and connection.’

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4 AAD MIKE SPARG GLENN JOHNSTONE

Once the chambers and ducts were in place and ‘It appears that acidification induced teething problems ironed out, the experiments a response from these microalgae 1. One of the experimental chambers in place on required very little maintenance. communities, possibly making them the sea floor of O’Brien Bay, attached to its duct ‘We didn’t disturb the chambers during the migrate deeper into the sediment than in (‘slinky’), which delivers carbon dioxide-enriched experiment. They ran for eight weeks and we the control treatments, but more work seawater from the surface. is needed to confirm this preliminary sampled them at the end,’ Dr Stark said. 2. A mini-chamber used to conduct short-term ocean result,’ Dr Stark said. ‘We ran a constant flow of carbon dioxide- acidification experiments over 24–48 hours. enriched seawater through the two experimental ‘However, it is an encouraging sign for the rest 3. Electronic cables and water pipes ran between the chambers, keeping the pH at 0.4 pH units below of the experiment in terms of detecting the surface and underside of the sea ice via a modified the naturally fluctuating pH of the seawater. potential effects of acidification.’ sea ice buoy, nicknamed the ‘smartie’. To put this in perspective, in the past 25 million Unfortunately, issues with weather 4. The ‘silver chalet’ van containing all the sensor and years the pH of seawater hasn’t changed by meant the team couldn’t run the computer equipment and the power generation more than 0.1 or 0.2 pH units, but by 2100, experiments for as long as they’d hoped. van behind. The vans are on sleds for easy deployment to the site. under a business as usual carbon emissions Any future experiments would ideally scenario, we’re expecting a 0.4 unit change. run for three to 12 months. 5. One of the ducts, or ‘slinkies’, being recovered to On an evolutionary time scale, that doesn’t the surface through the dive hole. Divers guided the ‘Despite the challenges the project was four 40 m long slinkies to the hole using lift bags. give animals much time to adapt.’ an outstanding success, and we now have Over the coming months the team will examine many months of sample processing ahead,’ their samples for, among other things, changes Dr Stark said. 5 in the biodiversity and composition of the ‘Every aspect of the project was new to seafloor invertebrate community and the us, but our team was able to modify and bacteria and diatom (single-celled marine plants) invent ways to do the work, and it all came communities, changes in sediment nutrient together over many frozen sandwiches and cycling, and changes in the growth of diatoms blocks of chocolate.’ and other tiny marine plants. WENDY PYPER During the main experiment the team also Australian Antarctic Division deployed two mini-chambers, which were This research was funded by the Australian Antarctic designed to investigate specific questions Division, the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems over 24 to 48 hours. Here the team looked Cooperative Research Centre and the Australian Research Council’s Special Research Initiative at the respiration rates in sea urchins under for Antarctic Gateway Partnership. controlled and acidic conditions, and changes NICK RODEN in photosynthesis in marine microalgae growing on the sea floor.

ISSUE 28 2015 AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE 9 SCIENCE Totten Glacier melt-down Warm ocean water is likely melting the largest glacier in East Antarctica from below.

For the past 15 years satellites have shown that The Totten Glacier is the largest glacier in East the deepest part of the ice shelf (Australian the Totten Glacier in East Antarctica has been Antarctica and drains 538 000 square kilometres. Antarctic Magazine 21: 14–15, 2011). The deep thinning faster than other glaciers in the region. Seventy billion tonnes of ice flow out of it every basin drained by the Totten Glacier, known as the While theories existed as to why, no one had year. Like a giant tongue, the glacier sweeps Aurora Basin, could contribute some 3.5 metres been able to breach the thick sea ice around down the continental land mass and then juts of ocean warming-driven melt to global the region to find out. out another 120 kilometres into the ocean. sea level rise. Then in January this year a team of scientists ‘The front of the glacier where we made our ‘This study will help us address one of the on board Australia’s icebreaking ship, measurements is about 200 metres thick, and biggest questions concerning future sea level Aurora Australis, managed to reach the face it gets thicker as it goes back towards the rise — how will changes in ocean temperature of the glacier and deploy a suite of high-tech continent and the grounding line — where the or currents affect the Antarctic ice sheet?’ instruments that could help solve the puzzle. glacier leaves the bedrock and starts to float. Dr Rintoul said. ‘We wanted to test the theory that warm This grounding line is two kilometres below To find out, the research team deployed a range ocean water is reaching the glacier and is sea level,’ Dr Rintoul explained. of floats, gliders and traditional ocean profiler capable of driving melt,’ Voyage Chief Scientist The floating ice shelves around the edge of instruments to measure temperature at the Dr Steve Rintoul, from the Antarctic Climate Antarctica act like a buttress, allowing thick glacier front and to obtain chemical evidence and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre layers of ice to accumulate on the continent. of glacial meltwater in seawater samples. (ACE CRC), said. When the ice shelves thin or collapse, this allows ‘We can detect the melting of glacial ice ‘Initially I didn’t think we’d be able to reach the more ice to flow from the continent to the sea, in a few different ways,’ Dr Rintoul said. raising sea level. Glaciers that are grounded glacier, but we got just the right weather and ‘One way is through temperature. If our water on rock well below sea level are particularly wind conditions to take advantage of a crack samples are less than minus two degrees Celsius vulnerable to warming of the ocean or changes that opened up in the sea ice and extended all we know they must contain melt water from in ocean currents. Indeed, model simulations the way to the glacier front. below the ice shelf, where the high pressure suggest the Totten Glacier could be melting ‘And we found evidence that warm water does depresses the freezing point. Another way is at a rate of more than 50 metres per year in indeed reach the Totten Glacier.’ through chemistry. As glacial ice melts, it leaves

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10 AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE ISSUE 28 2015 PAUL BROWN PAUL SCIENCE

1. The Aurora Australis alongside the Totten Glacier. The ship took advantage of a crack that opened up in the sea ice that led all the way to the glacier front. 2. A mooring retrieved from the Mertz Glacier region. Data from the mooring will help scientists unravel how the a signature in the water that we can detect ‘The Mertz Glacier region is a place functioning of the region has changed using different chemical elements and isotopes where cold, dense, Antarctic Bottom since a large iceberg calved off the of helium and oxygen.’ Water is formed, which contributes to glacier in 2010. The team found that water temperature at the a global pattern of ocean currents that 3. A Conductivity Temperature and Depth front of the Totten Glacier is about three degrees regulates climate,’ Dr Rintoul said. (CTD) instrument lowered over the side of the ship collected continuous warmer than the melting point at the grounding ‘These moorings will provide an vertical profiles of temperature, line. This provides a measure of how much heat unprecedented view of what’s happened salinity, and oxygen at each sampling is available to melt the ice. since the tongue calved. We’ll also be able point. Water samples will be analysed Worryingly, geophysical research published two to compare the results with those from the for oxygen, salinity, phytoplankton pigments and microbial DNA. months after the voyage, revealed a seafloor Totten Glacier. Oxygen and helium isotopes will be ‘gateway’ that could allow this warm ocean ‘We know the Mertz Glacier is not measured as tracers of glacial ice melt. water to reach the base of the glacier, with thinning as rapidly as the Totten Glacier, 4. This map shows the extent of the consequences for ice melt and sea level rise so these analyses will give us insights catchment area for the Totten Glacier. (see story page 12). into why that’s so and this in turn will During the voyage the team also visited the tell us more about how Antarctica will front of the Mertz Glacier, which calved in change in the future.’ AADC spectacular fashion in 2010. As a result of this WENDY PYPER calving the functioning of the region — which Australian Antarctic Division previously acted as a ‘sea ice factory’ — changed The seven week marine science voyage was funded dramatically. Australian and French researchers through the Australian Research Council’s Special Research Initiative for Antarctic Gateway Partnership, deployed a number of moorings in the region the Australian Antarctic Division, the ACE CRC, CSIRO immediately after the calving to collect and the Integrated Marine Observing System. temperature and chemistry data and these 4 moorings were collected by Dr Rintoul’s team.

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ISSUE 28 2015 AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE 11 STEVE RINTOUL STEVE RINTOUL SCIENCE Hidden oceanic gateway beneath Totten Glacier Ice-penetrating radar imagery has revealed a five kilometre-wide seafloor valley beneath the Totten Glacier that could allow warm water to infiltrate its base, causing potentially destabilising melting.

The discovery, published in the journal ‘However, special analysis of 1 Nature Geoscience in March, is the first ice-penetrating radar data shows the to identify a mechanism that could bottom of the ice over the valley is explain why the Totten is the fastest smoother and brighter than elsewhere thinning glacier in East Antarctica. in the area, which is a tell-tale sign It follows findings from a marine that the ice is floating and being science voyage to the glacier earlier eroded by the ocean. this year, which measured ocean ‘Knowing this will improve predictions temperatures at the front of the glacier of ice melt and the timing of future capable of causing melt at the glacier’s glacier retreat.’ grounding line (see story page 10). The discovery comes after five field However, oceanographers were unable seasons of aerial surveys over more than to establish if or how this warm ocean 156 000 km of the Australian Antarctic water was getting under the glacier. Territory. The surveys were conducted Australian Antarctic Division glaciologist from Australia’s Casey station between and a contributor to the geophysical 2008 and 2013 (Australian Antarctic project, Dr Jason Roberts, said that Magazine 19: 7, 2010). the infiltration of warm water beneath The Basler BT-67 aircraft used in the the glacier, via the seafloor valley or surveys was fitted out with radar, laser, ‘gateway’, had the long-term potential gravity meter and geomagnetic sensors to cause 3.5 metres of sea level rise. for determining ice thickness, bedrock ‘The glacier catchment reaches as deep topography, seafloor bathymetry, and as 1.7 kilometres below sea level and is bedrock properties. JAMIN GREENBAUM covered by up to four kilometres of ice,’ ‘The findings from this study present Dr Roberts said. a strong case for using airborne ‘There is enough ice in the Totten Glacier geophysical surveys to look at ice-ocean alone to raise global sea level by at least interactions in other parts of Antarctica, 3.5 meters, roughly equivalent to the including the virtually unknown projected contribution of the entire Antarctic inner continental shelf,’ West Antarctic Ice Sheet if it were to Mr Greenbaum said. completely collapse. The research was conducted through the ‘While it may take several centuries ICECAP (International Collaboration for to melt, once it passes a certain point Exploration of the Cryosphere through 1. This graphic shows the ocean floor and bedrock in the Totten Glacier ice shelf region. The front of the ice our analysis reveals it would likely Aerogeophysical Profiling) project (see shelf is indicated by the blue line, and the grounding be irreversible.’ story on page 13), which involved the line (where the ice begins to float) is delineated by the Lead author of the research paper, Australian Antarctic Division, Antarctic white line. Warm and deeper ocean waters require deep Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative channels to access the grounding line. This study has Mr Jamin Greenbaum, a PhD student Research Centre, the University of Texas identified a deep trough or gateway (red line) through from the University of Texas at Austin, which warm water (orange solid line) can access the deep said technology played a key role in Institute for Geophysics, the US National parts of the grounding line and drive retreat. A secondary identification of the seafloor gateway. Science Foundation, the UK’s Natural path (dashed orange line) is identified, but is shallower Environment Research Council, as well ‘Satellite analyses conducted by and less significant. as NASA’s Operation IceBridge and the other teams had indicated that the G. Unger Vetlesen Foundation. ice above the seafloor was resting on solid ground,’ he said. WENDY PYPER and NISHA HARRIS Australian Antarctic Division

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1 PAUL HELLEMAN PAUL

What lies beneath Australian Antarctic Division Senior Principal Research Scientist Dr Tas van Ommen describes new insights into the bedrock structure beneath the East Antarctic ice sheet that could influence future increases in sea level.

In 2007 my colleague Donald Blankenship, It did not take long for the value of the data to from the University of Texas, got in touch with be appreciated. Even as the project progressed, a no-brainer proposal to map one of the last satellite monitoring was drawing the attention great unsurveyed tracts of Antarctica. He and of global researchers to a hot-spot right beside JAMIN GREENBAUM UK glaciologist Martin Siegert had put together our Casey hub; the Totten Glacier. This glacier two-thirds of a great plan to fly radar, laser, is the largest in East Antarctica. It drains geomagnetic and gravity instruments over an most of the area of our survey; every year 2 area the size of New South Wales, inland of discharging over 70 cubic kilometres of water Australia’s Casey station. They needed Australian into the ocean. As it does so it carves a deep support and participation for the project to fly. trench over two kilometres below sea level, At that time there were huge gaps in our maps through which the ice emerges and begins to West Antarctica, where there is concern that of the bedrock under the ice. But we knew float. During ICECAP, satellite measurements gradual, but irreversible ice loss is underway. that in places the ice was over four kilometres showed that just around the point where the ice The prospect that such a pattern could also thick, making it some of the deepest ice begins floating, the Totten is thinning and the impact East Antarctica is a new one, and on the continent. We also held a view that surface height is lowering by about two metres suggests that changes to the Totten Glacier East Antarctica was probably not a dynamic per year. ICECAP set about measuring the Totten might be the first stages of such accelerating place. While we needed data, we expected Glacier outlet so that we could understand loss in East Antarctica. what is happening. to find a stable ice sheet that was unlikely to Outlet glaciers like the Totten meet the ocean be affected by changes in a warming planet. What ICECAP has revealed is really a in floating ice shelves where they calve icebergs This view would soon change when the ICECAP connecting story in two parts: how our view and also melt in the relatively warmer ocean. (International Collaboration for Exploration of East Antarctica has changed dramatically; These ice shelves are buttressed against the of the Cryosphere through Aerogeophysical and what this means for changes in the Totten coast on the sides, and in some cases, like the Profiling) project began. Glacier itself. Previously we thought that, Totten, are very congested at the calving front. In 2011 I participated in several ICECAP survey aside from a poorly mapped valley far inland This provides an impediment to the ice flow that flights from Casey. Each flight lasted about seven of Casey known as Aurora Basin, most of the can be likened to a cork in a bottle. Any loss and a half hours and covered some 2000 km at ice was resting on bedrock hills and mountains of the ice shelf and retreat of the calving a time. To date the project has surveyed over above sea level. It turns out that Aurora front reduces this impediment and is typically 150 000 km in East Antarctica. Basin is very deep and much larger than we followed by acceleration of the feeding glacier, thought. More seriously, the basin is connected which leads to rising sea level. to the coast by terrain that is extensively below sea level. This makes it much more like

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A second issue arises when the glacier rests to identify at least two below sea level on a bed that deepens towards deep channels reaching 3 the interior. If the ice retreats, a process back under the glacier

of accelerating flow and further retreat is front (see page 12). ROLAND WARNER

unstoppable until the ice reaches a point These channels may AND JASON ROBERTS where the bed begins to rise. In the case of provide a way for the Totten Glacier, such a retreat all the way warm water to reach into the deep Aurora Basin would lead to a the deep under the glacier sea level contribution of at least 3.5 metres. and could explain the Such a change would take several centuries and observed thinning and is equal to, or a little larger than, the potential lowering. The airborne contribution from all of West Antarctica. measurements have Interestingly, this potential sea level rise from provided key evidence. Airborne radar measures about currents and heat flow, and this ice-ocean East Antarctica could be the answer to a mystery the ice thickness, but cannot penetrate the model must be coupled with climate models to from the last global warm period, some 120 000 ocean, while gravity measurements reveal project the changes in the system as a whole. years ago. At this time the Earth was around contrasts between rock and water that can For now, ICECAP has a considerable task ahead two degrees warmer than present (portentously, be used to map the shape of the ocean cavity to refine the basic mapping beneath the ice to around where current projections are headed) itself. Other clues, like the brightness of radar monitor the changes. Plans are well advanced and evidence suggests sea levels were six to nine reflection from the ice-water surface can to increase the efficiency and reach of the metres higher than present. Earth scientists have tell us about the strength of melting that airborne survey work with light, long-range struggled to explain the source of this rise using is taking place. drone aircraft, in coming seasons. These will only Greenland and West Antarctic melt, but the Ideally, what is needed are direct ocean allow for targeted studies using a reduced presence of a significant source of melt from measurements to augment the airborne suite of instruments to match payload limits. East Antarctica could solve the puzzle. evidence, and plans are being considered for the For much of the work, however, our retrofitted So where is this work leading? An oceanographic use of remotely controlled underwater vehicles DC3 workhorse will continue surveying voyage to the front of the Totten in early 2015 and robot floats dropped from the air. East Antarctica for many years to come. (see page 10) has discovered that relatively Also key to predicting the future is matching TAS VAN OMMEN warm deep ocean water is present on the observations with computer model simulations Program Leader, Antarctica and the Global System, continental shelf in front of the Totten Glacier. of the ice-ocean system. This effort is technically Australian Antarctic Division This is warmer than the colder water typical demanding and relies heavily on observations An edited version of this article first appeared in The Conversation on 30 April 2015 theconversation.com/ of the coastal continental shelf zone and it from ICECAP to provide accurate bedrock and melting-moments-a-look-under-east-antarcticas-biggest- has potential to produce accelerated ice melt. ocean cavity measurements. Oceanographic glacier-40960 Secondly, the ICECAP flights have been able observations are needed to feed information

4 1. The 72 year old Basler BT-67 aircraft (a turboprop make-

ESMEE VAN WIJK over of a DC3 operated by Kenn Borek Air) with its wing- mounted, ice penetrating radar antennae. 2. Dr Tas van Ommen in the Basler BT-67 (a retrofitted DC3) on an ICECAP flight. 3. This 60 km section of radar signals over the Aurora Basin shows the lower half of the East Antarctic ice sheet. The strong bedrock reflection is seen through about four kilometres of ice, and internal layers in the ice can be seen sweeping over an 800 m change in bedrock height. 4. The Totten Glacier is the largest glacier in East Antarctica. The glacier tongue stretches 120 km from the grounding line and the front of the glacier is 200 metres thick.

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Household pollutants detected 1 around Antarctic stations Australian Antarctic stations are leading chemical management efforts in Antarctica after the discovery that common household pollutants are dispersing from Casey station into the local environment. MICKY LOEDERMAN

Research published in Environmental Science POP records The highest concentrations of PBDEs in lichen and Technology and led by Dr Susan Bengtson The international research team collected and moss were found in samples close to Nash from Griffith University’s Southern Ocean and analysed a range of samples from the station, and they decreased sharply with Persistent Pollutants Program, records the first around Casey station — indoor dust from distance. In marine sediments, PBDEs with evidence of the dispersal of these pollutants from four buildings, mosses and lichens in the chemical profiles similar to the station’s treated local sources — such as furnishings and electronic immediate station vicinity, local soil, effluent wastewater were highest in areas adjacent to the equipment — in the Australian Antarctic Territory. discharged from the station’s wastewater wastewater outfall. Australian Antarctic Division ecotoxicologist and treatment plant, and samples of sediment, PFASs were detected in the station’s wastewater, a co-author on the paper, Dr Catherine King, said phytoplankton, amphipods and fish from the warehouse and living quarters — again at Persistent Organic Pollutants or POPs are known marine environment. levels comparable to houses and offices to reach the poles from other parts of the world Their analysis provided the first evidence of around the world. through the atmosphere. the presence of perfluoroalkylated substances ‘The study clearly demonstrates the ‘What this study shows it that human activity (PFASs) in the Antarctic environment. emission of both PBDEs and PFASs from in polar regions has increased the potential These chemicals are commonly found in the station via treated sewage, and their for the direct introduction of these long-lived, non-stick coatings and on waterproof presence in the local environment, with bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals into the clothing worn by expeditioners. decreasing levels as distance from the station environment,’ she said Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), increases,’ Mr Wild said. ‘The chemical signatures in the samples tested found in electronic equipment, textiles and WENDY PYPER at Casey station were consistent with those fire-fighting foam, were also prevalent in Australian Antarctic Division previously reported in homes and offices from indoor dust, and the terrestrial and marine Australia, reflecting the consumer products and environments near the station. materials of the host nation.’ Both these chemical families are common in 2 While existing POPs can’t be removed due to Australian homes and offices and are listed their long half-lives and persistence in the under the Stockholm Convention as chemicals environment, the study provides information that should be ‘restricted’, in the case of PFASs, that will help Australia and other countries and ‘eliminated’ in the case of PBDEs. identify local sources of POPs that can be ‘As a signatory to the Stockholm Convention, reduced or eliminated. Australia is legally obliged to reduce and ‘We’ve already started the process of eliminating ultimately eliminate these compounds from or carefully selecting building materials and the environment,’ Dr King said. consumer products, such as personal care ‘Chemical monitoring is also a TIM SPEDDING products, food packaging, clothing, carpets and requirement under the Protocol on electrical appliances, to minimise the potential Environmental Protection to the Antarctic 1. The ‘Red Shed’ and other buildings at Casey station introduction of toxic substances into the Treaty and the Protocol prohibits the Antarctic environment,’ Dr King said. contain equipment, furniture and other common importation of specific POPs fo known risk.’ household items that act as a local source of ‘This study provides a baseline by which future Lead author of the paper, Griffith University persistent organic pollutants (POPs). improvements in our operational practices, use PhD student Mr Seanan Wild, said the highest 2. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been of building materials and consumer products on concentrations of PBDEs in the study were detected in samples around the wharf and in the station can be measured. found in the communications and science marine environment at Casey station. ‘It has also alerted the international community buildings, which contain a higher density to the fact that POP pollution comes from both of electronic equipment. distant hemispheric sources and local activities.’

ISSUE 28 2015 AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE 15 SCIENCE Refining gravity waves in climate models New research aims to improve the way gravity waves are represented in climate models. DAMIAN MURPHY CHRIS WILSON

Figure 1: Percentages of downward moving gravity waves measured using meteorological balloons. Scientists are investigating whether these waves could be generated by disturbances in the stratospheric polar vortex in Antarctica.

1 DAMIAN MURPHY

Weather maps, with their high and low Model waves pressure systems, tell us about where A key characteristic of gravity waves is that the wind is going to blow and help their typical horizontal wavelength, which us plan our weekend. In the southern ranges between tens to thousands of kilometres, hemisphere the wind blows clockwise is too small for them to appear naturally in around a low pressure system and most climate and weather prediction models. anticlockwise around a high. To predict Models divide the atmosphere up into a grid of our future climate, however, we need to points over the globe and gravity waves rarely include other influences on atmospheric span the distance between two adjacent grid circulation, such as the waves that are points. So while high and low pressure systems ever present in the air above us. are easily represented in models, gravity waves Gravity waves are made when our need to be incorporated using representations atmosphere is disturbed by fronts, storms known as ‘parameterizations’. Figure 2: Large scale pressure distributions in the or air blowing over hills and mountains. Davis area for quiet and active gravity wave activity. Parameterizations typically distil the process The presence of large scale low pressure systems As gravity tries to restore the atmosphere they represent into the parts that are physically (lower image) in the atmosphere enhance winds upstream to its undisturbed state, it forces the important and that can be derived from from Davis, represented by the red arrows, and generate more gravity waves. Less wave production occurred when common ‘overshoot’ that generates a wave. information already in a model. An ideal synoptic patterns did not reinforce this flow (top image). Gravity waves vary enormously in the rate parameterization of gravity waves would use at which the air oscillates (frequency) and low level winds and temperatures to calculate their horizontal and vertical repetition scale which waves were being produced when, how (wavelength). They have a significant influence much momentum they would carry, and how 1. The wave structure in these clouds over on the workings of our weather and climate that momentum would be deposited back into Mawson is caused by gravity waves in the Antarctic atmosphere. because they can force air movements in the airflow as the waves propagate up from the atmosphere. This influence provides the their sources. In reality, many parameterization 2. The VHF radar at Davis can be used to measure winds in the lower part of the motivation behind our research to improve schemes are overly simple, due to our poor the way gravity waves are represented in atmosphere, providing a window on knowledge of wave generation processes and the high frequency part of the gravity climate models. the momentum carried by the various scales wave spectrum. of gravity waves.

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Models can generate very useful data with waves on wind patterns below is still being a simple gravity wave parameterization. considered, as is implications for including a new However, the stratosphere above Antarctica stratospheric gravity wave source in models. where the ozone hole occurs (typically between The VHF radar at Davis can be used for 15 and 50 km up) nearly always comes out measuring winds (see side bar) in the lower part too cold. This means that the model cannot of the atmosphere much more regularly than accurately represent ozone chemistry, which meteorological balloon releases, as new wind 2 is strongly dependent on temperature. observations are made every six minutes from DAMIAN MURPHY The presence of the ozone hole has changed around 2–12 km in altitude. These provide an the north–south movement of the surface excellent window on the high frequency part Linking atmospheric research and westerly wind belt that circles Antarctica in the of the gravity wave spectrum. meteorological operations Southern Ocean. This in turn affects weather Recently, we found that when large scale low Radar wind profilers similar to the one used for and rainfall patterns in southern Australia in late pressure systems produced north-easterly our research at Davis (see main story) are used spring and summer. Accurate representations of wind flow that enhanced the katabatic winds operationally around Australia by the Bureau gravity waves and, as a result, ozone chemistry, over Davis, gravity wave production was at its of Meteorology to complement their balloon is therefore critical for southern hemisphere most active (see Figure 2). The principle source observations and improve the quality of their climate predictions. of the waves was airflow over an ice ridge weather forecasts. Although the wind profilers line northeast of Davis. Less wave production Wave observations do not provide temperature and humidity, the high occurred when synoptic-scale meteorological frequency of the wind measurements makes them a Our research aims to improve gravity wave patterns did not reinforce this flow. This and valuable addition to the Bureau’s observing network. parameterizations by combining our existing future studies have the potential to provide observational expertise with new knowledge Daily plots of winds between 2 and 15 km from our the links between the synoptic patterns that research radar have been available to the summer of parameterization schemes, to design are easily seen in models and the sub-grid physically realistic and computationally simple forecasters at Davis for some years (see image). scale gravity waves they produce. Recent Recently, technological advances have enabled improvements. Our work has progressed through improvements to the VHF radar system at the analysis of 12 years of meteorological us to convert this data into a format that can Davis have increased the height range over be incorporated into meteorological forecasting balloon releases, which has taught us about which observations are available. the nature of gravity waves in the atmosphere models, and regular transfers to the Bureau are now being made. above Davis. Improvements to our atmospheric Linking observations and models radar at Davis have also allowed us to DAMIAN MURPHY1 and SCOTT CARPENTIER2 The ‘Gravity wave drag parameterization’ project study wave sources. 1 team includes international collaborators in Australian Antarctic Division 2 The daily release of meteorological balloons Japan and the USA who are actively developing Bureau of Meteorology provide excellent data for studies of parts of the the representation of gravity waves in gravity wave spectrum. Vertical profiles of wind their models. In particular, we are working and temperature can be mined for wave-like with researchers at the US National Center features and these can provide many gravity for Atmospheric Research to improve the wave characteristics. One interesting wave stratospheric ozone chemistry performance DAMIAN MURPHY attribute is whether the wave is going upward in the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate or downward. Scientists generally assumed that Model (WACCM), through changes to its wave gravity waves always go up. However, we have parameterization. Our collaboration with them recently shown that downward propagating is enhancing our knowledge of model design waves exist over a broad height range through and providing observational input into their the winter stratosphere. In fact, through much developments. These developments will be of of the middle of the year, around half of the particular value when work begins on similar waves seen by the meteorological balloons were improvements to the Australian Community going downward (see Figure 1). One possible Climate and Earth System Simulator (ACCESS) reason for this is that disturbances in the model in the near future. strong winds that flow around the southern DAMIAN MURPHY, SIMON ALEXANDER, A graphical display of hourly winds in the atmosphere pole (the stratospheric polar vortex) generate above Davis. The colours (and the number of barbs) ANDREW KLEKOCIUK and PETER LOVE gravity waves. The influence of these downward indicate the wind speed in knots. The orientation of Australian Antarctic Division the ‘flags’ show the wind direction (with vertical being northerly) at a range of heights and times.

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1 DANA BERGSTROM Iconic Macquarie Island cushion plant dying out Old growth cushion plants and mosses on subantarctic Macquarie Island are being decimated by recent climate change.

New research, published in the Journal of Between 2008 and 2013 the researchers found ‘The cushions act as a refuge for a whole Applied Ecology in April, reveals the cushion that in 88% of the study areas almost all the range of spiders, mites and other plants, in plants, Azorella macquariensis, estimated to be plants died, often leaving a desert-like landscape. what can be a very inhospitable environment,’ hundreds of years old, are dying due to windier The extent of the death of this keystone endemic Dr Terauds said. and drier conditions. cushion plant is so severe that it has been ‘The dieback is essentially taking away that Lead author and ecologist with the Australian declared critically endangered. The primary critical habitat and with annual growth of the Antarctic Division, Dr Dana Bergstrom, cause of the species’ collapse is suspected to plant rarely exceeding 5 mm, it will be difficult said the dieback of the cushion plants and be the failure of cushion plants and mosses to for the species to recover.’ withstand changes in summer water availability. mosses is rapid, progressive and widespread An insurance population of 54 irrigated plants across the island. ‘We found that for 17 years in a row there has been set up on the island as a growth trial. was not enough water available to the plants,’ ‘This is a plant that has survived for thousands ‘These plants are growing successfully in what is Dr Bergstrom said. of years, but it’s now struggling to cope with considered the best way to conserve the species the rapid changes occurring on the island,’ ‘Additionally, between 1967 and 2011, there until large quantities of seed can be harvested,’ Dr Bergstrom said. has been uniform increases in sunshine hours, Dr Bergstrom said. wind speed and water loss from the leaves of ‘Over the past four decades the environment has ‘This rapid ecosystem collapse on Macquarie the plants and soil despite overall increases in altered dramatically from wet and misty to one Island is giving us a window into the potential precipitation from storm events.’ subject to periods of drying.’ impact of climate-induced environmental The study, undertaken by 18 scientists from Australian Antarctic Division spatial ecologist, change on vulnerable ecosystems elsewhere.’ Dr Aleks Terauds, said the cushion plants and 10 institutions, looked at 115 sites across the NISHA HARRIS mosses are an important habitat for many other Macquarie Island alpine tundra. Australian Antarctic Division species on Macquarie Island.

2 1. Cushion plants are one of the dominant plant

DANA BERGSTROM species on Macquarie Island and provide important habitat for many invertebrates. 2. Dieback has set in on this once healthy cushion plant, possibly as a result of changes in summer water availability.

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Rare sub-glacial eruption at Casey Australian scientists are hoping a rare sub-glacial water eruption near Australia’s Casey station, will reveal why meltwater is present, and the extent of a river and dam system flowing deep under the Law Dome ice cap. ALI DEAN

In only the second reported incident of its type Program leader with the Australian Antarctic in Antarctica, a Jökulhlaup, or sudden outburst Division, Dr Tas van Ommen, said recent of basal melt water from beneath the ice cap, aerial radar work through the ICECAP erupted near Robinsons Ridge, 15 kilometres project (Australian Antarctic Magazine 19: 7, south of Casey. GLEN HARRADINE 2010) will help the researchers pinpoint the Associate Professor Ian Goodwin from origin of the water. Macquarie University observed the first recorded ‘The ICECAP project used ice-penetrating Antarctic Jökulhlaup, also near Casey station, radar to map the conditions at the base of the in 1985–86, and located a large sub-glacial ice sheet in East Antarctica, and this can help lake near the ice margin. The new eruption identify which areas are more likely to produce was first noticed by Casey expeditioners over basal melting and water,’ Dr van Ommen said. the 2014 winter. ‘Putting the whole picture together, with ‘The expeditioners saw the melt water rising 2 data from ICECAP, deep ice core temperature to the surface and dispersing over the measurements from Law Dome, and samples surrounding ice sheet, before refreezing,’ ‘We will measure the major ionic chemistry and from the Jökalhlaup, will help us understand the Professor Goodwin said. isotopes to find out how the bottom of the ice past and present behaviour of the ice cap, and ‘The refrozen Jökulhlaup water is very prominent sheet is melted, how far the water has travelled, how it might evolve in the future,’ he said. because of its striking olive-green colour, which and to get an insight into the stability of the Analysis of the Jökalhlaup samples is contrasts sharply with the surrounding blue ice sheet. We will also attempt to estimate the expected to take several months. glacial ice and white snow.’ age of the water, which is potentially tens of NISHA HARRIS Samples of the frozen Jökalhlaup water thousands of years old.’ Australian Antarctic Division were collected by Dr David Etheridge from Previously, scientists thought the Law Dome the CSIRO and Dr Andrew Smith from the ice cap was frozen to the bedrock. However, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology the 1985 Jökalhlaup showed water is produced Organisation in February this year. underneath some parts of the ice cap, at 1. The refrozen Jökulhlaup water, dispersed across the ice, is very least episodically. The ice is now being analysed at Macquarie prominent because of its striking University, Curtin University and the Antarctic ‘Our observations of the Jökulhlaup confirmed olive-green colour. Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Law Dome had high geo-thermal heat emanating 2. Dr David Etheridge (left) and Centre, to find out more about the conditions from the Earth’s crust, which was melting the Dr Andrew Smith take samples of under Law Dome. bottom of the ice cap,’ Professor Goodwin said. the rare sub-glacial water eruption for analysis. ‘There have been advances in technology and ‘This water then flowed in river systems under techniques since the last known eruption the ice sheet out into the ocean, or in this 30 years ago, which will allow us to measure case, where the rivers are dammed by frozen the hydro-chemistry of these samples in much ice, the water flows up to the surface through more detail,’ Professor Goodwin said. weaknesses in the ice sheet.’

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1 KAREN WESTWOOD

Sweating the small stuff

After 17 trips to Antarctica over 31 years, marine microbial ecologist Dr Andrew Davidson is hanging up his ice axe for the last time to focus on publishing a backlog of data from his research. As a senior research scientist at the Australian Antarctic Division, Dr Davidson leads a small team studying plankton in the Southern Ocean, to better understand the sensitivity of Antarctic life to human-induced environmental change. Here he reflects on three decades of life and research in the Antarctic.

In 1983 I was considering doing an Honours I fondly recall the mixture of trepidation and the that we still need to know what’s there and how degree and was looking around to see what thrill of adventure as I set off on my first trip much is there, but we also need to understand was available at a range of institutions. At the to Antarctica as part of my Honours research. their roles in mediating food webs and global Antarctic Division I met Harvey Marchant, Not long before the vessel was to leave the climate, and the effect of climate change on whose encyclopaedic knowledge and infectious wharf, Harvey asked if I’d included a length of these processes. enthusiasm for the single celled organisms garden hose amongst my equipment. I couldn’t Antarctica is a special place to work, but it is that inhabit the Southern Ocean captured imagine why I might need it. He rushed off to challenging and experience in the environment my imagination. He opened my eyes to the retrieve one from his home and cast it across the is invaluable. My first attempt at operating importance of these tiny creatures and ever-widening gap between the wharf and the an incubation facility consisted of constant exposed me to a world of unimagined beauty vessel as she pulled away. He was right, it proved repairs and maintenance of frozen plumbing, and complexity. very handy for getting seawater to the lab. broken pumps and fractured pipes. I also had These organisms thrive in what I’d presumed When I began my research, fundamental ‘aspirational’ expectations of what I could to be an extreme and harsh environment. questions were still being asked about what achieve, unwittingly designing experiments This immediately begged the question ‘how do protists (single celled plants and animals) that required up to 76 hours without sleep. they excel in an environment that is apparently occupied Antarctic waters. This was significantly However, the most productive and publishable so forbidding?’ The rest of my career has due to the introduction of techniques and experiments were often those conceived using involved trying to identify and understand pieces technologies (such as fluorescent and electron simple techniques. of that puzzle. I still marvel at these organisms’ microscopy) that allowed small cryptic One of my most interesting discoveries involved plasticity and the adaptations that allow them organisms to be resolved and identified. an alga, Phaeocystis antarctica, which is to proliferate, despite the environmental The recognition that these organisms play a abundant in Antarctic waters and which forms challenges they encounter. vital role in mediating global climate has meant balloon-like colonies that can fill the water column with little translucent spheres. Each of these spheres may contain thousands of cells.

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I found that this remarkable alga filled its colonies with a sunscreen that was much more 2 1. Dr Andrew Davidson at Davis station effective at absorbing ultraviolet radiation during the 2008–09 summer of marine than the commercial sunscreen at the time. microbial experiments. My studies showed that under high ultraviolet EXPEDITIONER PHOTO 2. One of Dr Davidson’s experiments to light, the sunscreen allowed Phaeocystis to expose phytoplankton to different levels out-compete other algae. We were approached of ultraviolet light. by a French company that was interested 3. ‘Minicosms’ housed in a shipping container in using these compounds in commercial on the Davis shoreline. These incubation tanks sunscreens, but I don’t know whether they are filled with local seawater and filtered ever included them in their products. to remove organisms larger than 0.2 mm One of my most memorable trips was a 1985 — mostly predatory grazers. The resulting marine microbial communities are subjected voyage aboard the Nella Dan, which set an to different concentrations of carbon dioxide unassailable record of 57 days besetment in to determine the impact of ocean acidification Amundsen Bay. I was one of the lucky ones as on the communities. there are always marine microbes to be studied, 4. One of Dr Davidson’s more memorable but some people were utterly unoccupied. trips was aboard the Nella Dan when she Highlights included massive snow fights, soccer was beset by ice 13 feet thick for 57 days, matches on the ice and some expeditioners in 1985. She was released by the Japanese developing a life-long antipathy for Danish icebreaker Shirase. pastries, pork or ‘Spong’ (a strange gelatinous 5. Some of the marine microbes Dr Andrew pudding that came in a range of colours). Davidson studies, including the small diatom Fragilariopsis cylindrus (top), and larger However, the voyage led me to some interesting diatoms Eucampia antarctica (middle) and insights into the successional sequence of Stellarima microtrias. Ocean acidification due sea ice microbes and challenged some of the to increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide assumptions about Antarctic protists at the time. dissolving in seawater is expected to alter the abundance of these organisms (see Australian This season just past (2014–15) was my last Antarctic Magazine 24: 22–23, 2013). season in Antarctica as I have a backlog of research that needs to be published. It’s one thing to study a system, but you can only change 3 the attitudes of people and the outcome for the KAREN WESTWOOD region if you convince society and policy-makers that there are ways that we can nurture this planet to a better future. ROWAN BUTLER ROWAN It was great to finish my Antarctic service on ANDREW DAVIDSON a high note. The excellence of the research team and the application of new techniques and instruments meant that we could employ the most up-to-date and stringent methods, and the unfolding results of our experiments look fascinating. Our early results reinforce that carbon dioxide

(CO2) concentrations at or above those predicted by the end of this century negatively affects phytoplankton, reducing their productivity, growth and changing their composition. As the base of the Antarctic foodweb, changes at the microbial level are likely to impact on all other life in Antarctic waters. Together with the results from the Free Ocean Carbon Enrichment experiment (see page 8), we are beginning to 4 formulate a picture of the vulnerability of a 5 range of Antarctic ecosystems to increased CO2. The Southern Ocean absorbs around 40% of the acidification is only one of the stressors we are future global environment, we have an obligation CO2 humans are adding to the atmosphere and imposing on these organisms and the net effect to minimise the severity of climate change on all marine microbes play a critical role in facilitating of coincident changes in other environmental the living things with which we share the Earth. and mediating this rate of CO2 uptake. factors (e.g. temperature, salinity, light and Our time to act is running out. Our results suggest that ocean acidification nutrients) may be profound. ANDREW DAVIDSON may reduce the capacity of the Southern Our experiments, along with a vast and Australian Antarctic Division Ocean to absorb CO2. This would accelerate the compelling array of evidence from around rate that CO2 accumulates in the atmosphere, the world, sound an alarm. As arbiters of the worsening climate change. Yet ocean ISSUE 28 2015 AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE 21 SCIENCE

Changing Antarctica I’ve experienced many changes during my 31 years visiting Antarctica, but living conditions are the aspect of Antarctic service that has changed the most.

1 2 LIONEL WHITEHORN JEFF HUNT

I first summered at Davis in 1990–91 when the looks good’, to the socially inept ‘I miss you and old Donga Line (the original station) was still love you very much’ (which lost all emotional 1. Dr Davidson at Garnet Knob in the inhabited. It was a close-knit environment in credence as WYZZA code). Now mobile phones, Larsemann Hills, February 1991. which your living space was separated from the email and the internet keep expeditioners in main corridor by a curtain. The corridor had roof constant touch with the world and people 2. Dr Davidson deploys equipment used to incubate phytoplankton at different hatches to allow access when the doors were are regularly warned that someone has left depths from the MV Southern Comfort. obstructed by snow or the occasional slumbering their head lights on in the Antarctic Division’s elephant seal. Though rudimentary, it had a headquarters car park in Tasmania. lovely Heath Robinson air of rustic charm and One thing that hasn’t changed is the Christmas Island and some of the further-flung areas bred an intimacy and conviviality. tradition. I’ve spent possibly 14 Christmases around Prydz Bay, including the Rauer Islands, The ablution facilities and toilets were in Antarctica or onboard a ship. The chefs Larsemann Hills, and the Amery and Cape interesting. I had long hair in the early years always do a spectacular job, with tables Darnley region east of Mawson. and walking from the summer ablutions block groaning under the strain of sumptuous food, to the shipping container after a shower, my hair all stunningly presented and tempting you into Overall, Heard Island is my favourite would freeze into a chandelier. There were also glutinous excess. The company is invigorating, location in the Antarctic. The rugged gas-fired toilets that incinerated solid human the wine and conversation flows, the climate beauty, volcanic grandeur, wildlife and waste. However, any liquid on the spark plug is reminiscent of the European tradition, and knowledge that it is unspoiled by feral would cause the gas to build up without igniting, everyone is dressed to kill in their glad rags. introduction, make it a very special place. leading to panic stricken and inadequately clad Yet I shan’t miss them. To me, Christmas is But it’s also special because it’s located expeditioners staggering from the toilets before an intimate time spent with a close circle at the boundary between the polar and the inevitable explosion. of friends and family. Try as I might I can’t sub-polar waters; a boundary that is on the move due to climate change. This makes it The social isolation of working in Antarctica has shed the niggling feeling that Christmas in one of the locations where the effects of greatly diminished. Gone are the days of the Antarctica is like frequenting a soup kitchen climate change are most severely felt, and to weekly WYZZA telex message. These messages for vagrant gentry. me it signifies both the stunning beauty and contained coded strings of letters that the I made 17 trips to Antarctica during my career. vulnerability of Antarctica. recipient looked up in a book to decipher Some of these have been marine science trips their meaning. They included codes such as but most have been to Davis. I’ve also been ANDREW DAVIDSON ‘I’ve grown a beard and everyone thinks it lucky enough to visit Heard Island, Macquarie Australian Antarctic Division

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1 DAVE AND FIONA HARVEY

Fulbright scholar to advance whale 1. A new DNA-based test will help scientists understand the age structure of Australian ageing technique humpback whale populations. 2. Australian Antarctic Division A DNA-based test for estimating the age of humpback whales has molecular biologist Dr Simon earned its co-developer, Australian Antarctic Division molecular Jarman will travel to the United States on a Fulbright biologist Dr Simon Jarman, a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship Scholarship to pursue whale to study in the United States. ageing research.

Dr Jarman and his humpback whales. We then developed an assay commercial whaling. When combined with colleague Andrea using three of the most informative methylated genetic information about the relatedness of Polanowski, in genes, which estimates age with a high individuals in a population (parents, siblings, collaboration with level of precision.’ offspring), age data improves methods for GLENN JACOBSON the US Centre for Dr Jarman’s scholarship will enable him to spend estimating the size of whale populations and Coastal Studies three months working with scientists from the their reproductive potential. It is also critical to and the Australian Centre for Coastal Studies in Massachusetts, to understanding how biological characteristics of Genome Research study humpback whales in the Gulf of Maine, whales change with age.’ Facility, developed refine the DNA ageing method, and improve Dr Jarman’s work could also be extended to 2 the first DNA- understanding of whale ecology. age estimation in other animal species. based test for ‘The population of humpback whales in the Gulf ‘We intend to develop similar genetic age estimating the age of humpback whales, based of Maine has not been hunted since the early estimation methods for other long-lived wild on recent advances in human medicine. 1900s and it contains a large number of whales animals such as albatross and penguins and to The non-lethal test looks at age-related changes of known age, as they were visually observed use the age information for population status in the DNA of skin samples that can be collected when they were less than one year old and monitoring,’ he said. from live whales using biopsy darts. re-sighted in later years,’ Dr Jarman explained. Dr Jarman’s previous research has included The test relies on changes in the ‘DNA ‘In contrast, Australian humpbacks were hunted the study of Antarctic animals’ diets, including methylation’ of genes involved in the ageing until 1962, which is within the 95 year life span penguins, Antarctic krill, seals and whales, process. DNA methylation is a biochemical of individuals in the current population; so we using the DNA found in their stomach process where a methyl group (CH3) is added to expect the population to be biased towards contents and scats. specific DNA building-blocks. This process alters younger animals. The Fulbright Program is the largest and one the expression of genes. ‘We’ll compare skin biopsy samples from the of the most prestigious educational scholarship ‘We’ve long known that DNA methylation is known-age whales to our Australian population programs in the world, operating in the United involved in processes like sex determination to calibrate the DNA age estimation method and States and over 155 countries worldwide. and the development of many cancers, but it get a more accurate picture of the age structure Dr Jarman will travel to the United States has only recently been shown to be involved of the Australian humpbacks.’ to take up his scholarship in August. in the ageing process,’ Dr Jarman said. Dr Jarman said the scholarship would also allow WENDY PYPER ‘We used information on age-associated him to investigate other population parameters. Australian Antarctic Division DNA methylation in human and mouse ‘Estimating age is important for monitoring genes, to identify similar gene regions in the recovery of whale populations following

ISSUE 28 2015 AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE 23 HISTORY

Antarcticans and the war As Australia commemorates the centenary of its involvement in World War I and the Battle of Gallipoli (25 April 1915 – 9 January 1916), it is timely to reflect on the contribution many Antarctic explorers made to the war effort.

1 2 CHARLES A SANDELL FRANK HURLEY

Following a sense of adventure or patriotism, The living conditions on the front often or simply the call of friendship, many reminded men like Hurley of his experiences people who had experience in Antarctic in the south. Only a short time after his exploration volunteered to serve in the armies extraordinary time lost on the bitter Antarctic of World War I. Elephant Island and living for 4 1/2 months Traces of many of these men, the records they with 21 others under upturned lifeboats, leave in maps, diaries, photographs, printed Hurley wrote in his war diaries about the materials and ephemera are preserved in the warmth of companionship. In his diary, he State Library of New South Wales. They are commented on his response to the carnage a reminder of the contribution they made to while walking through battlefields strewn our understanding of the world. In the worst with dismembered corpses: 3 case, they are a reminder of their sacrifice The Menin road is like passing through the Valley and of an untimely end to a life of potential of Death, for one never knows when a shell continent and the experiences of people in and contribution. will lob in front of him. It is the most gruesome World War 1 became apparent. He wrote Companions in the south, the paths of these shambles I have ever seen, with the exception of about the episode: the South Georgia whaling stations, but here it men sometimes crossed in the trenches of the After dinner the boys invited me to their is terrible as the dead things are men and horses European war. Here, Australian photographer campfire, and asked me to give them a few (17 September 1917). Frank Hurley met sledging companions Leslie words about my Antarctic experiences. Russell Blake and Eric Webb. A few years On 30 December 1917, Hurley was with members The novelty of the surroundings impressed before, during their expedition towards the of the Australian Light Horse in Palestine. me greatly, and I felt, in the interest expressed South Magnetic Pole, these friends nearly That evening the men made camp, settling and on the faces around me a reward for the died in the harsh and dangerous conditions on feeding the horses. As the dark grew around tribulations of the South… How all these, the Antarctic plateau. Later, while on leave in them, the soldiers gathered around a fire and my fellow countrymen appreciated my story. London, Hurley met both Douglas Mawson and asked Hurley to tell them about Antarctica. How they sympathized with the hardships Ernest Shackleton. In this extraordinary moment the connections and how they joined in hilarity when I related… between the experiences of the explorers of the primitive routine of daily life. I enjoyed it the then almost completely unknown southern as much as they.

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4 5 FRANK HURLEY

to London. However his comments about friendship and reliance in Antarctica ring true for both fields of endeavour. In his book about his Antarctic experiences, The Worst Journey in the World, Cherry-Garrard wrote about the companionship of the men on a harsh sledging journey as ‘gold, pure unalloyed gold’. STEPHEN MARTIN Stephen is a former senior librarian and researcher for the Mitchell Library, Sydney, and has been visiting Antarctica as a history lecturer, field guide, sailor and tourist for

FRANK HURLEY the last two decades. He is the author of A History of Antarctica (Rosenberg Publishing, 1996; revised 2013). He completed his entry with a reflection that the his careful measurements of the progress companionship of these men reminded him of towards the south magnetic pole are recorded 1. Leslie Russell Blake was a geologist and that of the Antarctic teams, sleeping in cramped in a tight, precise hand. cartographer for the Macquarie Island Party and dangerous circumstances: ‘tightly packed, Leslie Russell Blake, another of the men of during Mawson’s Australasian Antarctic but warm and contented’. the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, died Expedtion. His main task was to map the Sir Ernest Shackleton, famous for his expeditions on 3 October, 1918 just weeks before the island and describe its geology — tasks which later contributed to the island’s nomination to Ross Island and the Trans Antarctic Expedition, Armistice. He was awarded the Military Cross. as a World Heritage Area. In 1916 he was came to Sydney in 1917 and assisted the Blake’s beautiful and carefully drafted map of awarded the Military Cross for conspicuous Australian recruitment drive by writing the Macquarie Island is one of the most accurate and continual gallantry in the field during pamphlet A Call to Australia: representations of that remarkable island. the Battle of the Somme. Here in Australia the call to service sounds loud Others served in different ways. Morton 2. Morton Moyes was a meteorologist with and clear. I speak to you men as one who has Moyes, meteorologist with Douglas Mawson’s Douglas Mawson’s Australasian Antarctic Expedition and a naval instructor during carried the King’s flag in the white warfare of Australasian Antarctic Expedition, was a naval the War. the Antarctic and who is going now to serve in instructor during the War. Despite attempts to the red warfare of Europe. I say to you that his leave this post and go on active service in the 3. James Francis (Frank) Hurley was the official photographer on Mawson’s 1911–14 call means more than duty, more than sacrifice, Navy, he was considered too valuable as a trainer Australasian Antarctic Expedition and more than glory. It is the supreme opportunity to go to war. In 1917, he sailed south with the Shackleton’s ill-fated 1914–17 Imperial offered to every man of our race to justify Aurora on the relief expedition for the Ross Transantarctic Expedition. He served in Europe himself before his own soul. Love of ease, love Sea party with Shackleton as his cabin mate. as an official photographer with the AIF from of money, love of woman, love of life — all these The official log of this voyage and an oral history 1917–18, producing the only colour-plate photographs of the war. are small things in the scale against your own by Ross Bowden with Moyes are both in the manhood. The blood that has been shed on the Mitchell Library collection. 4. Edward Frederick Robert Bage trained as an burning hills of Gallipoli and the sodden fields of engineer and was responsible for astronomical After the war Hurley wrote in the Australasian and tidal observations and maintaining Flanders calls to you. Politics, prejudices, petty Photo-Review (14 February, 1919): chronometers during Mawson’s Australasian personal interests are nothing. Fight because What a contrast to the ice fields of Antarctica! Antarctic Expedtion. He was also leader of the you have the hearts of men, and because if you Southern Sledging Party, charged with locating It would be impossible to find in the vast fail you will know yourselves in your own inner the shifting South Magnetic Pole. Captain Bage domain of photography two branches of work consciousness to be for ever shamed. And to the was killed in 1915 by Turkish machine gun fire more divergent. In the latter — everything while marking out a trench line near Lone Pine. women of Australia, I would say just this: be as beautiful, reposeful, and of infinite charm; the women of Rome, who said to husbands, 5. Frank Hurley was struck by the connections the former, filled with horror — it was all brothers, and fathers, ‘Come back victorious, between the experiences of Antarctic explorers action and suffering. and those of the people in World War 1 and or on your shields’. Like Hurley and members of the Light Horse he reflected on the companionship he felt in Some of these men died while in the war. both situations in his diary. Here he trims John around the campfire in the Judean Hills, Bob Bage, a fellow expeditioner of Webb and Hunter’s beard in the tight confines of the Apsley Cherry-Garrard, assistant zoologist Hurley, was killed at Gallipoli. Twelve days Main Hut at Cape Denison, Antarctica. with Sir Robert Falcon Scott’s ill-fated British after the landing, he was shot by Turkish National Antarctic Expedition (1910–1912), machine gun fire as he laid out trench lines valued the friendships forged in the south. near Lone Pine. His scientific field books are Garrard attempted to serve in the war but, preserved in the Mitchell Library. In these, afflicted with nervous damage, returned

ISSUE 28 2015 AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE 25 HISTORY

1 GEOFF MERRIL

Antarctica 1 – Volkswagens in Antarctica The Editor at the Volkswagen Club in Sydney, Phil Matthews, recently completed a history of the Volkswagen ‘Beetles’ that served at Mawson station between 1963 and 1970. The following is an edited extract from The Antarctic VWs, an expanded version of a story that originally appeared in his book Knowing Australian Volkswagens (Bookworks 1993). The full story of the Ruby-Red Beetle, Antarctica 1, and two orange vehicles — Antarctica 2 and 3 — can be read at www.clubvw.org.au/antarctic-vws.

In 1962, the Australian National Antarctic It just so happened that the Volkswagenwerk Official VW preparation was very thorough. Research Expeditions (ANARE) was looking for Head Office in Germany had recently been The car was delivered with a box of general spare cheap motorised transportation to complement encouraging their subsidiaries around the parts and spare wheels, as well as a quality Bolex the heavy tracked vehicles at Mawson. Transport world to concentrate their marketing efforts cine camera with a generous stock of movie film. at Mawson was normally provided by tracked on publicising VW service in Arctic conditions. Large ANARE labels were painted on the doors, vehicles, dog sleighs and motorbikes. But all Young Graham scored the promotional coup and special aluminium ‘ANTARCTICA 1’ number these had their limits. The motorbikes could of his life, and the opportunity to send a VW plates were made and mounted front and rear. only transport small loads. The tractors could to Mawson was enthusiastically welcomed by Volkswagen Australasia covered the costs of the run at a maximum speed of 5 km/h and used too his superiors. vehicle and all spares and modifications. much fuel. The dog teams needed to have been Ray was invited to Clayton, and an Australian- After collection and inspection by Ray McMahon, in harness for a long time, required continual made Ruby-Red 1962½ model Beetle was the VW was loaded aboard the supply ship care and could only be managed by someone selected at random from a batch made Nella Dan at Port Melbourne, and shipped experienced in their handling. in December 1962. The Ruby-Red colour 6100 km south to Mawson. It was unloaded The incoming 1963 expedition leader was a was chosen so the car would stand out with the normal year’s supplies in January 1963. young engineering draughtsman named Ray from the snowscape. The engineers filled the petrol tank with BP McMahon. While he was making preparations The Clayton Service Workshop then gave the winter-grade petrol, which proved perfectly at ANARE Head Office in Melbourne, he read Beetle a thorough ‘winterising’, a northern suitable for the local conditions. that there were a couple of water-cooled European process unknown in hot Australia. The VW underwent some initial trial runs, vehicles at Mawson; a Ferguson tractor and The engine was rebuilt with special European including a 35-km round-trip to the inland a flat topped Bedford truck. He reckoned if ‘winter’ quality crankshaft bearings for extreme Rumdoodle airstrip up on the ice plateau. they were being used successfully around the service low-temperature conditions, such as The VW made the run in 65 minutes, a near station, then why wouldn’t an air cooled VW be those in Norway and Finland. The exhaust record. There is a very steep snow slope behind suitable for some ‘around the station’ functions? manifolds were wrapped in asbestos insulation Mawson, which must be climbed to reach Using his initiative, he picked up the phone to assist initial warm-up. The front wheel the plateau. Many doubters — including even the and rang the marketing office of Volkswagen bearings and torsion bars were lubricated with Captain of the Nella Dan — bet Ray McMahon Australasia at Clayton. Ray spoke with a cadet winter-spec lithium grease. The VW was fitted that the Volkswagen wouldn’t make it under its marketing person by the name of Graham with a pair of heavy-duty six-volt batteries in own power. It did. Massingham. Ray asked him if VWA would be series, so that starting could be achieved at ANARE official photographer Geoff Merrill took cooperative and loan ANARE a VW to take to 12 volts through the 6-volt starter motor, but a number of photos of the VW at Mawson, at the Mawson for the year. the rest of the electrical system remained 6-volt. airstrip at Rumdoodle, and in several stunning A rear tow bar and sump guard was fitted, and a nearby locations that showed the beauty of the factory storage rack was bolted to the roof.

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2 VOLKSWAGEN/NLA

3 ROB EASTHER

Antarctic area. He also shot the first 500 feet of movie film, which returned to Hobart aboard the Nella Dan. These first photos caused a sensation, and were used in a string of VW ads and promotions. The VW spent a whole year at Mawson, competing with dog teams, Polaris medium over snow vehicles and larger tracked vehicles such as the Weasels, Caterpillars and Porsche 356-engined Snowtracs. Subjected to smothering snows, bitter cold down to –50°C 4 and knifing 200 km/h winds, it turned out to GEOFF MERRILL be excellent for running around the station and short traverses of the ice-bound country. It even never showed up in a lifetime of normal use for service, and briefly the two Antarctic VWs stood went up snow-covered hills which were difficult most cars. In Antarctica the cracking could be side by side at the docks for the first and only to climb on foot because of the sinking snow. induced in only a few hundred miles, thanks time, before Antarctica 1 was loaded onto the Being air-cooled it never froze, and being tightly to the punishing conditions and extremely low Nella Dan for the journey home. sealed it was immune from drifting powder temperatures. Antarctica 1 suffered frame head The cine camera was used to make a fascinating snow, which at Mawson was so fine that it could cracking only a month or two after it arrived, short general interest 16mm film called blow through pin holes. thanks to assorted heavy hands and leaden feet. Antarctica 1 (now on YouTube). There is an Then again, on washboard-like corrugated ice Scientists soon fell in love with the VW and original 16 mm copy in the National Library of thousands of years old, and driving over ice christened it their ‘Red Terror’, but it was Australia’s collection. A shorter edited version cracks ten or twenty centimetres across and officially known as Antarctica 1. VW Australia called Taxi to Rumdoodle was also released and bottoming the suspension constantly under full proudly called it ‘the first production car to is currently available on DVD from the Club loads of men and equipment in temperatures visit Antarctica’. It was used for a multitude Veedub Sydney library. dozens of degrees below zero, what wouldn’t of purposes and within its limitations proved PHIL MATTHEWS fail in such conditions? The Mawson mechanical extremely useful, according to ANARE people Volkswagen Club, Sydney workshops soon learnt to diagnose the who used it. With snow chains on all four problem and were always on hand for a wheels, it could be used for everything from welding repair job. transporting supplies out to field teams, to 1. The Ruby-Red Antarctica 1 proved very useful for towing skiers around the base, to taxiing VIPs When the 1964 expedition team arrived they ‘around station’ jobs including transporting supplies out to field teams. to and from the airfield at Rumdoodle, to driving brought with them Antarctica 1’s replacement — glaciologists three or four kilometres out onto another Volkswagen called Antarctica 2. The new 2. A Volkswagen publicity poster for Antarctica 1 that the sea ice to test its thickness. car was also an Australian-made Beetle; a 1963 appeared in the Australian Women’s Weekly on model painted International Orange. It was fitted July 10, 1963. While Antarctica 1 performed admirably, out in the same winterised manner, complete 3. Antarctica 2 is unloaded from the Nella Dan while the brutal treatment it received over its year with ANARE labels on the doors and special Antarctica 1 (foreground) waits to be loaded for its in the ice did reveal one major weakness ‘Antarctica 2’ number plates. It also had the journey back to Australia. — the chassis frame head, where the two benefit of additional bracing of the front axle to 4. The Volkswagen held its own alongside larger transverse front suspension tubes mounted reduce the frame head problem. The orange car tracked vehicles such as Weasels and Caterpillers. to the frame. Although it’s not an unknown was unloaded at Mawson to begin its term of weakness in VW Beetle construction, it almost

ISSUE 28 2015 AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE 27 ARTS Living data: how art helps us all understand climate change We hear so much about the integrity of scientific process and the role of data in driving action on climate change — but what role is there for artists in bringing about changes in understandings?

Science and the arts are often polarised as incompatible ways of understanding the world. That’s not necessarily true — and what brings

PHIL BLATCH them together is creativity and curiosity. Creativity is at the heart of art and science and passion drives both as ways of satisfying curiosity and expressing new findings. Science builds a world-view based on currently known facts. Art expresses personal understanding and experience. When a scientific view aligns with lived experience, iconography and story may lead us usefully towards a sustainable future. The need to understand climate change is urgent. For some people, the facts about climate change don’t matter — so we need experiences that stir strong feelings of connection. Artists are leading the way to reconnect methods of analysis and expression in this way. The Living Data program that I lead is one of several initiatives to bring together scientists and artists. The creative challenge we face is to accurately express the changes happening to natural systems in ways that resonate with feelings of connection. It is not enough to know the science. People process information in different ways, from the mechanistic to the sensory, from Skeptical Science to Green Porn. For that reason, we need to make icons which have a dual resonance, that speak to the mechanistic and the sensory. This kind of practice is evolving on a global scale through a network of artist-led programs. Conversations between climate change scientists and artists are led through Lynchpin (Hobart), Sur Polar (Buenos Aires), Cape Farewell (London) — as well as the Living Data program. The programs are led by people with knowledge and concern about how the natural world is changing and the desire to respond most usefully.

How Living Data works We link up to share data, iconography and stories to expand our reach beyond our labs and studios. We present online, in conferences, exhibitions, public spaces, and academic, mainstream and social media. As scientist 1 Kirralee Baker notes, ‘it’s not about the story teller but the story to be told’.

28 AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE ISSUE 28 2015 ARTS LISA ROBERTS JOSEF GODING

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My role in driving action on climate change is as Working together Artist brings data to life an artist. My inspiration comes from dance, from This practice exemplifies the shift towards Visual artist and interactive author, Dr Lisa Roberts, my experience of Antarctica — and from 12 years collective knowledge production that is essential travelled to Antarctica on an Australian Antarctic of working with scientists and other artists to advance understanding of climate change. Arts Fellowship in 2002. Her fellowship inspired whose concern is climate change. My work is guided by biological and Indigenous her to embark on a PhD to find out how animation A methodology that uses drawing and methodologies that acknowledge how the could be used to combine scientific data and dance as tools of enquiry is a radical idea for natural world works and is maintained. The story subjective responses to the changing environment. those accustomed to the conventions of the I present does not belong to me or even to the In 2011 Lisa initiated the Living Data program at scientific method. But when choreographic association of research participants. Guided by the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), to analysis is embedded within scientific research, Indigenous Canadian scholar Shawn Wilson I highlight the understandings shared between pattern recognition can contribute to some recognise the story as part of the relationships scientists and other artists. startling discoveries. that exist between us and the natural world. In 2014 Lisa received the inaugural C3 Creative Previously unseen behaviour in Antarctic krill is I recognise iconography we use in art, science Fellowship at the UTS, to further develop revealed through the patterns in mating dances. and systems of belief as primal forms of animations and installations from conversations As are rhythmic cycles of Antarctic sea ice and connection that are available to everyone. with UTS and Australian Antarctic Division the relationship between water temperature and scientists. These creative works aim to In Australia I’ve observed that we — as scientists the abundance of marine algae. visualise new understandings of krill, whales, and artists — tend to express climate change phytoplankton, and other interacting systems My practice is animation and my approach knowledge more quietly in recent years, than and the main drivers of change. In the ten years is collaborative. In the Living Data program do our international colleagues. In our current since Lisa voyaged south, much has changed in scientists and artists share data, iconography political climate it is vital that we continue understanding Antarctica. and methodology, to develop new ways of to create and present a global conversation understanding and expressing changes in through strong works of pathos, beauty, Lisa’s work has previously featured in the natural systems. Dance and drawing are tools mystery, wit, pragmatism, human interference, Australian Antarctic Magazine, including her that help me generate animations that combine techno wizardry, timeless rhythms and grand work on animating the krill life cycle. She is a the primal forms of circling, spiralling and symphonic form. Visiting Scientist at the Australian Antarctic crossing that I recognise in scientific data and Division. Read more about her work at The mix of expressions is vital to inspire and subjective responses. www.lisaroberts.com.au. energise new generations of artists and scientists Iconography developed through art of many — and to better understand our changing planet. forms can embody sensory connection to LISA ROBERTS scientific data. Scientists and artists involved in 1. An animated installation by Lisa Roberts of Oceanic University of Technology, Sydney Living Data that evolves, like a scientific model, to Living Data conversations develop new material This article first appeared in reflect current knowledge of the global ecosystem. for presentation and publication. on 5 February 2015: 2. Living Data: Evolving Conversations; an exhibition Physical and online presentations, peer reviews theconversation.com/living-data-how-art-helps-us-all- understand-climate-change-36890 and forum at the University of Technology Sydney in and comments make sure shared material 2014, curated by Lisa Roberts and Anita Marosszeky. is used ethically and lets everyone see how 3. Dr Lisa Roberts in her studio in Sydney. collaborations evolve and have impacts.

ISSUE 28 2015 AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE 29 OPERATIONS

A busy season on the ‘bacon index’ This Antarctic season saw 557 people travel in support of the Australian Antarctic program. The Aurora Australis was engaged for 183 days and there were nine direct flights to Wilkins in the A319. With Wilkins runway operating from November to March, it was our longest flying season yet. But it’s the ‘bacon index’ that perhaps provides the best indication of season activity, with some 1244 kg consumed!

Highlights of the season include the return of the six-week whale research voyage on Tangaroa in mid-March. Whales were located acoustically

more than 1000 km away from the ship, and GORDON TAIT scientists completed numerous sampling trawls, visual whale sightings, biopsy collections and more (see page 4). An early season voyage of Aurora Australis to the Totten and Mertz glaciers successfully collected some tricky moorings and many chemical and physical seawater profiles (see page 10). At Mawson, early fears about sea ice extent did not materialise and the ship made it into Horseshoe Harbour to fully refuel the station. With extra time on their hands after the resupply and refuelling, a team at Kingston Headquarters and on the ship put together a fantastic marine science program for the remainder of the voyage. Some high value science was achieved, including trawling for sample collection, 1 live krill collection and mooring recovery. Mawson also saw the continuation of the The Casey team managed a successful resupply them to Hobart, where they were kitted with Béchervaise Island penguin monitoring program, early in the season, while hosting a Channel pre-positioned US clothing. Currently, the US while fuel depots were also established along 7 media crew and our Minister, Secretary and flies all their Antarctic expeditioners stationed a 600 nautical mile round trip flight from Deputy Secretary on a multi-day VIP trip. at McMurdo via Christchurch in New Zealand. Richardson Lake to Enderby Land, in support of Ocean acidification work continued at Davis, It is hoped the flight will prove that flying to one of our high priority projects to install mass using ‘minicosms’ installed in shipping McMurdo via Hobart is a viable cost-effective balance GPS equipment. containers on the shoreline (see page 20). option that might complement the existing The folks at Macquarie Island had a busy time Davis also supported a Chinese geology team route through Christchurch. restoring their water supply after the biggest with trips to Mount Brown and the Beaver Operations down south continue now with rainfall event recorded on the ‘sponge’ (105.6 Lake area. Science work at the Amanda Bay 68 winter expeditioners across the four stations mm in 36 hours) filled up Gadgets Gully dam penguin colony was also completed from engaged in maintenance, science, infrastructure with mud and rock. A lot of work was needed Davis. The concrete slab for the new waste projects, and programs for the Tasmanian Parks to clear out the dam and fix broken lines to get management facility was poured and installation and Wildlife Service and Bureau of Meteorology. water flowing again. Despite this, field work of the first tank completed. The Davis team also Thanks go to everyone involved in making this continued on the island, including albatross put in an amazing effort to assist the medical season so successful, safe and efficient. population monitoring, fuel spill bioremediation evacuation of a sick team member back to ROBB CLIFTON work and Parks and Wildlife projects, while Hobart on the ship. scientific field huts were restocked and many Operations Manager, Australian Antarctic Division In February the United States terminated a of the huts flown in for the pest eradication high altitude balloon flight for NASA’s ANITA III project were removed. astrophysics experiment, just 100 nautical miles At Casey, scientists running the Free Ocean from Davis. Two of our helicopters collected 1. The A319 made nine direct flights from Carbon Enrichment (FOCE) experiment (see page the science payload, which was jettisoned Hobart to Wilkins Runway in the longest 8) successfully installed and operated ocean from 125 000 feet by parachute. flying season yet. It also conducted a test acidification chambers under the sea ice in flight, delivering United States Antarctic In April we undertook a proof of concept flight O’Brien Bay. A hydrographic survey crew were Program personnel to McMurdo. for the United States program, taking 14 US also out on the water around Casey and a expeditioners direct from Hobart to McMurdo. swag of French expeditioners moved through The A319 collected the expeditioners from Casey (via the A319) and up to Dome C by air. a commercial flight in Melbourne and flew

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Addressing sea ice impacts on Antarctic operations The impact of changing sea ice conditions on Antarctic operators Australian Antarctic Division General Manager of Operations, was the focus of an international workshop in Hobart in May. Dr Rob Wooding, said that in the 2013–14 summer, for example, The two day Antarctic Sea Ice Challenges Workshop, was convened by the Division had to refuel Mawson station by helicopter when thick sea the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programmes (COMNAP) ice prevented access to the station by ship. Similar problems are being and jointly hosted by the Australian Antarctic Division and the Antarctic encountered by French and Japanese expeditions. Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre (ACE CRC). ‘The main purpose of this workshop was for national The workshop brought together 58 of the world’s Antarctic program Antarctic programs and other operators in the Southern Ocean managers and scientists, for the first time, to examine the latest scientific to speak with leading sea ice researchers and analysts about advice on the causes and likely future trends in sea ice cover, and to the challenges of changing patterns of sea ice distribution and identify potential solutions. how operators and experts could work together to respond to these challenges,’ Dr Wooding said. COMNAP Executive Secretary Michelle Rogan-Finnemore said challenging sea ice conditions in some parts of Antarctica, including thicker and ‘These discussions focussed on improved sea ice charting and more extensive sea ice coverage, were affecting the delivery of Antarctic forecasting services to assist navigation.’ scientists, support personnel and supplies to Antarctic research facilities. Professor Worby said sea ice thickness remains one of the ‘Innovative and pragmatic approaches are needed to solve these hardest climate parameters to measure and monitor, although evolving challenges,’ she said. improving satellite technology is providing imagery that can be sent directly to ships, helping them choose the best possible route Professor Tony Worby, CEO of the ACE CRC, said changes in sea ice through the sea ice. conditions were largely driven by strengthening westerly winds around Antarctica, as a result of changes in atmospheric chemistry and interactions ‘The use of autonomous underwater vehicles, equipped with with other climate variability drivers. Local effects resulting from sea ice upward-looking sonar and video is also providing new insides into build-up around grounded icebergs were also part of the problem. the complex under-ice world of the Antarctic sea ice zone,’ he said. He said each of the past three years had broken the record for The outcomes from the workshop will be published by COMNAP sea ice extent, creating a challenge for ships and in some cases later this year (www.comnap.aq). causing a complete rethink of how Antarctic stations are resupplied. CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS DR JAN LIESER AND AERIAL IMAGING GROUP

Challenging sea ice conditions in East Antarctica have brought polar operators and scientists together to solve operational challenges.

ISSUE 28 2015 AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE 31 IN BRIEF

Director retires International Year of Light The Director of the Australian Antarctic Division, Dr Tony Fleming, The United Nations’ International Year of Light was launched in Paris — has announced he will leave the Division in August. the City of Lights – in January, kicking off a year celebrating light science Dr Fleming became the Director of the Australian Antarctic Division and its applications. in 2011 (Australian Antarctic Magazine 21: 1–3, 2011) following a long career in the federal and state public services and the not-for-profit sector. NICK RODEN He said it has been a privilege to be at the helm of such a strategically important government organisation for four years. ‘I am proud to have been a part of such a dynamic organisation and to have played a role in steering the future direction of Australia’s Antarctic program, ensuring we continue to work collaboratively with our international partners to improve global understanding of this magnificent region,’ he said. During his time with the Division, Dr Fleming has been the Australian Commissioner of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), playing a key A spectacular green aurora is intersected by the LIDAR role in developing a proposal for Marine Protected Areas off East (light detection and ranging) laser beam at Davis station. Antarctica. In 2012 he led a commemorative voyage to Mawson’s Hut The goal of the International Year of Light is to raise global awareness of at Commonwealth Bay, as part of the centenary of the Australasian how light and light-based technologies — such as lasers, UV and X-ray Antarctic Expedition 1911–1914. sources, and photonic electronics — promote sustainable development and He championed the importance of promoting understanding provide solutions to global challenges in energy, education, agriculture, and awareness of the value of Antarctica and the Australian Antarctic communications and health. program by encouraging visits by high level officials, including hosting Scientists and expeditioners in Antarctica are reliant on light and the first visit by an Australian Governor-General, Ms Quentin Bryce light-based technologies. Just some examples include: AD CVO, in 2013. • The dramatic seasonal changes in day length that affect daily Dr Fleming has also driven the modernisation of the Australian Antarctic life on station; program, including the procurement process for a new Australian • The use of solar power to run VHF radio repeaters, remote radio icebreaker to replace the ageing Aurora Australis. installations and automatic weather stations; NISHA HARRIS • Remote sensing technologies such as LIDAR (light detection and ranging) instruments to measure sea ice thickness, snow cover and atmospheric properties; • Communication systems such as the internet, video conferencing and telemedicine, which connect Antarctic stations to the rest of the world. DEAN LEWINS In Australia, a range of activities will promote improved public and political understanding of the central role of light in the modern world, while also celebrating noteworthy anniversaries — from the first studies of optics 1000 years ago to discoveries in optical communications that power the Internet today. For more information visit light2015.org.au. WENDY PYPER

Adding value to research data The Australian Antarctic Data Centre (AADC), which is responsible for long-term management of Australia’s Antarctic data, is now a ‘recommended repository’ for the Nature journal Scientific Data. This journal aims to make research data more widely available and reusable, by publishing detailed descriptions of how data is produced and what quality-control experiments were performed. AADC Manager Dr Ben Raymond said the new affiliation means that anyone lodging data with the AADC can also consider publishing a data paper. ‘This paper is, in essence, an extended description of the data, giving extra exposure to their work and highlighting its value to the broader scientific community,’ he said. Dr Tony Fleming at Mawson’s Huts during the commemorative centenary voyage in 2012. Further information about Scientific Data and data repositories is available at www.nature.com/news/announcement-launch-of-an- online-data-journal-1.13906 JILL BROWN 32 AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE ISSUE 28 2015 TONY FLEMING TONY

FREEZE FRAME This photo was taken during the 2014–15 resupply voyage of Mawson station on a relatively calm night. Expedition mechanic, Corey Brazendale, has completed two winters at Davis and one summer It was the last opportunity I had to wander around the base after a busy summer season, before departing at Mawson. As well as servicing and fixing heavy vehicles and equipment, Corey volunteered for Davis. I had been walking at West Arm, saying my farewells to the lazing Weddell seals, moulting on the stations’ emergency response teams and provided ‘lay surgical’ assistance to the Adélie penguins and the station off in the distance. On my return I had to pause to admire the Aurora ADAM GURNEY ADAM stations’ doctors. His work as a volunteer firefighter with the Tasmanian Fire Service has Australis safely moored under the heavy skies in Horseshoe Harbour. Luckily I had my tripod handy taught him not to over-react in stressful situations. and the long exposure shot really captured the mood of the night. (Nikon D800E, Sigma 35mm, f1.4). ANTARCTICA valued, protected and understood

www.antarctica.gov.au