mmymtmmx* A N E W S B U L L E T I N published b y t h e NEW ZEALAND ANTARCTIC SOCIETY 7i^ ■ I l , U.S.N.S. MAUMEE DOCKED AT McMURDO. Official U.S. Navy photo. Vol. 5, No. 9 MARCH, 1970 AUSTRALIA y»L/ E 'T w / ) WELLINGTONI -SCHRISTCHURCH I NEW ZEALAND TASMANIA VOSS DEPENDED ^ <k \^«**V t\ / Byrd(US)* ANTARCTICA, \ / l\ Ah Pliteiu <US)0<' Alferej Sobnl (Arj) < J,Gtncnl Belfrano \ / W N G M A L ) 0 \ j H . l l t y B a y ( U K ) / ^ < / (USSR)X%*r)\»»A-^ %^D "VVAY) I * aXA Tsplent."xsfi&** ^J#/&**?&- (USSM ^V^X^^ ^'^ 0r< DRAWN BY DEPARTMENT OF LANDS * SURVEY WELLINGTON. NEW ZEALAND. AUG IM9 3rd EDITION MLiHTOA IB ©INKD" (Successor to "Antarctic News Bulletin") Vol. 5. No. 9 57th ISSUE MARCH, 1970 Contributions, enquiries, etc., to the Acting Editor, C/- P.O. Box 2110, Wellington. Business Communications, Subscriptions, etc., to: Secretary, New Zealand Antarctic Society, P.O. Box 2110, Wellington, N.Z. CONTENTS ■ EXPEDITIONS New Zealand The First Year at Vanda Station: S. K. Cutfield U.S.A. France Belgium Australia U.S.S.R. South Africa Japan 389, 406 United Kingdom Argentina Sub-Antarctic Islands Flights to the Pole Antarctic Bookshelf Co-operation in Antarctic Research Antarctic Tourism 403 March, 1970 BAD WEATHER HAMPERS ACTIVITIES AT NEW ZEALAND STATIONS At Scott Base. Vanda Station and in the field, a very extensive summer programme was carried through despite much stormy weather and in the face of unexpected transport and other difficulties. Leader Bruce Willis reported late in AT TERRA NOVA BAY December: Unfortunately not as much ground as "With such a splendid start to the expected was covered by the four-man month as the celebration of the tenth DS1R geological party at Terro Nova anniversary of the signing of the Ant Bay owing to a combination of deep arctic Treaty, it seemed that we were soft snow and warm weather, but never set for a period of concerted activity. theless it may be regarded as a most Instead, this has been a month of frus successful season. tration. A combination of poor weather, especially around Ross Island, and They marked the site of Scott's Nor mechanical trouble with helicopters has thern Party's (1912) cave at Terra Nova upset most field programmes and de Bay by erecting a wooden signboard. layed work on Vanda resupply." While in the area they visited an Adelie penguin rookery at Gcrlache Inlet and There were several heavy snowfalls estimated a total of 11,000 chicks. during the month, more particularly to wards the end, and much inconvenience The party was picked up and returned was caused by leakage into buildings in to Scott Base on January 20. spite of repeated sweepings of the roofs. Many of the snow falls consisted of large wet flakes with little wind ac WINTER AHEAD companying. The most important event in February The thaw added to the difficulties, was the arrival of HMNZS "Endeavour" water running down the road and fill on the 4th. Unloading started scon after ing the depressions by the dog lines, lie-up with the United States Navy pro thus cutting off the route to Williams viding Fabco forklift and drivers. Un Field. NCEL drilled holes to release the loading was virtually completed by 3.00 the water and the maintenance staff a.m.. February 5, with back load stowed diverted the road around the worst area. the same afternoon. A sports programme arranged with the "Endeavour" crew During the month there were 21 days was abandoned owing to weather. of jji or complete cloud cover, three During a southerly there was an exten days of blue sky and 12 days of preci sive ice breakout in McMurdo Sound, pitating snow. and by February 8 water was visible The new year was ushered in by bad from Scotl Base. Later, both the "Elisto" weather which persisted for the first and "Burton Island" worked in front few days, but thereafter improved apart of the Base breaking an annual ice run from a few days in the middle of the way. Two helicopters from "Burton Is month. Thus most scheduled programmes land" flew building materials to Cape went off with few hitches. The warm Bird. Second leads were taken in on weather and water run-off continued to February 13. Scismo equipment was re cause trouble with the tracked-vehicle turned from Hallett and airfreighted to road, necessitating the diverting of the New Zealand. The Navy intend realign ing the McMurdo/Scott Base Road, but road around the worst areas. this should cause no interference in The highest recorded temperature of Scotl Base programmes. The lasl physi + 6.8° was recorded at Scott Base on cal contact with New Zealand was on January 8 and throughout most of the February 26 when Iwo Hercules flew month temperatures were high at Vanda. north. V-»- March, 1970 Their duties were to maintain the Shackleton Hut (restored in 1960-61), ty of Wcl- tidy up the surroundings, act as guides a four-man to visitors, prevent any incipient "souveniring" and protect the already diminished Adelie Penguin colony from any disturbance. The two men worked versity of Waikato team. at Cape Royds from November 22 to Neall and P. Kyle spent a week (Nov December 9, and later spent three days ember 18-25) at Cape Barne and were at the Hut Poinl hut. then transported by U.S. Navy heli copter to Cape Bird with two Waikato men for a day before being flown via ON THE ROBERT SCOTT Scott Base to Cape Crozier. Here an ex tensive mapping programme along the GLACIER coast enabled the geologists to complete a geological map of the area before re An air-drop to the six-man DS1R geo turning to Scott Base en December 8. logical and pedological party working on the Robert Scott Glacier ran into Meanwhile, Vucetich (the r difficulties. The glacier flows in a north scientific leader) and geolo erly direction from the Polar plateau to had left Scotl Base on Novtmuu .- .^. the Ross Ice Shelf in 152°E; some 70 the lower Wright Valley, close lo the scene of the helicopter accident reported miles east of the Axel Heiberg Glacier (Amundsen's route to the Pole), be in our December issue. The VUWAE tween 85° 30' and 86° S. camp was used during the emergency. On the 26th Vucetich and Topping The resupply materials were at Wil walked the 15km to Vanda, a helicopter liams Field ready for the drop on Dec carrying their gear. They worked in the ember 15, but they were held for Bull Pass area until December 9 and various reasons until December 21. This were then immobilised because of heli drop was unsuccessful owing to a 'chute copter problems until December 17, malfunction. Everything was lost. The when they walked to the Labyrinth, pilot landed to ascertain the reasons for where Neall and Kyle had been await the failure and back-loaded several hund ing them since December 11. red pounds of rock samples. Kyle and Topping were at Vanda Again on December 24 an attempt from the 20th till the 27th. while Neall was made, but was thwarted by low and Vucetich worked in the lower Tay cloud and poor visibility. Finally on lor Valley till they were rejoined by December 29 the drop was successful the other two men. All four returned at 86° 00' S. 153° 04' E. The party to Scott Base by helicopter on Decem reported that all materials were recov ber 31. Vucetich now returned to New ered. The drop included ten food boxes Zealand, but the other three travelled and some pieces of field equipment, ice by sno-trac to White Island on January axes and ropes sent out to replace 4 and studied its geology from the north west rock outcrops to the summit of damaged gear. Mt. Heine till the 8th. After further geology on Castle Rock and the north ernmost outcrops of the Hut Point "COMING MEN" Peninsula, they returned to New Zea land on January 14. The representatives of youth organisa tions, Burton and Ellis, Queen's Scouts, C/o CAPE ROYDS and Oliver, Boys' Brigade, added to the In response to an invitation from the work force and proved very helpful Superintendent, Antarctic Division, the around base. Local visits were arranged N.Z. Antarctic Society selected two for them while Ellis and Oliver spent members of its Canterbury Branch, about 10 days at Cape Crozier assisting P. J. Skellerup Dr. W. Sladen. They made a good im and M. Orchard pression at Crozier and Dr. Sladen wrote to serve as caretakers at Cape Royds. commending their efforts. ■ I ANTARCTIC March, 1970 UNDERWATER SOUNDS SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES ANTARCTIC STUDY New Zealand scientists have found two deposits of the semi-precious stone The first University of Auckland team peridot at Ross Island in the Antarctic. to work in the Antarctic made an exten Samples of the stone were brought to sive series of acoustic measurements in Wellington by Professor A. T. Wilson, Antarctic waters, using hydrophones sus formerly a member of the Victoria Uni pended beneath the Ross Ice Shelf. Mr. versity chemistry department, and they P. J. Burgess in this way recorded the are thought to be the first semi-precious "sea state", that is the noises made by stones brought out of the Antarctic. wind waves, currents and animal life. Professor Wilson had just returned The sea state in Antarctica proved to be from an expedition to the Antarctic and relatively very low, a hundred times his findings are being analysed by Dr.