antarctic [I OFTHE IIUNITED D1rLr1ii U STATES December 1981 National Science Foundation Volume XVI—Number4 Palmer Station. This island, 70 kilometers long, is the largest and southernmost of the Palmer Archipelago, an island group ex- tending 250 kilometers along the peninsula. Nathaniel Palmer never saw this archipel- tgo. The first probable landing on Anvers Island was by Captain John Biscoeof Eng- land in February 1832. Biscoe, thinking Anvers Island was part of the mainland, took possession in the name of King Wil- liam IV, and called it Graham Land. Not until 1898 did Lt. Adrien de Gerlache of Belgium in his ship Belgica discover that Anvers Island was indeed an island. Other early explorers who saw Anvers Island were Nordenskjold of Sweden during a 1901-1903 expedition and Charcot of France in 1904 and again in 1908-1910. The British research ships Discovery and William Scoresby did physical and biolog- ical oceanography nearby in the late 1920s. From 1934 to 1937 the British Graham Land Expedition had a base on Wiencke Island, 30 kilometers east of where Palmer Station was to be set up 30 years later; scientific research included geology, gla- NSF photo by Wiliam Curtsinger. ciology, biology, and tidal observations. Palmer Station, as it looked in its early years, lies at the tip of Gamage Point. A/V Hero is docked, while a Coast Guard icebreaker is in Arthur Harbor. The first occupation of Anvers Island began during the 1954-1955 summer, when Britain established Base N and operated it through the 1957-1958 International Geo- physical Year (IGY). Base N occupied a Palmer: an Antarctic Peninsula rocky point at the northwestern corner of Arthur Harbor, near where Palmer Station research station later would be placed. During the ICY Argentina, Britain, and Chile operated approximately 17 stations On 16 and 17 November 1820 a 21- ther voyages of discovery in the Antarctic up and down the coasts of the Antarctic year-old Connecticut sealing captain named Peninsula area. One hundred and forty- Peninsula and on adjacent islands, giving Nathaniel B. Palmer sailed his 14-meter- five years after Nathaniel Palmer made his the area more centers of population than long sloop, the Hero, southward from the sighting, the United States established a any other part of Antarctica. South Shetland Islands. His objective was year-round station next to the Antarctic new sealing grounds, but he found new Peninsula and named it Palmer. U.S. land—the Antarctic Peninsula. Palmer may explorations before the IGY have been the first person to see Antarcti- Early non-U.S. explorations After voyages to the southern ocean by ca, but English, Russian, Australian and Nathaniel Palmer and other sealers, an ex- other American ships were in the area at Halfway between the tip and the base of pedition using the schooner Penguin and about the same time. Reports of these early the peninsula, off its western coast, lies the brig Annawan combined U.S. sealing sealing voyages showed the way for fur- Anvers Island, the site of the modern-day and exploration and reached King George and Deception Islands in February 1830. but several exploratory flights were made During the 1946-1947 antarctic summer James Eights of Albany, New York, trained from Deception Island over the Antarctic the Navys Operation Highjump, an ex- as a physician and later a geologist, ac- Peninsula in December 1928. On 19 De- tensive exploration of Antarctica that de- companied this expedition as scientist and cember 1929, an exploratory flight was ployed 13 ships and 4,700 men, included wrote remarkably perceptive reports. In made from the southern end of Neumeyer operations by three ships with airplanes in March 1539 two ships of the United States Channel, which separates Anvers and the Antarctic Peninsula area. Charcot and Exploring Expedition, led by Lt. Charles Wiencke Islands. Alexander Islands were photographed from Wilkes, made oceanographic and biologi- the air, and the ships passed Anvers Island cal investigations near the tip of the Ant- Between 21 November and 5 December and through Bransfield Strait on their way arctic Peninsula. U.S. exploration in the 1935, Lincoln Ellsworth completed a flight to the Weddell Sea for further operations. peninsula area languished for the rest of along the east coast of the peninsula and the transantarctic flight envisioned by Wil- the century, although the American Fred- The final U.S. expedition in the peninsula kins. He began at Dundee Island (at the tip erick A. Cook accompanied the Belgian area before the establishment of Palmer of the Antarctic Peninsula) and ended at expedition in 1898. Station was the Ronne Antarctic Research Little America on the Ross Ice Shelf with Expedition, which reoccupied East Base During the 1928-1929 and 1929-1930 four landings made enroute. The flights on 12 March 1947 and stayed until 20 summers the American Geographical So- provided much new information about the February 1948. Expedition personnel num- ciety sponsored expeditions led by Hubert peninsula and the interior of Antarctica. bered 23 and included two women. Though Wilkins, an Australian, whose objective small by modern standards, this expedi- was to cross Antarctica by airplane. Bad The first U.S. station in the Antarctic tion accomplished much, extending greatly weather and lack of firm sea ice for take- Peninsula area was established in March the area explored by Americans in Palmer offs prevented the transantarctic flight, 1940 as part of the United States Antarctic Service, a government expedition. Named Land (the southern half of the Antarctic East Base, it was located on Stonington Peninsula) and adjacent areas. Photographic Island (68 0 11S 67 000W), a 300 by 600 flights ranged as far as the Filchner Ice meter rock connected to the mainland by a Shelf and Ellsworth Land, and surface tra- snow slope. (This location is 410 kilome- verses explored both coasts of the peninsula. ters south of the site at which Palmer Sta- Unique among U.S. expeditions, the partys tion would later be located.) Twenty-six ship, a wood tug 56-meters long, was in- men wintered, performing observations at tentionally frozen in the ice near Stonington the station and at a smaller camp inland. Island for the duration of the stay at East Extensive explorations were made by foot, Base. There were three ski-equipped planes, airplane, and dog sledge, to the east and of which the largest was a twin-engine west and as far south as the base of the Beechcraft C-45 with trimetrogon cameras peninsula. Accomplishments included sur- for aerial photography. Dog sledges and veys and mapping of most of the area, two Weasels were used for the traverses. biological and geological observations and U.S. operations in Antarctica during the Editor: Winifred Reuning specimen collections, meteorological ob- International Geophysical Year (1957-1958) servations, and tidal and magnetic measure- did not include activities in the Antarctic Antarctic Journal of the United States, ments. The men departed in March 1941. Peninsula area. established in 1966, reports on U.S. activities in Antarctica and related activi- ties elsewhere, and on trëids in the U.S. Antarctic Research Program. It is published quarterly (March, June, Sep- Nomel Point PALMER STATION tember, and December) with a fifth an- 8r.. Island ANTARCTICA, AND VICINITY nual review issue by the Division •OW P.late, station of Polar Programs, National Science Humble Island ,.,,j_ ,...... seas + Foundation, Washington, D.C. 20550. .--- Ell LllcStlield ISSir.l was Telephone: 202/357-7817. ARTHUR Anvers Island Lsppu laoin.$.! HARBORgs Point Palmer Subscription rates are $11.00 per five Speci&ly PYONCNd Area Hero MAP Palmer Station No. I?. No ,Mgy or low Island issues, domestic, and $13.75 per five o,rnlgltt wsfStout permit. issues, foreign; single copies are $2.25 Bonaparte Point ($2.85 foreign) except for the annual 5D.L.ca Island review issue, which is $7.00 ($8.75 split Rock c3mutiat.mi Island 0 foreign). Address changes and sub- Janus scription matters should be sent to the EIcI,orsl Wand Slapping Storms Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Limitroptie Government Printing Office, Washing- cormorant Ctinatine ISIontI ton, D.C. 20402. c.!!(? J Spurn. Island pinnacles The Director of the National Science Hermit Island Foundation has determined that the + publication of this periodical is neces- ^_ Hollsnnsn Rocks sary in the transaction of the public tin.• <^^Jscobs Island business required by law of this agency. nautical mile Laggard Island 0 Use of funds for printing this periodical OulcastIslands tillomleir has been approved by the director of 0 4 the Office of Management and Budget through 31 March 1984. Palmer Station (64 046 1S 64 0 3W) is located on the 70-kilometer-long Anvers Island. This map shows the station and islands surrounding it. ANTARCTIC JOURNAL Planning and building Palmer Station Palmers climate compares with that of Nome, Alaska, a town of about 2,500 people on the Bering Sea. Mean annual temperatures of these locations are about the same, although Pal- The biological richness of the Antarctic mers summers are cooler, and winters warmer. Peninsula area as documented by pre-IGY and ICY stations and research, together with the possibility for productive work in Palmer Nome other disciplines, led the United States in latitude 64046S 64030N 1962 to begin serious consideration of an extreme low temperature —31°C —43°C Antarctic Peninsula station. U.S. biologists mean temperature, coldest month —10°C —16°C working at McMurdo, a U.S. station at mean annual temperature - 3°C 3.50ç mean temperature, warmest month 78 0 S nearly halfway around the continent 2°C 10°C 9°Cextreme high temperature 30°C from the peninsula, perceived great value precipitation, cm water equivalent 61 42 in comparative studies at lower antarctic snow, cm (included in precipitation, above) 360 140 latitudes.