THE PUBLICATION OF THE ANTARCTIC SOCIETY Vol 33, No. 4, 2015 33, No. Vol

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Antarctica – a Storehouse of ’s Unclaimed Sector Exploring the Work of Antarctic Treaty Nations: Germany

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9 770003 532006 Vol 33, No. 4, 2015 Issue 234 Contents www.antarctic.org.nz

is published quarterly by the New Zealand Antarctic Society Inc. ISSN 0003-5327 The New Zealand Antarctic Society is a Registered Charity CC27118

EDITOR: Lester Chaplow ASSISTANT EDITOR: Janet Bray New Zealand Antarctic Society PO Box 404, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand Email: [email protected]

INDEXER: Mike Wing The deadlines for submissions to future issues are 1 February, 1 May, 1 August and 1 November.

Patron of the New Zealand Antarctic Society: Professor Peter Barrett, 2008

NEW ZEALAND ANTARCTIC SOCIETY LIFE MEMBERS The Society recognises with life membership, those people who excel in furthering the aims and objectives of the Society or who have given outstanding service in Antarctica. They are 40 elected by vote at the Annual General Meeting. The number of life members can be no more than 15 at any one time. News 37 Current Life Members by the year elected: 1. Jim Lowery (Wellington), 1982 South Korea in Northern Victoria Land 38 2. Robin Ormerod (Wellington), 1996 3. Baden Norris (Canterbury), 2003 4. Bill Cranfield (Canterbury), 2003 Exploring the Work of Antarctic Treaty National 5. Randal Heke (Wellington), 2003 Antarctic Programmes: Germany 40 6. Bill Hopper (Wellington), 2004 7. Arnold Heine (Wellington), 2006 Antarctica: A Storehouse of Meteorites 42 8. Margaret Bradshaw (Canterbury), 2006 9. Ray Dibble (Wellington), 2008 10. Norman Hardie (Canterbury), 2008 Antarctica’s Unclaimed Sector 44 11. Colin Monteath (Canterbury), 2014 12. John Parsloe (Canterbury), 2014 Obituary: Malcolm Laird 46 13. Graeme Claridge (Wellington), 2015 ELECTED OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETY: A Letter from the Editor Back cover National President: Mariska Wouters South Island Vice-President: Margaret Bradshaw North Island Vice-President: Linda Kestle National Secretary: Myra Walton National Treasurer: Lester Chaplow Immediate Past-President: Jud Fretter

BRANCH CHAIRS: Auckland: Linda Kestle Canterbury: Ursula Rack Wellington: Daniil Ivshin

Cover photo: Launching a weather balloon at Neumayer III Station. Photo courtesy of AWI. Photo above: The icebreaker RV Polarstern delivering supplies to Neumayer III Station. Photo courtesy of AWI. Back Cover: Scott Base Antarctica. © Antarctica New Zealand Pictorial Collection.

Issue 234 NEWS

President’s Note Antarctic Society Life Membership to Mr Graeme think of climate change research General Meeting Claridge, a pioneer in Antarctic soil in Antarctica, they think of ince the last issue of Antarctic chemistry. Future issues will cover New Zealand, he said. The value S we have held the Antarctic these awards more fully. of New Zealand’s science also Society’s AGM, hosted by the We were delighted to receive enables it to influence global Canterbury Branch on 17 October a presentation from Mr Peter climate change action. Peter 2015 in Christchurch at the Beggs, the Chief Executive Officer also noted the importance of International Antarctic Visitor of Antarctica New Zealand. Peter international collaboration. Centre. Attendees were also offered reflected on his first two years He compared New Zealand’s a tour of the Centre after the AGM. as CEO and the diversity of contribution to the Antarctic Congratulations to all the New Zealand’s work in Treaty System to being the incumbent National Officers who Antarctica. He spoke of policy, pesky mosquito in a small were re-elected. You will find their science, diplomacy, political tent: “A small guy can have details on the inside back cover of systems, collaboration, history, a disproportionate impact.” this issue. international relations, and Peter reinforced his support The AGM agreed to award the the Antarctic Society. One for the New Zealand Antarctic Antarctic Society’s Conservation significant theme which Peter Society, including the benefit of Trophy to Ms Lizzie Meek, for highlighted is the value of having several Antarctic Society her exceptional leadership in the Antarctic science in contributing members assist with the Scott Base conservation of Antarctic artefacts. to understanding climate change. maintenance programme. The Society is also pleased to award Internationally, when people Mariska Wouters

From the Editor ne of the lasting memories of seven territorial claims to Antarctic Omy brief trip to Antarctica, was sectors? We look at Antarctica’s a visit to the Crary Lab at McMurdo Unclaimed Sector, and its status under Station, where among other things I saw, the Antarctic Treaty. and held, some meteorites collected in Also included in this issue is an obituary Antarctica, including one from Mars. for Malcolm Laird, a former Life Member It wasn’t until almost a year later when of the Society. Mourners at his funeral were I was discussing this experience with a invited to make gifts, in lieu of flowers, to geologist here in New Zealand, that the Society’s Oral History Programme, I realised how privileged I was. and $1,117.30 has been donated. In this issue we look at Antarctica – The Society wishes to thank Malcolm’s widow, a Storehouse of Meteorites. Dr Margaret Burrell, for this generous We continue our series Exploring thought in Malcolm’s memory. the Work of Antarctic Treaty National In the last issue, members were invited Antarctic Programmes, with The National to go in the draw for a copy of John Antarctic Programme of Germany. John Thomson’s book: Shackleton’s Fearless and Margaret Bradshaw recently visited Captain. The two winners of that draw Korea for the 21st International Symposium are Sue Stubenvoll and Bill Conroy. on Polar Sciences; they report on South A copy of the book has been posted Korea in Northern Victoria Land. to each. Have you ever wondered about the Lester Chaplow

Vol 33, No. 4, 2015 37 INTERNATIONAL South Korea in Northern Victoria Land By Margaret and John Bradshaw

KOPRI has been generous in welcoming international researchers to their shores to share in discussions of present and future research. It was through this generosity that the authors, both New Zealand Antarctic geologists, visited KOPRI headquarters in Incheon in May this year for the 21st International Symposium on Polar Sciences – The Polar region as a key observatory for the changing globe and beyond. KOPRI is housed in a new, purpose- built complex that includes offices, well equipped laboratories and a comfortable lecture theatre. It is sited in a “new town” south of the old port city of Incheon. outh Korea has a well initiated with the construction of Parts of the town are still under established Antarctic Dasan Station in 2002. The 6000- construction but it already has a S Research Programme that tonne South Korean research centre with shops, many dramatic dates back to 1987. The country icebreaker, Araon (meaning ‘for high-rises, numerous restaurants and had acceded as 33rd signatory to all seas’), was built in 2009. This interesting parks. The new town is the Antarctic Treaty in 1986 and, was a ship that would visit both connected to Seoul by an efficient during that same year, two South the Antarctic and Arctic, and, and very clean subway system. Korean parties visited Antarctica. with its help, South Korea’s second The main business of the meeting One consisted of seven mountaineers Antarctic base, Jang Bogo, was included one and a half days of talks who climbed the 4897-metre- built in 2014, near Terra Nova and poster sessions covering work high Vinson Massif with support Bay in northern Victoria Land. that was being done by a range of from Adventure Network. The The combination of an icebreaker national programmes, as well as other was a nine-man scientific and a new base in Victoria Land reviews of earlier research and new party to King George Island, who has led to a much broader scientific results from the very active Korean began a biological, geological research programme, driven by programme. Our interaction was and meteorological programme KOPRI, the Korea Polar Research with the science programme, and also selected a suitable site Institute. which for KOPRI has recently for the country’s first Antarctic KOPRI has welcomed focussed on the area around base, King Sejong Station, which collaborative research with other Jang Bogo Base, and the Bowers was built in 1988. countries, such as the US and Italy, Mountains of northern Victoria A year later South Korea became and in 2014 Korea signed a letter Land. Here they have supported a full consultative party to the of intent with New Zealand for large parties (eight people) by Antarctic Treaty. An active Arctic bilateral co-operation in supporting helicopter at critical localities, research programme was also research and sharing infrastructure. such as the Eureka Spurs near the

Photo above: Electron Probe Microanalyzer in the new KOPRI headquarters in Incheon. Photo courtesy of KOPRI.

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head of the Mariner Glacier where still active volcano of Mt Melbourne. studies of the stratospheric polar important trilobite fossils had been All of these topics have been studied vortex. The objectives include found in 1973. The focus has been before by American, New Zealand, understanding the rapid warming on modern studies of stratigraphy German and Italian programmes, of West Antarctica, better winter and sedimentology, updating and the Koreans are building on weather forecasting for East Asia and amplifying work started by these foundations with strong field and leading an international ice New Zealand parties in the 1970s support and modern laboratories coring programme to reconstruct a and early 1980s. Helicopter dedicated to the programme. high-resolution climate record for transport and larger parties allow For the past nine years, KOPRI the last 20,000 years. A separate much more time at the outcrop and has also had a programme of ship-based project (on the Araon) more attention to detail than had meteoritic research (KOREAMET), is concerned with sea-ice and been possible with sledging parties both in the field and in conjunction oceanic circulation and biochemical (who in practice spent half their with the University of Florida. processes in the Amundsen Sea. field time travelling). So far, work Last year a 36.7 kilogram These studies are backed by satellite- has focussed on the central Bowers was discovered, along with 81 based research and remote sensing Mountains, but there is an intention smaller specimens, which are now to provide continuous data on to extend to the west to look at the being analysed. The previous year the polar front, phytoplankton, older rocks west of the Rennick they collected a lunar meteorite on-land vegetation abundance, Glacier. In addition, there has been on a joint Korea–Italy collecting and marine abundance. Work is some work on the younger Beacon programme. An important aim of also taking place on the Larsen Ice rocks and Kirkpatrick Basalts to the programme is the development Shelf and the general Weddell Sea the west. One of the more amazing of new laboratory techniques at and Antarctic Peninsula region with revisited finds was two fossil trees KOPRI for dating meteorites and the establishment of an ice shelf six to seven metres high, standing analysis of particles as small as monitoring system. upright within a 180-million- 1 micron. We were impressed with The Korean programme is a year-old lava flow. their state-of-the-art meteorite true polar programme with parallel The central themes for laboratory and storage facility. activities in the Arctic, extending as KOPRI’s geological research are: Future plans for KOPRI’s far south as the permafrost zone. 1) sedimentary basin development bedrock earth science programme It is well funded, and supported in northern Victoria Land during include extending their work by laboratories with modern the Early Paleozoic period around through southern Victoria Land technology. The staff we met were 540–340 Ma (million years ago), (in the near future), then into knowledgeable, enthusiastic and and mountain building processes the Central Transantarctic determined to succeed in a global during the same period; and 2) Mountains, and eventually into the context. They were also very paleoenvironments during the Ellsworth Mountains. hospitable, and the evening they Permian and Early Mesozoic In addition, there are parallel took us out to a Korean barbeque (270 to 180 Ma) and younger programmes on climate change, was an incredible experience and volcanic processes, focussing on the including ice-coring coupled with totally different to a Western one!

KOPRI President Dr Kim Yea-dong points to Icebreaker Araon in Antarctica. Rare lunar meteorite jointly collected from the location of Jang Bogo Station in Terra Nova Photo courtesy of KOPRI. ice near Mount deWitt by KOPRI and Italian Bay on a map of Antarctica. scientists in 2013. Photo courtesy of KOPRI. Photo courtesy of KOPRI.

Vol 33, No. 4, 2015 39 INTERNATIONAL

Exploring the Work of Antarctic Treaty National Antarctic Programmes: The National Antarctic Programme of Germany ermany is an Antarctic Treaty Consultative is equipped for biological, geological, geophysical, country and also a very active Arctic nation. glaciological, chemical, oceanographic and G The lead agency for the German national meteorological research, and contains nine research Antarctic programme is the Alfred Wegener Institute laboratories. The ship has a maximum crew of 44, (AWI), which was established as a public foundation and offers work facilities for a further 50 scientists and in 1980 and which conducts research in the Arctic and technicians. Plans for a new icebreaker are currently in Antarctic, as well as in temperate latitudes. The AWI advanced stage of development. co-ordinates polar research in Germany and provides There are two ski-equipped polar aircraft the necessary equipment and key infrastructure for polar (BASLER BT-67) which can be used both for logistic expeditions. AWI scientists study the natural variability and science purposes. They can be equipped for of the climate system from short to long time scales. aerogeophysical, meteorological, glaciological and The Arctic and Antarctic are climatologically the most atmospheric chemistry studies. sensitive regions in the earth system to anthropogenic climate change and in this context they constitute The German Antarctic research programme valuable sources of information about possible future AWI is responsible for all logistics operations global environmental change and its consequences. related to the three stations and also for scientific work Key data are obtained on present-day variability of the falls within three divisions – climate, biology and ocean systems and climate, their historic variability in geosciences. The science programme is structured into the recent geological past, and in the reconstructions of four complementary research topics and provides a climate history. Methods exploited range from modern comprehensive earth systems understanding from a satellite-based remote sensing techniques to deep-sea polar and coastal perspective, with special emphasis on and ice-core drilling. A priority at AWI is to conduct vulnerability and resilience in relation to society’s needs: research on the polar marine regions and their biotas. ·· Changes and regional feedbacks in Arctic and Antarctic Antarctic operations ·· Fragile coasts and shelf seas Germany operates four Antarctic research stations. ·· The earth system from a polar perspective: data, Neumayer III is the current winter-over base, on the modelling and synthesis Ekström Ice Shelf, the third station to occupy this space ·· Research in science–stakeholder interactions since 1981. Close by, at 757 kilometres away, is Kohnen AWI has close ties to many German universities, Station, a summer base that was established in 2001 where joint professorships are established and where and was used for deep drilling purposes until 2006 and formal co-operation agreements are signed. Together now serves as a deep ice lab and as an advance base for with the German Research Foundation (DFG) in its deep field activities on the Polar Plateau. The Dallmann priority programme on Antarctic research, the AWI Laboratory is a smaller seasonal working space annexed also funds talented young scientists. The Institute sends to the Argentinian base Carlini and operated jointly scientists to other institutes throughout the world and with the Instituto Antártico Argentino since 1994. invites scientists from other nations to cruises aboard The Gondwana base in Northern Victoria Land is RV Polarstern, as well as to Bremerhaven and Potsdam. operated as a summer base by the German Geological About a quarter of those participating in Polarstern Survey (BGR) and is presently being refurbished. expeditions are scientists from abroad. The pride of the AWI is the icebreaker RV Polarstern, More information on AWI can be found at which was first commissioned in 1982. The ship www.awi.de or at www.comnap.aq/Members.

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Launching a weather balloon at Neumayer III Station. Air Chemistry Laboratory in Neumayer III Station.

Garage and foundation of Neumayer III Station. The icebreaker RV Polarstern delivering supplies to Neumayer III Station.

Polar 5 aircraft at Kohnen Station. Neumayer III Station in summer with Polar 5 aircraft coming in to land.

All photographs courtesy of AWI.

Vol 33, No. 4, 2015 41 SCIENCE Antarctica – a Storehouse of Meteorites By Margaret Bradshaw

he cover of the last issue of Antarctic impacted over 2,000 million years ago to produce the (Vol 33, no. 3) shows a Japanese scientist giant Vredefort Crater in South Africa (380 kilometres T (JARE-54) beside a meteorite discovered in diameter). Giant impacts that have occurred more in the Yamato Mountains (part of the Queen Fabiola “recently” include the Chicxulub Crater (180 kilometres Mountains) in Dronning Maud Land in 2013. in diameter), now recognised in Central America. The specimen, 18 kilograms in weight, was frozen into This was created when a meteorite, estimated to the blue ice (and partially covered by recent snow) be at least 10 kilometres in diameter, fell to earth and the scientist in the photograph is writing the field 66 million years ago. The global dust cloud produced is number directly onto the ice below. Why do we find so believed to have led to a mass extinction that included many meteorites in Antarctica, now well over 18,000, the dinosaurs. Despite millions of years of erosion and why is scientific interest in them so intense? and change, indications of a meteorite impact remain, Since its creation, the Earth has been bombarded including the presence of “shocked rock”, geophysical by meteorites from space. These are fragments from anomalies and evidence visible from satellite imagery. other bodies in the Solar System – asteroids, planets, The largest recorded impact in modern times our and comets. Meteorites are immensely important, was the Tunguska meteor which exploded over a as they provide clues to the origin and history of the remote part of Siberia in June 1908, flattening forest Solar System. Most meteorites originate from the over an area of 2,000 square kilometres. The meteor Asteroid Belt, a zone of fragments, some quite large is estimated to have been between 60 and 190 (house-sized), that lies between Jupiter and Mars. metres in diameter. The most recent example was the It is thought that the belt probably developed from the Chelyabinsk meteor that exploded 30 kilometres above same primordial solar nebulae that created the planets, the Ural Mountains region of Russia on 15 Feb 2013. but was prevented from accreting into a planet by The shock-wave from the blast injured 1,500 people the strong gravitational pull of Jupiter. from falling glass and debris, and 7,200 buildings were Meteorites are fragments that stray into the Earth’s damaged in six cities across the region. The weight of orbit. Most burn up due to friction with the Earth’s the disintegrated meteor was estimated to be between atmosphere (these are meteors), but some have enough 12,000 and 13,000 tonnes. mass to land on the Earth as a meteorite without burning Many meteorites, some of them quite small, reach up. The largest meteorite known to have landed on Earth the Earth’s surface every year, but fragments over one

Figure 1: A chance encounter on the Polar Plateau in 1976 – Leading American Antarctic meteorite researcher, Bill Cassidy (right) with colleague Ed Figure 2: ANSMET team recovering a small Figure 3: A meteorite from Mars, specimen EET Olson (left), explaining their search for meteorites meteorite on a large area of blue ice west of 79001, collected from the Elephant Moraine near Mount Fleming to New Zealander Margaret the Transantarctic Mountains. Photo courtesy (inland from Allan Hills). Photo courtesy of Bradshaw. Photo courtesy of John Nankervis. of Katherine Joy. .

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kilogram are quite rare. Some meteorites are seen to fall During the 1973–74 season, 12 more specimens were but most are discovered, often much later. Meteorites collected from the same Yamato site. Extending its tend to decay or erode quickly, especially if water is horizons in the 1974–75 season, the Japanese team present. A desert environment will preserve meteorites collected a stunning 663 meteorite specimens from longer. Antarctica, which is cold, high1 and very dry, the Yamato Mountains, with a further 307 specimens provides one of the best environments for meteorite the following year. preservation. The East Antarctic landmass is buried In 1976–77, in collaboration with Japanese beneath a huge dome of very thick ice that is flowing researchers, the American programme began searching slowly outwards under its own weight. The ice cap has for suitable blue ice areas in the Transantarctic been in existence for about four million years. Mountains, starting at the head of the McMurdo The first meteorite found in Antarctica (a stony Dry Valleys area. The project was initiated by Dr meteorite) was discovered in 1912 by Douglas Bill Cassidy, University of Pittsburgh, who continued Mawson’s Australasian Antarctic Expedition of his Antarctic search for 15 further years (Figure 1911–1914, 43 kilometres from Cape Denison in 1). Cassidy also set up the ANSMET programme Adélie Land. The second meteorite (iron) was found (Antarctic Search for Meteorites), which was funded in the Humboldt Mountains by a Russian party in by NSF, with NASA agreeing to curate specimens and 1961 near Novolazarevskaya, their base in Dronning the US National Museum (The Smithsonian) serving Maud Land. In 1962 American geologists found two as the final repository of all US-collected material. fragments of a rare Pallasite stony-iron meteorite on US meteorite recovery was slow in coming. Two meteorites Mt Wrather in the Thiel Mountains, while a later were found in a small area of ice above Vortex Col group of geologists discovered an iron meteorite in (Wright ice fall). It was several weeks before a further the Neptune Mountains in 1964. But the 1969–70 four specimens were located on a reconnaissance trip season was a special year for meteorites. A Japanese to ice patches near the Allan Hills. A return trip to group studying ice in the remote Yamato Mountains this site led to the discovery of 34 scattered fragments in Dronning Maud Land made the amazing discovery of the same stony meteorite, including a very large of nine meteorites, all of them compositionally fragment, together totalling 407 kilograms. different, and therefore not the result of breakup of Scientists were now beginning to understand that a single specimen. This discovery excited international the meteorite concentrations were always in stagnant interest, for it suggested that a variety of meteorites areas of blue ice. The stagnation had resulted from were being concentrated at certain blue ice sites. the damming of ice flow by mountains and sub-ice ridges. High winds prevented snow accumulation, leading to areas of blue ice that have been sublimated (direct evaporation from solid ice) for thousands of years, so that buried meteorites become concentrated at the surface. Many suitable locations were found in the Transantarctic Mountains (Figure 2), and further collections were made by the Japanese in the Sør Rondane Mountains of Dronning Maud Land. The Italian and German programmes, the European consortium, and the South Korean and Chinese programmes also became interested in obtaining Antarctic meteorites. By 1999, the number of meteorites collected in Antarctica, largely by the American and Japanese programmes, totalled 17,808. One of the most exciting outcomes has been the discovery of meteorites at several Antarctic localities that have originated from Mars and from our Moon. Major asteroid collisions with both of these bodies blasted fragments into space,

Map showing position of meteorite collecting sites mentioned in this article. Continued on page 45 »

1 The height means that it is colder – the main reason why the ice cap initially developed. The height is also the reason the ice spreads “downhill” towards the sea.

Vol 33, No. 4, 2015 43 POLICY AND GOVERNANCE

Antarctica’s Unclaimed Sector

By Alan D. Hemmings1 and Neil Gilbert2

lthough none of the seven territorial claims to Antarctic sectors (including the “Ross A Dependency”) are generally recognised by the international community, they remain on the books, so to speak. The Antarctic Treaty, through its Article IV, preserves the positions of those states that make claims, the position of those states that believe they have a basis for a claim, the position of those states that do not recognise particular claims, and the position of those states that do not recognise the right of any state to claim territory in Antarctica. Notably, Article IV also makes clear that no new territorial claim to Antarctica can be made whilst the Treaty remains in force. In the meantime, Antarctica, south of 60° south, is managed through a collective governance arrangement by the now 29 Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties (and in relation to marine harvesting, by the 24 states plus the European Community that constitute the Commission of CCAMLR). However, there is one sector of Antarctica that has never been claimed. Today it is the only “terrestrial” area Figure: The Unclaimed Sector and territorial claims in Antarctica. on our entire planet that remains unclaimed by any state. Image courtesy of Alan D. Hemmings As a result, no state has the status of a “coastal state” in the sense of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, Maud Land (Norway) and Terre Adélie (France) would and so no government can assert a territorial sea or an be joined (and reinforced) by a US claim to the sector 90° exclusive economic zone (which, notwithstanding Article to 150° west. If that were achieved, so the argument ran IV, has been asserted in other claimed sectors – even if pre-World War II, the realised “American Sector” would no other state pays any notice). This is the sector from ensure that the entire Antarctic continent was parcelled 90° to 150° west (see figure), to which the Amundsen out between the major Western states. For a range of Sea and part of the Bellingshausen Sea abut. This area is reasons this did not eventuate, and the sector remained often shown on maps as Marie Byrd Land and Ellsworth unclaimed through to the adoption of the Antarctic Land, reflecting the US interwar expeditions in this Treaty. The adoption of the Treaty and its Article IV region. It is the largest part of the area known more essentially closed the overt colonisation ambitions of recently (and often in the context of increasing rates of individual states, and this sector is now generally known ice loss through climate change) as “West Antarctica”. as “the Unclaimed Sector”. The area has also been referred to as the “American The sector is something over 1.5 million square Sector” – in part because of the major expeditions of kilometres, around 20 per cent of the continent. Richard E. Byrd and the 1935 flight of Lincoln Ellsworth It is, however, an area in which relatively little human from Dundee Island in the northern Antarctic Peninsula activity has (or is currently) occurring, even by Antarctic to the edge of the Ross Ice Shelf. But the other factor standards. It is particularly remote, hard to access and, in this notional naming was the hope (particularly seemingly, not as attractive for even scientific researchers within the interwar British Empire) that British imperial as other parts of Antarctica (these may have been factors claims to the Falkland Islands Dependencies (UK), in it not being claimed by anybody in the first place). the Ross Dependency (New Zealand) and the Australian Research has been conducted there – particularly Antarctic Territory, and the associated agreements on glaciological and climate-change-related in recent times. recognition and boundaries in relation to Dronning But there are no permanently occupied stations in the

1 Perth, Western Australia and Gateway Antarctica, Christchurch 2 Constantia Consulting Ltd, and Gateway Antarctica, Christchurch

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sector (aside from “Amundsen–Scott” at the South in some form or other since the mid-1960s. And the Pole, which is by definition in every sector). A single, practice of states since then has been to propose areas seasonal (though now largely abandoned by Russia) for protection only in the area where one’s national station was established by the Soviet Union in 1980 programme operates. Because nobody claims this (the “Russkaya” station at 75° 45’ S, 136° 48’ W), sector, activity levels have been lower, stations rarer, and the US runs a seasonal camp at “Siple Dome” at and the inclination to see values as warranting special 81° 39’ S, 149° 0’ W. Compare this with the 15 facilities protection much less than elsewhere. on the small King George Island and you understand Perhaps the time has come when this will no that access and flagging territorial interest through longer do. Perhaps we should now be arguing that occupation and presence may be as significant as the Unclaimed Sector holds areas that should be objective scientific criteria in station site selection. “kept inviolate from human interference” as reference Similarly, there are hardly any designated protected points, and that it may as well as anywhere else areas in this sector. Not one of the 72 Antarctic Specially hold “representative examples of [various sorts of] Protected Areas (ASPA) is located in this sector and only ecosystems”, “areas of outstanding aesthetic and one of the seven Antarctic Specially Managed Areas wilderness value”, or other values identified in Annex (ASMA) is – and that is at “Amundsen–Scott” station. V of the Madrid Protocol. Indeed, the fact of low human Just two of the 90 Historic Sites and Monuments (HSM) activity levels in this sector may mean that in relation are located here: quite reasonably, one designating the to wilderness protection and inviolate reference areas, site of Amundsen’s Tent; the other, perhaps not quite so this sector is in a class of its own. Perhaps New Zealand reasonably, commemorating the first Argentine surface could stimulate a co-operative approach to ensuring expedition to reach the pole, in 1965. that Consultative Parties jointly propose protected areas One might say, with some justice, that the absence in the Unclaimed Sector. We have been having some of any protected areas in 1.5 million square kilometres difficulties around the designation of marine protected reflects the absence of pressures or risks in an area areas (MPAs) in Antarctica, and it may be a fool’s errand that hardly anyone goes to. However, one might have to propose another MPA in this area right now. But, one thought that in meeting the criteria for Annex V of of the peculiarities of the Unclaimed Sector is that here the Madrid Protocol’s “systematic environmental- just about everybody has to concede that the high seas geographic” series of ASPAs, that some areas in the go right up to the Antarctic coastline. We may wish to Unclaimed Sector might have warranted consideration. have some part of this marine area in an MPA before The Antarctic protected areas system has been in place we see fishing activity hereabouts too.

« Antarctica – a storehouse of meteorites continued from page 43 some of which have later landed on Earth. Analyses Australia). Some are believed to have come from the far of specimens by NASA show the Martian specimens side of the Moon. (Figure 3) to be highly shocked, with gas bubbles It is possible to calculate when a meteorite fell to trapped in impact-melted rock. Analysis of these bubbles Earth. While in space, a meteoroid (a small stony or indicates isotope ratios that are identical to those found metallic body travelling through space) is bombarded by in the Martian surface by the Viking Landers, but unlike cosmic rays that create short-lived radioactive isotopes, those on Earth. We now know that Martian-derived which spontaneously decay. When the meteorite falls meteorites are relatively common and have been found to Earth the creation of these isotopes stops, and they in India, Egypt and Nigeria, but only now has their decay at a known rate, providing a clock that starts origin been fully appreciated. at the time the meteorite lands. This is known as the Some of the Antarctic meteorites are now believed to meteorite’s “Terrestrial Age” – the time since its fall. be the result of asteroid impact on the Moon’s surface. Terrestrial Ages for Antarctic meteorites lie within a These meteorites have a different composition to Earth broad range from one million years to 9,700 years, rocks, but are very similar to lunar rocks collected but nothing older. This result is surprising considering during the Apollo missions. By 2002, 35 lunar meteorites the East Antarctic Ice cap has been in existence for about had been found, 28 of them in Antarctica and seven four million years. It could be that older meteorites are from elsewhere (north-west Africa, Libya, Oman, and still buried deep within the ice and have yet to emerge.

Vol 33, No. 4, 2015 45 PEOPLE

Malcolm Gordon Laird: Antarctic Explorer, Sedimentologist Born Ngarua, 24 April 1935; Died Machu Picchu, Peru, 21 June 2015

Malcolm Laird. Photo courtesy of © GNS Science By John Bradshaw (JB – University of Canterbury) 156786-9040-3. Photographer: S.N. Beatus, 1989. and David Skinner (DNBS – GNS Science)

alcolm Laird was a only newly minted BSc degrees, we Antarctic summer of 1960 was a lover of adventure, were accepted; Malcolm not only as time of very snowy and stormy M especially in the a geologist but, because of his farm white-outs at McMurdo Sound and Antarctic. He grew up on a dairy experience, as – of all things – a dog Scott Base, and so it was not until farm, the eldest of five children, and handler! We were to be attached to 10 November that Malcolm’s field was educated at College summer Topographic Survey parties: party was able to be flown to their where he was co-dux. In 1956, Malcolm in the southern Central field area. The waiting time at Scott he embarked on a University of Transantarctic Mountains (CTM) Base had been spent learning to run New Zealand Mathematics BSc at the in the Nimrod Glacier region, and sledge dog teams, packing food and then Auckland University College. In DNBS in the Byrd Glacier region of equipment, repairing sledges, doing those days, it was quite common for the CTM; no previous geological “house-mouse” duties (including third year students to include first work had been done in either region. night watches, emptying “honey year Geology as the last filler unit In preparation, Malcolm buckets”, and base cleaning), and for their BSc requirements. In 1958, arranged through Antarctic Division cooking Sunday lunches and dinners. Malcolm arrived in the Geology of the Department of Scientific and It was also a summer of high sunspot Department of the College with Industrial Research for us to meet activity, so that communications seven units towards a Mathematics with Bernie Gunn of the University with Scott Base and between field BSc completed, and Geology 1 was of Otago, who was one of the parties were difficult and sporadic. to be his eighth unit to completion. authors (with Guyon Warren) of the In addition, during much of their However, Malcolm so enjoyed the New Zealand Geological Survey’s time in the field, Malcolm’s party world of geology that he decided (NZGS) as yet unpublished bulletin suffered from frequent white-outs, to carry on for another two years manuscript of the Geology of heavy snowfalls and dangerously to complete Certificates of Victoria Land, which dealt with the obscured crevasse fields in a very Proficiency in Geology, and allow region to the north of the CTM. We rugged terrain, all in all making their him to enrol in and subsequently were thus able to spend a productive exploration very difficult. Because of (in 1962) complete a First Class few days with Bernie Gunn, the communication difficulties, the MSc Honours degree at the now examining typical rock samples and northern party (with DNBS) in the autonomous University of Auckland. learning something of the activities Byrd Glacier area did not get to talk Meanwhile, however, the of a field geologist in Antarctica. to Malcolm and the southern party annual advertisements by the Ross After a very snowy Field until 16 December, when he told us Dependency Research Committee for Training Camp on Ruapehu, on that he had collected three lots of the 1960–61 summer New Zealand 16 October 1960 Malcolm flew the Cambrian fossil Archaeocyathide Antarctic Research Programme staff out of Christchurch to Antarctica on 10 December. These later became had appeared. Malcolm and DNBS (with DNBS) on a triple-tailed the subject of his prestigious 1962 both applied, and although holding Super Constellation. The early paper (with Bruce Waterhouse)

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“Archaeocyathine limestones of to the University of Auckland to stratigraphy and sedimentology of Antarctica”,1 the fossils to be later complete his MSc Honours degree, the Lakesfjord Group, Finnmark.”7 christened Archaeocyathis bedfordii- after which he accepted a position On returning to New Zealand lairdii in honour of his discovery. with the NZGS and was posted to from Oxford, Malcolm recommenced We next heard of Malcolm’s the Greymouth office. During this work on the West Coast (or Wet party on 25 December, after a period, he published the results Coast as he usually called it). Scott Base radio report that an of his first Antarctic expedition: Meanwhile, the Greymouth Office aircraft carrying their mail and food “Geomorphology and stratigraphy of NZGS had closed and Malcolm resupply had had to jettison most of the Nimrod Glacier–Beaumont found himself administered from the of the cargo and had then crash- Bay region, southern Victoria Land Christchurch NZGS office although landed. The search for the crashed Antarctica,”2 as well as significant he continued his work on the West plane tied up most of the aircraft at papers and reports on north-west Coast. During this time, in 1978, McMurdo, and so resupply became Nelson and West Coast geology. he was appointed to the position of a low priority. This left Malcolm In the 1964–65 summer season, District Geologist. Notwithstanding, and his team facing a hungry week Malcolm led a further expedition Malcolm continued to work on of decreasing food for both the men to the north of the Nimrod West Coast and north-west Nelson and dogs. The emergency rations Glacier area, into the Queen geology until the mid-1990s, often for the men had to be broached Elizabeth, Holyoake, Cobham and in collaboration with both NZGS for meat-bars, potato powder and Swithinbank ranges, covering some colleagues and staff of the Geology cocoa – shades of Captain Scott! 7,770 square kilometres.3 Department of the University of Luckily, a resupply landing was In 1965, Malcolm won a Canterbury (especially JB). successfully made to them on 29 prestigious New Zealand Department Malcolm’s career was focussed December. However, Malcolm’s of Scientific and Industrial Research around four “Cs”: Cambrian, party’s luck was still against them, doctoral scholarship, which he Cretaceous, commitment and as they had to eke out their food elected to take up at Oxford conscience. The first arose from his for a bit longer than planned after University, where he completed 1960s work on the Early Cambrian the plane that was scheduled to give the doctoral research for which of the CTM that had made him an them their next supply did not arrive he was awarded a D.Phil in 1969. internationally recognised expert until 24 January. Lastly, the plane His was entitled on the Antarctic Cambrian. In the scheduled to bring them back to “Sedimentation studies in the late 1960s it had become clear that McMurdo on 4 February had engine Silurian rocks of north-west Galway, a rather different suite of enigmatic trouble and then had to “mother” Eire,” and part of the thesis was the Cambrian rocks also existed in a downed helicopter to their south. recognition of an important new type northern Victoria Land and Malcolm They eventually arrived back at Scott of sedimentary fabric, separately was determined to work on those Base on 9 February. published in 1970: “Vertical sheet too. His first attempt (with Peter Having packed up his rock structures – a new indicator of Andrews) in the 1972–73 summer samples for return on RNZN sedimentary fabric.”4 His DPhil season was cobbled together after Endeavour, Malcolm flew back thesis can be accessed online.5 funding and logistic problems. It to Christchurch on a Super During his time at Oxford, was much too brief, but did result Constellation on 16 February Malcolm also did field work in in a first collection of good Late and, after a period of home leave, Scandinavia,6 later publishing Cambrian fossils, published in 1972 spent a few weeks at the Lower the results in two 1972 papers: in Nature (with Peter Andrews, Phil Hutt office of the NZGS making “Sedimentation of the ?late Kyle and Peter Jennings).8 microscope thin sections of the Precambrian Raggo Group, Varanger Malcolm was able to participate rock samples. He then returned Peninsula, Finnmark,” and “The in two further northern Victoria

1 Nature, 194, p. 861. 5 http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:b8f92dc0-43b6-4d1c-a960-5adde43ff29f 2 New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 6, no. 3, pp. 465–484. 6 “A geologist in Lappland,” Newsletter, Geological Society of New Zealand, 3 M. G. Laird, G. D. Mansergh & J. M. A. Chappell, “Geology of the central 26 (1968), pp. 10–13. Nimrod Glacier area, Antarctica,” New Zealand Journal of Geology and 7 Norges Geologiske Undersoekelse, 278, pp. 1–11 & 13–40. Geophysics, 14 (1971), pp. 427–468. 8 “Late Cambrian Fossils and the age of the Ross Orogeny, Antarctica,” 4 Journal of Sedimentary Petrology, 40, pp. 428–434. 238, pp. 34–36.

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Land expeditions. The earlier one and that he should not be going author or a co-contributing author. in 1975 produced in 1977 a third out into the field to see what his In addition, there were another 172 Nature paper (with Roger Cooper colleagues were discovering but unpublished reports, maps, letters and Jim Jago).9 Malcolm’s last trip should merely read their reports. and commercial client reports, these to northern Victoria Land (with JB) Malcolm, like most geologists, last mainly concerning coal and oil/ was in the summer of 1981–82 as a wanted to see the evidence with gas prospects in New Zealand. member of an International Northern his own eyes and compare it with Malcolm was generous with Victoria Land Project expedition his own experience. This conflict his help to students, colleagues and organised by the US Antarctic in approach eventually led to younger staff, from suggestions Research Program (USARP). Malcolm leaving GNS Science, while of localities, access, discussions, A fourth collegial Nature paper was fortunately securing continuing background and references, published from this work.10 funding and retaining access to to general and wide-ranging Meanwhile, in 1978, his passion the programme data as a Senior discussions of life in general. for Antarctic geology had resulted in Research Fellow attached to the He was also a fair and constructive the award of a Polar Medal. His and Geology Department, University of referee for manuscripts submitted Peter Barrett’s Polar Medals were the Canterbury. A synthesis of the whole to a range of journals. Malcolm first to be made to New Zealand programme up to the pre-publication and Margaret kept a home that summer field personnel rather than stage was virtually completed before was a refuge for geologists weather- to wintering personnel. his untimely death, and is being bound on the way to Antarctica or The mid-1970s were the time prepared for publication by several mis-connected on the way back. of the first oil crisis and the refocus of his old colleagues. Overall, Malcolm was a very of geological investigations in Malcolm’s Antarctic level-headed, fair and reasonable New Zealand on fuels – coal and oil – passion continued while he was person, always ready to listen and and from this grew the coal resources attached to the University of debate even when he disagreed with survey and the initial phase of the Canterbury, particularly as a the proposition. He was always Cretaceous-Cenozoic project (CCP) senior sedimentologist on the keen to catch up and learn about of the NZGS. With the restructuring Cape Roberts Drilling Program in what other people were doing, of science in the early 1990s and the 1999–2000 Antarctic summer especially within the group of OAEs the creation of the Crown Research season. His dedication to Antarctic (Old Antarctic Explorers) from the Institute (CRI) model, out of which science was again recognised by his 1960s, for whom he had organised GNS Science was one of several election as a Life Member of the their Christchurch reunion. Firm institutes to be formed, the original New Zealand Antarctic Society in and determined certainly, but never CCP morphed into a major science 2006. After his “retirement” he angry or self-serving. In spite of his programme, within which Malcolm’s continued his interests in Antarctica antipathy to the modern science role steadily increased. There was a (and the Arctic) by providing science structure, in our opinion, Malcolm strong focus on his work on mid-to- expertise on Quark Expeditions’ was a true gentleman scientist late Cretaceous sedimentation cruise ships, marking his inaugural and adventurer. in Marlborough and the eastern trip to the North Pole by leaping into Vale Malcolm. North Island, and the relationship of the freezing ocean! Cretaceous Torlesse (“greywacke”) With regard to the other ‘Cs’, Acknowledgements rocks to better ordered, younger Malcolm’s abundant publications Reviewers Brad Field, Cretaceous rocks. By the beginning on his research projects are Greg Browne and John Callan, of the new millennium Malcolm testament to his drive to make his librarian Kristin Garbutt, and was increasingly involved in the data and results available to other photographer Margaret Lowe (all funding and management of the geologists. All in all, he published GNS science Lower Hutt); Lester CCP programme. He found it hard 44 Antarctic papers, 67 New Chaplow and Janet Bray, Antarctic; to accept the perception by senior Zealand papers and 5 Scandinavian David Williams, Honours Unit, management that this was his job, and Irish papers as either first NZ Prime Minister’s Department.

9 “New data on the lower Palaeozoic sequence of northern Victoria Land, 10 E. Stump, M. G. Laird, J.D. Bradshaw, J. R. Holloway, S. G. Borg, & K. E. Antarctica, and its significance for Australian–Antarctic relations in the Lapham, “Bowers graben and associated tectonic features cross northern Palaeozoic,” 265, pp. 107–110. Victoria Land, Antarctica,” 304 (1983), pp. 334–336.

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