A News Bulletin New Zealand Antarctic Society
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
A N E W S B U L L E T I N p u b l i s h e d q u a r t e r l y b y t h e NEW ZEALAND ANTARCTIC SOCIETY MATERNAL BLISS A Weddell seal and her pup at Cape Royds, Ross Island. Photo: Guy Mannering, Antarctic Division. Vol. 3, No. 5 MARCH, 1963 Winter and Summer bases Scott S u m m e r b a s e o n l y + S k y - H i *croN Jointly operated base Hallett NEW ZEALAND _ , , ( U S - N Z ) transferred base Wilkes US foAust TASMANIA temporarily non -operational. .*Syowa ''"084Rr , Campbell I. (N.2) S l i M i c o u a r i c I . \>. (Autt) 8^,Sf %0SS ~Dependei Wilkes— X \ \ " - » - 1 / M A A F \\ \ • VtbttlsRockfo U.S.toAust. \\ S>- • NAAF 77° (U 5J +"VosroU , .(U.S.S.R J _y ^Aqiundseii - Scott (yjj _ i% I * s «. |A n t\ a r Dav''isA.„ \ :\ M-k^ Syjiigi^WPtfT «* Maw*tfn"\ \ / " 3 M a u d \ . 0 > V i S i ;*<i *o<#° •Marion I. (5./(J DRAWN BY DEPARTMENT OF LANDS l SURVEY WELLINGTON. NEW ZEALAND. SEP 1962. (Successor to "Antarctic News Bulletin") Vol. 3, No. 5 MARCH. 1963 Editor: L. B. Quartermain, M.A., 1 Ariki Road, Wellington, E.2, New Zealand. Business Communications, Subscriptions, etc., to: Secretary, New Zealand Antarctic Society, P.O. Box 2110, Wellington, N.Z. PENGUIN VICTIMS OF which time some of them may al ready have succumbed to the Austra OFFICIALDOM lian climate. "Magga Dan" left Ho bart on February 3 with the unfor When she berthed in Hobart on tunate penguins still on board. Cap January 30, "Magga Dan" brought 38 tain Pedersen thought it likely that penguins, including 14 Emperors, the Adelies would be released to from the Antarctic. All were report make their own way home. He had ed to be in good condition and every radioed for instructions regarding thing appeared to be in order for the Emperors. In either case he had their transport by air to the Aalborg little hope for their survival. Zoo in Denmark the following day An absolute ban on the removal at a cost of £1,200. Crates were lying of penguins from the Antarctic would ready on the deck. seem to be long overdue. But next day the Health authori ties in Canberra announced that the INDEX birds could not be flown to Sydney as planned, en route to Denmark, We greatly regret having again to because of the risk that they might intimate that the Index to volume introduce some disease which would 2 of "Antarctic" is not yet ready. endanger the Australian poultry in The compilation (the voluntary dustry. Appeals at high levels task of a most valued helper) is a brought no relaxation of the ban. necessarily lengihy process, but we Three possibilities faced the ship authorities: be available in about a month's time. We apologise to those who have been 1. To carry the penguins all the inconvenienced by our premature way on ship board including a period announcement. in the tropics which they would be most unlikely to survive. There is no suitable refrigeration on the ves WOULD YOU BELIEVE IT ? sel to give the birds a chance of sur Six United States politician , vival. rived at McMurdo just before Christ mas. As soon as the plane landed, 2. To destroy them. a Congressman from California, with 3. To liberate them at sea to face a big grin and an outstretched hand, a 1700 mile swim back to Adelie approached a group of McMurdo Land: Australian naturalists con citizens, siapped backs all round, sider that the Adelie penguins might asked if any of them came from be able to do this but doubt the California, and gave each of them ability of the Emperors to do so. his photo with a plea for re-election to Congress and a printed assurance Cast iron Australian regulations, that he is "capable, honest and trust moreover, prohibit the release of the worthy!" birds until the ship has left its last Unfortunately there were no Australian port, Fremantle, bv babies he could kiss. NEW ZEALAND FIELD PARTIES FILLING IN THE MAP During the summer four New Zealand teams in addition to individual research scientists have been engaged on field work in the Ross Dependency. Three parties in northern Victoria Land have gone far towards completing the preliminary survey, which will make possible the compilation of a complete map—with no blank spaces. The initial stages of this three- encountered much bad weather on pronged investigation were outlined this trip and as a consequence had in the December "Antarctic." The many lie-up days, so did not cover teams were all able to carry out as large an area as they had hoped. their planned programmes to almost The party arrived at the pre their full extent, and all were evacu ated up to time and without any arranged re-supply point near the further serious misfortunes. head of the Aviator Glacier on cembcr 20 ready for the re-supply on the 22nd, but owing to blizzards THE NORTHERN PARTY did not get the re-supply until the This team, Gair (leader), Pain, 27th. During the last few days of Sheehan and Tobin. was flown in on waiting they were living on "gash" November 3 to the head of the food and their kero was down to the Rennick Glacier near the Campbell- last few pints. They had a depot Rennick divide, at a height of 7,500 20-odd miles away with four days' feet. They had 55 days' food, plus food for dogs and men, but no fuel. five days' emergency rations. In any case they couldn't get to it. For the first week Tobin and Pain After the re-supply they relayed surveyed a base-line and nearby their loads from the head of the topography, while Gair and Sheehan Aviator to the head of the Campbell, geologised" in the hills bordering this and by this time their loads were neve portion of the Rennick. After sufficiently light for them to stop depositing food at the landing point relaying, and they sledged out down they set out on a 20-day traverse the Campbell. They were picked up down the western side of the Ren on January 21 at a point about 20 nick Glacier, descending to 6,000 ft. miles up the glacier from Mt. Mel in 70 miles, and back to the depot bourne, at a height of about 3,000 along the western side of a line of feet. Two flights were required to mesas (flat-topped table-lands) form take them out. ing the eastern boundary of the Ren nick. This took them until the end of November. WEATHER Gair's party found thc plateau They then relayed their supplies country to the north of the Aviator 30-odcl miles through a gap between and the upper Rennick Glacier fair two of the large mesas and on to a ly windy. The Rennick was particu southern tributary of the Aviator larly so with strong katabatic winds Glacier. From here on December 4 pouring over the western margin ihey set out on their second 20-day from the Polar plateau to the south. traverse their objective this time being the plateau country to the Temperatures on the upper Ren north of the Aviator Glacier on which nick and on the plateau country they had identified on their photos north of the Aviator ranged com several large volcanoes (extinct) monly from +10° F. to —15° F. and which they hoped to climb. They there was quite a change from "day" March, 1963. to "night" temperatures. They did and 3,000 feet down the Campbell have several warm days when the Glacier. temperature was at times as high as GEOLOGY + 20° F. The geology was very straight As they sledged out down the forward with very little struc Campbell and lost height the tem ture involved and it had been peratures rose considerably and the "painted" with a very broad brush wind was also left behind. They in such a way that one had to travel found the Campbell Glacier a very considerable distances in order to windless feature and judging from see any appreciable change in the the snow condition it is usually so. formation. Over the whole trip they had about The rocks fell into four natural five days when up to half an inch groups: of snow fell—three on the plateau 1. Younger volcanics of the Ter and two down the Campbell. tiary and Recent volcanoes; 2. Ferrar volcanics of Jurassic age SLEDGING CONDITIONS (4,500 ft. thick); Down the Rennick they encounter 3. Granite and gneissic granite of ed sastrugi, some very high, and this nre-Cambrian age; restricted their daily mileage some 4. Schists and marble of pre- what. On the best days they could Cambrian age. do 16-20 miles but on one day they Groups 3 and 4 are referred to were down to 11 miles on verv rough commonly as the basement rocks. sastrugi—the roughest O.A.E. Pain The younger volcanics included had experienced, the others finally Kenytes and other related rocks. The got him to admit! Ferrar volcanics were predominant Across the neve between the Camp ly amygdaloidal and porphyritic ba bell and Aviator glaciers and on the salt lavas containing zeolite and climb to the plateau country, to the chalcedony and agate and resembled north of the Aviator and down to the verv closely the Drakensburg lava of Campbell, thev struck much "whoosh- Africa of similar age that Gair ina" snow which the dogs did not himself has seen.