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NEW ZEALAND ANTARCTIC SOCIETY MAP COPYRIGHT ANTARCTIC (successor to "Antarctic News Bulletin) Vol. 11 No. 12 Issue 132

Contents

ANTARCTIC is published quarterly by the Polar Activities New Zealand Antarctic Society Inc., 1978. New Zealand 454, 479 Australia 459, 479 ISSN 0003-5327 India 464 Editor: Robin Ormerod Italy 463 South Korea 461 Please address all editorial inquiries, con United Kingdom 467 tributions etc to the Editor, P.O. Box 2110, United States 475 Wellington, New Zealand. Telephone: (04) 791-226 International: + 64-4-791-226 Sub-Antarctic Fax: (04) 791185 Heard Island 480 International + 64-4-791-185 General All administrative inquiries should go to Bulletin "Co-ordinator", P.O. Box 1223, Books and Videos 498 Christchurch. Greenpeace 492 Messner and Fuchs 495 Back and missing issues, P.O. Box 1223, Trans-Antarctic Crossing 482 Christchurch. Women's Expedition 497 Publication date: March 21, 1990

© No part of this publication may be reproduced in any way without the prior permission of the publishers. Cover: Dr Alan Shepherd of Chemistry Divi sion, DSIR, Wellington measuring mercury from snow samples as part of the New Zealand Ant arctic Research Programme. Photo: Chris Rudge, Antarctic Division, DSIR, Christchurch. Antarctic Vol. 11 No. 12

Antarctic Heritage Trust First stage of restoration of Borchgrevink's surviving hut at Cape Adare completed Four men have completed preliminary restoration work on one of two huts at Cape Adare in which Borchgrevink and his party of nine spent the first winter on the Antarctic continent in 1899. The programme was one of two being undertaken this season by the Antarctic Heritage Trust; the other completing work on the roof of Scott's hut at Cape Evans began last summer, check up on the structure of Cape Royds and Discovery Huts, locating, appraising and securing relics and "vacuum cleaning" the huts for the first time ever. Led by David Harrowfield of Christchurch supplies for a year, scientific equipment and the party visiting Cape Adare comprised 75 dogs, the Southern Cross departed on Gerry Turner, Deputy Chief Surveyor of the March 1 leaving the winter party under Department of Survey and Land Information Borchgrevink's command. in Auckland and Russell Skerton, a carpenter The party was made up of Louis C. from Christchurch. They were assisted by Bernacchi, 24-year-old Tasmanian Peter Selwyn, recently retired as a senior astronomer and physicist; Sub-Lieutenant technical officer from the Chemistry William Colbeck RNR, a 28-year-old Department, University of Auckland, who cartographer and magnetic observer; Hugh was measuring mercury levels in the air as part Blackwall Evans, 24-year-old Englishman and of an Auckland University research project. assistant zoologist; Nicolai Hanson, a 28-year- The wintering party of Borchgrevink's old Norwegian zoologist; Herluf Kloustad "British Antarctic Expedition 1898-1900" M.A., M.D., 32, Norwegian, Medical Officer; sailed south on the Southern Cross which left Anton Fougner, 30, Norwegian, scientific London on August 22, 1898, for Hobart from assistant; Kolbein Ellifsen, 23, Norwegian, where it departed for Cape Adare on cook; and two Lapps (often referred to as December 19,1898, arriving on February 17, Finns), Ole Must, 22 and Persen Savio, 28, 1899. who were responsible for the dogs. (Cape Adare was the site of Carsten With Camp Ridley — Borchgrevink's Egeberg Borchgrevink's second landing in mother's maiden name — complete, Antarctica, the first being as a deckhand and members of the party made a number of part-time scientist on the whaler "Antarctic" survey trips inland and along the coasts of in 1894-95. On that expedition, during which Robertson Bay prior to the winter. The he claimed to be the first ashore on the zoologists collected fish, seals, birds and continent, he collected the first samples of penguins. The winter did not pass without vegetation to be found within the Antarctic incident; the wall of the the hut was scorched Circle. by Colbeck's candle after he fell asleep on the Born in Oslo to a Norwegian father and night of July 24, not long after which Hanson English mother in 1864 Borchgrevink, who became ill. On August 31 four members of had been teaching in Australia, then travelled the party were nearly asphyxiated by fumes to London where, with the support of while sleeping and on October 14 Hanson publisher Sir George Newnes he organised died. He is buried at the top of Cape Adare the British Antarctic Expedition 1898-1900.) in a grave blasted by dynamite. Having unloaded materials for two huts and On January 28 the Southern Cross 454 Vol. 11 No. 12 Antarctic

returned to collect the party and leaving the It was Harrowfield's second trip to the Cape on February 2 she sailed around the Cape. During his first in 1982 he compiled coast to the Ross Sea towards the ice shelf a detailed description of the historic site and calling in at Possession Island where a pole with assistance from Dr Mark Mabin, a glacial and a tin box left by the "Antarctic" in 1895 geomorphologist, and Graeme Wilson, a were found intact. biologist, carried out essential repairs. They Subsequently expedition members landed also located a depot established in 1899 when at Coulman Island and Mount Melbourne Colbeck burned the hut and bolted the name where they noted a good site for a winter plate to the cross of Hanson's grave. camp at Wood Bay. Magnetic observations This season, in mostly fine but often cloudy were made and geological specimens weather the party assisted Skerton when collected before sailing to Mt Terror at the foot required, as he attached an exterior cladding of which they landed again. of sheets of plywood to which Butyclad (a On February 16 Borchgrevink, specially formulated rubber coating) had been accompanied by Colbeck and Savio, sledged glued. The sheets were secured with 16 km over the ice shelf reaching a point hardwood battens and wired down. A new furthest south to that date. Sailing back via hardwood ridge cap, gables and Balau the Franklin Islands, magnetic observations hardwood bargeboards were also fitted. made by Colbeck showed the South Magnetic Inventory Pole to be further North and West than Harrowfield made an inventory of the previously thought. Sailing north west for artefacts and reported on their conservation England, the ship crossed the Antarctic circle status. A number of significant items were on February 28. removed for temporary storage at Scott Base Importance not recognised prior to being returned to New Zealand for The importance of the expedition was not specialist conservation. These included a previously unseen canvas rifle scabbard, a recognised initially. Influential people in woollen blanket and two sledge meters which London were caught up with the preparations were among items excavated from ice in the of Scott's forthcoming expedition. stores hut. Of particular interest was a field Borchgrevink lectured in England and canteen of cutlery and utensils in which an Scotland, was made a Fellow of the Royal enamel plate was found to be in near perfect Geographic Society and visited the United condition. States in 1902. The Norwegians made him Turner, also with assistance as required, a Knight of St. Olaf and subsequently a Knight undertook an extensive survey of the site from Daneborg. Only in 1930 was he awarded the which a plan will be drawn. The sites of Patron's Medal of the Royal Geographic artefacts were plotted in relation to the Society. buildings and topography. An additional David Harrowfield and his party flew from survey of beach ridges was made for Dr Mark Christchurch to Hobart on December 17. Mabin of the University of Townsville who is Materials for the expedition had been continuing work on Antarctic beaches initiated despatched from Lyttelton by sea to by Dr Bob Kirk of Canterbury University in Melbourne some weeks before and were 1966. Sunshots, various positions and fixes loaded onto the USCGS Polar Star which the were also made. party boarded in Hobart on December 22. Members of the party visited Hanson's During the evening of December 31 they grave three times and made frequent sightings made a brief aerial reconnaisance of the ice of Wilson's storm petrels, one of which cave used by Scott's Northern Party in 1911 appeared to be nesting in the area. Botanical but were unable to land because of the observations were made and sightings of condition of the sea ice. Later they were banded skuas, floating pollutants, whales, offloaded from the vessel at Cape Adare in petrels and leopard seals were recorded for two hours, using the helicopters. other sdentists. 455 Antarctic Vol. 11 No. 12

By the time the party was tranferred to the the crew of the yacht Riquita in 1988 — had Polar Star in one and a half hours by visited the Cape since early 1982. helicopter early in the morning of February After a six day science cruise they were 4, David Harrowfield in his two visits to Cape offloaded onto the icewharf at McMurdo Adare had achieved the longest stay in the Station on the morning of Saturday 10. After area of anyone since Scott's Northern Party visiting Discovery Hut at Hut Point, Skerton, in 1911. It is also thought that only three other Turner and Selwyn flew to Christchurch on teams — Italians last summer, a party of US February 13, and Harrowfield on February and New Zealand scientists in 1982/83 and 14. Vol. 11 No. 12

Recladding and exterior repairs to Scott's tion of historic sites partly for future display hut at Cape Evans begun last season wee purposes. completed by this year's team. Photo: In two helicopter flights on December 23 John Newton, January 1989. the party with their equipment were moved to Cape Evans and the following morning The galley in Borchgrevink's surviving hut they closely inspected the hut and appraised which features in the lower picture with the their work programme. Having had Christ Antarctic Heritage Trust team's camp in mas dinner with the Greenpeace team in the the foreground. Photos: David Harrowfield nearby World Park Base they set about completing work begun last season on re- roofing the hut, stables and cold porch, a job After six days delay in Christchurch be involving recladding with butylclad reinforced cause of weather conditions at McMurdo the with battens and replacing old or rotten second party working for the Heritage Trust weatherboard. Assisted by a youth group all arrived at Scott Base on December 21 to the stables but two were, for the first time for attend survival courses and undertake pro many years, cleared of ice and while struc grammes at Scott's Hut at Cape Evens, tural conservation continued the youth group Shackleton's Hut at Cape Royds and on Dis undertook a unique programme of vacuum covery Hut at Hut Point. Led by John Char cleaning the entire interior of the hut as well les, deputy leader at Scott Base for the as cleaning the windows which were freed by summer of 1976-77, the party comprised the carpenters. They also helped complete a John Newton, a carpenter from Turangi, drainage ditch for meltwater started previ who was responsible for building restoration ously on the western side of the hut as well as with assistance from Myles Feeney of Plim- starting a new ditch on the eastern side. merton near Wellington and Roger Fyfe of Roger Fyfe completed excavations of the New Plymouth, responsible for Archaeologi stores area along the south wall of the main cal preservation, registration and interpreta hut recording the positions of various items Antarctic Vol. 11 No. 12 and restacking relics. He also assessed the checked the relics. On the 17, 23 and 26 concept of display of the hut including envi January the party returned to Christchurch. ronmental controls, security and interpreta It is the first time that the Antarctic Heritage tion in order to make recommendations to Trust has been able to send two parties to the the trust board on the future display within ice and the work accomplished will provide the hut visited by 176 people in 1988 and further information for planning for next 236 in 1989. season and for the longer term. After 17 days, on January 9 the party moved to Cape Royds and in cold overcast Oates and Mears pass the time in the conditions they cleaned the interior of the stables at Cape Euans during Scott's last hut, checked the structure and secured relics expedition. Over the years the stables have inside and out before returning after two days filled with ice and all but one was cleared to Scott Base where they completed a thor this season. Photo: Scott Polar Research ough clean and survey of Hut Point and also Institute. Vol. 11 No. 12 Antarctic

ANARE - "Aurora Australis" due in service by May 1990 At high tide in fine clear conditions close of breaking 1.2 metre thick ice continuously to noon on September 18 Australia's first at two knots. Her cruising speed will be 23 icebreaker was launched by the Prime knots and endurance 90 days. She has a tank Minister's wife Mrs Hazel Hawke atCanington capacity of one megalitre for station refuelling Slipways Pty Ltd, Tomago, Newcastle. With and two thicknesses of hull between the tanks final fitting out now complete, harbour trials and other potential contaminants. Her own are underway to test the complex range of fuel requirements will be met from tanks with computer equipment and provide onboard a capacity for 1,000 cubic metres of diesel and training for equipment operators. Aurora provision is made for 120 cubic metres of fuel Australis is destined to make her maiden for helicopters. voyage, a marine science winter cruise, during Scientific facilities include a state of the art May and June of 1990 as part of ANARE's hydroacoustic system for assessment of stocks 1990 Antarctic research programme. of Southern Ocean organisms such as krill. The vessel was launched just 11 months A general purpose wet laboratory for and five days after a contract was signed processing of net samples, a hydrographic lab, between Senator Graham Richardson, in a fish freezer, a meteorological lab, five multi charge of Australia's Department of the Arts, purpose labs, photographic dark room and a Sport, the Environment, Tourism and scientific work room have been installed. She Territories, and designers Division Shiptech will have accommodation for 133 including of Wartsila Marine Industries in Finland, for crew and be able to transport 1600 cubic Simrad of Norway, P & O Polar, Australia Ltd metres of general cargo in 40 containers for and Carrington's. The keel was laid in October resupply of Australia's four Antarctic stations. 1988. Carrington Slipways have been building Two medium lift Seahawk type helicopters vessels up to 160 metres long for over 30 can be carried in the hangar and operated years but most have been used for trade, from a dedicated helicopter deck. defence or economic activities; Aurora Prior to the launch the hull was painted Australia is their first icebreaker. orange/red and "Aurora Australis Hobart" The 3,500 tonne, 94.80 metre long Aurora appeared fore and aft. Staylines were Australis will be owned by Antarctic Shipping attached to lugs welded on both sides of the Ltd, leased by P & O Australia Ltd and hull and large floatation tanks run alongside operated by one of their subsidiaries for to reduce the draft from five to three metres Australian National Antarctic Research for transfer down the river to Newcastle. Expeditions which will use her for research When fully loaded for her first voyage the draft and supply in support of Southern Ocean and will be 7.6. Antarctic Research Projects. The launching lake was cleared and a Aurora Australis, named as a result of a crowd of shipyard workers, contractors, national competition, after Mawson's Aurora brokers, parliamentarians, owners, designers, used initially by Sir Douglas Mawson on his operators, off-season charterers and 1911-1914- expedition, has a Lloyd's representatives from Antarctic Division classification of 100A1, Ice Class IAS gathered. In addition to Mrs Hawke, Senator Icebreaker LMC, UMS, DP (CM), CASPRR, Richardson and Brian Baillie and Richard Class 2/3 bow and stem and will be capable Hein of P & O Australia, owners, were among 459 Antarctic Vol. 11 No. 12 the official party which also included Mr to the far side and back again. Having righted Ingmar Ingvesgard and Juha Walre, president herself Aurora Australis floated for the first and corporate vice president of the Finnish time. With final fitting out now complete and Company Wartsila Marine. Brett Webb, trials being undertaken a number of small winner of the competition to name the ship, voyages will be undertaken from Hobart into and his parents came from Jindabyne, NSW, the Tasman before plans are finalised for her for the occasion. first voyage, a winter cruise to Heard Island. Shortly before noon the hydraulic jacks The leader will be Dick Williams, a biologist tilted the cradle holding the ship towards the from Antarctic Division who will be launching pond and, at an incline of 5.8 deg, accompanied by about 20 other staff and the hull slipped into the pond sending a surge scientists in addition to the crew. New director for Antarctic operations Rex Moncur, acting director of Australia's Mr Moncur transferred to the Department Antarctic Division from April 1988, was of Science in Canberra in 1973, where he was appointed director in December 1989. He involved in the establishment of the National replaces Mr Jim Bleasal who resigned earlier Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Centre and a in the year. solar observatory for the Ionospheric Born and educated in Melbourne Mr Prediction Service. He later moved to the Moncur joined the Bureau of Meteorology in position of Secretary of the Australian 1962 and graduated in 1966 from the Royal Research Grants Committee and Melbourne Institute of Technology as a subsequently served as Secretary to the Ross Communications Engineer. He first became Committee, inquiring into Commonwealth involved with Antarctica while preparing Laboratories. He also served as Assistant automatic weather stations for Chick and Secretary Resource Management in the Lewis Islands. He was also responsible for the Department of Science bfore moving to development of the Radiosonde equipment Antarctic Division as deputy director in 1985. used at Australian Antarctic stations from the He has been on four voyages to the continent, mid-1960's ahd only recently replaced. In the visiting all Australian "wintering" stations and 1970's he was secretary to the Antarctic Polar most of the summer bases. Medal Committee. Work on 'blue-ice' runway at Casey halted by weather Preparation of a blue-ice runway for conditions and cloud cover encouraged a assessment of regular C-130 wheeled search for an alternative location. Trials in Hercules aircraft flights from Hobart to a 1983-84 concentrated on providing a runway location at SI Lanyon Junction, seven of high-quality pavement near Lanyon kilometres from Casey was put back this Junction and the data and other results are summer after unseasonally heavy snow being used to assess the utility of the SI prevented grading of the last section of the Lanyon Junction zone for runways which may 3,000 strip. The two proving flights, now require less site preparation. Although a proposed for next season, will be subject to considerable amount of blue ice occurs near an environmental evaluation, prior to regular SI it is variable and may not always require use of the strip to support Australian activities great preparation. in the area. Members of the team involved in the project It was previously thought that aircraft could this year came from Australia's Antarctic be landed on the plateau but whiteout Division and were led by an engineer, Bob 460 Vol. 11 No. 12 Antarctic

Sheers, and included two glaciologists based sing the surface to a density which would at the University of Melbourne, staff from the support the landing and take-off of a Hercules Department of Defence and the RAAF. C-130. When heavy snow fell they were The seven men travelled to Casey on the unable to complete the grading but continued Polar Queen and took heavy equipment and with the impact assessment. They returned to a caravan to the site of the SI Lanyon Junc Hobart mid-March to prepare a full report in tion zone. For two months they alternated time for planning to recommence for the between the base camp and Casey, working proving flights to take place next season. up to 12 hours a day smoothing and compres Australian mapping see page 480. South Korea Marine science, key component of Korean 1989-90 activities The Republic of Korea has been conducting a multidisciplinary programme of marine geophysics, sediment and petro geochemistry, marine chemistry and physical oceanography during the 1989/90 summer season. The work concentrating on the Bransfield Strait extends research previously undertaken there, along the coast of the Fildes Peninsula and on King George Island. The ocean science programmes are funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology but the principal investigators are from KORDI, the Korean Ocean Research and Development Institute which is the Korean National Antarctic operating agency.

Scientists are particularly interested in the organic rich basin sediments; identify and Bransfield Strait formed by an early stage of determine reserves of porewater and their back-arc spreading which is thought to be composition and to map the distribution and unique in polar regions and which offers a isotope characteristics of thermogenic range of conditions for multidisciplinary study. hydrocarbon gases emanating from the thick Geochemical, petrologic and oceanographic sediment covering the ridge flanks. They also programmes undertaken in this relatively hope to determine the mineralogy and unexplored region should help them to chemistry of the basaltic dike instrusions understand the formation and document and penetrating the sediments at the axis of quantify the effects of ongoing thermal spreading and to explore for evidence of interaction between back-arc volcanism and hydrothermal activity at the seafloor and the basin sediments. They have dredged dikes lower water column along the thinly which penetrate the basin sediments, obtained sedimented spreading axis. cores from across the spread for ship-board The results of the study should yield new extraction of fluids and surveyed the lower insight into thermal alteration water column for temperature, salinity and mechanisms affecting marine organic matter anomalous silica and manganese contents. Dr unique to the high latitude circumpolar Soon-Keun Chang and Dr Dong Yup Kim, productivity belt and contribute toward a have been the principal scientific co-ordinators better understanding of the differentiation and the work has been undertaken from the between back-arc basin basalts and mid-ocean Cruz de Fro ward, chartered from the Chileans ridge basalts and the origin of ophiolites. for the third season. On the Fildes Peninsula Dr Myung Woo From these activities they hope to ascertain Han of KORDI has continued the glaciology the extent and type of reactions of associated programme initiated in 1988/89 with thermally driven fluids advecting through the glaciochemical studies. Last season a first 461 Antarctic Vol. 11 No. 12 attempt was made at ice-coring and this In April 1985 the Government acceded to season they planned to try and recover a 30 the Convention on the Conservation of metre long core to develop detailed records Antarctic Marine Living Resources of between 10 and 1000 years of climate (CCAMLR) and later that year a Survey change. They are particularly interested in Expedition Team, organised by the Sea recent trends in anthropogenic activity as Explorers' Association, was dispatched to recorded in ice cores over the last 200 years King George Island and the Vinson Massif to but are also trying to develop new techniques collect geological and meteorological data. for minimising contamination of ice samples In February 1986 a fifth expedition went during collection and analysis. to the Scotia Sea to undertake biological and In January 1989 a 16.5cm inch high chemical studies and later that year the resolution Fabry-Perot interferometer system Government became the 33rd signatory to the was successfully installed at King Sejong Antarctic Treaty and dispatched a sixth Station. Data relating to thermospheric winds scientific expedition, again to the Scotia Sea and temperature have been collected during to continue similar research. the season. The scientists involved in the The following February (1987) the Ministry project expect it to allow a full comparison of Science and Technology announced a plan between thermospheric circulation model and to build a station on King George Island and observation over a wide range of geomagnetic a month later the Polar Research Laboratory activity for the southern hemisphere at both was set up at the Korea Ocean and Research high and middle latitude. The project is being and Development Institute and an exploration undertaken by Professor Jai Soo Kim, State team sent to King George Island to select University of New York at Albany, New York. possible sites. In August of that year the Winter team Korean National Committee on Antarctic Research (KONCAR) was established and Fifteen South Korean scientists, technicians joined SCAR as an associate member and in and base personnel were expected to winter September three scientists from Kordi at King Sejong Station during 1990. The consulted with Argentina and Chile over the scientific party of KARP-3 induding the officer establishment of an Antarctic station. In in charge was expected to comprise two October the HHI-1200, a 25,000 ton cargo marine biologists, a meteorologist, a vessel loaded with construction materials and geophysicist and two chemical oceano- equipment left for Antarctica arriving at King graphers. Base staff were to include two George Island in December. While general operators, two driver-mechanics, a construction was underway the seventh radio operator, an electrician, technician, scientific expedition went to the Scotia Sea. medical surgeon and chef. In January 1988 a team of research sdentists and technidans for the 1987-88 season was sent to the Island and surrounding seas and "Antarctic in February 1988 the activities of the first record ..." Korean Antarctic Station were inaugurated. It was called King Sejong after the Great King The Koreans sent their first expedition to of the Yi Dynasty who created the Hangul, the Antarctic in November 1978 when the Korean Alphabet, and comprises seven sdentists conducted research involving the structures — the administration building, two collection of biological and chemical data in research laboratories, the maintenance shop waters off Enderby Island and Wilkes Lands. and a building for power and food storage In November 1981 a second expedition covering a total of 1,387 square metres. It is worked in waters of Enderby Lands while in managed by the Polar Research Division of November 1982 the work was again extended the KORDI and lies at 62deg 13' 15 S/58deg to Enderby Land and continued there the 45' 10W on the southern tip of the Barton following year. Peninsula. 462 Vol. 11 No. 12 Antarctic

Baia Terra Nova Air force supports fifth Italian expedition Italy's fifth expedition to the Ross Dependency this summer used ice-strengthened ships chartered from France and Sweden for its research programme and the preparation of Terra Nova Bay Station for permanent occupation, starting in the 1990-91 season. A third ship, the 978-tonne seismic survey vessel OGS-Explora, owned by the Geophysical Observatory of Trieste, conducted marine geophysical surveys between 60deg and 70deg S/150deg and 180deg E and in the Ross Sea to investigate Antarctica's geological structure and gain more information about its hydrocarbon potential. More than 250 scientists, technicians and support staff were involved in the programme.

For the first time air support for the early new technologies from remote areas on opening of Terra Nova Station was provided unpolluted ecosystems. Samples of organic by the Italian Air Force. A wheeled Hercules and inorganic substances were taken to study aircraft from the 46th Air Brigade made three their distribution, transport, and flights south from Christchurch to McMurdo accumulation. Station on Odober 31 and November 8 and This work has been continued, and is 12. After the historic first flight the others were related to base activity and waste the Italian contribution to the joint US-NZ management planning. An environmental logistic pool of aircraft. scientist, Dr Luana Testa, is waste Operations from Baia Terra Nova this management officer. summer have consisted mainly of scientific All combustible waste is burnt in a high activities. A wide range of research projects temperature indnerator fitted with a pollution have been continued from field camps in the abatement system, and sewage is Terra Nova Bay area and along the Victoria bacteriologically treated and flushed into the Land coast with helicopter support for sea. Emissions from the incinerator and geological activities. Two new refuges, effluents from the water treatment system Marinella Field (73deg 30min S/167deg E) have been sampled and analysed. The and Nansen Ice Sheet Field (74deg 47min Swedish-owned ice-strengthened Barken, S/163deg 18min E), established in the used in the 1988-89 season, and chartered 1988-89 season, have been used for research again, is fitted with an indnerator and sewage projects. treatment facilities. Construction of one (possibly two) 600,000 Solid wastes are being sorted and litre storage tanks for Arctic diesel fuel is segregated. Chemical wastes and empty fuel planned for the 1990-91 season. Diesel drums are removed from the Antarctic Treaty generators and station facilities were improved area, and waste management planning with controls for energy saving. An includes the avoidance of polystyrene beads, independent laboratory, consisting of eight to chips and similar forms of packaging as well 10 standard six metre containers were as plastics. established for cosmophysics research at an To prepare for the Italian Air Force's first "undisturbed area" close to the station. Antarctic mission the Hercules was flown to Before the station was established in the Christchurch by Brigadier-General Luciano 1986-87 summer an environmental impad Battisti, commander of the 46th Air Brigade, report was prepared, and since the 1987-88 and a crew of ten, from its base at Pisa by way summer scientists have studied the effect of of the United States, Hawaii and Western 463 Antarctic Vol. 11 No. 12

Samoa. When the aircraft arrived on Odober Lieutenant-Colonel Pierotti's co-pilot was 22, Lieutenant-Colonel Alberto Pierotti was Captain Vittoria Maccabruni, and a U.S. Navy at the airport to welcome his commanding pilot and a navigator from VX-E6 Squadron officer and the crew seleded for the mission. were also on the flight deck. Tightly packed in Colonel Pierotti is a highly skilled navigator, the aircraft were two of the four Aerospatiale and has had experience of Arctic conditions 350B Squirrel helicopters chartered from during NATO exercises, and of landing on icy Helicopters (NZ) Ltd, Nelson, for the summer airfields in Norway. to provide ice reconnaissance, and support When Baia Terra Nova is occupied winter ship to shore operations and research projects. and summer there will be a need for increased First of the six pilots and engineers to go south logistic support, and the establishment of an were Jim Wilson (chief pilot), Kevin Tustin ice runway in the region has been considered. (pilot) and Chris Nelson (engineer). General Battisti told the media in Christchurch With 23 Italians, Americans, New that the runway was planned for the 1990-91 Zealanders, one Australian and a cargo of season. fresh food and vegetables, the Hercules left Seven years ago a United States ski- Christchurch at 11.40 a.m. The flight was equipped Hercules landed a New Zealand without incident and soon after 7 p.m. the geological mapping party of four and its five aircraft landed at Williams Field. Work began tonnes of equipment on the ice of Browning immediately on the reassembly of the Pass (74deg 36min S/163deg 59min E) helicopters, and by November 2 the early which is 16km long and lies between the main opening of Baia Terra Nova was underway. mass of the Deep Freeze Range and the Because of bad weather in the McMurdo Northern Foothills. Baia Terra Nova is on the Sound area the remaining flights were coast of the Northern Foothills at 74deg delayed. But the IAF successfully combined 41min 42sec S/164deg 07min 23sec E. the transport of the rest of the advance party, On the last day of Odober the IAF Hercules and also took two representatives of the left Christchurch for McMurdo Station. Dr Ministry of Research, Mr Morcelli Franco and Mario Zucchelli, Manager of the Antarctic Mrs Claudia Capuano, south to observe Projed for ENEA, the Agency for Research American, New Zealand and Italian in Energy which administers the Italian operations. Flights were made on November research programmes, and leader of the third 8 and 12, but another spell of bad weather and fourth expeditions was in charge of the prevented the IAF completing its final flight advance party of seven. in the joint logistic pool. Gas fumes kill four Indians in field party Four members of the ninth Indian report that the party was working in the Antarctic Expedition to Queen Maud Land Humboldt Mountains at the time. have died from carbon monoxide In past summers scientists from the poisoning. Three were sdentists from the Geological Survey have carried out Geological Survey of Indian and the fourth geological mapping and glaciological was an Indian Navy Communications studies in the area of the Wohlthat Officer. Mountains (71 deg 35min S-12 deg 20min According to a statement by a e) a large group of associated mountain spokesman for the Indian Ministry of features consisting of the Humboldt External Affairs in New Delhi issued early Mountains, Peterman Ranges and Gruber in January the party died after inhaling Mountains. The Humboldt Mountains carbon monoxide emitted by a power (71deg 45min s-11 deg 30min e) are generator kept in one of the expedition's immediately west of the Petermann field camps. The spokesman did not say Ranges and form the westernmost part of when the deaths occurred but did the Wohlthat Mountains.

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Fixed for November 18 the flight was put — a medical dodor and six NOCs — from back and was finally aborted as the the Italian Navy. programme required the Hercules to be back Barken in Italy by November 22. On 21 November Lieutenant-Colonel Pierotti and his crew On November 30 the chartered cargo ship Barken arrived on her second voyage south. departed for Pisa, flying by way of Perth and She sailed from Ravenna in the middle of Singapore. Odober, and called at Hobart as she did last Cariboo season before heading for Lyttelton. In her On the afternoon next day the first of the role as "second base" for the expedition the chartered ships arrived at Lyttelton. The 6850 tonne vessel carried equipment for the French owned Cariboo (1151 GRT) which new astronomical observatory, and supplies sailed from Ravenna in the second week of for the summer season. The other two Odober, was built in Glasgow four years ago Squirrel helicopters also formed part of the as an oil rig tug and supply ship. Originally cargo. named Fort Reliance, she was acquired by Of more than 140 passengers aboard when Feronia International Shipping for its fishing the Barken sailed in the second week of division, and is registered at Kingstown, St. December 78 were sdentists. Their disciplines Vincent and the Grenadines. The vessel is included marine technology, biological and 65m long, and has a Class 1 ice certificate physical oceanography, atmospheric and from Lloyds. earth sdences, cosmophysics, biology and the environmental sciences. The leader of the Waiting in Christchurch for the Cariboo were Dr Franco Orlandini, leader of the expedition was Dr Roberto Cervellati (ENEA) and Captain Van Liujk was in command of oceangraphic expedition, Captain Christian the ship for the second time. Coudray, who took over from Captain Poirier Twenty-four of the scientists were from Remy for the ship's two research cruises in the Southern Ocean, south of New Zealand and CNR and ENEA. Fifteen universities induding in the Ross Sea, and 39 of the sdentific and Catania, Genoa, Messina, Florence, Rome, Pavia, Pisa, Sienna, Bologna, Padua, Milan support staff for the first cruise. and Lecce were represented as well as a When the Cariboo sailed at 8.18 p.m. on November 23 she carried 38 sdence and zoological station at Naples and the Florence Zoological Museum. There were also sdentists support staff and a crew of 13. Dr Orlandini from the Italian Navy and Air Force, the flew south the same day. National Geophysics Institute at Rome, a Between early December and January the Belgian guest sdentist, and a technical expert Cariboo operated in the Ross Sea and also from the National Agency for Postal and spent several days in the Terra Nova Bay area Telecommunication Services, Rome. while sdentists carried out a programme of As on the previous expeditions ENEA was biological, chemical and physical responsible for the support staff which runs oceanography. In the second week of Terra Nova during the summer — January the ship returned to Lyttelton for management, drivers, mechanics, radio refuelling and to embark sdentific staff for the officers, electricians, cleaners etc. An Air second cruise which concentrated on Force colonel is there for planning purposes geological oceanography and is due to end and an NCO from the Air Force late in February. Meteorological Service is also in the team. The Italian universities of Venice, Genoa, When the Barken arrived in Terra Nova Bologna, Ancona, Florence, Naples and Bay Helicopters (NZ) Ltd had six pilots and Trieste were represented in the full scientific two engineers to provide support for the staff of 58. There are also sdentists from the expedition. David Henley, Grant White, Tim National Research Council (CNR) in Rome, Douglas-Clifford and John Dixon (pilots).and and three Belgian guest scientists. Of theill Steve Kemp (engineer) left the ship to join Jim support staff four were from ENEA, and seven Wilson, Ken Tustfn and Chris Nelson. 465 Antarctic Vol. 11 No. 12

Field parties working in Vidoria Land not second week in November and returning to only had helicopter support from the New the Argentine port of Ushuaia, Tierra del Zealanders but also Army and Navy guides. Fuego, just before Christmas after nearly a There are six Army mountain guides led by month of seismic, magnetic and gravimetric a lieutenant-colonel, and five Navy marine prospecting. guides. After refueling and taking on fresh supplies Once again the Milan civilian construction at Ushuaia, the OGS-Explora sailed in the last firm, Snamprogetti, which had the contrad week of December on a course which took for the station and assodated buildings in the her into the Southern Ocean to continue work 1986-87 season, and did additional work for along the Antarctic ice edge. Her next port the next season, has continued its activities. of call was Dunedin where she was expeded The supervisor and his deputy have a staff of about January 18. 15 mechanics, carpenters, pipe fitters, welders and electricians. A mechanic and a welder Geophysical prospecting went south by air to assist with the early Much of the seaborne geophysical opening of the station. prospecting had been mainly in the Ross Sea in the last two seasons, and the final cruise Third ship was planned to last about six weeks. As well Italy's third ship did not call at New Zealand as continuing the work performed in previous ports until early this year (1990). The years the sdentists have to perform the Experimental Geophysical Observatory's absolute gravity measurements planned for seismic survey ship OGS-Explora was the first the fourth expedition to Terra Nova Bay. to leave Italy, sailing from Trieste in the third These could not be done because thick pack week of September for the Chilean port of ice prevented the ship from penetrating as far Punta Arenas, Tierra del Fuego, to begin the south as intended. seaborne geophysical prospecting programme Lyttelton was the OGS-Explora's final port which started in the 1987-88 summer with a of call. Expedition planning provided for all survey in the Ross Sea where gravimetric and three ships in the expedition to return there magnetic data was obtained on 5,500km, and at the end of February or in the first week of reflection seismic profiles on about 2,300km. March. A geophysical survey in the South Pacific As on the previous surveys the leader of Ocean 9between 60deg and 70deg the expedition was Dr Daniel Nieto. His S/150deg and 180deg E, and the Ross Sea) sdentific staff of 15 geophysicists included 11 was carried out from the Explora in the from OGS, three from ENEA and one Army 1988-89 summer. It executed 12 seismic, lieutenant. Also aboard were three West gravimetric, and magnetic profiles on German geophysics consultants from Prakla 2,789km of the South Pacific area, and 25 Seimos, of Hanover. profiles on 4,374km in the Ross Sea area. Six members of the main expedition Refraction seismic measurements were made, worked as guest sdentists with other countries. using sonar buoys and gravity and magnetic One from the National Research Coundl measurements were done also during the joined French sdentists in atmospheric sdence navigation from Australia and to New projects at Dumont d'Urville Station. Zealand. Guests of the United States programme at When the OGS-Explora arrived at Punta the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station were Arenas in the third week of Odober her first three atmospheric sdentists — two from the projed was a short geological oceanography National Research Council and one from campaign in Magellan's Strait, which began Rome University and a cosmophysicist from early in November and was completed in less Milan University. A biologist from Naples than a fortnight. Depending on weather and University was also a guest with the New sea conditions the observatory team planned Zealand Antarctic Research programme, and to embark on geophysical work in the Weddell took part in a fish research projed in the Sea area, leaving Punta Arenas about the McMurdo Sound region. 466 Vol. 11 No. 12 Antarctic

BAS science overview Long term plans for Antarctic science programmes announced In 1983 the British Government approved plans for the expansion of scientific activity in Antarctica. The priorities have been based on criteria which include consolidation and development of results of current programmes and new proposals as well as the relevance of issues of a global nature; the importance of research into the living and non-living resources of Antarctica and its surrounding oceans; its applicability to aspects of environmental management and conservation. The balance between field activities and UK based modeling and theoretical studies; the need for adequate training and career development for scientific and support personnel was also taken into account. Bases and logistics are already being developed to support the programme; net expenditure for 1989/90 will be £ 29.1 million, an increase of 17 million since the first major boost in 1985/86 when the government gave £ 12.1 million. Last year the budget was £ 24.2 million. chlorofluorocarbons is an example. In this two part article based on Chlorofluorocarbons, when present in the "Antarctica 2000" a publication produced troposphere, are also "greenhouse" gases by Britain's National Environmental which like carbon dioxide and methane absorb Research Council and released in June solar radiation. Greater concentrations of such 1989, "Antarctic" explores the directions gases lead to a gradual increase in the in which the British Antarctic Survey wilt temperature ofthe atmosphere. Antarctica is develop its scientific programme over the ideal for monitoring present-day levels of these next decade or more. compounds and conditions also permit investigation ofthe chemical composition and Five major and two minor themes provide temperature of the atmosphere over several an explanatory framework. (Two major and thousand years by analysis pi chemicals one minor theme are covered in this article). trapped at various levels within the ice sheet. Pattern and Change in the Physical By monitoring the size of the ice sheet and mechanisms affecting it predictive Environment of Antarctica mathematical models can be constructed. Rocks, sediment and ice provide a long term record of environmental change which The geological record of the past 150 Ma can be used to validate models of natural reveals complex interaction between tectonic evolution, volcanism and climate and the systems and their response to perturbation effect on sedimentation, biogenic process and over a range of time scales but some of the the evolution of distinct austral biotas. The latest changes are man-induced. separation of South America and the Antarctic The atmosphere, ocean and ice-covered Peninsula to form a continuous deep-ocean regions of Antarctica form a strongly pathway around Antarctica 20 million years interactive system influencing global weather ago may have led to the progressive systems and the effect ofthe winter vortex that refrigeration of the continent and ice sheet forms over Antarctica has provided an early formation. warning ofthe action of man-made chemicals Programmes within BAS's Ice and Climate on the atmosphere. The seasonal depletion and Geology and Geophysics divisions will of ozone in the stratosphere over Antarctica investigate past and present changes in the caused by the catalytic destructive action of Antarctic geo-environment by focussing on chlorine produced by the breakdown of atmospheric dynamics, ice and atmosphere 467 Antarctic Vol. 11 No. 12

Programmes within BAS's Ice and Climate studies of gravity wave generation and Geology and Geophysics divisions will mechanisms and the interaction of internal investigate past and present changes in the gravity waves and turbulence extending the Antarctic geo-environment by focussing on work carried out in collaboration with the atmospheric dynamics, ice and atmosphere University of Leeds. chemistry, the dynamics of the West Antarctic Relatively simple studies of the role of Ice Sheet, the evolution of Late Mesozoic and Antarctica in the general circulation of the Cenozoic palaeoenvironments and southern atmosphere will build on the work carried out ocean palaeo-oceanography and at Reading University under the Antarctic palaeoclimate. The reconstruction of the Special Topic scheme. This will link with the climatic history enables sdentists to make the cyclogenesis studies since the vortices quantitative tests of theoretical models needed occurring around the coastal area are believed to predid future natural and man-induced to be important in accounting for the vorticity climate change. Studies of contemporary deficit identified in early work by the group. processes improves understanding of the Co-operative studies will be undertaken operation and coupling between the with the Meteorological Office and European components of the earth-ocean-climate Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts system. Their work will contribute to the World on representation of high latitude processes Climate Research Programme (WCRP) and in full scale General Circulation Models. the International Geosphere-Biosphere Problems to be investigated will include Programme (IGBP). representation of high topography gravity Studies of high latitude atmospheric waves wave parameterisation, coastal cyclogenesis using observation and numerical modeling and the role of sea ice and polynyas. techniques will improve the representation of high latitude tropospheric processes in Chemistry of the ice and atmosphere numerical models of the atmosphere and Through studies ofthe ice and atmosphere advance understanding of climate and its BAS scientists hope to determine the effect prediction. Ground and satellite-based of human activities on the global atmosphere observing systems will be used to investigate and on the future size of the ice sheet. An high latitude atmospheric waves on horizontal integrated study of the atmosphere and ice scales from the planetary to the micro- cover of Antarctica characterising changes in meteorological. Scientists will be seeking to climate and in atmospheric composition over understand wave generation mechanisms the past several thousand years to the present operating in the Antarctic and the interaction day will be undertaken: By studying the of different scales of motion. Observational present day composition ofthe high-latitude, techniques will include a second Stable lower stratosphere scientists hope to advance Boundary Layer Experiment (STABLE) to their knowledge of the chemical reactions examine the interaction of turbulence and involved and to improve understanding of internal gravity waves using an instrumented transport by general circulation. mast, array of microbarographs and Automatic Weather Stations; satellite studies Ozone to investigate the cyclogenesis and low level BAS will continue to measure column coastal baroclinic zones using sounder data ozone at Halley and Faraday and to investigate and imagery; and climatological studies to the chemical and dynamic processes causing investigate the development and motion of its seasonal depletion. Through the meso- and subsynoptic scale weather systems collaborative development and deployment of around the Antarctic. new instrumentation with other laboratories A series of modeling experiments using these studies are being extended to include General Circulation Models (GCMs) and year round monitoring of vertical profiles of simpler models will improve the representation both the source gases emitted at the earth's of high latitude processes in surface and the reservoir gases produced climate models. These will include theoretical photochemically in the stratosphere. 468 Vol. 11 No. 12 Antarctic

Sdentists believe that reservoir gases such regimes — the ice sheet, stream and shelf. as those involved in ozone depletion may be The projed will build on existing measurement detedable in snowfall should sedimentation networks covering part of Ronne Ice Shelf and occur. They intend to use their expertise in Rutford Ice Stream. They will be extended snow chemistry to investigate the spatial either to the Bryan Coast on Bellingshausen variability of the composition of Antarctic snow Sea or to Pine Island Glader on the to provide information on atmospheric Amundsen Sea. Three ice shelves (George transport. Time-trends obtained from single VI, Abbot and Ronne) will be studied to sites will yield an historical perspective, encompass a full range of Antarctic contribute to an understanding of the natural continental shelf oceanic regimes. source strengths and to a data base for testing Emphasis will be given to studying basal time-dependent theoretical models of the boundary conditions. Evidence for chemistry of the Antarctic atmosphere. deformation of glacial beds (initially from the Through three specific areas of study BAS Rutford Ice Stream) will be examined and the will continue to develop its investigation of the implications of "hard" or "soft" beds explored chemistry and physics of ice cores in order to by drilling, seismic and radar sounding reconstrud firmly dated and highly resolved techniques as well as by satellite remote records of climate during the past several sensing. Production and transport of water thousand years. They include high-frequency and sediments play a crucial role in climatic variations, such as those conneded determining ice sheet stability and these with the El Nino Southern Oscillation which processes will be studied throughout the ice are significant on the time-scale of current sheet system. Ice loss or gain between the human activity; study of the processes linking underside of ice shelves and the ocean will ice core properties with the physical and also be measured, requiring a study of the chemical charaderistics of the atmosphere by oceanographic regime out to and beyond the making use of the extensive instrumental continental shelf break. climate data base available from the Antarctic The history of the ice sheet will be Peninsula; identifying human impad from reconstruded using data colleded from areas shallow cores spanning the past several never inundated by ice, areas periodically hundred years by examining the time-course covered by ice and subglacial areas which emissions. This work should be supported by have never been exposed. year-round monitoring of the increases in Mathematical modelling will be used to pollutants related to world wide inventories of predid the effed of the changing dimate on atmospheric aerosol to ensure correct the Antarctic ice sheet. Various simplified interpretation of archival records. In models focussing on specific elements and conjunction with synoptic studies it is hoped flow regimes will be investigated first to ensure this data will yield information on the long that the basic physics underpinning the range tropospheric processes involved. modelling is corred. One of the most Dynamics of the West Antarctic Ice important boundary conditions to formulate Sheet correctly is the basal velocity or stress Mathematical models, based on condition particularly where motion in basal experimental data, will be construded and sediments occurs. used to help assess the present state of the Coupling all different flow regimes in a West Antarctic sheet, its evolution and reaction physically realistic way will form a major part to climatic changes in the future. Sdentists will of the work. The models will be tested against concentrate on three aspects. historic data on the extent of the ice sheet. In an analysis of the present state of the ice Ultimately these could be coupled with general sheet two drainage basins will be studied to circulation models (GCMs) for the ocean and provide a representative cross section of the atmosphere or at least used to provide input West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Detailed and boundary conditions. The mechanisms measurements will be made along seleded controlling ice ages and intergladal periods flow bands encompassing three critical flow may then be more easily identified. 469 Antarctic Vol. 11 No. 12

Evolution of Late Mesozoic and invertebrate shells). It is anticipated that this Cenozoic Palaeoenvironments work will lead to theoretical and modelling The Scotia arc-Antarctic Peninsula region studies of climate cycles observed in the fossil exposes one of the most important late record. As it is becoming increasingly apparent Mesozoic sedimentary successions in the that the polar regions may have been Southern Hemisphere. BAS scientists will evolutionary centres, theoretical and empirical develop models for sedimentary processes in studies are being designed to establish centres arc-related basins and investigate the history of origin and migration pathways for austral of environmental and biological evolution in biotas and to investigate bipolarity. high southern latitudes. Their research will Basaltic lavas in West Antarctica commonly focus on four areas. show evidence of subglacial eruption. Recent Work will be undertaken on the fore and comparative studies with basaltic rocks in back-arc basins, the sedimentary processes Iceland (regarded as "classic" ice/lava and models. Concentrating on the shallow interactions) show that the Antarctic Peninsula marine-to-terrestrial transition in southern sequences are superior in many respects. A Alexander Island and northern Antarctic programme of field studies and isotope dating Peninsula, and on the shallow marine to is planned to improve knowledge in this asped paralic upper levels in the early Cretaceous- of Antarctic gladal history. Paleocene back-arc Larsen Basin, emphasis will be placed on the relationship between Southern Ocean Palaeo-oceanography volcanic sedimentary and biogenic processes, and Palaeoclimate the influence of tedonics and climate and their Study and modelling of the complex effects on basin dynamics and diagenesis. interactions between ice, ocean and sediment which characterise gladal/intergladal variation Anoxic basin studies in the Southern Ocean and the influence of The remnants of a once extensive Upper tectonic evolution climate on a longer time Jurassic-Cretaceous mud-stone-tuff sequence scale will also be investigated through three (the Nordenskjold Formation), deposited in a major anoxic basin, have been found in the key areas of study, the first of which is glacial northern Antarctic Peninsula. They are similar and interglacial change in deep circulation. to those recognised in the South Atlantic The most important components of modern circum-Antarctic circulation are the region in DSDP and ODP cores. The Nordenskjold Formation will be the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) and focus of detailed studies including Antardic (Weddell Sea) Bottom Water biostratigraphy, sedimentology and organic (AABW, WSBW). Both masses are intimately geochemistry, for development of models of related to the glacial state of Antarctica and ocean anoxia, with particular reference to the their history mirrors gladal history. Marine South Atlantic and Weddell Sea regions, and geoscientists will investigate their signature in in collaboration with scientists working on modern sediments, so that gladal/intergladal ODP legs 113 and 114. variations can be determined. A piston coring transed in the northern Weddell Sea, aimed Mesozoic palaeoclimates and evolution at Weddell Sea Bottom Water (WSBW) of Antarctic biota fluctuation, has provided an initial dataset. Palaeobotanical studies have largely This study will be extended to the ACC and confirmed the presence of a cool temperate upstream towards the region of the Weddell climate in Antarctica during the Mesozoic. Sea where WSBW is formed, to provide a Further analysis of fossil tree rings, in model for the evolution of the Antarctic water particular, may lead to the acquisition of more masses back through the Cenozoic. The precise data and the palaeotemperature curve projed will compare the sedimentary record for the Antarctic Cretaceous (combined with with modern ocean circulation using the use of stable isotope analysis of numerical models. A moored array of current 470 Vol. 11 No. 12 Antarctic meters (with transmissometers and a supplemented by oversnow and offshore dequential sediment trap) has been geophysical investigations targetted on the established along part of the Weddell Sea mosaic of small plates whose origins are coring transed with a view to maintaining it poorly known and whose intervening basins over several seasons. The results will are the region's most likely hydrocarbon contribute to FRAM and WOCE, NERC prospects and on a segment of the South community projects which may in turn provide American-Antarctic plate boundary. additional information on glacial/interglacial British Antarctic Territory contains areas variability and ACC/AABW/WSBW coupling. where subduction-related processes are well- Antarctic shelf sediment transport Palaeo- displayed providing opportunties for oceanographic studies around Antarctica have mainly turbidite and hemipelagic sediments of improving understanding of modern the ocean basins to work with. In order to subduction zones world-wide and for exploit these rather difficult fades the fadors illuminating the geological record. The Pacific controlling the provision of terrigenous margin ofthe Antarctic Peninsula has a long sediment to the deep sea under a glacial history of subduction in which a range of regime must be understood, including the role structural and magmatic events can be of the ice sheet and ice shelves and slope discerned and the Cenozoic history which is processes. The projed will concentrate at first simple and well-defined. The South Sandwich on the outer shelf and slope of the Pacific arc-trench system, also young and simple margin of the Antarctic Peninsula, an shows similar potential for the class ofintra- accessible area where tedonic subsidence is oceanic subduction zone and for the particular known to be preserving a comprehensive processes of ridge crest subduction. glacial record. The net produd will be a Research will focus on West Antarctic general model for the complex ice-ocean- crustal development and plate tedonic sediment processes which charaderise glacial evolution and on subduction-related continental margins, with specific application processes. Appraisal of the onshore mineral to glacial-interglacial cycles in Antarctica. prospectivity and offshore hydrocarbon Scotia Sea Evolution and Palaeocirculation. potential of the British Antarctic Territory is Scotia Sea evolution has controlled the deep strategically important to these programmes. circumpolar circulation over the past 30 West Antarctic Crustal Development Million years and that circulation is generally and Plate Tectonic Evolution held responsible for the thermal isolation and Investigation ofthe tectonic evolution ofthe glaciation of Antarctica. A detailed tedonic crustal blocks of West Antarctica has important model will be produced, so the effects on implications for understanding global plate circulation and climate can be assessed interactions, the development of precisely. This projed links with the theme palaeocirculation in the Southern Ocean, Geological Evolution of West Antarctica. palaeoenvironments, palaeogeography and Most BAS Earth Science studies are related non-renewable resources. Five areas have to the former location of Antarctica within the been identified as important. Gondwana supercontinent, its breakup and The crustal blocks of West Antarctica, their dispersal which have had a profound influence movement histories and mechanisms: on the current distribution of mineral Detailed palaeomagnetic, structural, resources, plant and animal life and on global geochemical and regional geological studies climate. throughout West Antarctica will be BAS's Geology and Geophysics Divisions implemented to study dispersal kinematics will undertake a co-ordinated investigation of and evaluate better the complex geological the original shape of West Antarctica, its events that formed the Transantarctic break-up and subduction history and the Mountains and much of West Antarctica. relationship between these and deep mantle Work to date has been carried out jointly with composition and flow. Geological work will be geologists from the US Antarctic program and 471 Vol. 11 No. 12 Antarctic will be extended into Marie Byrd Land with development of major shear zones in response New Zealand participation. Comparative to compressional tectonism, and the studies in southern South America and New sedimentary and tedonic processes which Zealand will be important. occur within both deep and shallow levels of A series of oversnow crustal seismic an accretionary complex. reflection transects will be undertaken to Post subduction magmatism: Subduction obtain information about the physical nature ceased at progressively younger times from of the margins to the crustal blocks of West offshore Marie Byrd Land to the South Antarctica and the deep subgladal basins Shetland Islands. Calc-alkaline activity was separating them. A transed along the spine replaced by widespread basaltic to bimodal of the Antarctic Peninsula will trace inland the alkaline volcanism, compositionally similar to interaction between the overlying plate and that of oceanic islands and continental rifts. the subduded spreading centre following ridge The resultant rocks form a critical "missing crest-trench collision. A group of specialists link" between similar ones in South America h a s b e e n s e t u p b y S C A R t o and New Zealand. The petrogenesis of the co-ordinate and dired this long term major alkaline rocks will be determined to investigate international programme. the transition to a within-plate tedonic setting Tectonic processes in the Antarctic and to establish the composition and regional Peninsula will also be studied. The structural variability of the mantle. style of the region and particularly Alexander South America (SAM) and Antarctic (ANT) Island will be investigated to contibute to plate evolution. Over the past one hundred understanding of the lateral movement of Ma. Sdentists will condud a magnetic survey terranes around the Pacific rim. This work will along one small offset but persistent fracture also yield models for the role of transcurrent zone on both flanks of the South Sandwich motion in the development of sedimentary trench to determine events at the Pacific basins at subduction margins, the margin between 90 Ma, when South Georgia recognised by the Antarctic Treaty and by Mapping SCAR, which is instigating measures to From the days when it was known as the co-ordinate data. As the importance of Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey responding to global change strategies BAS has continued to publish develops the demand for time-series topographical maps of British Antarctic measurements from Antarctica will Territory particularly ofthe Peninsula area increase particularly in regard to CRAMRA on scales as required. Today almost all of and CCAMLR. the Peninsula is covered by at least one BAS will therefore co-ordinate and medium-scale map, many of which require improve its databases in order to exploit revision while larger scale maps are better cross-disciplinary links, create new required for detailed scientific studies. products for research and support the Recently formed within BAS is the developing programmes. They will Mapping and Digital Cartography Unit investigate and deploy new techniques for which will be closely involved in the setting topographic and thematic mapping up of a Geographic Information system including digital cartography and covering all facets of BAS science as the geographic information systems and will future management of the environment explore the combination of satellite and resources will require sophisticated imagery and digital terrain models. Links databases for the provision of information will also be established to other national and scientific advice by which the effects and international databases where BAS of new policies and regimes can be activities can influence and guide other formulated. Such a requirement is now national Antarctic strategies.

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was situated there and 40 Ma when it was along the Pacific margin and long term not. changes in subduction dynamics. Subtraction related processes Study of metalliferous mineralisation along Geological and geophysical in vestigations, the Antarctic Peninsula aims to determine the on shore and offshore ofthe relatively simple, distribution and composition of mineralised well constrained setting of the Antarctic rocks, identify processes important in their Peninsula. Studies of this partly continental genesis, distinguish potentially mineralised based magmatic arc on the Pacific margin of rocks and develop models for the Antarctica will be important for interpreting mineralisation of magmatic arc systems which destructive plate margins incorporated in more can be applied elsewhere. complex cratonic domains. The possibilities of A reconnaissance map of the tedonic fabric associated mineralisation will be evaluated. along the south Scotia Ridge will be made Geological Investigations of the Peninsula's using GLORIA and Multi-Channel seismics. long (c200 Ma) period of subduction history The area has very young and well displayed will be a contribution to the global examples of this poorly understood understanding of subduction and related penomenon. magmatic processes. A GLORIA reconnaissance will also be Geophysical studies will concentrate on the undertaken to show the partem of recent more recent subduction history of the deformation in the northern arm of the South Antarctic Peninsula where ridge crest trench Sandwich trench, a region of incipient collisions should constrain a subduction. thermomechanical model of the subduction In the next section of this detailed report process, and on the young intra-oceanic subduction environment of the South ofBAS's scientific activities over the next Sandwich Islands region. ten years, the background and details of Antarctic Peninsula Cenozic Subduction. It programmes relating to the Dynamics of is proposed to map geophysically a thick Antarctic Terrestrial and Freshwater transed on- and off-shore, of each of two Ecosystems; the structure and dynamics of collision segments in great detail, in the Southern Ocean ecosystem and the physics of solar terrestrial phenomena from conjunction with on-shore geological Antarctica will be covered along with plans investigations. The geophysical component will comprise aeromagnetics, heat flow, crustal for work on humans in isolated polar thickness, gravity, oversnow and marine communities. seismic reflection, airborne gravity and drilling if possible. The aim is produce a thermo Runway construction begins at mechanical model ofthe margin response, for Rothera testing by heat flow, vertical motion history, Construction of the hardpacked gravel runway magmatism and faulting. The BAS on Adelaide Island to service the British programme lies both on and offshore. Antarctic Survey's Rothera Station began in Detailed geochemical and isotope studies January and will be continued until April. The will be carried out on the plutonic igneous British Government awarded the $US20 rocks of West Antarctica in order to improve million contrad for the 915m airstrip to a knowledge of their petrogenesis and Canadian company, Pelly Construction Ltd, evolution. Results will be compared with of Whitehorse, late in August last year. similar studies in southern South America, In December the company sent an ocean where the palaeozoic record espedally is more going freighter south with equipment and complete. This should help scientists identify enough food, fuel and supplies to last two the nature and continuity of magmatic belts seasons, starting in the first four months of this through time and the progressive migration of year. Work will be resumed for two to three activity and lead to a better understanding of months in early 1991. The deadline for the relationship between magmatic variations completion of the runway is March 31, 1991. 473 Antarctic Vol. 11 No. 12

Mission to Halley Sick ship's officer flown to New Zealand

A seriously ill officer from the Royal Research was made at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole ship Bransfield was flown across Antarctica to Station where Mr Baker, whose condition was New Zealand for hospital treatment in a joint stable, was able to have a quick tour of the US-NZ mission on December 2 and 3 last station complex. season. To bring the chief officer, Mr Andrew By 1140 (local time) the Hercules was back Baker, to Christchurch a crew from the US at McMurdo Station, having flown more than Navy's VXE-6 Squadron flew a National 5800km on a mercy mission. There Mr Baker Science Foundation ski-equipped Hercules and Dr Ross were transferred to an RNZAF from McMurdo Station to the British Antarctic Hercules flown by Flight Lieutenant P. Survey's Halley Station on the Brunt Ice Shelf. Teutscher and Flying officer P. Tighe-Umbers. When the aircraft returned to Ross Island an The final leg of the mission of 3817km was RNZAF wheeled Hercules completed the mission. completed when the aircraft landed at On December 1, the NSF Headquarters in Christchurch International Airport at 9.35pm. Mr Baker was transferred to the Washington received a message from BAS in Christchurch Hospital soon after. Because of Cambridge asking for assistance to evacuate Mr Baker who was suffering from grand mal his condition and the need for regular seizures. At the time the Bransfield was medication the medical authorities dedded it operating in the Weddell Sea off the coast of would be better for him to return to England Coats Land and was still some distance from and he left Christchurch with Dr Ross on Halley. December 5 to be reunited with his parents Within 12 hours of the US senior in London by the end of the week. representative at McMurdo Station being notified of the mission the Hercules was on its way to Halley. The aircraft was flown by FOOTNOTE: This was not the first flight from Lieutenant C. R. McLachlan and his co-pilot Halley by a US Navy crew. On November 28, was Lieutenant S. Nutter. With them were two 1967, the base medical officer, Dr John navigators, an engineer, two loadmasters, the Brotherhood, was seriously injured when he squadron's flight surgeon, Dr Scott Campbell fell nine metres over a cliff in a white-out. His and a medical corpsman. companion on a one-day manhauling trip While the Hercules was on its way, having from the base escaped with a severely taken off at 2200 (local time) staff at Halley sprained ankle; Dr Brotherhood had two cleared a temporary runway about 1500m lumbar vertebrae fractured and also fractured long and marked it out with fuel drums. Mr facial bones. Baker and the ship's dodor, Dr Jonathan Two Hercules aircraft responded to the call Ross, had been transferred from the for assistance on December 5. They flew from Bransfield, now off the ice shelf. At Halley Mr McMurdo Station to Pole Station, and then Baker's condition was stabiished by on to Halley. One landed on the ice while the medication after he had suffered four seizures. other remained in the air drcling the base. Dr By 1711 (local time) on December 3 the Hercules was on the ice. It spent less than 20 Brotherhood was flown back to Christchurch minutes there. Mr Baker and Dr Ross were and admitted first to Burwood Hospital for quickly transferred to the aircraft which took plastic surgery on his fractured fadal bones. off at 1730 for McMurdo Station. A fuel stop He returned home in March. 474 Vol. 11 No. 11 Antarctic

USARP NSF announces contract for research ship

The National Science Foundation in Washington has recently announced the signing of a contract for the construction and ten-year leasing of a 300 foot research ship with icebreaking capability for use in the US Antarctic Program. It will be the first US flag vessel with icebreaking capability fully dedicated to research and able to operate year round in Antarctic waters.

Edison Chouest Offshore Inc, Galliano, costs, inducting the contrad, fuel, port charges Louisiana will build the vessel at its shipyard and other expenses have been estimated at in Larose, Louisiana, southwest of New $US11 million per year or $110 million for Orleans along the Gulf of Mexico. It is the ten year duration of the charter. The scheduled for delivery in January 1992. contrad, drawn up in compliance with The ship, designed to break up to three feet Administration and Congressional policy gives of ice at a speed of three knots, will be NSF the option to buy the ship for $US55 operated by a crew of 22 and support the million after ten years. research of 37 scientists on board. Six diesel The contrad with Edison Chouest is a engines, three directly driving each of two subcontrad entered into by ITT Antarctic propeller shafts through the gear box, will be Services, Inc (ANS) of Paramus, New Jersey. capable of generating 11,070 horsepower. ANS has been under contrad to the National Under normal low-speed cruising conditions Science Foundation for the past ten years to one or two engines will operate on each manage station facilities, construction, and propeller shaft. Duration will be 75 days and ship operations in Antarctica. ANS, NSF and operations will be supported by two four sdentists have worked together with a marine passenger helicopters. engineering company to define the technical One of the first projects, for which the ship requirements included in the bid for the will be used will be a study of the ocean contrad. In February, 1989 ANS, taking into processes in the western Weddell Sea, a account a congressional stipulation that US major source of bottom water for the world's shipyards receive spedal consideration, issued oceans. Sdentists from the US and Soviet a request for proposals to build the vessel. Six Antarctic programmes will work together to formal bids were received but the contrad was establish a base camp on the sea ice from awarded to Edison Chouest on technical merit which they will launch studies of ocean and price. circulation and climate. The ship will also be used in studies of the winter stages of the life cycles of krill, and other marine organisms, the effects of the annual melting of sea ice on marine productivity at the ice edge and the dynamics of the marine food chain. The cost of US $83.8 million will include a ten year charter, the contrad which covers food, accommodation, installation of winches and compressors and delivery to Punta Arenas in Chile which is expeded to be one of the vessel's home ports. Total operating 475 Vol. 11 No. 12 Antarctic Long term monitoring of Bahia Paraiso spill

When Argentina's supply vessel the Bahia Paraiso ran aground and subse quently sank on January 28, 1989 within sight of US Palmer Station, oil at first poured and then subsequently seeped from the vessl. It created the first report ed oil spill in a coastal environment in Antarctica. Because scientists cannot eas ily predict the long term effects on the area a number of projects were initiated this last season to assess the impact of the oil from the ship which by March 1990 was almost completely under water. (These will be detailed in a forth coming issue of Antarctic, but in the meantime for comparative purposes and continuing from our last issue we report on some of the results from the prelimi nary work undertaken on the spill.) Initially the National Sdence Foundation water seemed the most affeded; because co-ordinated a rapid-response research ocean water alternatively covers and un . team whose objectives were to identify and covers the intertidal or littoral zones as the determine the fate of hydrocarbon com tide changed organisms exposed before oil pounds and study the microbial degrada began to dissipate. Approx. 50 percent of tion of hydrocarbons, observe and record the limpets, an intertidal mollusc and major the response of the animal and plant biota food source for kelp gulls, died. Many to the spill. Seventeen sdentists from nine algal mats in the littoral zone also turned institutions spent most of February 1989 in brown and were dying. the area and began long term monitoring The initial impad on seabirds varied; programmes. only a few dead penguins and one dead The station has been a research site for shag were found near Palmer but most over 20 years; more than a dozen islands adult birds appeared to have been exposed provide breeding sites for seals and to ,fuel oil. Surveys on February 3 of all biologists have observed about 22 species rookeries indicated that 80 to 100 percent of birds and developed long-term data sets of birds exposed the degree, depending on for several of them and for their prey. how long slicks had been present. From Abundant macroaigae and invertebrate diet analysis researchers found that giant populations inhabit the intertidal and sub- petrels were feeding on a large number of tidal environments. penguins at sea. Because the diet was Immediately after the spill station per unusual for petrels it was suggested that sonnel colleded sea water and fuel sam those returning to sea from their nesting ples, intertidal macroaigae and invertebrate sites were affeded by fuel as they swam samples for hydrocarbon analysis in the through it. States. By February 4 the shorelines of all The effects of the spill on gulls, cor islands within a 2-3 mile radius — 3.2-5km morants and Wilson's storm petrels were — were affeded. less clear. They were exposed through William Fraser of the Point Reyes Bird feeding on krill which rose to the surface Observatory studying the avian population through the spill in Arthur Harbour. biology at the time of the spill reported in Monitored nests within the most heavily ter-tidal sites particularly those continuously affeded areas revealed that the average exposed to the spill for three or four days daily rate at which south polar skua chicks showed the first signs of ecological dam died increased by 400 percent after the age. Those that were level and had accident according to Zoe Eppley and shallow pools capable of holding oiled Margaret Rubega, biologists from the Uni-

476 Vol. 11 No. 12 Antarctic versity of California at Irvine. The number the hydrocarbon sources, establish how of deaths based on observations repre hydrocarbons were distributed in organism sented 48 percent of all egg and chick tissues, water and sediments and note deaths since January 1 and showed that changes in concentrations and composition the adults were affeded by exposure. It since the spill. He colleded samples at the was noted that they were not defending spill site and old and new Palmer Stations their nests leaving eggs and chicks vulner to determine the importance of hydrocar able to other adults and predatory birds. bon inputs in the area of Arthur Harbour. William Fraser and Ted Delaca, the He also observed that the spill had begun head of the Division of Polar Programmes to dissipate from the immediate station Polar Sdence section, sampled water, area. To identify fuel oil spilled from the sediments, limpets and macroaigae four ship and separate it from other hydrocar times at intertidal sites on several islands. bon inputs he sampled diesel and jet fuel Additional samples from the sites were as well as lubricating oil, present at the sta colleded for comparison by Mahlon Ken- tions and used on the Polar Duke. Divers nicutt, a hydrocarbon chemist from Texas colleded unaltered fluids from the Bahia A & M University participating in the rapid Paraiso for comparative purposes to help response and who sought to charaderise the scientist to develop molecular and

Definitions droplets transfer from a slick into solution during dissolution; however, this process Primary processes that degrade or affects only a small proportion of a spill disperse oil and fuel in the sea. and is not a significant factor in weather Drift, wind, surface currents, waves, and tides act together to spread petroleum ing. products from the moment that the spill Photo-oxidation: This process is most occurs until all of the spill is dissipated. likely the primary means by which oil or The thicker portions of a spill tend to fuel evaporate. move faster than the thinner portions; consequently these thicker portions will Emulslttcation: Water is incorporated into be at the leading edge of a spill. floating oil to form a viscous emulsion. Sometimes called a "mousse", it can con Evaporation: A primary way by which a tain between 20 and 80 percent water. spill is removed from the sea, evaporation is the dominant process immediately after Sedimentation organisms, which ingest oil a spill occurs and may remove as much as or fuel in the water column, deposit it as 50 percent of a spill from the sea surface. fecal matter in ocean-bottom sediments. Hydrocarbons, present in petroleum pro* ducts, change it from a liquid to a vapour Biodegradation: In fresh and ocean water phase. The rate at which evaporation oc certain organisms (bacteria, fungi and curs is controlled by wind velocity, water others) invest, metabolize and degrade by and air temperatures, sea roughness, and hydrocarbons contained in petroleum pro oil composition. ducts as part of their normal life pro cesses. How fast this happens and how Dispersion: As oil or fuel enters the sea much of a spill is affected by biodegrada water, it combines with the water and tion depends on the size of the population forms a dilute oil-in-water suspension. Al of microorganisms, the variety of species, though the maximum level of dispersion is the number of predators, the availability of reached usually soon after a spill, the pro cess continues for some time and can be oxygen and nutrients, water and air enhanced by chemical dispersants. By In temperatures, and the composition of the petroleum product. creasing the surface area of a spill, the oil or fuel degrades more quickly, and the Definitions based on material provided In impact to the environment is decreased. Van Nostrums Scientific Encyclopedia, Volume 2,1989 edition pages 2996-2999. Dissolution: Oil or fuel compounds or 477 Vol. 11 No. 12 Antarctic isotopic fingerprints for spilled fuel and Dunton and Larry Martin of the University enabling him to trace and identify of Texas Marine Science Institute who hydrocarbons found in Arthur Harbour. sampled fauna and algae at several loca tions in the exposed area and at a control Microbiology site some 10 miles northeast of the spill. Petroleum hydrocarbons introduced into Live benthic fish of several species were a marine environment are degraded caught near Palmer Station by Paul Grecay primarily by microbial and particularly by and returned frozen to the University of baderial metabolism. Hydrocarbon baderia Delaware for growth and reproduction to are common and the size of the population be studied by Timothy Targett. and extent of their metabolic activity gen Seabirds exposed to oil often develop erally refled the amount of hydrocarbon in anaemia and physiological disorders. Bar- an environment. If the waters are oil-free rie Todd sampled blood and colleded hydrocarbon-oxidizing baderia should con feathers from 52 birds in affeded areas stitute a small part of the total microbial and 55 from control areas. The samples, assemblage. height, weight and temperature measure Having colleded samples from depths of ments are being analysed by Michael Fry at less than 100 metres David Karl, a the University of California, Davis. biologist from the University of Hawaii Odavio Lescaro Palma of the University found that the rates of degradation were of Magallanes in Chile conduded water low and this is thought to refled the column hydrocarbon analyses while pristine conditions of the region. The Gustao Ferrerya and Viviana Alder of the highest rates were found in intertidal sedi Antarctic Institute of Argentina studied ments colleded from islands where the de benthic diatoms and characterised water- position of oil from the wreck was well column microzooplankton. Initial predic documented. Field data suggest that in the tions were that the watercolumn commu immediate area of the spill dispersal and nity should show little, if any long term evaporation were more important than effects, but because oil may persist in the microbial degradation but laboratory tests sediments the consequences for the ben were still to be completed. thic plant and invertebrate community are Langdon Quetin from the University of not clear. The effects on the seabirds will California, Santa Barbara, sampled plant take longer to assess. and animal communities at intertidal and The spill occurred for most species at the subtidal sites to depths of 20 metres. Three peak of chick growth when adults were sampling sites were established in areas foraging for food in an oiled area. Penguin where oil impaded and two, in areas free fledglings and adults swam through the oil of oil near Palmer Station. Each was map on their way out to sea. Anestimated ped and recorded on video and marked 30,000 birds would have come into con- for longer term monitoring. tad through feed, preening and swimming. Similar intertidal transects were con- Scientists working in the area this season duded at sites, which are now perma (1989-90) are hesitant about the effects of nently marked, by William Stockton of the the spill but from preliminary reports in University of California at Santa Cruz March 1990 it appears that the adult whose team were concentrating on inter penguin numbers are down about ten per tidal invertebrates and macroaigae. Their cent; cormorants are down about 45 per objective was to compare the benthic cent and gulls appear to be breeding more ecology in oil contaminated areas with slowly than usual. others not affeded. The effed of the spill on th photosyn "Antarctic" acknowledges material from Polly thesis and respiration rates of marine Penhale and Winnie Ruenig both of the National macroaigae and the impad on the near- Science Foundation and used in the preparation shore ecosystem was studied by kenneth of this article. 478 Antarctic Vol. 11 No. 12

ANARE ... continued from page 461 Windmill Islands map, which has now been completed; a 1:25,000 Larsemann Hills map, Major boost to also completed; a 1:10,000,000 scale pilot Antarctic Geographic Information System Mapping programme (completed, and the team are now starring work on a smaller Vestfold Hills New arrangements for the development environmental management map); and co-ordination of Australian mapping and 1:500,000 scale bathymetric map of the Prydz survey programmes were announced by the Bay region and around Heard Island, which Federal Government in March 1989. They should be completed later this year; three resulted in the formation of all Federal 1:1,000,000 scale maps of the Eastern Sedor mapping and survey agencies into the of the Australian Antarctic territory, which are Australian Survey and Land Information now available; maps for management of each Group (AUSLIG) and subsequently in the of the stations (work on which is still allocation of $A989,000 to Australia's underway); acquisition of SPOT and Landsat Antarctic division to develop and co-ordinate TM Imagery over areas not previously arrangements for surveys and the production available is still underway but the Larsemann of maps in the Australian Antarctic Territory, Hills, Fram Mountains and Windmill Island on Heard Island and, in conjunction with the sections have been completed along with a State of Tasmania, on Macquarie Island. 1:100,000 map of the Amery Iceshelf to the During the June 1989 to July 1990 Prince Charles Mountains. The development finandal year nine major projects were of a catalogue of satellite scenes of Antarctica initiated and are listed with their status as in to be available in Australia is also underway. March 1990. They were a 1:50,000 scale

New Zealand scientists work with ANARE

Two New Zealand sdentists have spent Both men have gained extensive most of the summer in East Antarctica experience in working at remote areas during working on a small island in the Vestfold Hills their dodoral research. Dr Carey, who area near the Australian base Davis. They are recently completed his dodorate on the Dr Peter Carey and Mr Colin Miskelly, of the behaviour of the New Zealand fur seal, spent Zoology Department, University of three summer periods each of three months Canterbury, who left Hobart in the second on Open Bay Island off the South Westland week of Odober on the first voyage of the coast near Haast. He made an Antarctic visit Icebird, and will return on the sixth voyage in the 1987-88 season with Dr W. Davison's early in March. team which was studying the respiratory Peter Carey and Colin Miskelly have been physiology of Antarctic fish, and later did funded by Australian National Antarctic research on skuas at Cape Bird. Research Expeditions (ANARE) to study the Colin Miskelly has spent six summers with influence of hatch interval on sibling rivalry University of Canterbury expeditions to the and parental reproductive success in Adelie sub-Antarctic Snares Islands, and is now penguins and South Polar skuas. They have completing his thesis on the breeding and spent three months on Warriner Island (68deg biology of the New Zealand snipe. He has also 37min S/77deg 54min E), which lies just off studied the Chatham Islands snipe to obtain the west side of Breidnes Peninsula, one of comparative data, and has spent some three main peninsulas which make up the periods on Open Bay Island with Dr Carey, Vestfold Hills on the Lars Christensen Coast who was on the Snares Islands for three of Wilkes Land. months in the 1983-84 summer. 479 Vol. 12 No. 11 Antarctic

Subantarctic Heard Island sealers' logbooks under scrutiny One subantarctic programme continued this captures, sometimes of bulls and cows but season has been based in Australia and should more usually in terms of barrels of oil. yield historic research which may be used for Mr Downes carried out archaeological work a publication and as baseline sdentific data. into the sealing industry which continued For some time Mr Maxwell Downes of the intermittently until the 1920s at Heard Island Game Conservation Centre in Foster, Vidoria during a visit in 1987-88. At that time a small has been compiling a bibliographic card-index excavation was made to uncover the system listing more than 50 vessels, 100 floorboards of a sealers' hut on the beach at voyages and the masters and crew known to Corinthian Bay while other investigations have visited or been in the vidnity of Heard induded the recording of surface artefacts and Island for sealing purposes between 1855 and assodated structures including try-works and 1882, the 27 years of most significant human a cooper's workshop which still contained bundles of barrel straps. A pit hut, three occupation on the island. Other log books, left by the sealers, are graves and the only complete oil barrel from known to exist in a range of archives, libraries the western end of the Island were found near and museums throughout Australia and the hut. Other historic sites were recorded and elsewhere; many have been microfilmed and still more may have to be borrowed from artefacts such as seal lances, a flensing tool, bottles and everyday tools were colleded for overseas. This year Mr Downes will extend the projed by visiting various organisations analysis in Australia and comparison with such items found on other sub-Antarctic islands. around Australia to examine the relevant Another sealers' camp at Oil Barrel Point was records. found to have been eroded by high seas which From the data which will be entered onto have uncovered sealers' oil barrels and a a computer for analysis, synthesis and number of pieces were colleded from along dissemination, he hopes to prepare a Elephant Spit. Evidence of a further hut was descriptive history of the period. It should also found on Skua Beach. reveal early statistics which will be useful for Significantly, during this work he found that ongoing research being undertaken on the records on the barrels which could be elephant seals by Australian sdentists and for located can be matched up with the logbooks CCAMLA. and are particularly accurate with regard to From comparison of data obtained on some ships. From the logbooks he should be Heard Island between 1949 and 1985 and a able to document the harvest, the various further census coriduded in 1987-88 scientists locations and the specific times so that the estimate that the number of elephant seal consequences of the activities can be better pups born has declined by approximately 60 assessed. percent. Although the level of 19th century The harsh environment of Heard Island sealing activities on the Island and its impad and the erosion make the archaeological work on breeding has never been fully established urgent and the compilation of data from the before, it is believed that the population is logbooks should help in piedng together the thought to have recovered from the earlier background of sealing activities in the area and severe decline in the 19th century when providing baseline data for current research. American oil-men plundered the colonies in the area. " The history of Macquarie Island has been written: The original figures exist only in the ships' Subantarctic Macquarie Island studies in Polar log books and often record the numbers of Research, March 1990. 480 Vol. 11 No. 12 Antarctic

Land ho!"

Let's anchor in that lagoon."

"Has anyone seen the snorkels? "They're over by the scuba tanks."

"Dave, if you're going to spend all day lying in the sun. you'd better put on some suntan lotion."

"Wasn't joining that luau with the villagers fun last night?" "Yeah...and what wonderful food!" "Have you seen Phifippa?" "I think we left her on the (' beach two islands ago." A

CREW FOR FUN ON OUR NEXT VOYAGE. (You don't even have to know how to sail.)

Contact: Lesley Reiter, Adventure Under Soil, PO Box 79, Annondole, NSW 2039 Tel: (02) 560 4035 Eye of the Wind ADVENTURE UNDER SAIL

481 Antarctic Vol. 11 No. 12

1990 International Trans-Antarctica Expedition Six men and their dogs complete crossing of Antarctica At 6.06am CST on Saturday March 3, 1990, Will Steger, Jean Louis Etienne and four companions skied with 29 dogs drawing three sledges under a "finish" banner erected by scientists at the Soviet station Mirnyy and celebrated with traditional Russian bread, salt and champagne. They had completed an unmechanised crossing of Antarctica on an east-west axis in 217 days. A television crew recorded their arrival for live transmission in the Soviet Union, France, Japan, Italy and Australia.

Leaving from Seal Nunataks on the Larsen preferences (Boyarsky is reputed to eat ice shelf in the north of the Antarctic anything); packed them into units and Peninsular on July 27 the men were beaten shipped them via France on a Soviet ship the in their quest to be the first to cross the Academic Federov to King George Island and continent without transport by 19 days by had them dropped in caches along most of Fuchs and Messner (see page 495) who man- the route they proposed to take across the hauled sledges, a shorter distance from the continent. They also established an "Antarctic Filchner ice shelf to Scott Base in 92 days. Institute" with an international educational The blue skies and temperatures of 9 deg programme. F (-12.8C) in which Steger (United States), On July 16 men and 42 dogs left Steger's Jean Louis Etienne (France), Geoff Somers wilderness dog breeding and training camp in (England), Vidory Boyarsky (Russia), Keizo Ely, Minnesota, expedition base where Funatsu (Japan) and Qin Dahe (China) left members had been running the dogs Seal Nunataks was a deceptive start to the 40km/25 miles a day for six days a week in hardships which lay ahead as they made the preparation for the expedition. Along with 28 first traverse of the Antarctic Peninsula Soviets (diplomats, pilots and mechanics), an through winter and early spring. ABC-TV crew, journalists from the United Mooted after Steger's dog team ran over States, France and Japan, the six expedition Etienne's ski tracks and the pair subsequently members, support crew, the huskies and met while trying to reach the North Pole in 4530kg/10,000 lbs of equipment they the summer of 1986, the start of the boarded a Soviet Illyushian 76 Aeroflot cargo expedition ended three years of planning and plane, making its first flight to the United intensive preparation with the hard work still States, at St Paul's airport in Minnesota and ahead of them. departed for Antarctica about 8pm. For the expedition they secured The plane, with its capacity of sponsorship to build a ship, the UAP for 40,000kg/88,000 lbs, was to have refuelled communications, some sdence and logistics; in Havana (Cuba), Lima (Peru), Buenos Aires seleded six members, each of a different (Argentina) and Rio Grande (Argentina) nationality; bred, begged, bought or borrowed before making its first landing in Antarctica, and trained three teams of dogs with others at Chilean Marsh airport on King George as backup; cross Greenland for practice; Island three days later. The flight was delayed negotiated customised clothing and due to the need to replace an engine in sponsorship from top outdoor design firms; Havana and took eight days instead. Two tested, seleded and in some cases built, their dogs — Apak and Godzilla — died in the heat equipment and compromised on high calorie during the extended layover. food packages with five different taste Arriving at Chilean Marsh Airport on the 482 Vol. 11 No. 12 Antarctic

24th, the expedition was transferred by tractor and sledge to temporary accommodation at the Chinese Great Wall Station. Then working d by Inte between the base and the airport it was , 1989. transferred in five flights by Twin Otter, The team chartered by Adventure International and piloted by Henry Perk, to its starting point on Six men, six different nationalities: The c the Peninsula some 320km/200 miles away. leaders — According to the programme schedule the Will Steger: born 27 August 1944, one six men and their dogs needed to cover eight children, traded his hockey skates f 40km/25 miles a day. Rising at 6 a.m. they l_of National Geographies at the r~ would breakfast, harness the dogs and pack ■hile growing up in the Twin Citi sledges between 7.45 a.m. and .8.30 when they would start to travel. After half an hour ■ boatedapolis theto St MississippiLouis with his brothGlacier, Lane Hills, Savin 81 studentsiles from to Duluth travel to withPoint Barrow dog i Nuntak, and Mt Rex, to a site near the Alaska, a trip which included 1500 mile abandoned Siple Station where they planned alone. In 1986 he led and completed a to be on October 8. From there they would unsupported assault on the North Pole wit proceed past the foot of the Ellsowrth dogs during which he met Etienne. Co-lead< Mountains and across the plateau to the Thiel and dog-handler. Mountains by November 9, the South Pole Jean-Louis Etienne: born 9 Decembt by November 23, across the Area of 1944, is known in France as "the doctor wb Inaccessibility to Vostock by January 28 and walked to the North Pole", during which h to Mirnyy by March 1. covered 736km/460 miles in 64 day« Prepacked 906kg/2000 lb supply boxes of Involved in nine major expeditions since 197 food and equipment had been laid out the ■~'e spent the last two years raising mone previous season by expedition member Geoff /erseeing the building of the expedition Somers working with pilot Giles Kershaw from is well as co-ordinating internation; an Adventure Network International Twin Drship and seledion of expeditio Otter. These would supplement the essential .jonnel. Prior to that he was crew doctc supplies the men carried with them. Each box n the French entry into the 1976 Tall Ship contained sufficient food for men and dogs ~nd in an around-the-world sailing rac for about two weeks with extra rations for ten 7-78. He has climbed in Patagonia, th days in case they could not travel. ayas and Greenland where he has als' The supplies were dropped between along the northwest coast. H. 240km/150 miles and 320km/200 miles onally practices medicine in Paris an< along the peninsula but later, on the plateau v,orth Pole and o where travel was expected to be easier, they der and dodc Antarctic Vol. 11 No. 12 were 480 to 640km/300-400 miles apart. Victor Boyarsky: . Those in the Area of Inaccessibility were laid is a member of the Sov_ during the latter part of the expedition and the Research Institute and has been involved i last five were placed by the Russians working rojects in the arctic and four in th out of their base at Vostock. ctic. He is a radio-glaciologist b Twenty five days into the expedition the ssion and was to oversee glaciologicj men had covered 394km/246 miles when three meteorological studies in Antarctic dogs from Somer's team broke through thin ice including ozone readings during th into a crevasse. Two could be lifted out but expedition. the third, Spinner, slipped from his harness onto Geoff Somers: born in the Sudan on 1' a ledge 7 metres/25 ft below and was rescued February 1950, spent 34 months working fc by Etienne. Like the others he was unhurt. the British Antarctic Survey as guide and do By the end of the 32nd day the team had handler before renewing his contract for covered 462km/289 miles and celebrated the further nine months. A carpenter in Keswic first of all six members' birthdays which would in the UK he has been involved with Outwari occur during the expedition! Steger turned 45. Bound in Africa and British Colombia. By September 10, the 46th day, they had covered 648km/405 miles and were tent Keizo Funatsu: born 19 November ^ Q^ bound by 150kmh/94 mph winds in met Steger while working as a dog tra temperatures of -40 degs C (-00 deg F). Voyageur Outward Bound School in E Conditions continued to be bad with high economics graduate from Kobe Unive winds, blowing snow and poor visibility. The Kobe, Japan, he has crossed the Sahara lack of progress caused concern and, with the Desert and the States by bicycle. He hopes need to conserve the strength of men and later to work with dogs in Japan. dogs, they decided to send out 15 (mostly) Qin Dahe: born 4 January 1947 of the younger tired dogs to rest and bring in degrees in geology and glaciology and three replacements. chief Division of Applied Physics in Sno Six of Funatsu's dogs (Caspa, Odin, Ice, vice chief of Division of Polar Glac Aukluk, Kuka, Kutan and Arrow), five (Buffy, at the Lanzhou Institute of Glaciology an Gordy, Chuchi, Junior and Tommy) from Geocryology, China Academy, Sinica. H Steger's team and Soda Pop, Kaviaq and has completed many years research in th Garret from Somers' teams were to go as well mountains of Tibet, China and work~" as Sawyer who went to Rothera as a gift to Antarctica with ANARE in 1983-84 i replenish breeding stock. In order to help China's Great Wall Station in 1987-8* make up the time they also despatched excess replaced Guo Xiao Gang, who suffe clothes, cameras, snow samples, stoves, food back injury and was unable to make t. boxes and other equipment and a tent leaving journey. Steger, Funatsu and Somers in one, Etienne, The dogs Boyarsky and Qin Dahe in the other. Keizo cut 1.14m/4.5 ft from his sled to save his Three teams of 12 dogs have been th dogs' energy. responsbility of Steger, Funatsu andSompr* The Twin Otter, on permanent standby in Forty two were chosen from 175, "be, Punta Arenas, Chile, now waited for the borrowed or bred" for the traverse; six i weather to clear and on the 64th day the remain in reserve during the expedition team, which hadn't seen the sky for ten days Great Wall Station on King George Islan travelled from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. making Over 15 years Steger has worked • 27.2km/17 miles in low visibility and producing what he calls "the Polar Hus conditions which also made communications a dog with "the spirit ofthe racer, the sfr with the outside world difficult. They planned of a sled hauler and the loyalty of a pet to travel towards a depot the following day three years, the dogs have been hi regardless of the weather but made only eight cement, rock, sand, wood and other su Vol. 11 No. 12 Antarctic km/five miles leaving them 24km/15 miles into the Homestead, Steger's remote from the food cache at Mt Vang with no food wilderness cabin in northern Minnesota. Last left for the dogs. The Twin Otter, piloted by year, they were enlisted by the US Forest Henry Perk, had by now reached Rothera, Service to haul 500 latrines into Boundary 600km/375 miles from where at 8.30 a.m. on Sunday October 1 it flew to the team with Waters Canoe Area campsites. They have three reserve dogs, Rex, Kinta and Razor, also crossed Greenland and hauled sledges extra food for all and mail for the men. It also for 40km/25 miles a day in low temperatures pinpointed the next depot and confirmed that for weeks before the departure of th it was buried deep in snow. On its return to on. Chile the plane was grounded at Jones ogs average 41kg/90 lbs each and Sound, eight km/five miles from its depot with two pilots and 15 dogs. 45-68kg/100-150 lbs. In Antarctica On the 66th day over a metre/three and •ould be fed on kg/2 lb blocks of a half feet of new fresh snow made trail concentrated food containing 5700 calories. breaking and travel impossible even though specially formulated by a company the weather was perfect; the plane remained \ng Pet Products and called Science grounded and in temperatures of between \durance. -5C/23 F and -10C/00 F they (ironically) wished for wind which would harden the The teams — snow and enable them to proceed to the depot beyond Mt Vang rather than waste time Steger's team: Sam (co-leader with Tim digging it out. The plane was still grounded. who was 2/3 wolf), Ray, Buffy, Panda, Zap At 2 p.m. on the 68th day the wind blew Jr, Hank, Yeager, Tommy, Chuchi, Bly, to 32kmh/20 mph, and providing no new Gordy; mostly Homestead dogs with some snow fell they planned to move the following leased from Krabloonik, a kennel in Colorado. day with Etienne, Boyarksy and Qin in front Gordy, Buffy, Panda and Zap biggest and breaking trail. The first of the three sleds, now strongest, also North Pole veterans Chuchi, lightly packed was pulled by five dogs, the second by nine and the third by ten; the Twin Hank and Yeager. Otter reached Rothera with the other 15 at Describing his team Steger says co-leaders 6 p.m. local time and waited again for the Tim is two-thirds wolf, and Sam is of weather to clear before making the five hour unknown parentage but adopted him while flight across the Drake Passage to Punta on the training run in Greenland, spending Arenas. '' ree days with the expedition before he could Fit but thin ix> harnessed. (Tim, aged seven, died in the By the end of the 70th day conditions had Antarctic and was one of three dogs lost by improved. The Twin Otter was back at Punta edition, the others being Godzilla and Arenas where a local vet declared the dogs 'ho died in Havanna). Gordy, Buffy, extremely fit but very thin. The team on the and Zap Jr ran closest to the sledge ice had occasionally seen the sun the day >vided the main power of the team. before when they had made 16km/10 miles progress, a distance doubled the next day in Funatsu's team: Bjorn, Kutan, Odin, visibility of 182m/600 ft at best, with winds Monty, Herbie, Roadan, Kuka, Arrow, of 72kmh/45 mph in temperatures of -23 deg Aukluk, Chinuk, Caspa; includes five C/-9F. On October 5 enormous sastrugi cut Greenland huskies teamed with Homestead their distance to ten km/six miles, and the dogs. visibility was too poor to send out trail breakers. Each sled was packed to be self Somers'team: Thule, Soda Pop, Spinner, sufficient in case of separation and Etienne, Sawyer, Huck, Chewbakie, Haviaq, Floppy, Qin and Boyarksy skied between them hoping to keep the drivers together but they separated numerous times. Antarctic Vol. 11 No. 12

The following day whiteout conditions made sastrugi impossible to see but they made 38.8km/18 miles progress after a delayed i made the entire trip. (Others, amo start because of high winds. By Odober 8 they arriving at Mirnyy are marked with had covered a further 88km/55 miles and asterisk.) saw the horizon and one bird. (Although it Sam", Razor, Buffy, Panda*, Zap J was of relatively little help they found visibility Hank", Yeager, Choochi, Bly*, Gore was better two to three metres/six to ten feet Rodan*, Kuka, Arrow, Chinook, Thul from the ground as the wind whipped up Soda Pop, Huck', Chewbakie*, Jocky slight surface snow into a cloud one to two Rex, Kinta, Tommy, Kaviak, Fuzz, and Pile metres from the surface; the blue sky and clear Odin, one of the five Scott Base hu«Tw view above meant that sextant readings could with the Trans-Antarctica expedition, h be taken from distant mountains and a his right front paw. On the way to the compass used on the ground to maintain Pole, which the expedition reache course.) December 11, his paw became infect _ Progress continued and a message on With several other huskies four-year-ol October 9 reported "Good day; dog, men iin was flown back to Punta Arenas, ~~ happy". They had covered 1224km/756 lego. There the paw was found t miles, but in comparing their route with d septic and amputation was neo satellite readings discovered they had veered len the expedition started its ll directly south and not sufficiently west. Their ley on July 27 from the Seal Nu compass had broken. e Larsen Ice Shelf, Odin was one The following night the men ate together Base dogs in the team driven bv, in one tent to discuss progress; they had . unatsu. His New Zealand companions w. averaged 33.6km/21 miles a day for the last Monty, Herbie, Caspa and Bjorn. week and 40km/25 miles per day over the last three days, light was increasing with only Food, clothing and 3-4 hours of dusk but their route needed equipment recalculating to allow them to coincide with od was calculated on 36 ounces arrival of food, fresh and rested dogs at the being consumed at breakfast being m, field camp at the Patriot Hills. f oatmeal and butter while a furi They resupplied from a cache at Mt Rex on Ituted lunch which included driec October 12. Just over a metre of snow chocolate and energy bars, and t covered the supplies which were dug out and ut butter (4 oz), soup (2 oz), cht loaded within an hour. A southwest wind of toodles, rice or potatoes (6 oz), andfo 16-24kmh/10 to 15 mph now replaced the es of pemmican, lard and shreddt north wind which had been at their backs and presented new difficulties with temperatures Ivantage was taken of new technoloi dropping suddenly creating a windchill factor » selection of "customised" clothing f of -65 to -68 deg F. Humidity made tent xpedition, which required breathabilii conditions damp and the men broke out an rproofness and warmth from the vario emergency tent so they could sleep two to a ents which would be worn during ti tent instead of three. The stoves were not uwu/e and more passive activities involved working well and on the 80th day no progress such travel. The three companies whi was made because of zero visibility. provided the clothing were also maj By October 16 they had made 1422km/889 sponsors ofthe expedition; one providing t, miles but were back in sastrugi. Within the next fabric, another the insulation and a third h few days the radio antenna, made brittle by design, manufacturing and expertise the cold, broke and radio contact ceased. Clothing included t Argos co-ordinates told headquarters in Punta pile jackets and pants, a w Arenas and St Paul that they should reach the Vol. 11 No. 12 Antarctic eighth cache just outside the abandoned base at Siple on Odober 20, 12 days later than originally planned. Inspired by the sight of the base in the distance they achieved a record removable liners and the others fingerl 49.6km/31 miles during the day to reach their cooking and other finer work. Special supplies. wool socks and mukluks were the . At 8 p.m. local time on November 7 the team footwear. Fabric booties were also pro\ reached the Patriot Hills base camp where for the dogs. The men travelled in pairs and, contr they took full advantage of the powerful 400 watt radio to call their families. Members popular opinion, they do not ride o. declared the day the best yet. They had attached sledges. Instead one leads while the i extra dog harnesses to the sled runners to slow thered to the back handle. Two them down as they descended an extremely were chosen, the Nansen bein in and the Eskimo komatik ma steep 182m/600 ft slope into Horshoe Valley Steger's Homestead. Each weighs abou through which they passed on the way to the lbs and is made of spruce or ash with p camp skiing around and between enormous ice runners, curved plastic handholds and i pinnacles. brakes. Twenty five pairs of we At 6 a.m. the following morning the DC-6 chartered from ANI arrived with ten dogs, a film luntry skis were included in the < o types of binding, one for mu crew, two Saudi scientists, Drs Ibrahim s other for ski boots. Four D Abdulhamid Alamand and Mustafa Omar on each sledge contained t Moammar who would later join the UAP for oceanographic research, and seven journalists. upplemented by smaller emergency Three days later, on the 107th day of the ■j and were equipment. used by Himalayanthe expedition i fo. expedition, the team left Patriot Hills at 9 a.m. accommodation while cooking was done oi with 24 dogs, eight per sled. Twelve of the 24 a small selection of white gas and other stoves. were replacements which had been resting in Punta Arenas for nearly a month. They were The ship Kuka, Tommy, Gordy, Kutan, Arrow, Choochi, Named the UAP, after an insuranci Aukluk, Jubak, Buffy, Sodapop, Zap Jr and company in France, the 36m/120 ft loni Kaviaq. The film crew travelled with them for vessel is 9m/30 ft wide and sleeps 20 two days but as progress was too slow, the Twin Powered by two 365 horsepower engine Otter was called in to take them out and bring with two masts it is capable of 14 kno in six further dogs for exchange. Its arrival at 3 motor and 20 under sale. It weighs 120 p.m. meant another short day for the expedition and can carry 30 tons of fuel. Spev members, now glad to have 30 dogs, reducing designed and built for the expedition it their immediate need to rely on air support. On France, the construction is based on Nansen': its return flight from Patriot Hills the DC-6 used idea of a walnut shaped hull which rides ut excess fuel and was diverted to King George on ice reducing the risk of being crushed. Thi Island to wait for extra supplies, a delay hull has been made of 16mm aluminium anc the ship incorporates modern radio aggravated by weather conditions. satellite equipment enabling it to kei Further worries constant touch with the expeditio. By November 13 the team on the ice had circumnavigated west and east Anta covered nearly 3000km/1312 miles and the while the crossing was underway DC-6 was still on King George Island. In undertake marine science research as w whiteout conditions, with falling snow, winds making ozone measurements. Later it w over 48kmh/30 mph and visibility of 18m/60 used for scientific expeditions '•"•*'""'•■ ft, the team made 75km/47 miles during the to the Arctic when it next two days through an area where the weather should have been good. A ship with Antarctic Vol. 11 No. 12 fuel left Punta Arenas for King George Island fuel the Twin Otters could not deliver to the Pole to refuel the DC-6 prior to it being flown back the necessary food supplies to be carried beyond to Chile for maintenance and returning to it or provide an emergency service if it was Patriot Hills to colled the journalists left at the required. camp. For the next two days (including American There was urgency now over the problems Thanksgiving) the men moved well, while with the DC-6 as it was required to lay the in Punta Arenas the DC-6 prepared to fly to last caches at the Pole and over the route Patriot Hills in a 14-hour round trip to colled between there and Vostok. The men and their the stranded journalists who had been waiting dogs had only 960km/600 miles to travel to for two weeks. To the disappointment of the reach the Pole. Sastrugi slowed them down team on the ice the DC-6 was unable to carry for the next few days and on Sunday as much Twin Otter fuel as expeded because November 19 they celebrated Keizo Funatsu's it travelled more slowly than antidpated, burnt 33rd birthday with Norweigan Salmon and more fuel and had to carry more of its own. Bordeaux wine contributed by Etienne. The Geoff s dog Thule came on heat and had to boat carrying fuel (crucial for the laying in of sleep close to the tent away from other dogs. extra supplies) to King George Island was 24 hours daylight turned back by 100 knot winds and a Twin Otter carrying half the fuel was despatched Now in 24 hours of daylight the team to King George Island and Patriot Hills with indicated by radio that they were only another destined to try and cross Drake 78km/49 miles from the Thiel Mountain food cache and considered travelling into "the Passage the following day. While the team made 40km/25 miles on night". In spite of the productive mileage the the 117th day in good weather and winds of conditions were rarely ideal with wind and constant sastrugi. Team members could rarely 16kmh/10 mph the journalists stranded by the delay with the DC-6, now undergoing stop for fear of losing sight of the other sleds. maintenance in Chile, remained at Patriot Radio contad was also persistently difficult Hills playing chess and backgammon to pass because of atmospheric conditions. The the time. One Twin Otter was based at the Soviets reported that summer temperatures were causing the runway to soften at camp for safety and rescue purposes, part of the expedition's policy of being independent Molydevsnya making the option of a of other nations in case of emergency. parachute drop at the Pole for the expedition's resupply unlikely. Adventure Network, who Thiel Mountains owned the ailing DC-6 and was under As the team neared the Thiel Mountains they contrad to the expedition, sought assistance rose in altitude from 450-900m/1500 to 3000 from the Chileans to drop fuel by parachute ft but as the peaks came into sight so more at Patriot Hills on November 30 and crevasses appeared in their path. At midday on December 20 to ease some of the pressure November 21 they were confronted by an ice to accomplish the eight flights required of their fall 72m/240 ft high and had to move far to the own DC-6 during the next month. west through further crevasses to pass it. An With radio contad impossible the Argos American C-130 flew overhead; they were reading told expedition headquarters that the 811km/507 miles from the South Pole. men had reached the Thiel Mountain depot That night the DC-6 landed in Punta Arenas around day 123 being Monday November 27 where support crew gave it a thorough and travelled 12.8km/eight miles beyond. mechanical check and recalculated payloads to Apparently they had only reloaded the sleds reduce the necessity of further unexpeded stops and not taken their planned day of rest. for fuel. By this time it was essential to have as According to the satellite reading they were much fuel as possible at Patriot Hills and at the now camped at the foot of the plateau and Pole if the aircraft was to be able to lay depots were likely to rest there to conserve strength between the South Pole and Vostok and not for a pull up to the Pole from 900m/3000 ft jeopardise the expedition. Moreover without the to 3000m/10,000 ft. Large crevasse fields 488 Vol. 11 No. 12 Antarctic and slick blue ice would have to be Sastrugi was constantly overturning the manoevered, and they were still 585km/366 sledges and everybody was bruised, but with miles from the Pole. light winds, mild temperatures and clear skies On November 29, with radio contad still during the afternoons overall progress was impossible the team sent a message reporting good. The Chilean Hercules dropped 35 good health and weather to Punta Arenas drums of fuel at Patriot Hills. On December Base camp through Bellingshausen Station on 8 the Twin Otter carrying the film crew made King George Island. The DC-6 made a fuel an unexplained landing in the Thiel flight carrying 19 barrels to the base camp and Mountains. December 9 was Etienne's 43rd intended to drop a further 40 the following birthday celebrated with pemmican and day but even this was less than one half of chocolate and the following day the film crew the total fuel required to transport the food reached the South Pole to wait for the team. caches between the Pole and Vostok and At 1 p.m. central standard time on maintain the Twin Otter for emergency December 11, 1989, the 1990 International rescue. The DC-6 would continue its flights Trans-Antarctica Expedition reached the and the Chileans were prepared to make a South Pole having travelled 3187.2km/1992 second drop. miles by dogsled. More than 100 sdentists and For the next few days radio contad workers greeted them along with the film remained impossible but news that the Soviet crew, the two Saudi sdentists and some sup Antarctic Expedition, Trans-Antarctica's port personnel flown in for the occasion. Their sponsoring organisation in the USSR, agreed arrival meant that Steger and Etienne joined to provide 12 tons of fuel at South Pole was an elite bunch of explorers to set foot on both welcomed. This would enable essential air poles, Steger having used dogs on both support to be provided for the expedition to occasions. Yeager and Hank, two of Steger's continue. Adventure Network had been dog team, had also reached both poles. unable to meet their commitment because of It was the first time since Amundsen mechanical trouble and weather conditions discovered the Pole on December 14, 1911 but with the Soviet fuel at the Pole and the that an expedition has reached the area using limited amounts at Patriot Hills, supplies and dogs. Messages of congratulations poured into a film crew would meet the team at the South expedition headquarters at St Paul and the Pole and place four food caches between men asked that a message be sent to the there and Vostok, from where food was heads of state of each nation they already in place having been left by Soviet represented. It stated that as they travelled Trador Trains. The standby Twin Otter could they had developed tremendous resped for also be based closer to the Pole to support both the natural elements and the continent's emergency operations. beauty seeing it as a great natural monument Sastrugi continued to make travel difficult providing a unique opportunity for peaceful but on December 5 the DC-6 was standing co-operation, sustained by the treaty leaving by at Punta Arenas to take fuel and the film it free of political boundaries and providing crew to the Patriot Hills from where the Twin an example of what can be achieved. "If we Otter would take them on to the Pole to await can work together, proted it from harm, use the team's arrival. it forever as a place of sdentific discovery and Headquarters at St Paul learned by tape international co-operation, we will have that one of the oldest dogs and a veteran of accomplished something important as a the north pole expedition, Tim, co-leader of civilisation. If we cannot, if we install political Steger's team had died during a severe storm boundaries and invite the world to mine and on Odober 20. He had been in difficulty and destroy Antarctica's beauty, we will not only had ridden on the sledge for several days prior have swung the balance dangerously toward to his death. self destruction, but will have signalled a lost Two hundred and thirty six km/148 miles hope for a dream that all mankind can work from the Pole radio contact was made. as one to save itself." 489 Antarctic Vol. 11 No. 12

Celebrations at the Pole were kept to a Progress reports over the next week only minimum. Camped away from the American gave distances, temperatures and recorded station on the far side of the runway, they move sastrugi although New Year greetings were photographed, filmed and interviewed were passed by satellite. between repairing gear, drying clothes, On January 26 the team asked that Argos reading their mail, learning about the readings be sent to the Trans-Antarctica earthquake in San Francisco, the opening of representatives in Leningrad and relayed via the Berlin Wall and finalising logistics for the INMARSAT to Vostok 532.2km/332 miles last sections of the expedition for which they away and with which they were in regular were 18 days behind the original schedule. contad. Apart from a day lost due to time Four days later, while precious film footage changes they covered about 41.6km/26 miles headed for prime time audiences in the States on average in dropping temperatures over the in the Twin Otter and DC-6, they set out next few weeks. Although the men had each towards the east coast of Antarctica to lost a little more than two kg/5 lbs the dogs complete the 6400km/4000 mile expedition, had developed magnificent coats and put on initially thought to be the first unmechanised weight. The temperatures continued to drop, crossing of the continent. By that time they and in addition to problems with visibility and were averaging 40km/25 miles a day and sastrugi they would now drop in altitude from hoped to finish the expedition on March 1 at 3450m/ll,500 ft at Vostok to sea level at the Soviet coastal base Mimyy. A French film Mirnyy and the area would be full of crew, still photographer and the camp crevasses. manager from Patriot Hills remained at the Pole to be picked up a few days later by Twin Navigation too was difficult and they were concerned not to pass Vostok in the poor Otter and flown back to the camp from where conditions. Communications were now being the DC-6 would return them to Chile on December 21. relayed to the station via Punta Arenas and The next stage for the expedition was to Bellingshausen. Boyarksy, who had led much of the way using a compass and creating a make the first crossing of the Area of track for the dogs to follow continued to lead. Inaccessibility on foot. It was last crossed in 1959 by a Soviet Expedition using tradors. Sunspot activity was further aggravating the The great distances and low temperatures already difficult communication problems but normally discourage visitors. by January 15 they were 40km/25 miles from Over the next month radio contad was Vostok and 1174km/734 miles from the difficult because of atmospheric conditions. Pole. The first resupply was made by Twin Otter on On January 18 the expedition arrived at the December 26 at which stage the team was Soviet Base. A simple message telephoned 410.4km/256.5 miles from the Pole with by Etienne using INMARSAT from Vostok to Cite de la Sdence, the Paris Sdence Museum, approximately 803km/502 miles to travel to Vostok. The agreed location for the drop was confirmed their arrival but gave no further 86 degrees but communication difficultires details. Later expedition headquarters heard meant that the team could not confirm their that they had been welcomed on the exad location and so they had built cairns at Thursday by fireworks and 40 sdentists, many lunch times and in the evenings every of whom knew Boyarsky. Celebrations 16km/ten miles since they left the Pole. Hying included bread dipped in salt and Russian low and following the cairns, the plane located champagne followed by a sauna and a them at 2 a.m. on Wednesday 27 and having shower. Steger removed his clothes for the delivered supplies spent several hours with first time in 167 days. A small party with a them. They requested another drop at 82 four person rock and roll band using makeshift degrees south instead of exercising the plan instruments incuding a can filled with sand made at the Pole to travel light and have four and a plastic bucket made into a drum was resupplies. held on the Friday night. In spite of all 490 Vol. 11 No. 12 Antarctic precautions Thule, one of Somers' dogs, gave for dinner. The dried soup mutes were used birth to four puppies which died. to spice up the meal which usually became From Vostok the Soviets were responsible a casserole. Each member was eating 4700 for all logistical support of the expedition calories per day. planned at that stage to finish on March 3 Over the next few days cloud cover instead of March 4. ensured warmer temperatures and by Sunday At 8 a.m. (local time and 13 hours ahead February 11 they were in regular contad with of CST) on Monday January 22 the the Soviet base at Mirnyy. With messages expedition left Vostok travelling 46.4km/29 relayed to Paris, St Paul and Leningrad they miles that day and 49.6km/31 miles the plotted strategy for the last days of the following day. In total they had covered expedition as ice conditions at Mirnyy 4497km/2811.5 miles and had 1264km/790 necessitated an increase in progress and miles to finish. It was the 182nd day on the stormy weather and bad conditions were likely trail. Two days later tent partners changed and to prevail closer to the coast. Somers and Boyarksy shared one, Qin and A few hours of darkness was a constant Keizo shared a second, and Steger and reminder that winter was approaching and Etienne the third. Twenty four and 40km/25 while the team estimated another two and a miles were covered over each of the next days half weeks of travel, a Soviet freighter the but temperatures had dropped three degrees Professor Zubov carrying journalists, in two days and were still dropping. The expedition staff and portable live broadcast expedition was radng winter. They were equipment was nearing the coast of Antarctica 340km/213 miles from Vostok with through heavy ice. An icebreaker was 1019km/637 miles to travel. expeded to come out from Mirnyy and would By 3 p.m. local time on Friday February spend several days breaking a path to the 2 the team had reached their first cache left freighter. at the then uninhabited Soviet scientific base The end of the journey was not without Komosomolskaya and relayed a message to inddent. Just 25.6km/16m from Mirnyy the Mirnyy stating that they had travelled team was lashed by a storm with winds of 550km/334 miles in just 11 and a half days. 116/73mph. In whiteout conditions Funatsu Temperatures were between -39C/-38 F left his tent and when he had not returned and -45C/-49 F and Steger feared the after two hours others in the team roped up runners would freeze making the sledges to search for him. A few feet from the tent difficult to control. As it was, writing diaries he had become disoriented by the lack of and preparing food had been undertaken with visibility and scooped a hole in the snow for great difficulty for much of the expedition. shelter. He was not found for 14 hours. Steger reported that he had to warm his pen and the pages of his diary to drive away Boyarsky, who had skied in front of the other men and their dogs for much of the moisture so that the ink would dry and after expedition, led the team into Mimyy, followed only four or five sentences he would be troubled again. Sleeping bags, recorded by Steger, Somers and Qin, Etienne and Funatsu. From Mirnyy they sailed on the Somers, were hard and stiff with ice. The Professor Zubov for Freemantle on March 16 stove, plates and food was all frozen, as were and from there would be flown back to the clothes each morning. states via Paris and London arriving at St Paul Early in February satellite reports indicated on March 23. The dogs, accompanied by Bob drifting snow, winds of 36km/20 miles an McKerrow and other members of the support hour, visibility of 100m/328 ft and cold. By team were flown directly back to St Paul. tape Steger had reported that for 197 days they had eaten oatmeal for breakfast, dried fruits, chocolate and nuts for lunch and a "Antarctic" acknowledge assistance from expedition combination of pemmican (dried meat and headquarters at St Paul, Minneapolis and New fat), noodles, potatoes or pasta and cheese Zealand agents Bob McKerrow with this article. 491 Antarctic Vol. 11 No. 12

Greenpeace Two voyages in environmental organisation's fifth Antarctic Expedition Greenpeace's fifth Antarctic expedition is made up of two voyages during which members will visit 28 bases belonging to 17 different countries as well as five abandoned whaling stations. The first part of the expedition has taken the team to the Antarctic Peninsula area and the second to the Ross Sea region. They are seeking to document existing and potential environmental problems; call for Antarctica's complete protection as a World Park including a ban on all minerals activities. Other issues concerning the organisation are the overfishing of finfish stocks, several species have been depleted to near extinction; prospecting activities which they claim are being undertaken in violation of a voluntary moratorium on minerals activities, and improper waste disposal methods. Greenpeace also claims that increasing by Kremer Sohn, Elsmhom Saksan Lt in West numbers of bases, tourist fadlities and hard- Germany and is registered in the Netherlands rock airstrips are creating cumulative impacts as a sea-going yacht. which are unacceptable in the Antarctic In the 12 weeks following the transfer of environment as they are destroying the ownership, and during the summer of 1988, wilderness. World Park status involves the ship's cement tanks were removed and complete protection for all wildlife on and cargo stowage areas created. Additional around the continent which should remain a workshops and accommodation were added. wilderness area. There should be co-operation An internal sewage treatment plant, installed between sdentists of ail nations; the Antarctic by Greenpeace, and storage facilities handle should be a zone of peace, free of nudear and all non-organic waste, including chemicals other weapons and all military activity. used in the onboard photolab. Once in the Greenpeace believes that minerals activities Antarctic all organic waste is stored on board are totally incompatible with such principles until the first port of call has been reached and that the causes of disarmament, scientific outside Antarctica. The ship also has an oily co-operation, wildlife and wilderness are water separater. Waste oil is stored for better served with protection than disposal at the end of each leg of the exploitation. expedition. The ship carries spedal equipment For the second year the expedition has designed to provide assistance should oil spills used MV Gondwana, a 61.2 metre polar occur. A helicopter pad and hangar facilities supply ship, purchased in 1988. It replaced can accommodate the ship's two Hughes MV Greenpeace now being used to support 500D machines. Small inflatable boats are the organisation's activities in the Pacific and carried on the vessel which can communicate North Atlantic. The new vessel is named after with the outside world through a satellite the continent that existed over 135 million communication system, Inmarsat. years ago when South America, Africa, India, Arne Sorensen of Denmark is captain for Australia and New Zealand were conneded both legs of the expedition. This is his second to Antarctica through "Gondwanaland". MV trip south for Greenpeace after he succeeded Gondwana is 1,435 tons gross, 430 tons net Captain Jim Cottier. The first mate is Ken and carries an ice classifaction of DNV -1A1 Ballard of United Kingdom while Albert Ice IB. She is equipped with twin propellors Kuiken of the Netherlands was second mate and a bow thruster. The ship was built in 1975 and David Iggledon of Australia was third 492 Vol. 11 No. 12 Antarctic mate. Chief engineer Ron Johnstone of New Naoko Funahashi of Japan and Stuart Zealand was assisted by Michael Zehnpfennig Franklin from the United Kingdom who of West Germany, Robert Willighagen of represented the Magnus Agency. Netherlands and Nolan Loveridge also of New MV Gondwana departed Auckland Zealand. John Pirie (New Zealand) served as Tuesday 26 September, 1989 at 2.30 pm on the ship's electrician for the first leg and was the first leg of its 1989-90 programme, replaced by Gordon Huckin (New Zealand) arriving in Ushuaia for resupply on Odober on the second leg. Ian Balmer of Australia is 17. While crossing the Southern Ocean the radio operator. Merriann Bell of the scientists conduded several research projects United States and Martin Freimuller of including the monitoring of pollution levels in Switzerland cooked on the first leg, while zooplankton; studying the occurrence and Sarah Mcnab of New Zealand and Angelika distribution of plastics in the marine Klausbruckner (Austria) assisted Merriann Bell environment and recording whale sightings. on the second leg. Angelika also worked on Meteorological data is also being gathered the deck during the second leg along with throughout the expedition. Werner Stachl of Austria and Bas Beentjes of Journalists Sven Boerjesson (Sweden) and Netherlands who replaced Shaun Naylor of Stefano Ardito (Italy) joined the ship which the United Kingdom and Hamid van left two days later for seven weeks in the Lohuizen (Netherlands) who assisted on deck Antarctic Peninsula region. Being further north than most of the continent it has a during the first leg. The ship's dodor, Cornelius van Dorp of New Zealand, longer ice-free summer season and milder weather. complemented deck operations throughout both voyages. Joan Drum of New Zealand Abandoned bases also worked on deck during the second Between 22 and 24 October the voyage. Gondwana spent two days at Deception Dave Walley (United Kingdom) was chief Island visiting the abandoned UK, Argentinian pilot during the first voyage and was replaced and Chilean bases as well as a disused by Garry Dukes of Australia for the second. Norwegian whaling station. The team spent Garry was assisted by Pierrette Paroz of two days inspecting and documenting the Switzerland while Garth Smith of New continuing human impad resulting from the Zealand served as mechanic. whaling and the scientific stations which were The expedition's campaign co-ordinator is abandoned after a volcanic eruption in 1968. Maj de Poorter of Belgium. Other (Greenpeace considers that bases no longer campaigners on the first leg included Athel useful should be removed and the sites van Koettlitz of the United Kingdom, Andrea restored as much as possible; should they be Figari from Argentina and Vicky Getz from declared historical, environmental hazards the United States. Campaign sdentist was should be removed and structural repairs and Grant Harper from New Zealand and the regular maintenance undertaken.) translator was Jackeline Haydn also from New On the 24th she reached Livingston Island Zealand. The photographer, Robin Culley, and visited Spain's King Juan Carlos 1 Base came from the United Kingdom while the before moving onto King George Island for camera crew comprised Pino Gorin of the six days of visits. One of the most accessible Netherlands, and a sound recordist. areas of the Antarctic, the island has been a Maj de Poorter also co-ordinated the popular site for Antarctic Treaty aspirants to second leg, assisted by Irmi Mussack of West locate new bases; it is now overcrowded and Germany and back-up base leader Andrew scientific programmes duplicated, according Henderson of Australia. The photographer to the organisation. was Mike Midgley of the United Kingdom and Greenpeace first visited King George Island the Swedish film crew was Lars Gustaffson in 1988 and claim to have observed open on camera and Magnus Persson on sound. burning of garbage and plastics prohibited by The two journalists on the second leg were the Treaty regulations, dumping of wastes and 493 Antarctic Vol. 11 No. 12 disturbance of wildlife. During their visits to resupplied for the return voyage to Auckland. Bellinghausen (USSR), Jubany (Argentina), Expedition co-ordinator Maj de Poorter and King Sejong (South Korea), Teniente Marsh first mate Ken Ballard flew back to New (Chile), Artiga (Uruguay), Great Wall (China), Zealand to prepare for the second leg of the Ferraz (Brazil), Arctowski (Poland), Macchu expedition while Greenpeace's Latin Picchu (Peru) and the Ecuadorian Refuge American campaigner, Andrea Figari, and sdentists re-examined the bases; monitored campaigners Athol van Koetlitz and Jackie base soils, effluents and sediments and further Haydn also left the ship as did the investigated developments on the island. photographers and journalists. From there they went to Palmer Station Return to NZ during which expedition members examined the wreck of the Bahia Paraiso before going Departing Ushuaia on December 4 the ship on to old Palmer. During the next few days returned to New Zealand for its 1990 resupply of Greenpeace's World Park base on Ross they visited Faraday (UK), Rothera (UK) and the first of two Argentine bases, San Martin, Island and visits to several additional bases in which Gondwana reached on approximately the Ross Sea area. Between Ushuaia and 10 November. Auckland scientists on board conduded a seabird sighting programme, and continued Subsequent visits were made to the abandoned Argentine Almirante Brown and zooplankton, pelagic litter and whale research Chile's Gonzalez Videla before moving on to programmes initiated earlier. After ten days in Auckland to reprovision Esperanza and Marambio (both Argentintian). Marambio was established in 1969 by the the ship, change personnel and prepare for resupply of the World Park base in the Ross Argentine airforce which was responsible for Sea region, MV Gondwana left Lyttelton for running the station until 1989. It is located on the Ross Sea two days later. Shipboard Seymour Island, 250 metres above sea level sdentific programmes were expanded with the and resupplied by C-130 Hercules aircraft addition of atmospheric measurements of using the 1300 metre hardrock airstrip. On 29 March 1989 fire destroyed three buildings pesticides and mercury. Both are being carried out in conjunction with other scientists; which are being rebuilt one per summer Professor Terry Dibleman (pesticides) of season. South Carolina and Dr Steve de Mora The expedition then moved on to the South Orkneys and the four abandoned (mercury) of Auckland. whaling stations on South Georgia, calling in Base re-supply at the United Kingdom's Signy Base for the The main purpose of the second leg first time. Previous visitors to South Georgia (underway as Antarctic goes to press) is to have claimed that the whaling stations are resupply the World Park Base, established in leaking oil which is said to have adversely January 1987 at Cape Evans on Ross Island. affeded local wildlife. Sightings of krill swarms The current wintering team led by Bruno and crabeater seals were recorded by sdentists Klausbruckner of Austria comprises base on board the Gondwana; vessels fishing for medical officer Lilian Hansen of Denmark, krill or finfish were closely monitored. base scientist Elizabeth Can- of the United Greenpeace last visited the Antarctic States and radio engineer Phil Dougherty of Peninsula in March 1988 and at that time New Zealand. They will be replaced by Marc inspeded more than 20 bases of 11 different Defourneaux of the United States as leader, nations, including Chinese, Chilean, Ricardo Roura of Argentina as scientist and Argentine, British, American, Polish, Marcus Riederer of Switzerland as radio Brazilian, South Korean, Soviet Union, engineer. Lilian Hansen is to stay on for a Uruguayan and Spanish. On this voyage the second winter. The new team has spent three team visited 14 bases of 23 nations. months training in New Zealand for their MV Gondwana left the Peninsula region in season in isolation on the ice. late November and, returning to Ushuaia, No major construction work at World Park 494 Vol. 11 No. 12

Base is anticipated but some modifications are The expedition will also visit the Italian base being carried out. The base fuel depot is to at Terra Nova Bay last seen in 1986-87 and be temporarily removed and a new platform the French station Dumont D'Urville. Last erected to reduce the possibility of snow and season this station was the site of Greenpeace ice buildup and spills. During the 1987/88 protests primarily against the construction of season a renewable energy project was a hardrock airstrip which affects the habitat initiated and a 600w solar panel and a 2 kW of five species of seabirds. Greenpeace claims wind generator were installed. that the breeding sites of over 6,000 Adelie Utilisation of such renewable low impact penguins, 500 snow petrels, 500 Wilson storm petrels and 600 Cape pigeons are being energy systems will be further explored by destroyed. Additionally, the airstrip crosses a Greenpeace. All waste produced during the major migration route of emperor penguins year, with the exception of grey water, is to to their breeding colony. A relocation be returned to New Zealand. The base's grey water system is filtered to reduce impact on programme for the affeded birds was put into effect last season and the success of this will the local environment. be monitored during the visit when Visits will be made to nearby American Greenpeace will again appeal to the French McMurdo Station and New Zealand's Scott to stop construdion. They will also be looking Base. Greenpeace has been carrying out at waste disposal methods practiced at the human impact studies in the region, including base. a programme of sampling and analysing The expedition plans to return to New water, soils and air. Zealand in mid March. First walk across Antarctica completed Italy's most famous mountaineer, Reinhold Messner, and a West German climber, Arved Fuchs, have become the first men to walk across Antarctica. They arrived at Scott Base on February 12, ending a 2500 km journey recognised in Europe as an outstan' which took 92 days and began on November climber and is also known intern 13 last year. for his remarkable ascents of Mt. Messner and Fuchs needed air support to In 1978 he and Peter Mabelar m get them to their starting point but they had first ascent without oxygen. He i* only two resupply depots and carried no in 1980 to make a solo ascen radios. An Argos satellite system enabled the t oxygen. In past years he expedition's co-ordinators and the West d all 14 of the 8000m peaks German sponsors — the toolmaking firm of I countries, and also Antarctic Wurth and the magazine "Der Speigel" — to t peak, the Vinson Massif, keep track of their movements. 'ed Fuchs, aged 36, has skied acr Adventure Network International flew Messner and Fuchs with their two small land, reached the North Magnt . n the Canadian Arctic, climbed .... sledges and gear by Twin Otter from the company's camp at the Patriot Hills (80deg, Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, and 19min S/81deg, 20min W) to the starting d round Cape Horn in wi"** point at the edge of the Ronne Ice Shelf ist year, he was one of eii (76deg 30min S/61deg OOmin W). ANI also seven countries led by put in depots for the team at its camp in the Thiel Mountains and the South Pole. Using cross country skis and pulling their sledges Messner and Fuchs headed for the Antarctic Vol. 11 No. 12

Thiel Mountains. Each man carried two by way of the Mill Glacier (85deg 19min sails with areas of 10 and 12 square metres S/168deg 30min E) without any to take advantage of strong or weak winds problems. But the most dangerous part of but these were no help when they the expedition lay ahead. encountered difficult fields of sastrugi There were obstacles all the way — varying in size from 20 cm to 150 cm. crevasse fields and ice falls, which forced Their struggle with the sastrugi lasted the team to make many detours and more than six weeks, and continued for exercise the utmost care. The weather most of the first half of the journey. There created more difficulties, and, at the were times when they wondered if the entrance to the Beardmore, the two men persistent obstacles would make the were pinned down in their tent for 24 crossing impossible, but their first goal, the hours until the weather improved. United States Amundsen-Scott South Pole Whiteout conditions and wet made snow Station, was reached on December 31 and travel at this stage very uncomfortable. the achievement lifted their spirits enough By January 29 Messner and Fuchs were to keep on south. "When the New Zealanders met the team on On January 3 Messner and Fuchs began the ice shelf Mr Macfarlane welcomed them and the second stage of their journey which gave Messner (left) a letter which explained the included the 200 km descent of the mighty arrangements made on their behalf. They also Beardmore Glacier to the Ross Ice Shelf. received their passports. Fuchs on the right. They reached the head of the Beardmore Photo — Josie McNee

.^"^ Vol. 11 No. 12 Antarctic on the Ross Ice Shelf at 83deg 30min to record the historic occasion for television S/170deg E with less than 650km to go. The and newspapers. weather was in their favour; they had the wind When the New Zealanders met the team behind them, and the sails helped to eat up out on the ice shelf Mr Macfarlane welcomed the distance. By February 1 they were at them and gave Messner a letter which 82deg 52min S and going well. explained the arrangements made on their Before Messner and Fuchs left the South behalf. They also received their passports. Pole they were unaware of plans that were Then sledges and equipment were loaded on the vehicle and the pair finished the 92nd day being made for them to stay at Scott Base of their journey by riding 16km in comparative before they were brought back to New comfort to Scott Base. They arrived about Zealand. Arrangements were made by the 7.30 p.m. local time and for the first time in New Zealand Antarctic Research programme three months, had a table to eat on and beds and the Italian Antarctic programme for the to sleep in. team to be picked up by helicopter and flown Their stay at Scott Base was shorter than to the Italian station in Terra Nova Bay where expeded. On February 13 the poor weather the support ship Barken was scheduled to at Terra Nova Bay cleared and the Italians depart for Lyttelton on February 19. About were able to send two of the four Aerospace 2 p.m. local time on February 12 Mr Malcolm Squirrel helicopters chartered from Macfarlane, senior New Zealand Helicopters (NZ) Ltd south to pick up the two representative in Antarctica, left Scott Base men and their sledges and equipment. The to meet Messner and Fuchs. With him, in the party left about 7 p.m. for Baia Terra Nova tracked vehide, were Mr Tony Oskam, winter and the Barken. At 8 p.m. on February 19 base engineer, and Miss Josie McNee, the ship departed for Lyttelton where tt arrived summer public relations officer, who was there on February 28. Women's international ski expedition planned Women from five nations — the United Before the trek Metelitsa made nine self- States, Japan, France, China and Australia supporting high-latitude expeditions in the have been invited to take part in an Arctic. It first became known to the international women's ski expedition which international polar community in 1969 when will travel 1300km from the Soviet Vostock it made a 33-day journey of 2,600km from Station'to the American Amundsen-Scott the Soviet Union to northern Finland by way South Pole Station between December 1 and of Moscow, Tornio, Leningrad, Turku, February 1 1991. The expedition is not a Helsinki and Tampere. Results of the team's private sports projed; it has been organised studies have since been used in exploration by a women's organisation called Metelitsa of outer space and polar medicine. which has done medical, biological and The detachment conduded medical and psycho-physiological studies in high latitudes psychological studies of the female body's for the Soviet Ministry of Health Protection adaptation to extreme conditions of long and the Academy of Sciences. sodal isolation, tested equipment and evolved In the 1988-89 season a Metelitsa polar a tactic of ice walks for Antarctica. Its members team was part of the 34th Soviet Antarctic were drawn from Metelitsa women's polar Research Expedition. Between December 7 team which includes physicians, and February 8 nine women skied 1212km psychologists, engineers, radio operators and from Mirny Station on the Queen Mary Coast others. of Wilkes Land to Vostock. They were in the Co-sponsors of the Metelitsa expedition field for 64 days and spent 56 nights in next summer are the All-Union Central unheated tents at temperatures as low as Coundl of Trade Unions; All-Union Council minus 50deg Celsius. of the Trade Union Voluntary Sports Sodety; 497 Antarctic Vol. 11 No. 12 the Soviet State Committee for programme. Its prime aim was to study the Hydrometeorology; Soviet Women's basic general and individual phenoma of Committee; Soviet Peace Fund; Soviet psycho-physiological adaption of women's Culture Foundation, "Rabotnitsa" magazine organisms in the course of a long ski trek in and others. Among the organisations which conditions of marked psychological and will participate in carrying out the research physical strain. Research was also carried out programme are; Institute of Medical and into the condition of the endocrine system, Biological Problems; Immunoprophylaxis energy metabolism, the lipid spectrum of Centre; Institute of Biophysics; Institute of blood and peroxide oxidation of lips and Clinical and Experimental Medicine of the plastic processes. Siberian Department of the Sodety Academy This summer's expedition will continue the of Medical Sdences; Moscow 1st Medical medical and biological studies in the same Institute; and the Arctic and Antarctic fields. It also plans to carry out meteorological Research Institute, Leningrad. and geophysical research. Logistic support will Last season's principal task was to prepare be provided by a Kharkovchanka tracked for the international expedition which has been timed to coincide with the 30th cross-country vehicle. It will have a special anniversary of the Antarctic Treaty. The aim compartment for sdentific experiments where is to draw national sdentific and political research equipment can be kept warm. communities into continued future Representatives of the five other nations will international co-operation in Antarctica, be included in the expedition if they have the promote friendship and understanding among appropriate level of professional and physical peoples, and proclaim the cause of training and, desirably, experience in polar environmental protection. regions. Foreign sponsors will be invited to Psycho-physiological research carried out provide partidpants with dothing, sports gear, during the 1212km trek last summer was of food, medidnes, medical and research particular interest in the 1988-89 medical equipment and film and still cameras. .. books and videos The Loneliest Mountain Text by Lincoln Hall, photographs Jonathan Chester. Simon Schuster, Sydney, 1989. 232 pages, 177 colour photographs, maps, diagrams, large format. The reviewer is Colin Monteath of Christchurch.

The Loneliest Mountain is an Antarctic Polar yachting is for the brave. When the Story of commitment. Commitment to an Allan and Vi Thistlewayte limped into independent expedition that took Sydney Lyttelton in March 1988 (unable to reach climber Greg Mortimer two years to pull home port Sydney) after a severe thrashing together — commitment to a voyage to North in the northern Ross Sea, you could tell by Vidoria Land in a schooner that had the harrowed look on the faces of the 11 previously proven itself to be ill-fitted for sailing expedition members that it had been a serious in the Southern Ocean — commitment to the last-resort dedsion to venture south on this inhuman sport of man-hauling 150 kilometres vessel. Three ofthe crew, Jonathan Chester, inland from Cape Hallett to the virgin 4000 skipper Don Richards and veteran polar metre Mt. Minto and in finally standing on the yachtsman Colin Putt (sailed with Tilman to summit in a bitter wind with the press of winter Greenland and Heard Island) had crowding in on them, a commitment to experienced the contemptible, irasdble nature making a statement in support of the concept of the Thistlewayte before, when they were of World Park Antarctica. associated with the Australian Projed Blizzard 498 Vol. 11 No. 12 Antarctic voyages to Mawson's Hut in the same group struggling to keep things in balance in Oceanic Research Foundation vessel, then a big mountain environment. named Dick Smith Explorer. (Ref. Jonathan I would, however, have thought a book of Chester's award winning book 'Going to this nature could have given more cognizance extremes — Projed Blizzard and Australia's of the many peaks climbed in North Vidoria Antarctic Heritage' — Doubleday 1986.) Back Land since the early 1960's, often by remote in 1985, Minto expedition member Peter Gill, sledging parties with no further support a descendant of James Clark Ross, had sailed beyond their air put-in from Ross Island. to Cape Hallett in an even smaller vessel, the Some sections of the text seemed a little 15 metre yawl Riquita. See what I mean about padded out, possibly in an attempt to fill up commitment! the 'coffee table' nature of the format. This And yet, this expedition came together is possibly an unfair criticism from one who beautifully — a credit, in no small measure, knew most of the details of the expedition to Greg's past Antarctic experience as a prior to reading the book. On the whole geologist in Vidoria Land (with NZARP, Loneliest Mountain is a ripping good yam. GANOVEX), to his skills as a crafty and Once again, Jonathan Chester's determined Himalayan alpinist (new routes photographs prove the value in having a Annapurna 11, Everest) and above all to his leadership in the field. At the outset, Greg's highly motivated, skilled adventure shrewd judgment of charader in choosing photographer on a projed like this. Polar team members proved vital to success. expeditions are expensive affairs requiring Compare the harmony and unity of purpose professional commitment (there's that word of the Minto team with the chaos of David again) to sponsors or prospective publishers, Lewis's winter in the Rauer Islands near Davis in producing the quality images displayed in Station in the same vessel. (Ref. 'Icebound this book, while under considerable stress in Antarctica' David Lewis/Mimi George — himself, Jonathan has dearly mastered the art Heineman, Australia 1987.) of expedition photography. (Look for his new book 'The Himalayan Experience', soon to be Diary account released by Simon and Schuster.) Lincoln Hall's 'Loneliest Mountain' is a well- The Loneliest Mountain has well drawn written diary account of the expedition. maps. The appendices provide a detailed Lincoln's writing style, brought out in his first source of information to those contemplating book 'White Limbo — The first Australian any sort of venture in Antarctica — Climb of Mt Everest' Weldon, Sydney 1985, 'Organising Antarctic Expeditions, is developed and improved in this narrative. Equipment, Food, Medical Considerations, While capturing the action and seriousness of Stills Photography, Cinematography (camera their undertaking Lincoln has retained a highly and sound recording equipment), Sailing the personal touch in dealing with both his own Southern Ocean, Radio Communications and team members' emotional state which, often as not, teetered on the edge of extreme (ship board and field), Natural Science, A Word from the Ship's Cook and Sponsorship. anxiety — (would they survive the storms at Almost on a par with 'Going to Extremes', sea, how would they get to the mountain after the skidoo disappeared through the sea ice The Loneliest Mountain ranks as a lavish, and would they get out to the coast before well-produced book — a valuable addition to the Thistlewayte was forced to abandon the private Antarctic expedition literature. climbers for the winter?). Lincoln's own Also in video philosophy, nurtured during a decade of Himalayan expeditions provides the basis for Two Antarctic videos have been produced; the most thoughtful parts of the book. As a "Antarctic Pioneers" and "The Loneliest first-timer to the Antarctic, he has captured Mountain" are being marketed by Film the immensity of the Continent as well as the Australia Ltd in VHS and Beta at a cost of feeling of humility in being part of a small Australian $00.00 and $41.62 respectively. 499 Antarctic Vol. 11 No. 12

The 30 minute black and white "Antarctic The 48 minutes of colour footage of the Pioneers" was produced in 1962 under the Loneliest Mountain is the story of the direction of veteran photographer Frank Australian bicentennial expedition to Hurley and former ANARE diredor Dr Philip Antarctica during which a team of six climbed Law. Mt Minto by the south ridge. Led by Greg It contains film of the loading and departure Mortimer and comprising Lyle Cross, Lincoln of Aurora from Hobart in 1911, the Hall, Jonathan Chester, and film makers establishment of the radio station at Macquarie Glenn Singleman and Chris Hilton the team Island which served as a link to Australia from chartered the Alan and Vi Thistlewyte which the hut built by the expedition at Cape Denison by their own admission was a fishing boat not in Commonwealth Bay and of the scientific designed for Antarctic waters. and exploratory parties leaving the hut. It is an emotional and honest account of the The death of Ninnis and Mertz and expedition exposing some of the pressures Mawson's remarkable journey back to the hut and tensions felt by the team. Their genuine are included in the script and supplemented satisfaction in meeting their objective was frus by film taken while Hurley remained on the trated by advice that the ship was in danger ice with the expedition. Written into the script because of weather and ice conditions and are brief accounts of Shackleton's 1914 somewhat Ironically another private expedition expedition, Sir Hubert Wilkins, Mawson's — Greenpeace — lifted them out. The physical subsequent expeditions in Discovery. The effort of such expeditions is not denied but the expedition to Heard Island in 1947 is treated stiff upper lip of the early teams is absent in by film as is the establishment of the ANARE this modem epic planned in the tradition of base of Mawson. the pioneers to rely on their own skills and Both the historic footage and the sound resources but without government support. track of Antarctic Pioneers are of reasonable The videos are available from Sales quality and the content is unashamedly a Officer, Marketing and Distribution, potted history of the Australian National Film Australia Pty Ltd, PO Box 46, Antarctic Research Expeditions. Undfield NSW 2070, Australia. The Hole in the Sky — Man's Threat to the Ozone Layer written by John Gribbin and published in paperback as a Corgi Special in 1988. One hundred and sixty pages including index. ISBN 0 552 99329 8. John Gribbin has written a good account Although published in 1988, the book still of the ozone depletion issue which, judging contains detailed up-to-date information on by the number of requests for information I the sdentific aspects of the Antarctic ozone receive, has helped fill a gap in the popular depletion. The main emphasis is on the sdentific literature. Gribbin has also included chemistry of the Antarctic ozone hole, but a chapter on the greenhouse effed, which is perhaps not enough consideration is given to useful in clarifying the complex inter-relation the meteorological features which influence between ozone depletion and the greenhouse the year to year variability of the ozone hole. effed. I recommend this book to sdentist and non- Comprehensive coverage of the ozone scientist alike — it provides an easily read depletion issue starts in the 1960's with the concern over supersonic aircraft; continues overview of the ozone depletion problem. through the 1970's, when the public were first alerted to the possible effects of increasing Dr Sylvia Nicol, who has reviewed "The CFC concentrations on the ozone layer; and Hole in the Sky" has spent two seasons in finishing with the release of the key results Antarctica working on ozone measurements from the 1987 Airborne Antarctic Ozone as part of the New Zealand Antarctic Research Experiment, which showed that CFCs cause Programme. She is employed by the New the springtime ozone depletion over the Zealand Meteorological Service in Wellington; Antarctic. a Division of the Ministry of Transport. 500 The New Zealand Antarctic Society Inc.,

The New Zealand Antarctic Society was formed South Island residents should write to the: in 1933. It comprises New Zealanders and Branch Secretary, Canterbury Branch, overseas friends, many of whom have seen New Zealand Antarctic Society, Antarctic for themselves and all of whom are P.O. Box 404, vitally interested in some phase of Antarctic CHRISTCHURCH, 8000 or: exploration, development or research. Branch Secretary The annual subscription is NZ$35.00. This Otago Branch, New Zealand Antarctic Society, entitles members to: P.O. Box 7083, • Antarctic, published quarterly in the autumn, Mornington, winter, spring and summer. It is unique in DUNEDIN, 9030 Antarctic literature as it is the only periodical Overseas residents should write to the: New Zealand Secretary, which provides regular and up to date news of New Zealand Antarctic Society, the activities of all nations at work in the P.O. Box 1223, Antarctic and sub-Antarctic. It has a worldwide CHRISTCHURCH, 8000 circulation. (Airmail postage is extra for over Bulletin only membership is available to libraries and seas members.) other institutions at NZ$30.00 for organisations in New Zealand: NZ$37.00 to those in Australia and the South • Newsletters for New Zealand members and Pacific; NZ$41.00 in North America and Asia and an annual newsletter for overseas members. NZ$44.00 in South America, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. (These prices include airmail postage.) Regular meetings are held by the Auckland, Student membership: NZ$26.00 plus postage for over Wellington, Canterbury and Otago branches. seas members. Subscriptions are: N.Z. $35.00 in New Zealand N.Z. $43.00 in Australia and South Pacific* N.Z. $48.00 in North America and Asia* N.Z. $52.00 in South America, Africa, Advertising rates Europe and the Middle East' Includes airmail postage overseas. Full colour (outside back page only) $400 Whole page (b&w only) $200 You are invited to join: Half page (b&w only) $100 North Island residents should write to the: Quarter page (b&w only) $35 Branch Secretary Auckland Branch, The rates are negotiable for regular placement. New Zealand Antarctic Society, Deadlines: The first of December. March, June and P.O. Box 8585, September. AUCKLAND, 1035 Enquiries to the Treasurer, New Zealand Antarctic Soci or: ety. P.O. Box 1223. Christchurch. New Zealand. Branch Secretary, Fliers and other advertising material can be inserted at a Wellington Branch, cost of $ 150 per issue plus and additional postage incurred New Zealand Antarctic Society, through any such insertions. Enquiries should be made to P.O. Box 2110, the editor whose address, telephone and fax numbers WELLINGTON. 6000 appear in the front of this issue.