AMBiMK ANTARCTICA Antarctic Vol. 13 No. 8 Issue No. 151 Contents December 1994 International

CCAMLA 322 Cape Roberts Project 323 ANTARCTIC is published Sovereign claims 344 quarterly by the New Zealand National Antarctic Society Inc., 1979 ISSN 0003-5327 New Zealand 324 Australia 327 Editor: Robin Ormerod Italy 331 Assistant Editor: Alison Welch Japan 330 Please address all editorial Sweden 335 inquiries, contributions etc to the: United States 332 Editor, P.O. Box 2110, Wellington N.Z. Sub Antarctic Telephone: (04) 4791.226 International: + 64 4 + 4791.226 Inaccessible Island 345 Fax: (04) 4791.185 General Grant 345 International: + 64 4 + 4791.185 General All NZ administrative enquiries should go to the: First on the Antarctic National Secretary, P O. Box Continent? 346 404, Christchurch The stamp from Vanda 348 All overseas administrative Antarctic currency? 351 enquiries should go to the: Arctic flights for record Overseas Secretary, P.O. Box books?352 2110, Wellington, NZ

Inquiries regarding back issues of Cover Antarctic to P.O. Box 16385, Vanda - the old station removed in Christchurch December and the new smaller ver sion established on the other side of the lake (C) No part of this publication may be produced in any way without the prior permis sion of the publishers. Photo: Tim Higham November 1994 ANTARCTIC December 1994 Vol.13 No. 8

INTERNATIONAL: CCAMLA International agreement on problem of seabird deaths caused by longline fishing

More than 20 countries were repre tional organisations with interests in the sented at the thirteenth meeting of the waters next to the Convention area, to Commission for the Conservation of determine the status of the Antarctic Antarctic Marine Living Resources seabird population and to formulate con (CCAMLR). The meeting, held in Ho servation measures. bart from 26 October to 4 November Data provided by New Zealand from 1994, also attracted observers from Japanese tuna fishing in New Zealand several acceding states and from inter waters showed a large reduction in catch national organisations. rates of seabirds achieved by setting It was chaired by Dr Dietrich Ham longlines at night and by using streamer mer, head of the delegation of the Com lines to scare birds. mission of the European Communities. The commission observed that while The scientific committee was led by Dr these mitigating factors were desirable, Karl-Hermann Kock, of the Institut fur it would only be through fundamental Seefisherei in Hamburg. modifications to longline fishing tech CCAMLR was able to study the first niques that a lasting solution to the adequate sets of quantitative data on problem would be found. incidental mortality of seabirds in The Australian delegation an longline fisheries and the first evidence nounced that the Australian Antarctic of any kind involving cetaceans (orca Foundation would give $A20,000 to and sperm whales). The data had been provide publicity material on the subject collected by scientific observers placed to longline fishers. on all longline vessels during the 1993- The Commission accepted the ad 94 seasonbecause of growing interna vice of the scientific committee that two tional concern over the incidence of scientific observers should be present seabird mortality. on each fishing vessel to collect reliable The meeting recognised that much data. of the seabird mortality related to birds Longline fisheries are now required which breed within the Convention area to set and haul lines only at night, and but were killed in fisheries outside of it. the commission agreed fishing should Albatrosses and white-chinned petrels be delayed until autumn/winter when were particularly at risk from longline birds are less active and there is more fishing. darkness. CCAMLR decided to initiate ex Reports of incidental mortality of changes with the appropriate fisheries marine mammals and seabirds in trawl management authorities and interna fisheries in the Convention area were 322 Vol.13 No. 8 December 1994 ANTARCTIC made at the meeting. Japan reports Zealand representative on the scientific that two penguins, two unidentified committee and Barry Weeber was an seabirds and two Antarctic fur seals had advisor. been caught in krill nets around the South Shetlands and South Georgia. Krill catches came under scrutiny. Cape Roberts Problems in the former USSR continue to contribute to a big decline in krill Containerised project harvesting. The total krill tonnage for the 1993-94 season was 83,818 base completed tonnes, compared with 88,776 tonnes for the previous season and 288,456 A mini base, recently completed in tonnes for the 1991-92 season. Christchurch will serve the Cape Roberts Japan was the largest krill harvester Project which is the biggest and most at 62,322 tonnes. ambitious science project ever coordi CCAMLR heard that the fishing nated by the New Zealand Antarctic plans of Japan, Chile and the Ukraine Programme. It is a five nation, eight for the 1994-95 season are similar to million dollar drilling venture involving that of the 1993-94 season. capital and scientists from New Zea The scientific committee asked for land, USA, Italy, Britain and Germany. further study on the issue of bycatch of They plan to obtain cores that record young fish in krill swarms. It also pre Antarctic tectonic and climate history sented CCAMLR with a new model to from around 30 to 100 million or more determine a precautionary catch limit years ago by coring 1500 metres of for krill. strata lying close to the sea floor off the The problem of rubbish was aired Victoria Land Coast, at Cape Roberts with the commission noting that marine where they have been tilted up by the debris remains a matter for concern. rising Transantarctic Mountains and Surveys indicate that a high number of exposed by erosion. young and female seals have been caught Seven refrigerated shipping contain up in debris. It noted the increase in ers have been fitted to provide support the number of and variety of environ facilities for 35 drillers and scientists mental threats facing Southern Ocean expected to be involved in the project. wildlife. All member states were urged They house generators for electricity to participate in beach debris surveys. and heating, a water desalination plant, New Zealand's representative was a workshop, ablutions and kitchen fa Dr Stuart Prior of the Antarctic Policy cilities. The base was designed by Works Unit at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Consultancy Services and constructed and Trade (MFAT). The alternative by Dawn Construction Group in delegate was Dr Don Robertson of the Christchurch. Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. Ms Gillian Wratt, the director of the The New Zealand advisers were Louise New Zealand Antarctic Programme, of Sparrer, of the Antarctic Policy Unit at ficially opened the containerised base in MFAT; Andrew Jenks of MFAT's legal a ceremony attended by officials of the division and Barry Weeber of the Royal United States and Italian Antarctic pro Forest and Bird Protection Society rep grammes. It was held at Dawn Con resenting non governmental organisa struction Ltd, Orbell Street, Sydenham tions. in Christchurch at 5 p.m. on Wednes Dr Don Robertson was the New day 21 December, 1994. In her speech 323 ANTARCTIC December 1994 Vol.13 No. 8

she said that "Understanding the pat Parliament on November 23. The con tern of growth and retreat of ice sheets tainers will be shipped from Lyttelton to in Antarctica can tell us much about the Cape Roberts on the Italian vessel Italica fragility of this planet." Ms Wratt de in January. The first stage of the drill scribed the project as a model for the ing is currently scheduled for October strict environmental standards de to December 1996. {See Antarctic Vol manded by the new Antarctica Protec 13 No. 7 September 1994, tion Act, passed by the New Zealand pages278ff). New Zealand Alexander Island: New Zealand once removed

Over the summer, Dr John Bradshaw were deposited over a period of more of the Department of Geology at Can than 150 million years and reflect a terbury University, will use part of his correspondingly long period of vigor study leave to visit Alexander Island, on ous uplift and erosion of mountainous the Antarctic Peninsula to try to solve sources (by way of comparison the uplift two outstanding problems in New Zea of the present Southern Alps started land geology. less than 10 million years ago and much The hard grey sandstones (Torlesse of the uplift has been in the last five rocks) familiar to anyone who has walked million years.) It seems pretty clear that around Arthur's Pass in Canterbury or the original pile of sediments was de has mixed a batch of concrete, are a posited on oceanic crust and then de geological enigma. Not only do rocks of formed and thickened by compression this type form the Alps, but they also to give it its present continental thick extend northward across Cook Strait ness and character. through the eastern North Island as far Two problems are outstanding. The as East Cape. East of Christchurch they Torlesse rocks appear to continue un extend without significant change to the changed beyond the Chatham Islands to Forty Fours, a small group of rocky the edge of the New Zealand continent islets beyond the Chatham Islands. where they appear to have been cut off. Research in the Department some years Where do they continue? Comparison ago showed that they extend to a depth with older rock units in New Zealand of at least 25 km below Mt. Somers and shows that nothing in the present con there is good reason to believe that they tinent could possibly have been the form the full thickness of the continen source for the Torlesse rocks, so where tal crust (30-35km) in the eastern third do they come from? The source has yet of the New Zealand continent - millions to be identified but in an attempt to of cubic kilometres of rock. track it down we are building an "identikit Some things we know. They repre picture" and fingerprint file of the re sent sand and mud eroded from an older gion. continent characterised by granitic The ocean between New Zealand rocks, sediments and volcanics. They and West Antarctic, (the portion of Ant- 324 Vol.13 No. 8 December 1994 ANTARCTIC arctica south of the Pacific Ocean) is will remain on Alexander Island for al less than 90 million years old. Restoring most two months, travelling by motor the eastern edge of the New Zealand toboggan and working from field camps. continent against West Antarctica brings together rocks from western New Zea Antarctic thanks Dr John Bradshaw for land (Fiordland, Westland and Nelson) his assistance with this article. with very similar rocks in Marie Byrd Land. The main part of West Antarc tica, Marie Byrd Land and Ellsworth Vanda Station removed Land, has however, no equivalent of the Torlesse rocks, but very similar rocks do Vanda Station, New Zealand's base in occur in Alexander Island, a few hun the Dry Valleys of South Victoria Land, dred kilometres further to the east along is being demolished this season by two the South Pacific margin. groups of personnel from the Navy and Alexander Island is about the size of Army. A much smaller facility, com New Zealand's Canterbury Province. It prising relocatable research and cook lies on the southwest side of the Antarc ing huts is being built on higher ground tic Peninsula and is largely made up of on the opposite side of the lake. The rocks that strongly resemble those of operation is expected to be completed the Southern Alps. Dr Bradshaw has in early January. been invited to join an expedition by the The base, built in 1967-68, has been British Antarctic Survey to Alexander jeopardised by waters of the Lake which Island to make a first-hand examination have been rising about a metre a year of these rocks. British Antarctic Survey for the past decade and threaten to has supported a succession of studies of flood the buildings. Materials and soil the Island over the last 20 years, but it are being removed from the site to pre has never been visited by anyone famil vent the lake's super-clear waters from iar with the Southern Alps. Field com being contaminated. parison will be followed by detailed labo The ice on the surface of Lake Vanda ratory studies in Britain and in Canter is four metres thick but at its bottom, 70 bury, both to support the comparison metres deep the water temperature is a and to progress further with identifying balmy 21 degrees Celsius. Scientists the sources of both suites of rocks. It is continue to be interested in the ways also hoped that the specific special microbes have adapted to life in the facilities available at the Australian Na-. lake and the climate changes which are tional University can be brought to bear causing the water levels to rise. on the problem. Lake Vanda is also known for its The field party will consist of John swimming club which required first time Bradshaw and Brian Storey of BAS. visitors to the station to skinny dip in its They will be accompanied by two BAS frigid surface layers. field assistants. Brian and John have worked together in Antarctica twice before as part of the SPRITE project Workshop studies (NZ-UK-US) which covered three years environmental audit report from 1991-1993. They will fly to the Falklands at the end of December and About 20 people gathered in Welling onto Rothera on BAS's Dash 7 and ton in September for a workshop on the finally to Alexander Island via Fossil recent environmental audit of the New Bluff on a BAS Twin Otter. The party Zealand Antarctic programme. The 325 ANTARCTIC December 1994 Vol.13 No. 8 audit was commissioned in September from lack of funding, lack of interna 1993 by NZAP and completed in March tional standardisation in EIA and moni 1994 by environmental consultants, toring, lack of an effective infrastruc Royds Consulting Ltd. ture for implementation and a lack of The audit found that New Zealand information about potential environmen had achieved a high level of compliance tal effects. with the Protocol on Environmental Participants felt there should be a Protection to the Antarctic Treaty. A high priority on policy development, total of 196 recommendations were effective information systems, monitor made, of which 50 related to areas of ing programmes especially in high im non-compliance with the protocol and pact areas such as Scott Base and gen 146 to improving NZAP's level of com eral issues of good practice around Scott pliance. Base. Since the audit was finished NZAP reviewed the 196 recommendations and identified 35 as high priority. The Geology students take workshop was set up to get feedback research prize and agreement on the implementation of these priority recommendations. Participants were drawn from a Two geology honours students from range of agencies with a role and inter Victoria University in Wellington trav est in Antarctica. They included elled to Antarctica this season as win Greenpeace, the New Zealand Antarc ners of the Ross Dependence Research tic Society, the Ross Dependency Re Committee (RDRC) science awards. The search Committee, ICAIR, Victoria RDRC presents the awards annually to University, the Ministry of Research, encourage young scientists into the field Science and Technology, the Depart of Antarctic research. RDRC chairman ment of Conservation, Federated Moun Sir Robin Irvine says the students' pro tain Clubs, Ministry for the Environ posals are good examples of pure and ment, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and applied science. Trade and the Institute of Geological Nerida Bleakley, aged 21, is doing and Nuclear Sciences. research which will contribute to the The workshop was in general agree debate about the likely effects of global ment with the priorities which NZAP warming. She is looking for fossil dia had set, although there was some con toms found previously in the fusion and debate over who should be Transantarctic Mountains. There is implementing some recommendations. debate over the origin of diatoms and Most participants agreed with the tim whether they provide evidence about ing for implementations. The lack of the stability of the Antarctic ice shelf time constraints however, on environ over the past 14 million years. mental research and sewage treatment Nerida travelled south on 14 No was noted. vember with NZAP Event Number The group agreed that funding for K045, led by Dr David Christoffel of the protocol implementation should come Research School of Earth Sciences at from the New Zealand Government Victoria Univerisity. The team of three through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs aimed to determine the relative lati and Trade. tudes of the Antarctic, New Zealand and The workshop felt that potential Australian portions of Gondwanaland problems for implementation could arise 326 Vol.13 No. 8 December 1994 ANTARCTIC

from 400 My to the present, and to metals and microfauna in seawater and understand the mechanism of thermal sediment sites around the Scott Base alteration of the Beacon sediments sewage outflow. caused by the Jurassic dolerite intru Bruce is attached to event number sions. KOI2 from the Department of Experi They were to travel to Table Moun mental Biology, University of Auckland. tain, Mt Crean, Mt Feather and Mt. Led by Dr John Macdonald, the seven Kempe before returning to Christchurch strong team is studying the biology of on 14 December. Antarctic fish," their'phylogenetic rela Bruce Anderson, aged 32, first vis tionships and their anatomical, physi ited Antarctica in 1992. He will study ological and biochemical adaptations the effects of waste disposal from Scott and specialisations. They travelled to Base by sampling for bacteria, trace Scott Base in December.

ANARE Planning for 50th jubilee

ANARE celebrates its 50th birthday current expeditions. The film will con in 1997 and its celebrations will take trast a modern voyage and current sta many forms. The Antarctic Division is tion activities and scientific field work planning a host of activities in Australia with historic film of ANARE operations and Antarctica to mark this milestone in from 1947, most of which is held in the Australia's Antarctic history. They will Antarctic Division's film archive. include special displays, midwinter On returning to Hobart, the team events and if possible, a commemora will turn around on the next voyage of tive Jubilee voyage. Two projects de Aurora Austral is to film the Macquarie manding special attention are the pub Island resupply - the first to be done lication of a comprehensive history and without amphibious army vehicles and the screening of a documentary film by army personnel. ABC Television. Tim Bowden first went to Austral The ANARE jubilee history is being ia's Antarctic territory aboard Icebird written by Tim Bowden, who will also in 1989, a voyage he recounted in the present and narrate the documentary book Antarctica and Back in Sixtv film. Bowden, producer Ian Cuming Davs. He regards this as a useful start from ABC's Television Documentaries, and background for both the Jubilee Brendan Shaw (camera) and David film and the official history. Brendan Pearson (sound) have spent the last two Shaw and David Pearson had also pre months on an epic ANARE adventure in viously visited Antarctica, filming for an the modern style. ABC Andrew Denton production. The Jubilee film team visited Casey, "As luck would it have, we are going Davis and Mawson (by helicopter) to South during a historic season - the first capture the elements of a 1990's time for many years that the resupply resupply operation and to interview and changeover of personnel for an 327 ANTARCTIC December 1994 Vol.13 No. 8 entire summer season are being done built on Heard and Macquarie Islands in using one ship, Aurora Australis, the late 1940s, the partners and fami Bowden said. "Another first is the use of lies of expeditioners in Australia have twin-engine long-range Sikorsky S76 also made their contribution, coping helicopters to transfer expeditioners with fragmentary communications and between stations." the stresses and strains of disrupted Last year Tim Bowden filmed inter family life and relationships. views with some of the older ANARE Tim Bowden says he is well aware hands, including John Berchervaise, that whole books could be written on Alan Campbell-Drury, Stefan Csordas, any one of the major themes of Austral Nils Lied, George Smith, Eric Macklin ian Antarctic endeavour, including sci and Syd Kirkby. All living former direc entific research, shipping, air and land tors of the Antarctic Division - Phil Law, transport, the huskies, human relations Gay Garrod, Jim Bleasel and Rex and exploration. "Yet any account of Moncur - have also been interviewed. Australians in the Antarctic during the More recent interviews have been re past 50 years is essentially a story of corded with a cross-section of ANARE how individuals have contributed to the expeditioners and past and present staff. planning, the execution and the raw Bowden's long and distinguished adventure of operating in the extreme, career with the ABC Radio Social His hazardous conditions of this polar wil tory Unit makes him exceptionally well derness". suited to preparing the kind of history "During my 1989 Antarctic voyage demanded for the ANARE story. There the leader Des Lugg reminded me that will be a strong oral history component when the grip of winter and the long in both the book and the film. Fortu polar night fall over Antarctica, today's nately, many of the major Antarctic wintering expeditioners are effectively Division and ANARE players over the as isolated as were the parties of Scott, past half-century are still able to be Shackleton and Mawson in the so-called consulted. 'heroic era' early this century. Medical "Audio tapes have been recorded and other emergencies have to be dealt with participants in the ANARE story, with on the spot, until the annual break including diesel mechanics, cooks, out of ice in the summer allows access to weather observers, pilots, scientists, our Antarctic stations." The Jubilee surveyors, OIC (station leaders), ships' history of ANARE, while paying hom captains and officers, doctors and army age to the pioneers of Australia's mod personnel. I will need to speak with ern Antarctic programme, will also be a many more". Bowden said. story about today's ANARE and its peo The role of women expeditioners in ple. the Antarctic has been an integral part of ANARE activities during the past two New director for Human decades. "My voyage South in 1989 coincided with the appointment of Diana Impacts research programme Patterson as the first woman in charge of a continental Australian station, at Dr Martin Riddle was recently ap Mawson. By coincidence we are head pointed programme leader of the Hu man Impacts Research Programme, one ing South together again. This time Diana is taking over as Station Leader of six principal science programmes at Davis for 1995." recommended by the Antarctic Science Ever since the first basic huts were Advisory Committee (ASAC) in their 328 Vol.13 No. 8 December 1994 ANTARCTIC

1992 review of Australian Antarctic available and to suggest the research science, Antarctic science - the way tasks necessary to obtain that informa forward. The programme is concerned tion. with human presence in the Antarctic, including effects related to the execu Helicopter makes first tion of science, tourism and side effects of fishing. The programme will, how long range flight ever, not address the indirect effects of phenomena such as global warming and On Wednesday September 28 win tering expeditioners at Australia's atmospheric change or effects on the Mawson station received long awaited target species of fishing as these are the mail from home and fresh fruit and subject of other research programmes. The Australian Antarctic Division vegetables. The event was notable in has coordinating responsibility for the that they were delivered by helicopter in the first long range flight from Davis to programme, and together with the Ant arctic Research Evaluation Group Mawson Station. The successful flight (AREG) funding system, will undertake signals an exciting new era in Austral and provide support for research in ia's Antarctic programme. Months of three broad areas: Environmental - planning and dedicated commitment by studies of the environmental conse Antarctic Division staff, expeditioners quences of the human presence in the and highly skilled pilots has resulted in Antarctic; Political, social and history - a successful operation that enabled an concerned with cultural aspects of hu visit to the station earlier in the season man activities in the Antarctic and Tech than ever before. The helicopters left Davis Station at nological - studies of the built environ ment in the Antarctic including alterna 9.15 a.m. local time on Wednesday 28 tive technologies and preservation of September. The weather conditions heritage items. were ideal and they landed on the sea Because the programme is research ice at Mawson just under three hours based it will not undertake routine envi later. Carrying full payloads they ronmental management responsibilities stopped at Sansom Island, one hour of Australian Antarctic science, how west of Davis to refuel from a depot ever, the research undertaken has a deployed there last season and then carried on non-stop to Mawson. There very clear focus of providing informa tion that will improve management pro were four passengers aboard the inau cedures aimed at protecting and man gural flight, Cam Douglas, a construc tion supervisor with the Australian Con aging the natural and anthropogenic values of the Antarctic. struction services, and expeditioners One of the first tasks for each of the Philip Bottomley, John Aulich and Eddy six programme leaders has been to de Kretowicz. velop a strategic plan for research with objectives which match the Government Last major building goals for Antarctic science. The Human completed Impacts Research Programme held a community-based workshop on 21 Sep On 19 October, Australia's Minis tember 1994 to canvass for research ter for the Environment, Sport and Ter priorities. The objective was to identify ritories, John Faulkner, opened the last issues of concern which could be man of the major buildings to be completed aged better if more information was under Australia's Antarctic rebuilding 329 ANTARCTIC December 1994 Vol.13 No. 8 programme. other facilities, three general laborato The General Science Building at ries, a special laboratory for work using Davis is providing much needed labora hazardous materials, a dark room, tory support for both summer and win miccroscope room, preparation and cul ter scientists. The building is intended ture room smelly laboratory and offices. to house all indoor scientific office work It was constructed at a cost of a little and laboratory functions and has, among under Aust $5.5 million.

Japan Japanese using four vessels to support diverse programme

Four vessels are providing support for - chemical and primary production sur Japanese antarctic operations sched veys, a survey of krill and other species uled for this season. Oceanographic and and an acoustic survey. They will also marine geophysics work will be under study krill predator interaction and carry taken as well as resupply of Syowa Sta out a sighting survey of surface krill tion and the establishment of a field patches, seabirds and marine mammals. base for winter personnel. The second vessel to leave Tokyo as The first of the vessels to leave Ja part of the season's programme was the pan was the R/V Kaiyo-Maru which is Shirase, a diesel electric powered ice owned by the Japanese Fisheries breaker of 11,600 tons. She is sched Agency. She sailed from Tokyo on 21 uled to arrive at Syowa Station late in October, 1994 and arrived in her December and depart on February 15 research area between 59degS/63degS undertaking a general oceanography and longitude between 55degW/63deg/ and biological survey off Lutzow-Holm W on December 1 where it will work for Bay until the end of February, returning a month. En route this vessel called in at to Tokyo on 13 April 1995. This Papeete and Valparaiso. Between Janu vessel carries two Sikorsky S-61 and ary 3 and 5 she is scheduled to resupply one Hughes OH-6D helicopters. Shore at Montevideo before returning to the based operations are further supported research area for a further month. By by one Pilatus Porter PC-6 and Cessna- 16 February 1995 she is due back at AI85F which are based at Syowa Sta Valparaiso and will call in at Honolulu tion and which were to be operated before returning to Tokyo on March 20. between September 1994 and the end This season she is sailing under the of January 1995. A field camp, Dome command of Hiromi Gomyo. Fuji, will be established in February 1995 The chief scientist is Mikio Naganobu at 77degl9'01"S/39deg42'12E and who is an oceanographer. Other scien occupied during the winter. (Other win tists include Taro Ichii and So Kawaguchi ter details were not available at press who are both biologists, a fisheries en time.) gineer Yoshmi Takao and another The R/V Hakuho-Maru left Tokyo oceanographer Takashi Ogishima. on November 24 and resupplied at The ir work will com pri se oce anogr aphic Lyttelton between December 9 and 13. 330 Vol.13 No. 8 December 1994 ANTARCTIC

Thirty five scientists, including two from She was scheduled to call into Freman- Britain, are aboard this vessel which will tle in mid December and will travel back be working in the area between 45deg to Tokyo via Sydney where she is due on and 65deg south and 150 and 135 deg February 19 returning to her home base E. The officer in charge of the ship is on March 6. Captain Youichi Jinno and the leader of Eighteen research staff will be the research programme is Professor aboard this vessel which sails under the Kouichi Kawaguchi who is an ichthyolo command of Captain Tadami Ebihara. gist. Among the other scientists aboard The leader of the research staff is Takemi are Dr Makato Terazaki, a planktologist, Ishihara and the other principal scien Professor Keisuke Taira, a physical tists include geophysicist Yoshisa Okuda oceanologist, biochemist Professor Isao and geologists Manabu Tanahashi and Koike and marine geologists Profes Toshikazu Ebato. Their programme of sors Asahiko Taira and Hensaku Tamaki. research comprises reflection and re This vessel will be in Hobart between fraction seismic surveys, depth sound January 4 and 9. ing, sub-bottom profiling, gravimetric The research programme will focus and geomagnetic surveys, a measure on the community of plankton and ments of terrestrial heat flow and bot micronekton in the Southern Ocean par tom sampling. ticularly the habitat and food web struc ture including both classic chain and microbial loop. Factors controlling the Canadians working primary productivity near the ice-edge area in relation to phytoplankton com for munity, nutrient and physical conditions Italians die at Rothera such as the light and low temperature peculiar to the ice-edge will be exam ined. An ecophysiological study of deep Four Canadians died when their sea meiobenthos and an acoustic esti plane crashed into the side of an iceberg mation of zooplankton and micronekton at the southern end of the runway at have been included in the programme. Rothera at 0300 hours on November Metabolism of dissolved organic materi als and the physical oceanography and 24. a study of the formation mechanisms of The twin-engined, propeller driven Antarctic midwater and divergence as De Havilland Twin Otter, owned by Kenn well as related eddy formation. Borek Air Ltd of Calgary was mobilising for charter to the Italian National Ant . Marine geology and geophysics pro arctic programme and had been granted grammes will focus on the deep water circulation history based on sediment facilities to land and refuel at Rothera at core analysis and measurements of the request of the Italian authorities. It landed at Rothera at 0110 enroute from bathymetry and geomagnetic intensity Punta Arenas to Terra Nova Bay via at the Southern Pacific mid oceanic Patriot Hills and McMurdo Sound. ridge. On 24 November the R/V Hakuri- Staff at Rothera observed that the Maru left Tokyo for a research area aircraft failed to gain sufficient height at takeoff, was seen to stall , crashed into between 60deg South and 66 and the side of the iceberg and burst into 90degE-140degE where she will remain from December 20 to February 8 with flames. Station personnel, executed a brief break in Hobart in early January. immediate emergency procedures and 331 ANTARCTIC December 1994 Vol.13 No. 8 undertook an inspection of the area closed for a day and a scheduled Dash- with the crash boats but it was clear that 7 flight from Stanley was cancelled. No there no survivors. For safety reasons further information was available at they were not able to access the wreck press time. age. As a mark of respect the station USAP McMurdo and Dry Valley Programmes

Personnel for eighty nine projects are from the site will expand scientific un deploying through McMurdo Station derstanding of the degassing behaviour this summer. Part one of this cover of an "open vent" volcano. Measure age appeared in our September issue: ments of sulfur dioxide taken at Mt We now complete it. Erebus between 1983 and 1991 are among the most extensive and detailed Seismic activity on Mount Erebus made at any volcano over a long period. will be monitored in a project led by Dr Phillip Kyle, from the Department of Seasons over a million years Geoscience at the New Mexico Tech at Socorro. High resolution records from ice Mt. Erebus is the most active volcano cores provide a direct means of docu in Antarctica and has been in continu menting the composition of the atmos ous eruptive state throughout the twen phere at resolution as finely tuned as tieth century. The volcano is unique seasons over periods as great as one because it contains a persistent, con million years. Dr Paul Mayewski from vening lava lake composed of highly the Glacier Research Group of the Uni alkalic anorthoclase phonolite magma. versity of New Hampshire and colleagues During the time that it has been ob are developing a high-resolution climate served, eruptive activity from the lake record for Antarctica by acquiring, ana and adjacent vents has consisted of lysing and interpreting the records of minor strombolian eruptions that occa atmospheric chemical deposition from sionally eject volcanic bombs to heights three ice cores taken at sites within or exceeding 500 metres. Recent work adjacent to the Ross ice drainage sys has shown that Mount Erebus is an tem (RIDS). These cores include one important source of aerosols in the from Taylor Dome and two from West Antarctic atmosphere and most likely Antarctic locations at which they will contributes significant quantities of chlo collect 200-metre long cores that pro rine, fluorine, and other trace compo vide records for more than 2,000 years. nents to the snow falling on the Antarc Their glaciochemical analyses will focus tic ice sheet. These data have important on the major cations and anions found consequences for chemists who are try in the Antarctic atmosphere as well as ing to decipher paleoenvironments from methanesulfonic acid and selected meas snow and ice-core analyses. The objec urements of the hydrogen ion, alu tive of the project is to establish the minium, iron and silica. Mount Erebus Volcano Observatory at The team deployed to Antarctica in McMurdo Station. The observations 332 Vol.13 No. 8 December 1994 ANTARCTIC early November and were scheduled to combined with existing McMurdo Dry be put in at Siple Dome via LC-130 Valleys climate records and indicators, aircraft. With the assistance of person this data should provide information nel from the Polar Ice Coring Office about past relationships in the region they were to recover an ice core from among such climate factors as cloudi Siple Dome, the final depth depending ness, air temperature and wind pat on the drilling conditions and quality of terns. To obtain the data they will log the core. Their plan was to reach at temperature as a function of depth in least 200 metres below the surface and pre-existing boreholes on a transect from possibly as much as 400 metres. The the Taylor (McMurdo) Dome, through core was to be packaged for transport the Dry Valleys to the Ross Sea. to McMurdo and on to their home insti Paleotemperature will be derived by tutions for further study. applying formal inverse methods to the Focusing on Siple Dome and its data. The oxygen-isotope proxy record surroundings between ice streams C from the Taylor Dome ice core will be and D, a party from the Geophysics compared with a true thermal record in Program at the University of Washing order to calibrate the oxygen-isotope ton led by Dr Charles F. Raymond will proxy record. Vertical strain rate will be characterise the dynamic environment measured in an existing 130 metre dry and ice stratigraphy as part of an as hole to allow correction for firn sessment of Siple Dome as a potential compaction and ice advection. deep ice core site. Additionally, they Another group of scientists from the will attempt to determine whether the Department of Geology at the Northern configuration of ice-stream flow in the Illinois University are attempting to region has changed over time. To ac evaluate processes occurring at the complish this, they will measure the grounding line of polar glaciers in order configuration and continuity of internal to develop constraints for both layers in the ice, using radar echo sound glaciological and oceanographic mod ing and standard GPS surveying to de els. A remotely operated submersible termine the velocity field. Their objec vehicle will be used to help obtain the tive is to gain a better understanding of data. Led by Dr Ross D. Power, they the dynamics of the West Antarctic ice will examine the physical processes in sheet, its past history and its potential volved in the release of debris from the future behaviour, including possible ef glacier and its dispersal in an ice-proxi fects on global sea level. This project is mal marine environment. Sedimentary collaborative and involves the Universi processes, surface sedimentary facies, ties of Washington and Colorado and and biological communities will be stud St. Olaf College. ied to improve interpretation of older Reconstructing paleotemperatures glacial sedimentary facies. from precision borehole temperature logging along a transantarctic moun Seismic traverse tains transect from Taylor Dome to the Ross Sea is a team led by Dr Edwin. D. A seismic traverse will be conducted Waddington from the Geophysics Pro in Central West Antarctica from one of gram at the University of Washington. the old Corridor Aerogeophysics South As part of their study they will gather eastern Ross Transit Zone (CASERTZ) data to provide a direct thermal meas sites. The CASERTZ project is being urement of any climate warming in the supported by a Twin Otter working out Ross Sea sector of Antarctica. When of Byrd Surface camp. Researchers from 333 ANTARCTIC December 1994 Vol.13 No. 8 four organisations working under the vestigation of the lithospheric controls leadership of Dr Ian W. D. Dalziel from on the behaviour of the West Antarctic the Institute of Geophysics at the Uni Ice Sheet: Corridor Aerogeophysics of versity of Texas at Austin will make a the Eastern Ross Transect Zone short traverse seismic reflection/refrac (CASERTZ/WAIS). To gain an under tion study and conduct magnetotelluric standing of the dynamic behaviour of experiments in West Antarctica. This the ice sheet and the nature of the project involving three different teams lithosphere beneath the ice sheet they has four primary objectives, these be will conduct an integrated geophysical ing to investigate part of the Byrd survey over a large portion of the West subglacial basin, to test techniques that Antarctic ice sheet. As part of this inter could be done in a long traverse, to disciplinary aerogeophysical study, they determine the viability of the will characterise the lithosphere of the magnetotelluric method on the thick West Antarctic rift system beneath of (electrically-resistive) ice sheet and to the critical regions of the ice sheet. The evaluate the relative merits of refraction objective of their survey is to determine with wide-reflection. how the rift architecture, manifested by The project is important because the distribution of sedimentary basins investigations over the last 30 years, of and volcanic constructs, affects the ice the outcrop geology in West Antarctica stream system. They will use an aircraft and the Transantarctic Mountains have equipped with laser altimetry, ice pen lead geologists and geophysicists to sug etrating radar, aerogravity and gest that the crust in these regions is aeromagnetic systems that are integrated made up of many different Lithospheric with the high-precision kinematic GPS blocks and seismic reflection work is navigation system. This system can im the only way to image the crust in detail, age both the surface and the bed of the while the refraction work is the only way ice sheet while measuring the gravity to determine the physical properties of and magnetic signature of the subglacial the layers and blocks defined by the lithosphere. reflection work. The magnetotelluric Building on the results of research work is scientifically risky because it conducted earlier in the southern sector may not yield useful information when of central West Antarctica, they will used over the electrically-resistive ice focus on the region of the Byrd subglacial sheet but if successful, the study has the basin and ice stream D. Because the ice potential to image molten rock in the sheet in these regions has been com crust and upper mantle. The second pletely covered by satellite imagery, they team involved in the project is led by Drs will be able to integrate newly acquired Charles R. Bentley from the University data with remote sensing studies of the of Wisconsin-Madison and Scott ice stream. The changing dynamics of Smithson from the University of Wyo ice stream D, as with other West Ant ming. A third team will operate under arctic ice streams, seems to be corre the leadership of Dr Phil E. Wannamaker lated with changes in the morphological from the University of Utah Research provinces of the underlying rift system; Institute at Salt Lake City. consequently they will target the areas Dr Donald D. Blankenship from the from the divide of the interior ice, down University of Texas at Austin will be stream through the onset of streaming, joined by Drs Robin E. Bell from Colum to the trunk of ice steam D. Additionally bia University and Carol A. Finn from they will coordinate their work with the U.S. Geological Survey for an in investigations of the surface glaciology 334 Vol.13 No. 8 December 1994 ANTARCTIC ice stream D. The results of the surface surveys will Surface Camp in mid-November and be joined by other members of the party a guide cooperative over-snow seismic little later. In early December the Twin investigations of the central West Ant arctic rift system and be used to select a Otter will fly to the camp to provide site for future deep ice coring along the close support for the project. The air crest of the ice sheet. The data also craft will be configured and they will fly six 110 kilometre square survey blocks represent baseline data for long-term around the Camp. A GPS transmitter global change monitoring work and will provide information about crucial bound will be installed at the camp with a 150 ary conditions for ice-sheet modelling. foot antenna tower which will assist the The teams will be put-in at Byrd aircrew in determining the various loca-

SWEDARP Joint Nordic expeditions deferred for a year

Sweden, Norway and Finland holm. Also working with the Ameri have decided to break their scheme of cans will be Associate Professor joint Nordic expeditions to Antarctica Olafur Ingolfsson from the Depart this season. The next combined ment of Quaternary Geology at the expedition will be carried out in the University of Lund, who will partici summer of 1995/96 with Finland pate in a Victoria Land Coast Expedi responsible for the logistics. tion concentrating on the Holocene For this season, however, Sweden environmental variability associated is involved in four programmes, two with the West Antarctic ice sheet of which are to be undertaken in retreat along the Victoria Land Coast. conjunction with the Americans, one Swedish scientist Olof Olsson with the British and one with the New from the Department of Zoology at Zealand programme. This will see the University of Stockholm will Swedish working at the Amundsen- continue monitoring King Penguins Scott South Pole Station on on South Georgia in a co-operative AMANDA, the Antarctic Muon and programme with BAS. Two Swedish Neutrino Detector Array particle zoologists, one of whom is Professor project in which high-energetic Stefan Nilsson, from the Department neutrino particles from the universe of Zoophysiology at the University of are detected by an array of instru Gothenburg will be working with New ments placed a kilometre before the Zealand scientists from the University surface of the continental ice. The of Auckland in collaborative project principle Swedish investigator for this focusing on the circulation physiology project is Associate Professor Per in Pagothenia spp and Trematomus Olof Hulth from the Department of spp at Ross Island. Physics at the University of Stock 335 ANTARCTIC December 1994 Vol.13 No. 8 tions for the survey blocks. tion during the Triassic. This region was hospitable enough to support broadleaf Transantarctic Mountains forests as well as large amphibians and and the paleomagnetic poles reptiles, but details of these ancient environments that would help differen tiate between, for example, woodland By studying the palaeomagnetism and shrub-land remain obscure. of lower Paleozoic rocks in the central Dr Gregory J. Retallack from the Transantarctic Mountains, a team led Department of Geological Sciences at by Dr Anne Grunow, from the Byrd the University of Oregon and three oth Polar Research Center at the Ohio ers will deploy to three sites, the first State University in Columbus, Ohio, near Portal Mountain within snowmobile hope to obtain data on the range for visits to the Lashly Mountains paleomagnetic poles during the and Mt. Feather in the Allan Hills from Cambrian and Ordovician-Silurian (540 where they will work on the fossil locali to 410 million years ago) to establish an ties between Roscollyn Tor and Kirkaldy early Paleozoic apparent polar wander Peak before moving to areas within path (APWP) for East Antarctica. visiting range of Mts. Fleming, Bastion Once established they will use the and Shapeless Mountain. While in the data to constrain the position of East field from late December they will col Antarctica in Gondwana and test the lect and study Triassic soils (paleosols) possibility of a loop in the existing APWP from the region of the Transantarctic for Gondwana. This will provide a base Mountains to extract information about line for testing the possible existence in climatic conditions and vegetation ex the Transantarctic Mountains of over- thrust blocks of rock that has been from isting at that time. Because detailed their point of origin along a fault line studies of Quaternary paleosols in many parts of the world have proved useful to (allochthonous terranes) and allow them understanding paleoenvironments, they to evaluate the possibility of movement believe that extending these types of between different parts of East Antarc tica and to test tectonic models of the study to the Triassic is feasible. Addi tionally by comparing Triassic paleosols amalgamation and fragmentation of from Antarctica to the Quaternary and Gondwana. recent soils from temperate regions they In mid-November they will set up a hope to improve their understanding of tent camp on the Robison Glacier and climatic conditions and ecological sys move by Twin Otter to Mt. Zanuck. tems and to provide important informa Using further Twin Otter close support tion for global circulation climate mod they hope to visit the Harold Byrd Moun els. tains, the Reedy Glacier and the Nilsen Dr Gunter Faure, from the Byrd Plateau during which they hope to ob Polar Research Center at Ohio State tain new paleomagnetic poles from the Cambrian and Ordovician-Silurian University, and a colleague will be work ing in Southern Victoria Land as part of rocks as well as to sample basement their study of the age of the last trans granitoids from these areas. The Southern Victoria Land and the gress of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet in Shackleton Glacier area of the the Transantarctic Mountains. Their objectives are to acquire exposure ages Transantarctic Mountains are known to of rocks from the McMurdo Dry Valleys represent the continental interior envi to determine when the East Antarctic ronment that was in a near-polar posi ice sheet last over-rode the 336 Vol.13 No. 8 December 1994 ANTARCTIC

Transantarctic Mountains and to help cosmic-ray flux in past eras and identi resolve competing hypothesis about the fying events in which asteroid parent- Pliocene history of the East Antarctic bodies were disrupted, defining the ice sheet. By measuring beryllium 10 abundances and characteristics of pre- and aluminium-26 which are formed solar-system organic molecules and when cosmic rays bombard quartz, they studying the origin and compositions of will determine how long the quartz asteroids. outcrops have been exposed on the During the past 20 years field teams summits of the highest peaks in the from the United States and Japan, who Transantarctic Mountains. The geologi have been joined more recently by sci cal interpretation of those dates is based entists from a consortium of European on the assumption that the last full trans countries, have collected approximately gression of the east antarctic ice sheet 16,000 meteorite fragments that rep covered the highest peaks in southern resent between 2,000 and 5,000 dis Victoria Land and then receded, expos tinct falls on the ice sheet. The Antarctic ing the mountain peaks. Consequently collection is now comparable in size to how long rock outcrops of the slopes of the total number of meteorites collected several mountains have been exposed from all sites in the rest of the world, will help provide the data needed to and includes many meteorites of previ construct an exposure history for the ously unknown types and varieties. This region. season Dr Ralph P. Harvey from the From this record they will be able to Department of Geological Sciences at develop a record of ice sheet recession the University of Tennessee will, with a and to date events that will resolve the field team of six deploy to McMurdo at controversy about the Sirius Formation various times from October through and to address some questions about early November prior to taking an LC- the stability of the East Antarctic ice 130 reconnaissance/photography flight sheet. In order to sample the team will to a very large, isolated blue-ice area in deploy to McMurdo in late November the Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains. and during early December. They will They will then put in at the Beardmore visit approximately 15 sites along the South Camp and traverse to the Foggy edge of the polar plateau. At the Shape Bottom Camp attempting to recover less Mountain field camp they will col meteorites from blue-ice areas in the lect a continuous suite of rock samples region. Early in December they will from the present ice level to the summit. move to the MacAlpine Hills to search They will also attempt to determine the for further meteorites. Two members time elapsed since the summits of Mt of the team will remain at the Beardmore Brook, Shapeless Mountain and Mt. South Camp to use a Twin Otter aircraft Fleming became exposed to cosmic rays for a reconnaissance trip to the Darwin as a result of the thinning of the East Glacier region to look for blue-ice areas Antarctic ice sheet as well as the aver and make a further reconnaissance trip age effective rate of thinning of the ice to the Byrd Glacier region. sheet. The fragments collected will be stud ied at facilities in the United States. Meteorites They expect that many more specimens including new lunar samples and others Meteorites are useful for investigat of possible Martian origins will be yielded ing changes through time in the meteor- from these sites and hope to cast some oid flux at the Earth, measuring the light on how meteorite concentrations 337 ANTARCTIC December 1994 Vol.13 No. 8 are related to ice-sheet dynamics. They member will also operate the South will also continue to study meteorite Pole seismometer as part of the World stranding surfaces in order to collect wide standardised Seismology Network information on the relationship between and the ultra-long seismic equipment. exposed ice and meteorite concentra Although Antarctica has few seis tions. mographs and even fewer earthquakes, This season three AGO's will be serv it is very important for studying seismic iced and three additional units installed. events in the rest of the world because Continuing servicing, deployment and locating earthquakes, determining retrieval of automatic weather stations magnitudes, and studying Earth's deep are planned. structure require data from all azimuths. To meet these objectives, broadband Mapping digital instrumentation is currently be Accurate maps are essential for Ant ing installed in seismically quiet loca arctic research and support of opera tions around the world including the tional and logistical activities. They also South Pole and the Dry Valleys. provide a cartographic base for the sup The Vanda site was chosen, in co port of future scientific investigations operation with New Zealand, to replace and data collections. The United States the noisier Scott Base Worldwide-Stand Geological Survey provide topographic ard System installed three decades ago. mapping, geodetic control and Geo Three component broadband and short- graphic Information Systems (GIS) sup period vertical instruments are placed port to the United States Antarctic Pro in shallow bore holes, and data are gramme. Before publishing maps the telemetered via a relay at Mt. Newall to USGS establishes geodetic control for Scott Base, where processed data are topographic and satellite image-map recorded. The short-range objectives ping at scales of 1:10,000 to are to deliver useful data to Scott Base 1:250,000. year-round and to telemeter data in This season a team led by Dr Jerry near real-time to the Global Data Cen Mullins from the USGS at Reston VA tre in Albuquerque. The project led by will deploy at various times from late Dr S. Derr from the Albuquerque Seis- October to mid-January to points on mological Lab at the U.S. Geological Ross Island, at Black Island and Cape Survey hopes to provide data for a wide Roberts to install data collection equip range of seismological research for as ment and visit previously selected sites long as it is useful. to collect data which will help them measure tidal benchmarks. In January further mapping con Antarctic flights study trol will be undertaken in the Dry Val leys and at some stage members of the ozone loss team will fly to the South Pole to repo sition the geographic marker there. They Ozone loss in the lower stratosphere of will also remount the GPS antenna at the southern hemisphere is the focus of Sky lab. Aerial photography of the Con an unusual experiment being undertaken voy Range will obtained and the photos this year. used, along with existing aerial map A Lockheed ER-2 aircraft has made ping control network, to complete the four flights out of Christchurch airport 1:50,000 scale topographic maps of down to the Antarctic coast and back, the McMurdo Dry Valleys. One team collecting data on the seasonal evolu- 338 Vol.13 No. 8 December 1994 ANTARCTIC

tion of the polar ozone vortex and de struction of the ozone layer. Peninsula and The American study, the Airborne Southern Hemisphere Ozone Experi oceanic research ment, is a joint project of the National Science Foundation, NASA and the Na programs tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad Two vessels the RA/Polar Duke and the ministration. The ER-2 aircraft can fly at about 21 Nathaniel B. Palmer are supporting US Operations in the Peninsula Area, kilometres, actually within the ozone at Palmer Station and in the Ross, layer, and carries a complete suite of instruments to gather data, located in Amundsen, Weddell and Bellingshausen 17 different places on the aircraft. Seas during the summer and with pro An offshoot of the main study is the grammes extending to June and Sep tember 1995 respectively. project measurements for Assessing the Effects of Stratospheric Aircraft, which Twenty projects are being under will gather data on the possible environ taken at Palmer Station during the 1994- mental effects of high-flying commer 95 summer season. cial aircraft. Six science projects and one media Four flights were scheduled this year, group will depend on the R/V Polar Duke for assistance in meeting their beginning in March. On each eight- hour mission the pilot wears a full pres objectives and seven of the 20 are moni sure suit, a large helmet which restricts toring projects which will be carried out on a year-round schedule by the sup peripheral vision and thick gloves. ER-2 pilots are recruited from the port contractor's science technician. ranks of the military. The plane is an From the arrival of the first cruise unusual one, being adapted from the and science population at the station military TR-1A tactical reconnaissance began to grow and it will now remain aircraft, a direct descendent of the high until the last cruise collects person nel on 4 June 1995 at which stage the Lockheed U-2 spy plane. Pilots need 1000 hours in the 0-2 or its variants year round projects only will remain. before being eligible to fly for NASA. The R/V Polar Duke is a 219 foot The ER-2 has a single engine, a ice-strengthened research vessel which 31.3 metre wingspan, and weighs more has been chartered by the National than 18 tonnes when fully loaded. It Science Foundation for use in the South takes about 45 minutes to reach 18 ern Ocean and Antarctic regional wa ters. During the 1994 -95 season, 14 kilometres and it cruises at about 700 km. cruises totalling 297 days at sea are Pilot Jim Barrilleaux says the long planned. They include Special Air As sistance (SAAM) support as well as the flights in the cramped cockpit are chal research and logistical support for lenging. Navigation keeps the pilot Palmer Station. buys, although the plane does have a start-of-the-art inertial global position Scheduled to depart from Punta Arenas in Chile on 19 August 1994 the ing system. first cruise lasting 15 days was primarily intended to transfer personal and cargo to the station and included the put-in and start-up of the National Ozone Ex pedition (NOZE). As part of this pro- ANTARCTIC December 1994 Vol.13 No. 8 gramme two scientists working with Dr During this LTER project the inves Arnold L. Torres from the Goddard tigators, who come from six universi Space Flight Centre/Wallops Flight ties will define ecological processes link Facility on Wallops Island in Virginia ing the extent of the annual pack ice began launching balloons carrying in with biological dynamics of different strument packages which included trophic levels within Antarctic marine ozonesondes from outside the Biolab communities. Generally the focus is on Building at the station on September 1. the yearly variations in representative The programme continued during Oc populations from the marine food web tober and into early November. Data such as .Adelie penguins, skuas, krill from the ozonesondes was sent via and Antarctic silverfish and on the radio frequency to a receiving station in mechanistic links controlling observed a nearby building monitored by project variations/ The data will allow develop members who undertook preliminary ment of broader characterisation appli processing before transmitting it to the cable to other large marine environ Wallops facility for further analysis and ments. archiving. The data will help determine To achieve their objectives they will column ozone concentration, changes use remote sensing, annual monitoring in depth, vertical extent, ozone loss and a series of process-oriented cruises rates and seasonal behaviour of the to collect data at several spatial and phenomenon. temporal scales. Modeling will be used Other seasonal researchers at to link multiple spatial and temporal Palmer, in broad terms, are investigat scales between biological and environ ing seabird ecology and population dy ment components of the ecosystem. namics and Adelie penguin reproduc Measurements for the project will be tive success. The Long Term Ecological made at the small scale LTER region Research (LTER) project personnel are near Palmer station as well as in the investigating phytoplankton production, Bellingshausen Sea. bio-optical properties of the southern Another team, which arrived on the oceans and krill population and same cruise are making measurements energetics. In addition the biological of UV irradiance at several sites includ effects of increased UV radiation on ing the glacier near the station and antarctic biological systems will be stud islands within the boating limit as part ied. of their continuing mapping to charac The first cruise of the Polar Duke terise the spatial variable of surface ended at Punta Arenas on September 3 irradiance over large geographic areas. and five days later the ship departed for They are investigating the budget of a further 15 days with more cargo and antarctic surface ultraviolet and personnel for Palmer Station. Among photsynthethically active radiation over the personnel were those involved in various spatial and temporal scales. LTER on the Antarctic Marine Ecosys The largest scale maps cover the tem, an ice dominated environment entire antarctic coastline and the south which will also take Dr Raymond C. ern ocean region at a 50 km resolution. Smith from the University of California They will construct higher spatial reso at Santa Barbara and eight other team lution maps over areas where extensive members to the Bellingshausen Sea. biological research is conducted and for Several of field team members deployed areas where the dynamics of polar vor to the station at various times from mid- tex suggest important radiative phe September through to late November. nomena. To augment and refine-satel- 340 Vol.13 No. 8 December 1994 ANTARCTIC lite mapping they will incorporate mi Department of Biology, Northeastern crowave satellite data to determine the University in Boston. Among the scien location of the ice edge and use Monte tists left at the station from this cruise Carlo radiative transfer methods to simu were further members of the LTER team. late the greater variety of clouds. The vessel returned to Palmer on No At Palmer they will install a network vember 12 and was expected back in of newly developed sensors to augment Punta Arenas on November 16. the existing ultraviolet monitoring net Five days later it left again .initially work. Because this will be the first time to support the first of two Peninsula that researchers have studied the albedo SAAM missions as part of which it ar of Antarctic peninsula snow, sea ice rived at the station on 3 December and ocean surfaces in the ultraviolet, 1994, beginning another cruise the fol the results will be important for both lowing day in support of scientists in physical and biological scientists. The vestigating the photochemistry of Ant cruise on which this team arrived was arctic waters in response to changing scheduled to return to Punta Arenas on UV-B fluxes and further LTER work 23 September 1994. around the Peninsula area. A further cruise left the port on 28 On January 1 the vessel begins a September again to transport person further cruise at Punta Arenas during nel and cargo to the station as well as which she will provide 39 days of sup opening up the Copacabana Field Camp port for LTER project personnel, de in Admiralty Bay at King George Island liver more researchers to Palmer where for a team led by Drs Susan and Wayne the cruise will end on 8 February 1995. Trivelpiece from the Department of From Palmer the ship will sail to King Biology at Montana State University. George Island in support of the second They are studying the influence of pack series of SAAM flights to be conducted ice on the distribution and demography in the Peninsula region this season. She of Pygoscelis Penguins. will return to Punta Arenas on February The scientific parties transported to 21. Palmer aboard this cruise were to study The next two cruises which are 11 the biology of Gelatinous zooplankton and 20 days long respectively will oper or more specifically investigate the ate between Punta Arenas and Palmer trophic relationships of Salpa providing personnel and cargo support. thompsoni and Salpa gerlachei in the The first of this these is scheduled to Southern Ocean and the effects of close the Copacabana Field camp for ozone-related increased UV-B influences the season. on photosynthesis, photoadaptation and Two further 30 days cruises be viability of phytoplankton in antarctic tween Palmer and Punta Arenas will see waters. the vessel operating in the southern Back in Port on 9 October the RV Bransfield and Gerlache Straits in sup Polar Duke was ready to leave again port of sampling activities for projects five days later. This time it took three focussing on the adaptation to counter science teams to the station and then diffusional constraints in muscles of departed for a 25 day cruise in the channichthyid icefishes being conducted Bellingshausen Sea in support of by Dr Bruce Sidell from the Department zooplankton studies and work on the of Zoology at the Univeristy of Maine assembly and stability of microtubules and for the project researching the as from Antarctic fish being undertaken sembly and stability of microtubules. by Dr William H. Dietrich from the At press time there were no science 341 ANTARCTIC December 1994 Vol.13 No. 8 commitments for the next two cruises, on October 15 and comprised sea trials each of 23 days, operating between for a new multibeam sonar mapping Palmer and Punta Arenas. system. The cruise lasted 18 days and When vessel finally leaves the sta was conducted in the waters off New tion for the season, the year round Zealand where good bathymetric con personnel and instrumentation will trol exists. monitor the spectra of selected ultravio A second cruise began at the same let bands reaching the earths surface for port on 3 November 1994 and was intensity and seasonal occurrences, col scheduled to last 50 days. It is a biologi lect satellite images from the Defense cal cruise during which seven principal Mapping Satellite Program (DMSP) investigators were to collaborate. Their measure ambient air parameters and objective was research on bloom dy very low frequency radio waves and namics and the food web structure in record seismic occurrences. the Ross Sea. They were to work deep in the annual sea ice within the Ross Sea Voyages of the R/V Polyna. Conductivity, temperature and depth (CTD) measurements were to be Nathaniel B. Palmer taken throughout the cruise along with water samples collected with Niskin The RN Nathaniel B. Palmer will bottles mounted on a rosette sampler. also be operated this season for the A remotely operated vehicle (ROV) was National Science Foundation by the to be employed to take measurements contractor Antarctic Support Associates at greater distances from the ship. This (ASA). cruise was scheduled to end at Lyttelton The vessel, which was built in 1992 on December 27. is on a long-term charter from Edison- Chouest Offshore, Galliano, Louisiana MG & G cruises and has begun her third research sea son. She is iceclassed (ABS-A2) and A 39 day marine geology and geo capable of breaking three feet of level physics cruise is to leave Lyttelton later ice at three knots, is 308.5 feet in on the same day ending at McMurdo on length with a design draft of 22.5. This February 4. This cruise is a continua vessel can accommodate 37 scientists tion of the two-year programme, begun and normally sails with a crew of be in August 1993, which is focussing on tween 20 and 24 with six to eight sci the central Ross Sea. The integrated ence support personnel. There are over biostratigraphic and high resolution 4000 square feet of exterior main deck seismic survey will involve the collection working area and over 5500 square of both single and multichannel seismic feet of laboratory space on this vessel. data along with piston cores at selected This season she is supporting seven locations. The sediment recovered will oceanographic cruises in the Southern be analysed on board and eventually Ocean spanning the Ross, Amundsen, archived at the Antarctic core reposi Bellingshausen and Weddell Seas, often tory. In addition, a deep-tow sub-bot in ice-bound regions that were not pre tom profiler and side scan instrument viously accessible to other research ves will be used. sels. Geological/geophysical, biological, A further 34 day marine geology chemical and physical oceanographic and geophysics cruise is scheduled to research will be conducted. leave McMurdo on February 7. During The first cruise sailed from Lyttelton this cruise a high-resolution, single- 342 Vol.13 No. 8 December 1994 ANTARCTIC channel seismic survey will be conducted ogy), the extent of seawater flooding, along with piston coring at latitudes snow salinity and stable isotopic com between 71 and 78 degrees. This, the position); structural characteristics of first funded cruise, employing the new ice floes (amounts and stable isotopic multibeam bathymetric mapping sys composition of different ice types such tem will end in Lyttelton on 13 March, as snow ice, frazil ice and congelation 1995. ice, and their relationship to snow and Three days later the vessel will leave ice thickness, and seawater flooding); again for a 45 day physical and chemi and ice properties (salinity and tem cal oceanographic investigation of deep perature). Because different ice types water formation of the Wilkes Land result from variations in the conditions Coast of Antarctica between 140 and under which ice forms, the scientists will 160 degrees E. Current meter moor be able to gain a better understanding ings will be deployed along with numer of the sea-ice parameters and their geo ous CTD casts. Water samples, which physical controls by integrating obser will be analysed aboard the ship, will be vations and SAR data analysis with taken using the rosette sampling sys modeling studies. This analysis will also tem. This cruise will end in Lyttelton on be useful in defining the kind of air-ice- 30 April 1995. ocean interactions that can be studied The R/VNathaniel B. Palmer's next using SAR data and will have broader cruise will take her back to Punta Are relevance and application to atmos nas. This will be the first of two sea-ice pheric biologic and oceanic investiga properties cruises planned for the year tions in the southern oceans. by a team led by Dr Martin Jeffries from The work will be undertaken in the the Geophysical Institute at the Univer perennial sea-ice zones of the Ross, sity of Alaska. They are studying the Amundsen and Bellingshausen Seas. role of snow in the Antarctic sea ice Daily access to the sea ice floes will be development and ocean-atmosphere used for ice and snow thickness profil energy exchange. This project is of ing, coring and sampling. CTD and bot interest because in the southern oceans tle casts will also be employed at se sea ice types vary by geographic loca lected sites. The cruise will end at Punta tion, because of processes in the Ant Arenas on June 21 after which the arctic ice pack that deform it and, as a vessel will be deployed probably to result, large-scale thermodynamics and Talchuano for 30 days of maintenance. heat-exchange process occur in the ice- A second cruise supporting the same covered southern ocean. To better de programme will be undertaken from 31 fine and describe these variations in July when the vessel leaves Punta Are sea-ice types the team will examine nas for 50 days to work again the sea snow-cover characteristics on sea-ice sonal ice zone but this time of the floes, the variability of ice-floe thickness Belllingshausen and Amundsen Seas. and the sea-ice physical properties and This cruise ends at the same port on 19 the structural characteristics in the Ross September 1995. Sea in the late summer. Specific sea-ice characteristics will be related to the synthetic-aperture-ra dar (SAR) signatures observed from the Japanese JERS-1 satellite. These in clude snow-cover characteristics (depth, temperature, density, grain morphol ANTARCTIC December 1994 Vol.13 No. 8

Scott Polar Research Institute

60°S" NEW ZEALAND SOVEREIGN CLAIMS IN THE ANTARCTIC TREATY REGION

Argentine limits — [25° to 74°W. 60°SJ NATIONAL TERRITORIES DEFINED SOUTH OF 60°S IN THE YEAR AFTER THE British limits [20° to 80°W, 60°S) TREATY CAME INTO FORCE (1962) Chilean limits '(53° to S0°W, unspecified northern limit) Undefined limits *"•«.

YEAR OF TERRITORIAL DEFINITIONS: British Antarctic Territory 1908 (as Falkland Islands Dependencies, amended 1917; differentiated 1962), Ross Dependency 1923. Terre Adelie 1924 (delimited 1938), Peter I Oy 1931, Australian Antarctic Territory 1933, Dronning Maud Land 1939, Territorio Chileno Antartico 1940, Ant6rtida Argentina 1943 (extended 1947)

(R. K. Headland 1 - til - 1994) 344 Vol.13 No. 8 December 1994 ANTARCTIC

conservation. Subantarctic Inaccessible Island now has no in troduced mammals and only a small Inaccessible Island number of introduced plants and inver tebrates and so its oceanic island eco to become a system has remained virtually intact. Once the reserve is established there nature reserve will be restricted access and although the Islanders will retain the right to A report in the July 1994 issue of the collect firewood and guano, all living Polar Record states that on 15 March resources will be protected. 1994 the Island Council of Tristan da Among the important aspects of the Cunha agreed that Inaccessible Island, Island are its avian populations. At least part of the group under its jursidiction, 16 species of bird breed there, the should become a nature research. largest population of which are the The Island, which is uninhabited, rockhopper penguins. Between 17,000 lies midway between Africa and South and 27,000 breeding pairs of this spe America in the central South Atlantic cies have been counted. Other breeding ocean and is one of the three main species include the wandering albatross, islands of the Tristan da Cunha Group. three species of shearwater, petrels in Gough Island, says the report, is al cluding the spectacled form of ready a nature reserve, which means whitechinned petrel that breeds only on that when Inaccessible Island is included Inaccessible Island, gulls and terns as the Tristan Islanders will have set aside well as some landbirds endemic to the some 44 percent of their group for group.

Further attempt to the last ten or more years. Leader of this expedition is Com recover gold from mander John Gratton and the party will comprise between 25 and 30 support the General Grant crew and include up to five divers. Currently a prospectus for a float of A further attempt is to be made early public shares is being finalised for issue next year to recover the gold believed to in mid-January and from this the team have been aboard the General Grant hope to raise the funding necessary to which was wrecked on the west coast of send two ships to the Islands. The the main island of the Auckland Group largest of the two Hawea, is an ex-naval on the morning of 14 May 1866. Ten patrol boat, able to sleep between 25 survivors of the complement of 58 and 30 passengers, The team plan to passengers and 25 crew spent 18 anchor her in Carnley Harbour. A con months on the Island before being picked verted fishing vessel,, the Seafarer will up by the Amherst in November 1867 leave from there for Victoria Passage as and broughtto New Zealand. The wreck often as weather permits to allow div is believed to contain some 2,000 ing. She is fully equipped with essential ounces of gold and this has attracted hydraulics sluicing and pumping gear. interest from six groups of divers over Six months has been allowed for the 345 ANTARCTIC December 1994 Vol.13 No. 8 project which will begin earlier than the covering six weeks only four and a half end of February if fully funded. days were suitable for diving. The story Commander Gratton will be making of the location of the vessel is interest his third attempt on the vessel, the first ing. (See Antarctic Autumn 1986 Vol two in 1975 and 1976 failed because of 11 No. 1) lack of time. On the second attempt

First on the Antarctic Continent?

R.K. Headland Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge

One of the more commonly repeated land Islands and searched the region for fallacies of Antarctic history is nearing seals during that season. In the 1821- the centenary of the event on which it is 22 summer Joseph Usher is recorded based. The assertion that Carsten as landing on the Antarctic Peninsula Egeberg Borchgrevink made the first south of Deception Island from landing on the continent, Antarctica, on Caraquette of London; he also reported 24 January 1895, is made in an unex no Fur Seals (Jones 1985). It is virtually pected number of popularrworks al certain that other continental landings though it is erroneous. At least four were made but, because of the absence earlier landings are recorded and there of seals, were regarded as of little is doubt whether Borchgrevink was the consequence. At the time it was uncer first ashore in 1895. tain whether the Antarctic Peninsula In 1819 the South Shetland Islands was part of a Southern Continent, a were discovered and a large number of separate land, an island or an archi sealing vessels deployed there until the pelago. Its union with the continent was fur seal population was reduced almost not proven until the British Graham to extinction. During the 1820-21 Land Expedition of 1934-37. austral summer there is evidence of two Later in the century several scien sealing masters working there having tific and other expeditions explored independently landed on the Antarctic Antarctica and four came very near to Peninsula - thus becoming the first on its shores. The 1830-33 British expe that continent. These were'John Davis dition led by John Biscoe aboard Tula aboard the shallop Cecilia from sighted Enderby Land on 24 February Nantucket on 7 February 1821, and 1831, and landed on one of the Pitt John McFarlane aboard Dragon from Islands (off the Antarctica Peninsula) on London at an unknown date in that 21 February 1832 (Murray 1901). The season (Stackpole 1955, Jones 1986). 1837-40 French naval expedition, led Few details are known of these two by Jules-Sebastien-Cesar Dumont voyages because fur seals were not d'Urville aboard Astrolabe with Charles- found, thus the landings were of little Hector Jacquinot aboard Zelee, des interest to those involved. These are patched a party which landed on He du the only recorded landings (their order Debarquement (Terre Adelie) 22 Janu is equivocal) from more than 60 sealing ary 1840 (Rosenman 1987). The United vessels from Britain and the United States Exploring Expedition of 1838- States which worked at the South Shet 42 led by Charles Wilkes aboard 346 Vol.13 No. 8 December 1994 ANTARCTIC

Vincennes accompanied, at the start, Cape Adare, camp and huts built by by five other vessels sailed westward Borchgreuink's party in 1899. Photo. P. Selwyn, January 1990 closely along the coast of Wilkes Land, discovering and charting a series of land falls and appearances of land' between landing is described in the log of Le longitudes 160deg E and 98 deg E from vant, Captain Mercator Cooper, from December 1839 (Bertrand 1971). The Sag Harbour, New York, which is in the British naval expedition of 1839-43 led East Hampton Library (Cooper 1851- by James Clark Ross aboard HMS 55). The landing occurred on the Erebus with Francis Rawdon Moira Cro- Pennell Coast of Victoria Land on 27 zier aboard HMS Terror discovered and January 1853 (civil date). The account roughly charted 900 km of coastline in may be rendered as:....at 11:30 we Victoria Land. They landed on Posses came up with the barrier, lowered a sion Island, 12 January, and Franklin boat and went to it, and landed on it. We saw a number of penguins about Island, 27 January 1841, and discov the ice. The ice is here broken into ered Ross Island, February 1842 (Ross large flakes and driven solidly to 1847). All these landings were near or within the Antarctic Circle, well south of gether, and a number of large ice bergs mixed in the barrier along the those by sealers on the Antarctic Penin ice front edge are from 4 to 15 feet sula. Although very close to the conti [1.3 to 4.5 mjout of the water, and as nent, these four expeditions landed only it goes back it appears to be at consid on adjacent islands. erable height, there are two or three The fourth recorded continental ANTARCTIC December 1994 Vol.13 No. 8 peaks of mountains a long way off Antarctic continent. London, G. Newnes which are very high.... A sketch show and Company. ing the Coast of the South Continent BULL, H.J. 1896 The cruise of the Antarc accompanies the log entry for 30 Janu tic. London, Edward Arnold. COOPER, M. 1851-55 [Log of Levant}. ary 1853 (plate). The positions of Le Unpublished manuscript, East Hampton Li vant are given as 69deg56'S/ brary (ms XBG 16. (Extract held in Scott 167deg50'E on 25 January; Polar Research Institute, Cambridge) 70deglO'S/168deg09,E on 26th; EVANS, H.B. and JONES A.G.E. 1975. A 71deg00'S/170deg00'E on 27th and forgotten explorer: Carsten Egeberg Borchgrevink. Cambridge, Polar Record, 70deg20'S/169deg30'E on 28th; the 17 (108); 221-235 dates are sea ones which begin at noon. JONES, A.G.E. 1985. British sealing on Borchgrevink's claim to priority of New South Shetland 1819-1826 Nedlands; landing on Antarctica is from his par The Great Circle, 7 (1); 9-22, (2); 74-87. KRISTENSEN, L. 1896 Journal of the Right- ticipation in the Norwegina sealing and Whaling cruise of the Norwegian steam whaling exploration, led by Henrik ship Antarctic In the South Polar Seas. Johan Bull, aboard Antarctic com Melbourne, Transactions of the Royal Geo manded by Leonard Kristensen (1894- graphic Society of Australasia (Victoria Branch) 12 and 13; 73-100 95). The expedition reached Cape Adare MURRAY, J. 1901 The Antarctic manual, and landed on 24 January 1895. London, Royal Geographical Society Borchgrevink claimed to have been the ROSENMAN, H. 1987 (Editor) Two Voy ages to the South Seas by Capt. J.S.C. first ashore and thus to the first on the Dumont d'Urvllle.... Melbourne, University Antarctic continent' (Borchgrevink Press 1896). Captain Leonard Kristensen ROSS, J.C. 1847 A voyage of discovery also claimed to have been first ashore and research in the southern and Antarctic and thus to be the first man who ever regions during the years 1839-43. London, John Murray put foot on South Victoria Land' STACKPOLE, E.A. 1955 The voyage of the (Kristensen, 1896). A.H.F. von Huron and Huntress. Mystic (Connecticut) Tunzleman (a boy recruited in Stewart Marine Historical Association Plate: Sketch from the log book of Levant, Island) may, however, have preceded 30 January 1853: Coast of the South Con either (Evans and Jones 1975). The tinent expedition leader, Henrik Bull, indicated no precedence stating only The sensa tion of being the first men who had set foot on the real Antarctic mainland was both strange and pleasurable, (Bull Polar philately 1896). Borchgrevink has, however, a firm claim to fame as the leader of the Ian Harkess first expedition to winter on Antarctica, at Cape Adare during 1899 The stamp from (Borchgrevink, 1901). Vanda References The 40 cent stamp showing Vanda Sta tion was issued on 20 January 1982 as BERTRAND, K.J. 1971 Americans in Ant arctica 1775-1948. New York; American part of a set of six to mark the 25th Geographic Society anniversary of the establishment of Scott BORCHGREVINK, C.E. 1896 The first land Base. ing on the Antarctic continent. London, The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine. Designed by R.M. (Maurice) Conly , N.S. 29, 432-448 it was printed by the lithography proc BORCHGREVINK, C.E. 1901. First on the ess by Leigh Marsden Pty Ltd., Mel- 348 Vol.13 No. 8 December 1994 ANTARCTIC

aiz : Ross Dependency 40°; Ross Dependency 40° - Ross Dependency 40

Ross Dependency 40c ;Ross Dependency 40° -Ross Dependency 40c

LEIGH MARDON PRINT MELBOURNE.AUSTRALIA □ SHENUMBER bourne. As with other values in the set ley, Victoria Land. it was printed in sheets of 100 (10x10), It was intended that the Station would perforated 15.5. It remained on sale at be jointly established in 1967/68 sum Scott Base - the only Post Office at mer by the New Zealand Antarctic Re which it could be sold, until its closure search programme and the United on 30 September 1987 and was with States Antarctic Research Programme drawn from sale at Philatelic Bureaus a with possible Japanese participation, few months later. but because of other commitments, this The name Vanda was given to the didn't eventuate. Two existing huts lake because Dr Colin Bull, leader of already constructed on Ross Island were Victoria University of Wellington Expe used. The auroral radar hut at Arrival dition, 1958-59 had a dog named Vanda Heights was dismantled and with other when he was working in North Green material, including a new stores hut, land. designed and built at Scott Base, were The site for the station was selected packaged into containers and air by Mr R.B. Thomson, Superintendent dropped from RNZAF Hercules CI30 of the then Antarctic Division, DSIR aircraft, at a hight of 300 metres on 16 and Mr J.H. Miller formerly Deputy October 1967. Five flights were neces Leader of the New Zealand component sary to transport the 19 containers. of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic On February 15, 1968, the Biolab Expedition. Due for removal this sea used by the University of Canterbury son (see page 325), the station was zoologists at Cape Royds, since 1963 located at 126 km from Scott Base at was transported by sea across McMurdo latitude 77deg/32minutes south/longi Sound to near Marble Point where it tude 161deg42minutes E. The site 150 was secured for the winter and trans metres south east of Lake Vanda and ported to Vanda by tractor train in Oc 110 from the Onyx River, nine meters tober and November 1968. above sea level in the Wright Dry Val The new station was first used in the 349 ANTARCTIC December 1994

summer of 1967/68 by VUWAE 12 of the nearby lake, the buildings will be members, led by Prof H. Wellnan. removed during 1994/95 season.. It is The first winter party to winter over planned to locate two small huts to in 1969 was led by W.R. Lucy, with provide a laboratory building and cook S.K. Cutfield (scientific officer), R.M. ing hut on a suitable nearby site. Field Craig (meteorologist), W.H. Johns (tech parties will need to provide their own nician) and A.J. Riordan(U.S. exchange sleeping accommodation in tents. scientist). They were isolated for eight All mail from Vanda Station was months with a tractor train resupplying postmarked at Scott Base. A number of them from Scott Base on 10 Septem cachets were however issued from this ber. location. This envelope from an Italian Vanda Station has been extensively group is an example. used, since then but due to rising levels

^^■■ HH

/O „

Vanda Station

(77deg31"S/161deg40'E) was situated 126 km north west of Scott Base near the shore of Lake Vanda in the Taylor Dry Valleys but it was replaced by a smaller station on the opposite side of the lake this season.

Photo: Trevor Chinn Vol.13 No. 8 December 1994 ANTARCTIC

Antarctic bank notes and coins being produced in Canada - profits for research

A Canadian has set up the Antarc The A5 shows an albatross and Weddell tica Overseas Exchange Office, based in seals. A picture of Robert Falcon Scott Canada, to issue Antarctic coins and and a map of Antarctica adorn the A10 banknotes and to raise money for Ant note, while the A20 carries a picture of arctic research. Amundsen and a Pole survey. The A50 Initially notes to the value of one note shows flags and McMurdo station. million Antarctican dollars will be is Ozone depletion, and the Ross Depend sued. David John Hamilton, of Vancou ency feature on the A100 note. ver, Canada, expects them to become The size of the note increases as the collectors items. The notes can be re denomination gets larger. Each note deemed for up to seven years. Money bears the words "Antarctica Overseas from the sale of unredeemed currency Exchange Office". will go into a special fund, from which On the reverse of each note are grants will be made for research projects. instructions on how to redeem it and the Mr Hamilton will serve as comptrol expiry date. ler of the Exchange Office, which will Mr Hamilton says the destruction of soon release a series of six currency redeemed notes and unsold stocks will notes, tied to the value of the United ensure collectibility of the notes. States dollar. Antarctican dollars (ab "Expired notes will never be offered breviated as A) will be available through at discounts," he said. "All will be de a system of distribution and directly stroyed to protect the value of issues from the Exchange office. They can be kept by collectors and people who sup exchanged for US dollars or other cur port Antarctican concerns." rencies through their seven-year re There will only be a few higher de deemable period. nomination notes issued. Complete Cash from currency sales will go sheets of notes will be offered in limited into a bank account. Interest from the numbers. account will pay for production and "Obviously these notes will not re marketing costs. ally have a place in Antarctican com "The Antarctica Overseas Exchange merce because there is nothing to buy,'' Office will consult an experienced panel said Mr Hamilton. "But they will act as of researchers to determine worthwhile equivalent to cash' because of their projects and what grants are reasonable cashability during their validity period.'' for the research," said Mr Hamilton. The notes can be used to buy any Twenty percent of all funds raised will merchandise sold b'y the Antarctica go to the company for production, sala Overseas Exchange Office, including ries and royalties. postcards and conservation labels. The notes will be issued in 1, 5, 10, Some conservation label/stamps 20,50 and 100 denominations. The Al have been issued, but they are not valid note shows penguins and a fjord scene. postage internationally. However Mr 351 ANTARCTIC December 1994 Vol.13 No. 8

Hamilton says if letters are forwarded The flat has a thick light blue stripe to his office under separate cover and at the bottom representing pack ice, a have the proper Antarctica labels af thin orange strip through the middle fixed, the letter will be forwarded by representing the Southern Lights and a having the labels cancelled in the Ant final thick dark blue stripe representing arctica Postal Souvenir Agency office the night sky. The {southern Cross is and US or Canadian postage added to displayed in the upper right corner. send it on its way. Mr Hamilton said the Exchange of ' 'This is more expensive than just send fice is not a bank or other chartered ing your item directly yourself, but it will financial institution and is not trying to create an interesting Antarctic collect be an official or legislative body repre ible," said Mr Hamilton. senting Antarctica. The Exchange Office has also pro For further information write to the duced an Antarctic flag, which appears Antarctica overseas Exchange Office at on the A5 bank note and on the conser PO Box 61, Custer WA 98240, USA, vation label. fax (Canada), (604) 431-8017. Commercial Arctic flight seeks place in record books

An expedition, claiming to be the 27.5 hours. first Circumpolar Expedition by a com Passengers, from Alaska, USA, mercial carrier, flying around eight coun China, England, Japan, Korea Norway, tries at the top of the globe, took place and Russia, numbered 79 and there in May. 1994. were four crew members. The cost per A further two flights are planned for person was about $US6500. June and August 1995 by organiser the Advance publicity for the journey Northern Forum, assisted by Airline said it was a unique opportunity offer Management Services, both based in ing vistas unsurpassed natural beauty Anchorage Alaska. intertwined with the unique cultures of Steven H. Shropshire, executive di the inhabitants of the northern regions. rector, The Northern Forum, said he Contact with the local people, such as hoped the flights would eventually be the Innuit of Canada, the Nenets of recorded in the Guiness Book of Russia and the Yupick of Alaska, was Records. promised. The price included unique The expedition left from Anchorage foods indigenous to the Arctic and pres on the morning of 11 May 1994, re entations from world-renowned lectur turning there on 18 May. Its route took ers on Arctic issues and historical brief it to Kotzebue Airport, Alaska; Anadyr, ings. Einar S. Pedersen, special advisor Tiksi, Nar Yan Mar and Murmansk in to the Northern Forum said the expedi Russia, Rovaniemi, Finland; Kiruna, tion had three aims: to be the first ever Sweden; Bodo, Norway; Keflavik, Ice such commercial flight, seeking knowl land; Sonderstrom, Greenland, Iqaluit edge about the Arctic Rim for future (Frobisher Bay), Churchill and tourist exploits, and to establish a Yellowknife, in Canada. circumpolar trade route between the A Boeing 727-100 from Reeve desolate communities on the Rim, thus Aleutian Airways, Anchorage, was used making the future for the native peoples for the journey and it was captained by of the Arctic more promising. Chuck Nickerson. Total flying time was

352 The New Zealand Antarctic Society Secretary, Inc., was formed in 1933. It comprises Wellington Branch, New Zealanders and overseas friends, New Zealand Antarctic Society Inc., many of whom have been to the Antarc P.O. Box 2110, tic and all of whom are vitally interested in some phase of Antarctic exploration, WELLINGTON, 6000 history, development or research. South Island residents should write to the: The annual subscription entitles members to-. Secretary, Canterbury Branch, >Antarctic, published each March, New Zealand Antarctic Society Inc., June, September and December. It is P.O. Box 404, unique in Antarctic literature as it is the CHRISTCHURCH 8000 only periodical which provides regular or the and up to date news of the activities of all nations at work in the Antarctic and the Secretary, subantarctic. It has a worldwide circula Otago Branch, tion. New Zealand Antarctic Society Inc., >Newsletters for New Zealand mem P.O. Box 7983, bers and an annual newsletter for over DUNEDIN 9030 seas members. Regular meetings are held by the Auckland, Wellington, Can Overseas Residents should write terbury and Otago branches. to the: Secretary, New Zealand Antarctic Society Inc., Subscriptions are: P.O. Box 2110, NZ$40 in New Zealand WELLINGTON, 6000 Airmail Postage NEW ZEALAND NZ$46 Australia and South Pacific NZ$49 North America and East Asia Advertising rates NZ$51 Europe, including Great Britain Full colour (outside back cover only) $400 NZ$55 Everywhere else Whole page (b & w only) $200 Economy Postage (slower delivery) Half page (b & w only) $100 NZ$43 Australian and South Pacific Quarter page (b & w only) $35 NZ$45 North America and East Asia Rates for regular placement are negoti able. Enquiries to the: NZ$46 Europe including Great Britain Treasurer NZ$46 Everywhere else New Zealand Antarctic Society Inc., P.O. Box 2110, You are invited to join: WELLINGTON 6000 Fliers and other advertising material North Island residents should write to can be inserted at a cost of $150 per the issue plus any additional postage in curred through such insertions. Enquir Secretary, ies should be made to the Treasurer. Auckland Branch, Phone and fax numbers for the bulletin New Zealand Antarctic Society Inc., appear in the front of each issue. P.O. Box 8062, AUCKLAND 1035 Deadlines for advertising and copy are or the the 20th of each month preceeding pub lication.