^fci/vMi" A N E W S B U L L E T I N

p u b l i s h e d q u a r t e r l y b y t h e NEW ZEALAND ANTARCTIC SOCIETY

NEW ZEALAND IN THE ANTARCTIC

VOL. 3, No. 10. JUNE, 1964 Winter and Summer bases Scott S u m m e r b a s e o n l y f S k y - H i Jointly operated base Hallett NEW ZEALAND _ C U J . - N . Z ) Transferred base Wilkes _ U . S . t o A u s t TASMANIA Temporarily non -operational....KSyowa HOBART , Campbell I. (N.Z)

f Micquarie I. (Aust)

\^J«a"e«-f«X-iK^ |£*J...

'•.-.■■ •.y.tliHIeRockfD

^rd (l/.S, +"Vosrok *{jmmisin -Scott (U.S.). ,A N T A R C A u t t j " A \ / *-V*T^/"/i

< * M a w n S n A \ / $£*«, \c .\ X A ■•/ HilleyBiy ;.j (u.'k) '""

*#$&

DRAWN BY DEPARTMENT OF LANDS t SURVEY WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND, SEP. 1961 (Successor to "Antarctic News Bulletin'')

Vol. 3, No. 10 JUNE, 1964

Editor: L. B. Quartermain, M.A., 1 Ariki Road, Wellington, E.2, New Zealand. Business Communications, Subscriptions, etc., to: Secretary, New Zealand Antarctic Society, P.O. Box 2110, Wellington, N.Z.

ANTARCTIC MEETINGS "SOMETHING OLD" The third Antarctic Treaty Consul Not many brides could beat the tative Meeting will be held this year "something old" at the wedding of in Brussels from June 2 to June 13. Jennie Vance, of Brighton, Victoria, At this meeting the delegation repre and New Zealander David Dodd, on senting New Zeala:\d wiil comprise: Mav 7. Mr. M. J. C. Templeton, Counsellor Guests drank champagne cooled N.Z. High Commissioner's Office, by ice 1000 years old at the reception. London. David brought the ice—two huge Dr. E. I. Robertson, Assistant Direc blocks — back from the Antarctic tor-General, D.S.I.R., Wellington. in April after a year as meteorologi Mr. E. Farnon, First Secretary, N.Z. cal officer-in-charge at Davis Base. Mission to E.E.C., Brussels. The ice is unusually clear, almost Previous Consultative Meetings like heavy glass. have been held at Canberra in 1961 Jennie's mother, who stored one and at Buenos Aires in 1962. There block in her deep freeze, said: "It was no meeting last year. looks as if it's been around a long time." S.C.A.R. David is the 25-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. W. E. G. Dodd of The eighth meeting of S.C.A.R. Christchurch. His gift to his bride (the Scientific Committee on Antarc was a necklace of six deep ruby tic Research) will be held in Paris garnets which he mined himself in from August 24 to 28. New Zealand's the rocky area round Davis Base. representative will be Mr. J. Holmes It took him a year of "days off" to ("Bob") Miller, the Wellington sur find six garnets big enough to make veyor and a, member of the Ross the necklace. Dependency Research Committee. Mr. Miller was deputy-leader of the New Zealand component of the VOLCANO AHOY! irans-Antarctic Expedition, 1957-58, and was leader of the Northern Field During last season's work by Party in Victoria Land last summer. H.M.S. "Protector" for the British Antarctic Survey, Able Seaman Ron ald Winmill of Cardiff stared in SARTORIALLY, YES! amazement at the echo sounder When Chicago businessman Ward trace. From the average depth of C. Rogers was flown to the Pole as more than 1,000 ft. (305 metres) off a guest of Admiral Reedy, he became the South Sandwich Islands the re so excited donning his "really-cold- cording pencil suddenly showed no weather" clothing before the touch more than 90 feet (27 metres). At down that he put on the trousers his shouted alarm the "Protector" back to front. When Mr. Rogers went quickly astern. WinmiU's alert walked round the Pole, can he claim ness had discovered an uncharted to have walked round the earth back underwater volcano. The rim of the wards? crater was later charted with care. June, 1964 NEW ZEALAND FIELD PROGRAMME HAS CHANGE OF EMPHASIS "Last season", said the New Zealand Minister of Science, Mr Tallboys, in a Press statement, "saw the completion of the major geological and topo graphical reconnaissance survey programme when 40,000 square miles in North Victoria Land was explored by Mr J. Holmes Miller and his party. Next season will see the commencement of a new phase of geological investigations to resolve anomalies and fill in gaps of the reconnaissance surveys."

The trend therefore will be to Ross Ice Shelf. The team will study more specialised parties, generally geological anomalies and fill in gaps smaller in number, and entering the in the geological and topographical field for shorter periods. To inaugur surveys of the region. ate this new pattern of field work, Two men operating from Scott two teams operating next summer Base will study the occurrence and will each be fed by a geologist with geological sequence of volcanic considerable previous experience in rocks on Ross Island. Antarctic geological work under arduous conditions. UNIVERSITY TEAMS The Victoria University of Welling MAWSON GLACIER ton will again have a team in the Guy Warren, who was one of the field, VUWAE 9, led by Warwick geologists with the New Zealand Prebble, who will be spending his component of the Trans-Antarctic third consecutive summer in the Expedition in 1957-58, will head a Antarctic. This six-man party will four-man team operating on foot be studying Quaternary Geology and which will be placed at strategic Geochemistry of White and Black points in the general area south of Islands, the Brown Peninsula, and the Mawson Glacier, which descends in the Koetlittz Glacier and Taylor from the Prince Albert Mountains Vallcy regions. of Victoria Land to the Ross Sea in A University of Canterbury three- latitude 76° 12'S, and extends for man team again led by Dr. Bernard 20 miles as the Nordenskjold Ice Stonehouse will continue the study Tongue. Warren was one of Brookes' of Adelie penguins, skuas and seals, Northern Party which explored this using as their base the biological area in October, 1957-January, 1958. Iaboratorv built in 1963 at Cape Special attention will be given to the Royds. Lashly Mountains (77° 53'S, 160° Two men from Lincoln College, 10'E), the Boomerang Range (78° Canterbury, will carry out an inten 3CS, 159°E) and Allan Nunatak sive study in two or three localities (76° 45'S, 159° 40'E). in ihe McMurdo area in order to identify the sequences of soil forma HOLYOAKE RANGE tion on morainic terraces, and so obtain some understanding of the An eight-man parly using dog processes and courses of soil forma teams and motor toboggans will tion in such localities. operate as two four-man units some 280 miles south of Scott Basc. This party will be led bv Malcolm Laird, "ENDEAVOUR" geologist for the" New Zealand H.M.N.Z.S. "Endeavour" will again southern field party in 1960-61. He make two voyages to McMurdo too will be going back to countrv Sound to re-supply Scott Base and he knows, the Holyoake Range (82c transport fuel for the United States 10'S, 160°E) which extends for 40 Naval Support Force. For about miles parallel with the Shackleton three weeks in January a party of coast about 30 miles inland from the four oceanographers will travel on June, 1964 A N T A

"Endeavour" to continue oceano The F.M.C. says this is because of graphic surveys of the Campbell the change of emphasis on geological submarine plateau in sub-Antarctic work and the virtual completion of waters near Campbell Island. Hydro- major topographical survey. How logical and magnetic measurements ever, the F.M.C. has been asked to will be taken during the two re nominate field men to assist in areas supply voyages between New Zea where the access and terrain are land "and McMurdo Sound. difficult. As a high standard of competence THE BASES will be required, only members with Scott Base will again be manned an advanced knowledge of snow, ice by a wintering-over party of 12-15 and glacier travel will qualify. men. A summer support party of seven men will again assist at the AT SCOTT BASE base during the busy operational season. Including the field parties The last physical link with New and other special groups (e.g. men Zealand was snapped on March 5 carrying out ice-shelf studies, hut when "Glacier" sailed, with the restoration and nuclear fall-out Balleny Islands reconnaissance party analysis) over 50 New Zealanders on board. Scott Base men attended will take part in next season's pro a farewell barbecue at McMurdo the gramme. Applications are now being day before. called for. The scientific team completed the The future status of Hallett installation of equipment at the Station has not yet been finally Second Crater wannigan in readi decided, and it is possible that ness for tests with the Beacon Satei- Hallett may not be operative lite when it is in orbit. throughout the 1965 winter. How Ice began to form on open water ever, arrangements are being made on March 5. March was an excep provisionally for the customary New Zealand component of three mem tionally warm month, with a mean temperature of —20.8°, a maximum bers of the scientific staff. of —8.4° and a minimum of —34.1°. April_aIso was unusually mild: mean BALLENY ISLANDS —21.5°C, minimum —43.7°C. Since the reconnaissance carried There was considerable cloud cov out in March showed the Balleny erage and much wind. Islands to be too rugged to justify In anticipation of the winter night an attempt to establish an expedi and blizzards, the routes to the snow- tion on shore for any length of time, collection area and to Arrival it is proposed, subject to United Heights were marked by placing red States Naval support being available, and white reflectors on posts at short to carry out further biological and intervals. oceanographic work from shipboard The monthly "News from the on and around the islands for a South" produced by the Antarctic period of two to three weeks. Oppor Division for circulation to next of tunity will also be taken to obtain kin and other friends of the men astro-fixes at various points which, wintering at New Zealand bases, with aerial photography, will enable says that health is good and that all accurate maps of the islands to be are eating hearty meals, apparently compiled. A party of six biologists continuous! All except three of the and oceanographers will be involved. thirteen men at Scott Base are bearded. Three men have been con CLUB VENTURES "UNLIKELY" structing an igloo to "Eskimo speci According to the New Zealand fications" and claim that it is to be Federated Mountain Clubs, it is un used for "contemplation of the likely that there will be further Ant Antarctic Silence": but it is antici arctic expeditions like the 1961 New pated that they will have visitors and Zealand Alpine Club's survey party possibly week-end boarders for chess and the recent Tararua Tramping — and no doubt there will be inspec Club expedition. tions by the dogs. Juno, 1964

Careful watch is being kept on the LOST PENGUINS bay ice in front of the basc, where the dog lines are, and cracks are Mr. J. Holmes ("Bob") Miller gave a Christchurch reporter some inter carefully measured for movement, in case the dogs should move sea esting details about the 101-day ward to the open water, which is topographical and geological survey now at Hut Point. journey by the six-man dog-sledge team which he led during the past summer in the extreme north of AUTUMN SLEDGING Victoria Land. "Wc found a dead Emperor penguin Lucy, Massam and Fabian took 100 miles inland," said Mr. Miller two dog teams out across the ice- when he returned to Christchurch shelf to Survey Station 218, which in February. "In roughly the same lies off White Island about 20 miles vicinity we found a white bird's egg, S.S.E. of Scott Base. The purpose which was probably laid by an was to gain practice in thc use of Adelie penguin. field radios and to give the dogs a "Further inland still, about 150 practice run under colder conditions. miles from the coast, we saw pen They returned to the Base on April guin tracks. They were made by one 19 after a four-day exercise, all with bird only. varying degrees of "frost-nip" but "We concluded that these were with no serious effects. all single birds that had got lost. There is nothing for them to eat there. They starved to death." SCOTT BASE LEADER The six men soon learned how Mr. Adrian Hayter, M.B.E., M.C., is sullen the Antarctic could be in the to be leader at Scott Base from Octo 50,000 square miles of unexplored ber, 1964 to November, 1965. territory they had to cover in the Born at Timaru in 1914, Mr. Hayter Australian Oates Land and North was educated at Nelson College and Victoria Land. the Royal Military College, Sand "The weather was favourable on hurst, before being posted to a only 21 days of the 101-day trip," British regiment and then to the said Mr. Miller. "Temperatures ranged from minus 51 degrees Fahr Second Gurkhas for service in India. enheit to plus 24 degrees. But there During the Second World War he commanded a battalion in Burma was one thing that surprised us, and and won the Military Cross. that was the absence of very high After the war he saw further ser winds. The wind exceeded 50 knots vice against the terrorists in Malaya only once." where he was administrative com In addition to the bad weather, the mandant of "Ferret Force" and be party had the greatest difficulty came chief instructor in jungle war crossing the Rennick Glacier — 200 fare. miles long and 65 miles wide, per haps the largest glacier in the world. SOLO VOYAGES "Twice our fully laden sledges fell down crevasses," he said. "They went He then set out on the first of his down to 30 feet in one fall and it was two solo voyages from England to a day's work to recover them." New Zealand via the Suez Canal in the yawl Sheila II. The second was The purpose of the traverse was in a Norwegian boat, the 25-foot to make a detailed geological study to complete the reconnaissance of Valkyr, via Panama. He has written two books, "Sheila New Zealand's province of interest. in the Wind" and "The Second Step". "We knew what the Russians had Until recently he was one of the found in the west and what thc Eng original instructors at the Outward lish had found in the east, and now Bound School at Anakiwa. we have filled the gap. New Zealand Mr. Hayter paid a short "familiari could now shift its interest from the sation" visit to the Antarctic at the west to the east of the Ross Depen close of the 1963-64 season. dency." June. 1964

ANTARCTIC GLACIOLOGY Gough, and at one stage, some of thc A. J. HEINE Boy Scouts. Some difficulty along (This outline of glaciological work in the the eastern margin, due to crevasse McMurdo Sound area surveys the work done trouble, caused an abandonment of by the New Zealand expedition during the one station, but otherwise all stations 1963-64 summer. Mr. Heine began his ice-shelf were set out as scheduled. The line investigations as a member of Dr. H. J. Harrington's team in 1958-59, and initiated of movement points set out by Mal the study of ice breakout in McMurdo Sound colm Ford and Frank Graveson in in 1962-63.—Ed.) February, 1963, from the mouth of ICE BREAKOUT the Aurora Glacier (flowing into the PHOTOGRAPHY Shelf from between Mts. Erebus and The trimetrogon aerial photog Terra Nova) to Black Island were raphy of the Ice breakout in Mc re-surveyed. Our measurements Murdo Sound was carried out by showed that accumulation over the Super Constellation (C-121J) and Ot period of approximately a year ter (U-1B) aircraft. Flights were made ranged from thirty inches in Wind from early November to mid Febru less Bight to zero near Black Island. ary and gave a good coverage of the bay ice. The photographs have now SCOTT BASE PRESSURE RIDGES been plotted up and show the stages of breakout throughout the season. Gerald Holdsworth and Alan Gough completed a cross section SUBSEQUENT ICE BREAKOUT measurement across some of the ice About February 26, the sea ice east folds north of Pram Point. Move of Cape Armitage started to break ment points within this area were up, and within two days, had broken back to the February, 1962, ice edge. re-surveyed. Great pieces of the McMurdo Ice Shell then began to break off. Traffic PERMANENT GLACIOLOGICAL along the Shelf from Scott Base to Williams Airfield was discontinued, EXPERIMENTAL AREA and all movements to the airfield An area for use by glaciologists were by helicopter. The limit of the has been marked out and adequately breakout was reached about March flagged, about two miles north-east 5, by which time a sector, about half of Pram Point. It is well away from a mile in to the north-east, had existing roads and runways, and will, broken out near the experimental I hope, be kept in its natural condi compacted snow runway. tion. This is very important, for future research projects may require SNOW SAMPLING a clean natural snow area, where the (Institute of Nuclear Sciences) A further collection of snow sam experimenter can be assured of original snow conditions. Here we ples was made this summer by G. will obtain our samples for future Holdsworth and myself. In order to confirm measurements made last nuclear bomb fallout analysis. summer, duplicate samples were ob Unfortunately, my time as Deputy tained as well as samples from Pole Leader, in the absence of Bob Thom and Byrd Stations. These latter son, kept me occupied a great deal samples were collected for us bv of the time, and I was not able to UoARP scientists. Dr. G. McNaugh- get out in the field as much as I tpn of the Institute of Nuclear would have wished. However, a two- jciences, spent several clays at Scott day trip to Lake Bonney for a short Jase, checking our collection tech project was a pleasant break in niques and familiarising himself routine work. Bill Lucy and I drilled with the conditions of the project in holes through the ice in the narrow the field. strait joining the two parts of Lake McMURDO ICE SHELF PROJECT Bonney, and took soundings. This lhc projected grid of movement information was required by Tim stations was set out by Bill Lucv Shirtchffe, Victoria University of Wellington (see last year's work bv assisted by Dave Massam, Alan Benseman and Shirtcliffe). A N T A June, 1964 NEW ZEALAND TEAM LANDS ON THE BALLENY ISLANDS by TREVOR HATHERTON [As forecast in our last issue, land-i trawl and two for water (micro- ing on the rugged, ice-girt Balleny>ks biological) sampling. 333 miles Islands, 250 miles north of the Vic- || of echo soundings were run dur- ta Land coast, proved difficult.pa ing the two days. ;s account by Dr. T. HathertonAtg(b) The Sabrina Islet penguin ider of the New Zealand team in- Jj colony was visited (a single Mac- vestigating the possibility of estab- En aroniaroni penguin penguin was was found found among lishing a base on the islands, outlines ijjthe the Adelies Adelies and and Chinstraps) Chinstraps) the work done and the prospects of iand and examined. examined. Descriptions, Descriptions, further work on the islands.—Ed.] i photographsphotographs and and logs logs of of birds birds Clear calm days in the vicinity of and seals were kept and speci the Balleny Islands are, to use the mens of birds obtained using vernacular, "as scarce as hen's the ship's searchlight. Birds fly teeth". Thus the group, consisting of ing into thc beam were blinded Trevor Hatherton, Fred Kinsky and and fell into the sea or the ship's Tom Riggert (Dominion Museum), decks, Elliott Dawson and Dick Singleton c) Algae, lichen and moss collec (N.Z. Oceanographic Institute) and tions were made on Sabrina Guy Mannering, which constituted Islet. the Balleny Islands Reconnaissance (d) Gravity and total magnetic Party 1964, were especially fortunate force observations were made on in having two calm clear days for the beaches at Sabrina and Bor- this "recce". The party left McMurdo radaile Islands. on March 5 on U.S.S. "Glacier" and, (e) Samples of rocks on Sabrina pter stopping off at Hallett Station and Borradaile Islands were > give all possible cheer to the party collected, lere after the fire, arrived in the NEXT YEAR? icinity of the Balleny Islands at The logistic possibilities of a land- 1 0 0 o n M a r c h 8 . b a s e d e x p e d i t i o n o n t h e B a l l e n y Islands are not favourable. Histori- THE PLAN cal studies by Mr. L. B. Quartermain The terms of reference of the suggest that only six landings at four party were: separate sites have been made dur- (1) To assess thc operational feasi- ing the 125 years since their dis- bility and scientific desirability covery. All four sites were examined of mounting in a subsequent closely but to only two is it possible season an extended expedition to to get a helicopter. They are on these islands for a period of up Sabrina Islet and Borradaile Island, to two months for geophysical, the latter being the site of the first, g e o l o g i c a l , b i o l o g i c a l a n d o c e a n - — ~ . „ ^ „ _ „ _ _ _ _ ographic studies! LANDING PLACES ON THE (2) To obtain as much scientific „ , BALLENY ISLANDS datarlatn as n« possiDlC nnceililp ClUIing rliirina tne tho %v,)ich (r°',) The Captain bcach Freeman, °" Borradaile of the Island"Sabrina", on course or the reconnaissance so the second of Balleny's two ships, landed in that should a subsequent ex- J839, and on which Australian Stuart Camp- peditionnnrlitirm nmwprove imnrnrtirnWp impracticable, bdl landed landed here in 1948 by nejjcopter. The New Zealand team the maximum scientific value IS (Bottom) Southern end of Sabrina Islet, derived from the operation. looking.east. The Monolith is out of sight on TWKl«E, KC9ULX3T?175TT¥ TC by InL",ilc Spjt r,Sn1' on almost which linked members with Sabrina of the NewIslet With regard to the latter the Zealand party and others are standing. Land- achievementS were: j[>gs were made here by a party from the (a)f»1 riveRtw nr^nnnrnnhip oceanograplnc ctorirmc stations French and a ship par[v 'Commandant from uss Charcot -staten (1949).Island" were occupied with dredge and (1959). June, 1964

LANDING PLACES ON THE BALLENY ISLANDS

S^OC '.

i^P*-

^^^-r^Oe-B^ g?':

Photos: Guy Mannering. June, 1964 transitory, landing by Freeman in in relation to the biogeographic 1839. The photograph shows the spit position of the islands at the south which extends from Borradaile ern end of the south Macquarie Island; this beach would have a Ridge, north of the Ross Sea, and negative freeboard in a rough sea straddling the Antarctic Circje. and would be no place for a camp. The two main groups of animals Sabrina Islet offers more hope for a represented, apart from notothenid camp, on a snow-covered shoulder fish, were Brittle Stars (Ophiuroi- 50-60 metres above the beach, but dea) and Starfish (Asteroidea), both thc island is small and access to the of which also occur abundantly in other islands is virtually impossible the Ross Sea and which have been for a small party operating from regionally monographed by Prof. H. Sabrina. The large islands, Buckle, Barraclough Fell and Miss Helen Sturge and Young, have forbidding Shearburn-Clark in the N.Z. Oceano cliffs around their shoreline and are graphic Institute's series "Fauna of capped with a 50 metre thick ice-cap the Ross Sea". It was fortunate in which cascades freely over the cliffs deed that these monographs had al making access to any beaches on ready appeared since the lash of these islands dangerous in the naming and examining the Balleny extreme. Islands material is now much easier and some valid comments can be Altogether the feeling is that a made on its significance. ship is the best expedition base in A number of common Ross Sea the Ballenys. It combines safety and brittle stars were collected (especi mobility and these would be difficult ally Astrotoma agassizii and Ophi- to ensure on a land base. onotus Victoriae) but others are un recorded from this sector of the Ant OCEANOGRAPHY arctic Ocean. One particularly spec tacular starfish with 64 arms has Two oceanographers, E. W. Daw been found to be a species of Labidi- son and R. J. Singleton, participated aster, probably L. annulatus Sladen, in the reconnaissance. We are in 1889, hitherto known only from Ker debted to Mr. Dawson for this note. guelen, Heard Island, South Ork Two main aspects of work were neys and the South Georgia region. done. Continuous echo-soundings Further details of interest are emerg were made round the islands, result ing as the material is being worked ing in about 300 miles of soundings through and this all continues to close inshore which now provide the support our feelings at the time that, basis for the first detailed bathy despite the short time actually had metry of the islands. Several benthic at the Ballenys, it was a most scien stations were made on an arbitrarily tifically productive venture. planned grid of positions. Very little Our thanks go to Cmdr. Vie J. indeed was known of depths or Vaughn, U.S.N., and the Ship's Com bottom conditions round the islands pany, U.S.S. "Glacier", for their and it frequently happened that the friendly interest and co-operation in depth of water was too great for our work. the length of dredging wire available at many of the planned positions. However, it was possible to get a series of stations round the islands ranging in depths from 90 to 250 SCOTT BASE fathoms. M a y b r o u g h t v e r y v a r i a b l e The bottom sediments consisted weather. Several blizzards rising to entirely of a black greasy mud, very a maximum 70 knots alternated with uninspiring in appearance and un exceptionally cold spells. Minimum pleasant to handle. The animals atmospheric temperature was —57.3" living in it proved, fortunately, to be F., the mean —17° F. rather exciting to the biologist and Auroral displays have already some very welcome information is been spectacular. In May a bright now available on the bottom fauna green drapery hung right across the of the Balleny Islands particularly skv. June, 1964

> * ~ T

WHY LANDING ON THE BALLENY ISLANDS IS DIFFICULT. Most of the coastline is similarly rugged. Photo: Guy Mannering.

ANTARCTIC CYCLISTS was hastened by the inquisitive at tentions of a leopard seal. An electrical mechanic R. D. And New Zealander Don Webster Pinker, of the "Endeavour", hopes had his bicycle with him at Scott to chalk up another "first" for New Base in 1959-60. It was still there Zealand shortly. He plans to be when he returned to winter over in the first man to go around the 1963. South Pole on a one-wheel cycle. The machine is stored in the ship NEW ZEALAND'S OWN and he practices on the main well ANTARCTIC FILM deck. Camera-man Kel. Fowler spent This would of course not be the most of the summer based on Scott hrst cycle (bi- or mono-) in the Base while he "shot" the activities Antarctic. As long ago as 1911 the of the New Zealand Antarctic Re late Prof. Griffith Taylor as a mem- hpr nf Scott's last expedition, rode search Expedition and recorded the background music provided by pen over the sea-ice from Cape guins, huskies and other noisy in Evans to Turk's Head. He walked habitants of the Antarctic. back. The New Zealand Huts Res The film is now being edited and toration Party found the frame of is to be distributed towards thr this bicycle embedded deep in ice of the year. It will run for approxi when they excavated the Cape mately 20 minutes and will be Evans hut three years ago. screened in New Zealand and Austra The late Colonel T. Orde Lees, as lian theatres and possibly further a member of Shackleton's Trans- afield. The high reputation of the Antarctic expedition, 1914-17, rode a New Zealand National Film Unit bicycle a considerable distance ensures that this will be an out across the ice from the beleaguered standing record of New Zealand's' "Endurance." His return to the ship effort in the Far South. - '■'■■ June, 1964 ANTARCTIC OCEANOGRAPHY, 1963-1964 by ELLIOTT W. DAWSON As well as the usual series of cruises in the New Zealand region by the New Zealand Oceanographic Institute's chartered vessel, "Taranui", two major cruises took place in southern waters during the past summer. The first of these, known as the be obtained of this submarine ridge, "Macquarie Gap Cruise", was in important as a faunal migration HMNZS "Endeavour" during the route connecting thc Macquarie period January 6 to 28, 1964. It was Balleny Islands regions with the designed to fill in gaps in the general New Zealand region proper. Dredg- picture obtained during the "Mac ings were made at selected high quarie Benthos Cruise" of six weeks points on the Ridge west of the in April-May, 1963, which had re Snares and the Auckland Islands sulted in detailed discoveries along and rocks and fossils were collected the Macquarie Ridge, found to link which will be useful in interpreting Macquarie Island and the Macquarie- the geological history of the Ridge. Balleny Islands ridge to the New The second phase of the cruise Zealand region. The areas covered involved a closely spaced series of during the "Macquarie Gap Cruise" benthic stations where Agassiz-type were the western approaches to Fov- beam trawls and modified cone-mesh eaux Strait, the shelf around the dredges were used to collect samples Snares Islands, with several of the animal life and sediments at traverses of the Macquarie Ridge positions occupied at 2-hourly inter down to the Auckland Islands shelf vals radiating out from the Snares region, and finally across thc Camp Islands and the Auckland Islands. bell Plateau to the Pukaki Bank and Some most interesting samples were back to Lyttelton. taken and these will enable a useful The cruise, led by E. W. Dawson, contribution to be made to the included four other members of the ecology of the bottom-living animals Oceanographic Institute, and Mr. of the Subantarctic. Newton Roberts, of the Geophysics The third phase consisted of shore Division, D.S.I.R., who ran a proton collections and terrestrial observa magnetometer throughout the tions on the Snares and on the Auck cruise. Dr. Donld F. Squires, Chief land Islands. It was hoped to land of the Division of Marine Inverte on the Solander Islands also to make brates, Smithsonian Institution, also intertidal and geological collections took part to carry out special in but the seas and visibility proved un vestigations of the Scleractinian suitable. The three biologists on the corals of the Southern Ocean. cruise each had special interests in the shore work and a very satisfac THREE PHASES tory programme of collecting and re cording was carried out on both The work of the cruise was divided groups of islands. Dawson and Sin into three phases, one involving the gleton landed on one of the islets running of continuous echo-sounding of the Western Reef of the Snares traverses from Foveaux Strait across which had not been visited since Dr. the northern end of the Macquarie R. A. Falla's landing of December 6, 1947. Ridge, already charted in some detail during last year's "Macquarie Ben thos" cruise in HMNZS "Endeav AUCKLAND ISLANDS our", with lines of about 200 miles At the Auckland Islands landings "omc 60 miles apart down to latitude were made on Enderby Island and „1°S. west of the Auckland Islands. Rose Island in Port Ross. With the This has enabled a good picture to * N.Z. Occanoiiraphic Institute. D.S.I.R. June, 1964 help of several members of the ship s Further benthic stations were car company all the nests of the South ried out by the ship during this time ern Royal Albatross (Diomedea epo- in Carnley Harbour and in the shelf mophora epomophora), which breeds region east of the Aucklands. Great on Enderby Island in very small numbers of our old friend of the numbers, were found and nine adult previous cruise, the swimming crab breeding birds were banded. One Nectocarcinus, were trawled and bird, banded during Dr. R. A. Falla s once again some of them provided December-Januarv, 1962-63 Auck a tasty addition to the supper menu! land Islands Expedition, was found SHALLOW WATERS and this is of interest since albci- After sounding runs on the west trosscs are often said to breed only coast of the Auckland Islands, par in alternate years. A dead chick was ticularly close in to the geologically found near the nest of this bird, interesting steep cliff near the scene R3606, and it is likely that this dates of the wreck of the "General Grant", from the 1963 season" and the parent the return track to Lyttelton was birds were breeding for a second just south of 50° S. latitude across consecutive year. The ancient sand the Campbell Plateau with dredging dunes in Sandy Bay were examined and trawling every 2Vz hours to and an interesting assemblage of about 200 miles east. This was de subfossil bones of earlier animal signed to investigate the shape and populations was collected, including extent of the shelf to 100 fathoms large albatrosses, a rail resembling around the Auckland Islands. Course the now extinct Auckland Island Rail was then changed to the south as (Rallus muelleri), and a bone of far as 51° S. Further stations were Palaeocorax moriorum, an extinct carried out each ZVi hours along crow also formerly on the Chatham this latitude lo 171° E., where course Islands. A good series of skulls of was set to the north to pass over the the New Zealand sea lion (Neophoca Pukaki Bank lying close to 49° S. An hookeri) which breeds in numbers intensive series of echo-sounding on the beach were collected for the runs was made over the Bank en U.S. National Museum. The antics of abling a detailed chart to be pre the sea lion pups on the beach and pared of the bathymetry of this the pugnacious behaviour of the interesting sea mount which rises bulls provided some good camera to less than 30 fathoms from the subjects for the photographers of surrounding depths of 200-300 the shore party. fathoms. Several benthic stations were also made so that an account of the animals and sediments of this In Carnley Harbour, at the south feature can now be prepared. ern end of the Auckland Islands, one shore party worked at Camp Cove SUBMARINE CORAL BANK and the nearby Masked Island and up the North Arm on Figure of Eight One of the most exciting discov Island, making collections in the eries of the cruise was made during same localities as on the Mortensen the final run east from Enderby 1914 Pacific Expedition which visited Island. Dr. Squires had already the Aucklands in the "Amokura". It shown how the presence of sub was hoped to get additional speci marine coral banks could often be mens of some of the marine inverte picked up by a characteristic trace brates collected by Mortensen and on the echo-sounder. A clear trace, described later in his well-known right out of the text-book, began to series of reports. Another shore appear on the sounder not long after party landed on Adams Island, mak leaving Enderby Island and after ing shore collections and observing mapping the east-west extent of the the breeding population of the Wan bank, proof of its coral composition dering Albatross (Diomedea exulans was obtained by dredging up several exulans), of which 34 birds were species of scleractinians. banded and measurements made for A particularly interesting feature comparison with the subfossil bones of this cruise was the work carried of the Enderby Island sands. out by Dr. Squires in the laboratories Juno, 1964

in HMNZS "Endeavour", showing how very useful the scientific facili ties in the ship are proving for the No fewer than seven New Zea collection and examination of live landers were working with U.S.A. animals. R.P., the United States Antarctic Dr. Squires has provided me with Research Program, in the Antarctic thc following report of his work last summer. This is more than all which elaborates a little on the find other "foreigners" combined. of the coral bank. K. A. J. Wise, of Sumner, was the project leader of a group of scien "In the course of the 'Macquarie tists who are all from New Zea Gap' cruise, corals were collected at a total of 11 stations. Thc majority land. They were working with in of these were taken in sufficiently sects for the Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu. His assistants good condition to warrant attempts were A. V. Spain, an honours at culturing. With few exceptions student from Lincoln College, and these attempts were very siv:cessful, w. P. Rennell of Napier, who was on particularly in that expansion of the l e a v e w i t h o u t p a y f r o m t h e polyps of the corals was achieved. Observations on the behaviour and Meteorological Service. reactions of thc live corals were G. Johnstone, a motor mechanic, has been with U.S.A.R.P. for three made, in some cases over a period of 10 days, through the successful years in addition to spending a sea son at New Zealand's Scott Base. use of a laboratory refrigerator as a He is manager of the programme's culture unit. Photographs of these warehouse at McMurdo Station. specimens in both colour and in A. J. Gow, a graduate of Victoria black and white form important Universitv. now resident in the documentary evidence on the coral fauna of the region. Two new species United States, is working on prob of coral were collected. In the course lems of ice structure for the United of routine collecting, a sample was States Army Coid Regions Researcn and Engineering laboratorv. taken from the Hanks of the first W. D. Hall, a geologist from the deep water coral structure to be found in the Pacific Ocean. Although New Zealand Geological Survey, was the stage of development of this working in the Sentinels with a party from the University of Minne structure cannot be determined from sota. the evidence at hand, the echo-sound J. C. L. M. Mather of the Uni ing trace made in crossing the struc ture is strongly indicative of an ad versity of Canterbury, was ship- vanced structure of either the coo- trapping insects in Antarctic waters. pice or bank stage. The presence of T.V. FARE this structure al approximately the We are informed that the New position of the postulated Bounty- Zealand Broadcasting Corporation Campbell gyral is of considerable will probably purchase and use the interest and may represent biologi feature "Vostok 900" produced re cal evidence of such a current." cently by the A.B.C. This well- Other work on examination and reviewed documentary incorporates preservation of live animals was motion pictures actually photo carried out by other specialists on graphed on the remarkable Austra the cruise, E. W. Dawson with nemer- lian trek from Wilkes to the Russian tean worms and I. N. Estcourt with inland station Vostok in the 1962-63 Polychaeta. The newly added Quar summer, led by New Zealander Bob terdeck Laboratory proved very use Thomson (see his article in "Antarc ful for the preparation of microbio tic", September, 1963). logical samples by R. J. Singleton. Watch your "Listener" in two or I must add here a few words of three months' time. This documen appreciation of the assistance of tary should not be missed. Cmdr. P. R. H. Silk, R.N.Z.N., and of the ship's Company, HMNZS tinued help and interest our own "Endeavour", in making this a very efforts would not have achieved so profitable cruise. Without their con- much. June, 1964 HALLETT STATION STILL WORKING The future of the joint United States-New Zealand Hallett Station, the nearest Antarctic base to New Zealand, is still under discussion following the disastrous fire on March 6. The fire, briefly reported in a Stop- Hallett is regarded as an impor Press note in our March issue, struck tant station, as scientifically it is in heavily at the scientific potential of a favoured zone and is on the air the station. The science building and route between New Zealand and the the auroral tower and their contents McMurdo Sound U.S. and N.Z. bases. were completely destroyed. This en It is, however, a difficult station to tailed the complete cessation of the reach by sea and to maintain, and ionosphere, aurora, riometer and many factors would be involved in photometric programmes, and many restoring the station to full working of the records in seismology, geo order. magnetism, earth currents, iono sphere and riometer were lost. On the other hand, possible future FIRE DETAILS work in seismology, whistlers and The fire broke out 7.25 a.m. on earth currents is unaffected and March 6 and was not quelled until damage done to cosmic ray and geo 1 p.m. In a strong 25-50 knot wind magnetic control equipment has the chemical fire extinguishers prov already been overcome. It has there ed inadequate to subdue the blaze, fore been decided by the United and the necessarily very limited States and New Zealand authorities water supply was taxed to the in consultation to carry on for the utmost. It proved quite impossible present year approximately half of to save the Science Building, and the the usual scientific programme. Auroral Tower was also completely Meanwhile a decision will be made destroyed. By desperate efforts the regarding the future of the station, blaze was prevented from spreading whether it will be restored to full to the sick-bay and other buildings. working strength or used merely as a base for summer work. The station At the time of the fire the U.S. ice was built in 1956-57 by the United breaker "Glacier" was steaming States, which has also supplied the northwards about 60 miles south of equipment and logistic support, the station. "Glacier" now raced at while New Zealand has supplied full speed to Hallett and supplied each year three out of the scientific replacements for the personal cloth stall" of four men. ing, etc., which had been destroyed. A New Zealander has been Chief Her personnel also assisted with the of the Scientific Staff in alternate cleaning up process before the vessel years, the present Chief Scientist left for Balleny Islands at 7 p.m. on being a New Zealander, N. M. Ridg- March 7. Dr. Trevor Hatherton, the New Zealand geophysicist who led the TWO SCIENTISTS WITHDRAWN Balleny Islands reconnaissance, was on board "Glacier" and was in Following the fire, in which the structed to investigate the possibility New Zealand personnel lost practi of carrying on the New Zealand cally all their personal effects, two science programme at a reduced of the four scientific stall", one Ameri level. can, Spitz, and one New Zea lander, N. Green, were returned to The whole unfortunate occurrence Mew Zealand. Thc other two New had one bright side: it high-lighted Zealanders, Ridgway and Rowles, are the co-operation between the United at present wintering over at the States and New Zealand in Antarctic Station with the United States sup affairs. Apart from the assistance by port staff of nine men. both countries already mentioned. June, 1964

B5EG

HALLETT STATION ICE-SCAPE. Photo: L. J. Wylde. within four hours of the fire, the U.S. guins and skuas were continued. The authorities at Christchurch, the first penguin chicks were hatched on Director of thc U.S. program (in his December 8 and a new study of the bed at 11 p.m. in Washington) and food of penguin chicks was started the Superintendent of the N.Z. Ant shortly after the first chicks hatched. arctic Division (at work in his gar A study of the yoke and albumen den) were personally conferring by contents of penguin eggs was radio on the steps to be taken to undertaken. Snowfall and strong meet the crisis. winds on the 2nd and 3rd destroyed some penguin nests and caused the abandonment of almost EARLIER HALLETT NEWS 25 per cent, of the skua nests. Thc In an experiment to determine the majority of the skuas which lost viability of non-indigenous plants in their eggs re-layed full clutches after this area, grass seeds (Poa annua) mid-December. The first skua chicks and alpine flowering plant seeds were hatched on December 15. were planted in the field and in local A short visit to a snow petrel soil indoors. The plots were exam colony was made by helicopter dur ined daily and records kept of the ing the visit of the icebreaker, U.S.S. daily minimum soil temperature. "Burton Island". The indoor seeds have germinated and are growing well. Some of the HALLETT RISK grass seeds planted outdoors ger minated after a month and a half A skua's life isn't what it used to and are beginning to grow slowly be. "Antarctic Report" informs us under natural conditions of warm that the construction of a skua trap period and abundant standing water. at Hallett has enabled the biologists New Zealand Programme: Studies to check the bands on adult (and and band-reading of the Adelie pen no doubt infuriated) birds. June, 1964

Norm saved pyjamas and a watch; PERSONAL STORY I saved pyjama pants, T shirt and a (We are indebted to Nev. Green of watch. Des was reasonably dressed thc New Zealand team at Hallett, and as Norm and I saw some people who was evacuated lo New Zealand already moving to the scene of the as a result of the reduction of the fire, we thought it prudent to find science programme, for this personal some more clothing. This we did, account of his experiences during then assisted in helping fight the fire. the fire.) CAMP AWAKE At approximately 0720 on the 6th. Very quickly the camp was fully I was awakened by the sound of aroused. Tractors were fired up and Norm Ridgway calling my name and taken to the scene with no delay; shouting that the building was on the fire sled was pulled into position fire. I stumbled out of bed, quite by thc front door. Almost everyone groggy from sleep. There was a smell carried some form of extinguisher. of smoke in my room, and in the About this time the power to the ionosonde room smoke was collect building was shut off. Smoke poured ing near the roof. As light was com out of cracks and the crackling of ing through the building windows, flames could be heard. An entry was no one at any time switched on the attempted through the door, but the lights. smoke was too thick and thc wind THICK BLINDING SMOKE gusting up to 30 knots did not help I picked up a 301b. C02 extin by blowing in the door when it was guisher in the Ionosonde room, opened. The diesel fuel tank (almost pulled the pin and broke the seal. full) was removed from alongside By now I had the idea that the fire the building by a Traxcavator after was located toward the front of the having had the feed pipes severed by building. Norm "paged" the camp on a hacksaw. A hose was pushed the intercomm system and we both through the door and the fire was called out to Des (Rowles). Heavy sprayed by powder. A small hole had black acrid smoke filled the vesti burnt in the front wall near the roof bule. However, by keeping low to the and the hose was transferred to this Iloor, I was able to see flames some position. 4501b. of powder was used where about thc top of the wall on the fire at this stage with little behind the diesel heater. The sharp appreciable effect. By now it was crackling of burning material was possible to see that flames had heard. I played the C02 extinguisher spread to Norm's room and smoke in the vicinity of the flames for was everywhere. A water hose (no about 7 to 10 seconds. The smoke nozzle) and two series pumps were was thick, blinding, and I was begin connected and I understand that ning to gag. I pulled back. 1600 gallons of fresh water was used Norm and I again called Des, who, on * the fire. Water was played already awake, had had the presence through the front door and the win of mind to don some clothing. I dows of the southern wall, i.e., my dropped the extinguisher and undid room and the Ionosonde room. Once the parrot's cage from its position. a hose was removed from a window, The air was hot and the smoke much the hole was boarded up to prevent thicker. Norm attempted to re-enter the wind from entering. the building, but by now the entire doorway was full of smoke forcing WIND RISES him to withdraw. Des appeared, so The fire was brought almost com Norm and I, barefoot, crossed the pletely under control and appeared snow covered ground to the Sick to bc once again only located at the Bay. The time was about 7.23 a.m. front of the building, when the wind During this approximately 3 minutes came into full force and by blowing period from waking to reaching the through every crack and hole spread Sick Bay, all our movements had thc fire again. The force of the fire been executed with the utmost speed, grew to such an intensity it was as we realised the urgency of the decided hopeless to save it, but to situation. confine the fire within the walls as June, 1964

much as possible until it burnt most of the inflammable material, and to TERRK APEI.Ifl<; concentrate on saving the Sick Bay. The chartered vessel "Thala Dan" bringing home thc "T.A.13" team After the fresh water supply was from the French base in Adelie exhausted, an estimated 5000 gallons of sea water from the storage tanks Land, Dumont d'Urville, berthed at in the garage was used. A pumping Fremantle, Western Australia, on February 11 and arrived at Le Havre unit was set up on thc shoreline of on March 25, bringing the expedition the sea, and although it did not oper of 1963-64 to an end. ate properly for quite some time, I understand that a further (esti Meanwhile all goes well in Terre mated) 6000 gallons of sea water was Adelie. A violent gale on April 16 pumped. The 21ft. 6in. distance be resulted in the complete rout of the tween the Sick Bay and Science bay ice: after the storm the sea was Building was insufficient to prevent entirely free of ice. The new genera flames from jumping the gap and tor house became operative on April blistering the paint on the southern 28 at 2 p.m. wall of the Sick Bay. Water was sprayed down this wall and the roof The five French members of the of the Sick Bay. French-Soviet glaciological expedi tion (EAS/EPF) in Queen Mary The stairway to the Auroral Tower Land arrived at Le Havre on board finally caught alight after smoking the Russian vessel "Ob" on May 7. for a long time, and in a short time On the Antarctic ice cap in tempera the Tower was afire. In 4'/i hours tures ranging from —42° C. (—43° F.) the Science Building and the Auroral lo —63° C. (—81° F.), at an average Tower had almost completely burnt altitude of 3,000 to 3,500 metres out. By evening, one or two embers (9,800-11,400 ft.), the team success smouldered, but most of the remains fully carried out 6 "pentagons", the of twisted girders and charred tim precision of the measurements being bers were covered by light snow and excellent. Electric soundings were all the applied water had turned to made as well as cores. The team ice. The fire had caused complete traversed a route of 2,630 km (1,630 destruction of everything in the miles). All returned in good shape — building. but many pounds down in weight. We were thankful conditions were When "Ob" arrived at Le Havre, no worse, e.g., night time, or worse among those on board were the Rus still, midwinter. Actual conditions sian scientists Somov, Kapitza and were: temp. 24° F., dropping to Shumsky. They were given a warm 19° F. later in the day; snow was reception at Expeditions Polaires being driven by the wind; the wind Francaises along with 71 other Soviet was in a SSW direction; average expedition members. speed in the early morning was 10 knots, with 20-knot gusts, later rising Detailed plans for the forthcoming to a peak average of about 30 knots season in Terre Adelie will be con with a maximum gust of 42 knots. firmed at conferences to be held These are actual recorded figures. during June. The departure of "Thala Dan" on January 27 saw the close of the summer season. The final days were nests in preparation for winter marked by very bad weather with measurements. A radio-activity winds rising to over 50 m/s. In laboratory and a shelter for the spite of a relatively cold February detection of meteoric dust were in the interior fitting of the various stalled provisionally. buildings went forward side by side with exterior work—power The 14th Expedition has got off to house, laboratories, distribution net a fl y i n g s t a r t a n d m o r a l e i s work, pipe-line, roads. Anenometers excellent. and thermometers were placed near June, 1964 Autumn Activities At Australian Bases The teams for 1964 at all three Australian continental bases, Mawson, Davis and Wilkes, settled in quickly, and from all bases field sorties of varying magnitude were made before winter began to close in.

Probably none of ihose nations ing normal unloading to be resumed. participating in Antarctic activities Only weeks later the "Nella Dan" is more aware of the vastness of the had to race against a storm through Southern Ocean and its perils than icebergs and darkness in a nine-hour is Australia. Her three bases on the dash to reach the safety of Davis continent, as well as Macquarie Base. Island, have all lo be maintained and Before it was too late it was de relieved by ship, involving some ten cided lo head out of the pack ice and or more thousand miles of steaming navigate in the dark through ice each season and every mile of it in bergs. Using the radar and echo the greatest void of ocean on our sounding equipment and beim_ globe. Ships and shipping were mat directed by a radio beam from Davis ters of primary interest in former the vessel made shelter after nine vears of Antarctic endeavour, and it hours. is a matter for regret that voyages which can never ever be without incident, tend to be regarded as LARGEST GLACIER routine. Occasionally, however, when the weather is more than normally As a result of lhc latest Antarctic severe, something is heard of these expedition, Australia can now safely accepted conditions. boast of owning the world's largest glacier." The Lambert Glacier in Australian NELLA DAN BATTLES Antarctic Territory was "mapped" HURRICANES for the first time by a seven-man Thc relief ship "Nella Dan", moored team which made a three-month in Horseshoe Bay, Mawson, was glaciological survey of the remote struck by a hurricane on February Amery fee Shelf area. 20. The leader of the party, Ray Mc Mahon, said that the trip had con Winds over 85 knots were regis firmed that thc glacier was the tered during the storm, and during world's biggest. the night two of the ship's five steel moorings failed. One four-inch steel bow cable snapped first, and a stern cable gave way shortly afterwards. NO HANDY SANDY BEACH Had the remaining lines parted, the ship would have been washed on Sixty drums of sand were taken to to the rocks. Mawson by the "Nella Dan". The ship's officers and crew waited the Antarctic has no accessible for a lull in the wind, then launched sand of its own.. The consignment a boat and battled for several hours was for making concrete for a hos to land new lines. pital, a surgery and an emergency power house to bc built at the base. Meanwhile, six Mawson men Also on the Australian National crouched in the shelter of boulders Antarctic Research Expedition craft at the water's edge, waiting to re were two Melbourne-made tracked ceive and secure thc lines. scout vehicles, a caterpillar-pressure The new lines held and 24 hours tractor, and a winterised, German later the storm blew itself out, allow designed car. June, 1964

complete whiteout or darkness. AROUND THE BASES Radio reception conditions were not good but, owing to Whitehouse's per MAWSON sistence, contact to base was main In February the 1964 Mawson team tained. During the trip thc average assumed control of the station. Ex temperature was 50 degrees below cept for two days of stormy weather, freezing. They were blizzard-bound the voyage from Fremantle aboard for 7 days and there were 9 the "Nella Dan" was quit? smooth. days of whiteout. The scientific team, Francis, Fran- At Mawson, April was a month of ~ey, Cooke, Taylor and Seedsman, weather extremes. •Msied themselves installing new the lowest April temperature on uipment and preparing for the record for Mawson, -15.4° F., and ars task of scientific data collec- had two blizzards, one being accom m. The meteorological staff under panied by temperatures as high as me guidance of Stalker began 27 degrees. More snow than ever lay attempting to unravel the mysteries around the station and the camp was of Antarctic weather. half buried. Those interested in ski During March Mawson had three ing were disappointed as the snow bad blizzards, each with winds in cover still did not extend to a suit excess of 90 m.p.h. and visibility two able area. to three yards, and each lasting for two to three days. The maximum temperature was 28° F., the mini DAVIS mum -4°. The pressure dropped to an alarming 946 millibars. Stalker February weather was: Maximum temperature plus 42, minimum plus and Trajer managed a record high 18.? I' mavimnm winrl oik< R1 knots radiosonde flight to 5 millibars or 107,000 feet. With a normal three The "Nella Dan" arrived at Davis blizzards, the temperature readings on February 28, bringing news of may not have been accurate, since home, companions of twelve months thc instrument screen only six yards ago from Mawson, and the Davis from the Met. Shack could not be party for 1964. found. These blizzards piled snow drifts around the huts. For the next six days work pro ceeded at a great pace, with extra INTO THE FIELD sleeping quarters and an auroral hut being built. Another 72-foo« radio The autumn field party left on mast was also erected, and a year's March 16. It consisted of Budd supply of stores was unloaded. In (glaciologist, leader), Farley (sur addition to being used for transfer veyor and navigator), Lawsbn (en ring stores from ship to shore, the gineer), Whitehouse (radio operator) Army DUKWs proved most useful and Beck (cook). in obtaining ice from bergy bits Late April saw the return of the to augment our rapidly dwindling field party after being away for five water supply. Throughout the weeks on the inland ice cap. It was a successful trip, depoting fuel to changeover period the sea was try ing hard to freeze and there was within 22 miles of the Amery ice- much speculation as to whether shelf for the coming spring journey, "Nella Dan" would remain for the for picking up the weasel abandoned last year, and for Budd to measure year. However, she was seen dis appearing among the icebergs early snow accumulation along the route. on March 6. Although often rebellious, all trac tors came home after much coaxing Once the new party was left alone from Lawson. Farley had the difficult they started work on getting as task of navigating from a D4 tractor many stores inside as possible. Build and, in spite of the rough travelling ings had to be completed and made over high snow dunes, was only lost weather-proof. The concreting of the on a few occasions when visibility cold porch floor provided work for was limited by heavy drifting snow, all on hand mixing concrete. June, 1964

The first venture or. to the sea ice AT WILKES was on March 13 to collect some EMERGENCY OPERATION bergy ice for fresh water. During the An emergency operation was car next week several trips were made ried out on Friday, March 6, on on the ice, including a couple with David Rogers, radio operator, who the dogs for the purpose of obtain was suffering from acute appendi ing ice and seals for dog meat. Wig- citis. nail, weather observer and dogman, The operation was successfully carried out by Dr. Lyndon Murray, and obtaining seals. with O'Leary as surgeon's assistant, Neville Woods, radio operator, as The Meteorological team has work anaesthetist, and Leon Jennings-Fox, ed whenever possible on polishing weather observer-in-charge, as thea the perspex dome from the old tre "sister". The station kit|;hen-mess auroral hut in which they hoped to was converted into an operating mount their theodolite for trackin." theatre by draping walls and ceiling balloons. with sterilized sheets and installing The sea ice mentioned above dis operating light, table and sterilizers. appeared on March 22 during the The patient recovered rapidly. He first blizzard. As well as removing was fortunate that a field trip upon the sea ice, the wind left many snow which he was scheduled to leave the drifts which became covered by sand station some days earlier was de and it also forced snow through the layed by a blizzard, otherwise his least suspected cracks in some of the attack could have occurred many buildings. Late in the month the sea miles from the station facilities. had re-frozen sufficiently for the clogs ANTARCTIC ICE DOME to be taken out again and, on short EXAMINED trips with them, 300 elephant seals were observed within three miles of Led by Ray O'Leary, eight Austra the station. lians have returned to Wilkes Station after spending two months investi March weather was notable for gating an unusual ice dome about overcast days with little sunshine. 100 miles south-east of their station. Maximum temperature, 27.9°F., mini; The men who set out on this field mum -41° F.; strongest wind, 65 trip on March 10 returned home on knots. May 4. The ice dome is of particular in In April, with the approach of cold terest to scientists because it is vir weather, wildlife deserted daily. tually a small-scale model of the Many elephant seals were seen mak Antarctic Continent, which is itself ing for open water across the sea ice. Skuas and Nellies also left for of this formation. The ice dome warmer piaces, so that birds were examined by the party resembles the large continental dome in shape, in by now a rare sight. the gradual How of the ice and in the The month saw several short ven way in which snow accumulates on tures away from camp. Griffin and its surface. For these reasons glaci- Trott used dogs to visit the Sorsdal logolists may better understand the Glacier and place stakes for measur behaviour of the ice of Antarctica as ing the glacier's movement. Then a whole with an area of over 5 mil Wignall and Trott, with dogs, visited lion square miles. the remote station, "Platcha", situ The exploration party travelled for ated where the Plateau meets the Vestfold Hills. The snowtrac next went to Platcha to check the Plateau access route established by last the end of the month greatly in year's party. creased the drifts and gave easy Weatherwise, this was the coldest access to what remained of sea ice April recorded at Davis. The mini in open water within a mile of the mum temperature was -27.7° F. ,and camp. The maximum wind gust was the maximum 26.0° F. A blizzard at 94 m.p.h. June, 1964

500 miles in crossing the dome He had to abandon that work. several times as they measured the "But there is still plenty of scope thickness of the ice, its rate of move for doctors and scientists to carry ment and the accumulation of out research work in the Antarctic," snow by observing measuring-stakes he said. planted in the ice a year earlier. The work was carried out in very severe PARADOXES cold, with temperatures falling as He recalled the paradoxes of life low as -60° F., while the men often at the Mawson base: worked with considerable difficulty A temperature of 70° in the sleep under blizzard and whiteout condi ing quarters was uncomfortably hot tions. Valuable results, however, when the outside temperature could were achieved and the men returned be-34°. to Wilkes safe and well. The danger of sunburn from thc ultra-violet rays reflected from the snow. REHABILITATION The need for refrigerators because intense cold destroyed some food. A man who should have died in Dr. Lippett was to return to Mel the Antarctic relaxed a bandaged bourne in about a week for a further arm across his chest and recalled examination of his damaged fingers. his amazing experience. (See "Ant He hopes to continue working for arctic," Vol. 3, No. 7, p. 288.) the Commonwealth Government. The man was Dr. Richard Lippett, 35, of Manningham, who returned to Adelaide on May 1 after convalescing AUSTRALIAN SCIENTIST TO in Melbourne. VISIT McMURDO Dr. Lippett and two others had to Dr. P. D. Tilley, of the Department of Geography, University of Sydney, dig their way out of a tent after a 120 m..p.h. blizzard covered it in is to visit the McMurdo Sound snow in August last year. region next summer to verify the They walked the 25 miles back to reported absence of loess in the area the Mawson base through further and lo locate any limited formation blizzards. The walk took 15 hours. of the deposit. He will also observe the work on patterned ground being Dr. Lippett said American survival carried out by the Department of experts estimate a man could last Geology, University of Wisconsin. Dr. only 12 hours under such conditions. Tilley has been doing similar work "We outlived their predictions by on Macquarie Island. 36 hours," he said. He and another man spent three months in bed at Mawson. The third SNOWGIRLS OUT man later died, but Dr. Lippett Women scientists are not likely to thinks his death was not due to their take part in Britain's Antarctic re ordeal. search work for the time being, says Sir Vivian Fuchs. In Melbourne surgeons had to Sir Vivian, Director of the British amputate joints from the fingers of Antarctic Survey, described condi Dr. Lippett's right hand. Frostbite tions at the survey bases as "still affected both hands and there is extremely arduous". Women would little feeling in the fingers of his left be unable to handle the heavy cases hand. of supplies now designed to be Those 48 hours have changed Dr. handled by men, he said. Lippett's plans for his future. "I New buildings also would have to can't see myself ever operating be erected for women, and their pre again," he said, and moved the hand sence would "change the whole psy under his bandage. And he can never chological atmosphere of the bases". return to the Antarctic, because the Sir Vivian was speaking to re coid affects his hands. porters at Southampton after He was working for a thesis on the having farewelled the "Kista Dan" food absorption rate of men in sub on its way to South America and the zero temperatures. Antarctic Peninsula. June, 1964 TWO SOVIET TRACTOR TRAINS MAKE LONG ICE CAP JOURNEYS Dr. M. M. Somov told an interviewer on April 8 that the Soviet expedition had had a successful season which was a "signpost" in Soviet Antarctic research.

The season had differed from pre carried away from her moorings the vious ones, said Dr. Somov, in that position became serious but by the a large and decisive role had been use of radar and depth-soundings played by the second flight into the the off-shore danger spots were Antarctic by IL-18 aircraft. As a re avoided. sult of the fly-in, new men at the Bases had been able to start their AT NOVOLAZAREV work much earlier. The flight had also made possible two long inland After unloading al Mirny (95° E.) journeys, totalling 5,300 kilometres and Molodezh, the "Ob' radioed (3,280 miles) of over-snow travel. when south of the Indian Ocean on her way west to Novolazarev Station During the change-over period that she had been forced to change Russian aircraft under Boris Minkov, course further to the north, as all Chief of the Polar Air Division, de attempts to force a way through a livered material to Vostok Station 90 mile wide belt of ice had failed. and to the tractor trains travelling Captain Sviridov gave the enginei far inland. The Division also air-lifted full power, and late on March l'i the new arrivals in to the Novolaz the ship arrived at Novolazarevskaya arev Base and gave support to men (11° 49'E). Twelve Russians who engaged on reconnaissance work. are to winter over at the station, which lies inland from Leningrad SHIP MOVEMENTS Bay, now went ashore, with the Czech magnetologisl Majmir Kon- "Estonia" arrived at Mirny on echy and the English glaciologist January 11 and left on January 29. Charles Swithinbank, who will both "Ob" arrived Mirny January 11, left winter at Novolazarev Station. February 10 for Mawson (February The "Ob" which had left Leningrad 14), Molodezhnaya (February 16- three and a half months before, was March 13), Novolazarev (March 17- unloaded by March 19. During the 19), Molodezhnaya again (March 17) unloading a sledge tractor-train with and back to Mirny on March 31, men from the base arrived at the finally leaving on the return voyage high cliff of the Lazarev Ice Shelf to Europe on April 4. 60 miles from the station. It took them three days to reach the "Ob" because of blizzards and crevasses. BUSY DAYS FOR "OB" The vessel left on March 20, bound A despatch from the "Ob" on for Molodezhnaya (45° 51' E.). The March 11 described the unloading at Novolazarev shore party gave them Molodezh station, where 1,300 tons the traditional Russian farewell with of equipment and stores had to be sirens and rockets. transferred from ship to ice. A 25 metres per second (56 m.p.h.) wind TWICE AT MOLODEZH stopped unloading on the first night and was followed by a hurricane After unloading stores, equipment during which hawsers snapped, in and building materials at Molodezh, cluding six Capron cables and one "Ob" sailed back west to Novolaz steel cable. When the vessel was arev, a difficult journey through Juno. 1964 heavy pack-ice and scattered bergs C R E VA S S E T R A G E D Y about 60 miles off shore. On one day only three miles progress was made. Tragedy struck a transport column The vessel now went back to Molo towing sledges near Mirny early in dezh, picked up the men who had March. Anatolii Shcheglov, aged 24, just arrived there by tractor train one of the Russian mechanics, and from Vostok (see below), and then one of those responsible for the pre sailed on east to Mirny on the paration of the vehicles for the long Pravda Coast. "Ob" reported on April trek, lost his life when the tractor 4 that she was close to Mirny after he was driving crashed through a skirting the coast for 620 miles. snow-bridge and fell 60 feet into a crevasse. LAST DAYS AT MIRNY A search party Hew out from Two weeks were spent unloading Mirny when the transport became the 1,800 tons of supplies and equip overdue and sighted the crevasse ment, which included diesel fuel and from the air. The two other occu building materials. The transfer of pants of the tractor, Tgulpin and men between ship and station was Proninin, were rescued, not seriously carried out by air. At times the hurt, but Shcheglov was killed when vessel had to pull out from the ice the crash occurred. He is described edge because of gale-force winds. by transport leader Lebedev as "the The glaciological trek from Vostok youngest and toughest of the tractor ended at Mirny on April 3, and next team '. Shcheglov had already spent day "Ob" left for home. A snow one year in the Antarctic when pre storm prevented those at Mirny parations for the long trek were from watching the "Ob's" departure, being finalised. As another mechanic but her farewell rockets were seen. was needed he volunteered to stay Coastal research was now carried on for an extra year. out, with emphasis on the distribu tion of ice and icebergs. ALASKAN AT VOSTOK "ELECTRON 2" OVER ICE CAP "Pravda" on February 4 reported A report from College, Alaska, says that the men wintering over at Vos that John Jacobs (25), a young tok had made an addition to their graduate student in physics from thc library of sound recordings. At 21 University of Alaska, will be the first hours Moscow lime in tne 20,005 American to visit a Soviet station in megacycle waveband the leader of the interior of the Antarctic Con the station V. Ananev and the radio tinent. He will winter over at Vostok, operator B. Chernov received signals 11,444 feet above sea level. At home from the space station "Electron-2" in Alaska Jacobs may have experi and recorded them on tape. enced a temperature as low as The Pole of Cold and Vostok are -45° F., but at Vostok a temperature continuing to keep a radio check of - 127° F. has been recorded. on the space explorers. Jacobs' visit, arranged by the Academies of Science of the United States and the Soviet Union, is RUSSIAN financed by the United States Na WINTER TEAMS tional Science Foundation. Mirny: 90 men (one Hungarian). AT MIRNY Vostok: 14 men (one from U.S.A., one from Czechoslovakia). A happy occasion was the celebra Novolazarevskaya: 14 men (one tion of Hungary's national day as a from Czechoslovakia, one from tribute to Hungarian scientist Tat- England). kos. The Hungarian flag waved Molodezhnaya: 37 men. above the station and Hungarian Total: 155. films were screened. One Soviet scientist will winter at the English station on Stoning The supply ship "Estonia" arrived ton Island and one at the American back at Odessa from the Antarctic base Byrd. on March 5. June, l"64 FROM VOSTOK TO MOLODEZHNAYA Readers will recall ("Antarctic", from McMurdo Sound to the South March issue, pp. 390-1) that a Soviet Pole but some 600 miles to the west, tractor-train of two Kharkovchanka now turned towards the coast and vehicles and an A.A.T. tractor set travelled roughly north-west towards out from the inland station Vostok the so-called "White Spot" —a blank (78° 27' S., 106° 52' E.) early in Janu space on the map — at 78° S., 25° E. ary to attempt the long journey This section of the journey was across the lofty ice-cap, via ihe Pole approximately 480 miles, and was of Relative Inaccessibility, to thc accomplished in eight days. The coastal station of Molodezh (67° 40' train reached the "White Spot" on S., 45° 51' E.) following a route February 15. (See sketch map.) which would take them through areas never previously seen by man, TOUGH GOING even from the air. Weather conditions were now severe. The train was crossing small sastrugi sometimes swept by ground wind. When it was fine, the sky was a delicate blue, but more often it was a milk-white. The temperature rarely rose above -40°. They were travelling at an altitude of three and a half kilometres (over two miles). There was one and a half times less oxygen than at sea level. The mecha nics were having a hard time. Metal had become brittle and machine parts were often going wrong. The steel "fingers", for instance, connect ing the tracks were causing a lot of trouble: they had to be knocked out with sledge hammers and new ones knocked on. Already, results of great scientific value had been obtained. From Vos tok to the Pole of Inaccessibility thc scientists had made an exact geo detic survey of the surface of the ice-cap with the aid of "radio tele meters" (tellurometers).

RIGHT TURN Andrei Kapitza, the trek leader, reported by radio at the end of Drawn by Dept ol Lmdu Survey filing ton February from 74° S., 40° E., that his train had changed direction nearly 90° a week before and was travelling approximately north-east direct to The Pole of Inaccessibility was Molodezh Station. Some days had reached early in February and five been spent at the "White Spot". days were spent here. Fuel was taken When Kapitza reported, the train on which had been cached by the had travelled a further 430 miles arid 1958 expedition. The men were able had been halted for the first time in to have baths. The journey was days because the last drum of fuel resumed on February 6. The train, had been used up. This was com which had been travelling for 875 pletely according to plan, however. miles almost parallel with the line It had been arranged that a plane June, 1964 should fly from Mirny to Molodezh, steam baths had been prepared and take on drums of fuel, and fly out to dainties had been saved to provide drop them to the tractor-train, which a special meal. by this time had travelled 1,550 miles without a planned refuel. Supper was served in the main HALT hut, the mess-hall. All the trek-men A blizzard al Mirny delayed the had lost weight but were cheerful aircraft's departure and necessitated and well. a longer wait than had been planned. During the wait the tractor-crews POLE OF COLD made further measurements of the ice-cover and the scientists were busy The tractor-team claims to have discovered the coldest spot in the "constructing graphs and cross sec tions and systematising and analys Antarctic. This "Cold Pole" is situ ing results". Geodesists Buchkov and ated in 81° S., 80° E. on the Sovietsky Safonov, said Kapitza, had been able Plateau, 262 miles from the South to determine the altitude of the sur Pole and half way between Vostok face of the highest part of central and the Pole of Inaccessibility. By Antarctica —up to 4,000 metres measuring the temperature of the ice-cap, the team's scientists con (13,120ft.) above sea level. By seismic cluded that the annual average tem soundings Sorokhtin had discovered new sub-glacial mountains rising to perature here may be -76F., and that the temperature may fall to 1,200m. (3,940ft.) above sea level. Per -148°. haps his most specular "find" was that of a 4,750ft. mountain under a The train left Vostok on January 9,496ft. layer of ice. It had become 4 and reached Molodezknaya on clear that as a result of the team's March 21: 76 davs. work the map of the surface relief and sub-glacial bed of this part of the Antarctic will be greatly altered. In another field, the meteorological FRENCH-SOVIET TREK and actinometrical observations On March 12 it was a month since made by Nozdryukhin and Sakunov the Soviet-French glaciological team and radioed to Mirny by Kovtanyuk set out from Vostok (see "Antarctic", were being used by foreign stations and by the Soviet Antarctic whaling December, 1963, p. 340; March, 1964, p. 392). The purpose of the journey, fleet. A notable discovery was the from the inland station Vostok back existence of an ice-shed or divide in to Mirny, was to determine whether a region where such a feature had the volume of continental ice is in not been expected. creasing or decreasing, by measuring RE-FUEL the rate of deformation in various The period of waiting ended when areas. This detailed work was done an IL-12 piloted by Valentin Melni- at three points on the Vostok-Mirny kov appeared above the train and route. In a report published on descended to a height of 20m. The March 12 it was stated that "re heavy (300 k.g.) drums of fuel were cently" the party had left Komso dropped and bounced off the hard molskaya for Vostok I and that snow surface. In a matter of minutes Shumsky, the trek leader, Vinogra electric pumps transferred the fuel dov and their French colleagues were to the empty tanks of the Kharkov- analysing the data obtained. The chankas and the aircraft were head train reached Vostok I after travel ing back to Molodezh Station for ling 500 miles. more. They were expected back in The doctor on the trek was also two days. the cook. There had so far been only The long journey ended at Molo three calls on Dr. Gennadii Gusorov's dezh Station on March 29, when the services — as doctor. One of his men there were able to hear the patients was Prof. Bauer. approaching tractor train and wel The transport department head on comed the traverse team with a bar the trek was Eugeni Zimin. Every rage of multi-coloured rockets. Hot 10km. there was a stop for the over- June, 1964 haul of the vehicles. Zimin reports unknown area of the Antarctic is that at the high altitude at which disappearing. Onlv about 140 years ago before they were travelling they were troubled by shortness of breath, and the expedition of Bellingshausen and the cold "literally burned the respira Lazarev, they say, the unmapped area around the South Pole was up tory tracts". to 8,000km. in diameter and about 37,000,000km.-' in area, i.e., much JOURNEY'S END larger than the African continent (30,000,000km.-'). Thc train reached its destination, "The unmapped area of the South Mirny, in a stiff autumn breeze on Pole was gradually reduced and in April 3. After the long journey of 1956, for the first time, some parts 2,000 kilometres (1240 miles) the of it were traversed by air routes. members of the glaciological team Its total area at the end of 1956 was were "tired but infinitely happy" and about 8,000,000km.2, i.e., more than they received a warm welcome. A half the area of the Antarctic con group from the main Russian base tinent (about M.OOOJJOOkm.2). went out to meet them and did so in a region of crevasses. An LI-2 aircraft also flew out to welcome the team. Twenty-five kilometres from Mirny the welcoming rockets were sighted. As the tractors roared into the base, in the leading vehicle were Profes sors Shumskyand Bauer (leaders of the trek and of the French com ponent respectively), also Andrei Kapitza, who had led the still longer traverse from Vostok to Molodezh naya. At Mirny they were welcomed by Dr. M. M." Somov, leader of the 1963-64 Soviet Expedition. En route the team had made six glaciological and geodetic stations. Shumsky claimed that over the route covered there were "few riddles left". During its 48-day journey the team encountered temperatures of from 55 lo 60 degrees of frost. Near "An extremely intensive study was ing the coast they crossed a region made of the area of Antarctic during of deep crevasses. The highest point the I.G.Y. and the following years on thc route was 3,730m (12,228ft.) along land and air routes. By the end above sea-level. of 1961 the area of the continent not vet known to man was about Thc primary purpose of the trek 3,500,000km.-', about 6 times the size was to estimate any change in the of the Ukraine." volume of the continental ice and to The accompanying map of the assess its rate of movement. regions of Antarctica unexplored up Prof. Shumsky's team left Vostok to that time is reproduced from the on February 16 and arrived at Soviet journal. Mirny on April 3: 46 days. The gradual reduction of the size of the unexplored areas of the South Pole from the year 1500 can be REMOVING THE BLANKS traced from maps of Antarctic ex peditions compiled by the Depart In an article in the publication ment of General Geography of Mos "Antarktika, 1962", the Soviet geogra cow State University for the first phers V. L. Lebedev and P. A. Mov- Soviet atlas of Antarctica (sec sesyan point out how rapidly the below). June, 1964

SOVIET ANTARCTIC underwater ridges around Antarc ATLAS tica. What causes the earthquake belt 500 MAPS to, as it were, come to a halt ncar the edge of the ice cap? What pre The present state of knowledge vents the formation of huge faults in about the regions around the South the earth's depths? Pole is well depicted in the 500 Most probably the cold ice cover maps of the first Atlas of Antarctica, forms a "fur coat" around the earth. compilation of which has been com It makes it difficult for the earth's pleted in Leningrad. Twenty Soviet heat to escape into the surrounding research institutes took part in com space. Almost cosmic cold reigns on piling this two-volume atlas of charts, the surface of the Antarctic ice cap photographs, drawings and other — as low as -90°C. (-130°F.), but materials. The two volumes are to where the ice meets the rocks the be published in 1965. temperature is much higher—about Nearly all the maps contain new zero degrees. The heat of the earth data about the Antarctic coastline, even melts the ice, forming a layer its mountain ranges, bays, glaciers, of water. The excess heat under the intracontinental relief and geological Antarctic ice cover causes additional features. The atlas also sums up the heating of the earth. The rocks then results of marine expeditions which become more plastic and thc pos cruised between Antarctica and sibility of earthquakes occurring Africa, New Zealand and South diminishes. America. These are only assumptions. Thev A special series of maps deals with need thorough theoretical and experi Antarctic climate, fauna and flora. mental verification. Further analysis of data from research carried out in accordance with the programme of WHY NO EARTHQUAKES? the International Geophysical Year will bring us closer to solving one (Nicholas Shebalin, Scientific more of nature's riddles. Secretary of the Soviet Geophysical Committee, discusses the point in a newspaper article.) COMING —BUT WHEN? In spite of the thorough, continu ous work of the Antarctic seismic The possibility of using the Antarc stations, one of which is even situ tic as a staging point on civil air ated right at the South Pole, not one routes is increasingly a talking point. nrthquake has been detected here The "Dominion's" aviation corres _,et. The coastal stations have only pondent on May 29 said that aviation recorded occasional slight tremors, interests were already turning their and these have been caused by the eyes south. calving of icebergs. Indeed, under "About a year ago a German tour the thick ice cover of Antarctica lie ist agency expressed interest in high young mountains, thc orogene sending parties to Antarctica. Aus sis of which is still incomplete, yet tralian agencies and an American there have been no earthquakes. airline have also indicated that thev No satisfactory explanation of this would be interested in such a pro strange phenomenon has yet been ject. found. "Interest can be expected to Far into the interior of Antarctica quicken when Tasman Empire Air extends a continuation of the South ways gets her new jets next year. American Andes. The most violent They could easily fly from New Zea earthquakes in this mountain system land via Antarctica' to South Africa occur on the American continent or South America. (one need only recall the 1960 "Though via Antarctica flights are Chilean catastrophe). But the earth probably still a long way off, Teal quake belt appears to be broken off may well dream of establishing a at a point near Antarctica. The epi New Zealand-South Africa service centres occur in rings along the one day." June, 1964 UNITED STATES SUMMER WORK COMES TO AN END Deep Freeze 63-64, the U.S. Navy's massive support of the United States Antarctic Research Program, came to an end on March 16, with the emigration of all the summer parties from all the U.S. bases throughout the Antarctic continent. The last of this season's major the transport for the Ellsworth field journeys was completed, the Mountains survey, thus cutting the ships and aircraft giving logistic sup period of survey from weeks to days. port were headed for home, the A late flight to Amundsen-Scott stations were settling down to their Pole Station on February 25 with ™">rc restricted winter activities and essential spare parts and scientific : numerous scientific disciplines — instruments, combined with Rear- biology, meteorology, seismology, Admiral Reedy's earliest-ever land Upper Atmosphere physics, cartog- ing in polar history on October 23 "iy, geology and glaciology — were last year, made this season at the yisparing for their off-season work Pole station thc longest austral sum and consolidation. Already plans are mer it had experienced. afoot for next and future years' activities. STATION NOTES LOGISTICS The w£«ther is always a topic of By March 12, all ships of the U.S. conversation anywhere in the world, Naval Support Force, Antarctica, and this season's Antarctic weather were north of 60° South latitude, and has given residents of the U.S. bases therefore, officially, out of the Ant there material for their conversation. arctic. At Byrd Station March was quite For the most part, the season has unseasonably warm, with a record- been a good one for the ships, with breaking average of minus 13.5° F., light ice in the Ross Sea area, and covering a range of temperature up only 30 miles of channel to be cut to the almost maximum summer in McMurdo where last year there heat of plus 16° F. December and had to be 60 miles. U.S.C.G.C. "East- January, conversely, each brought wind", at the Antarctic Peninsula, the second lowest maximum tem found heavy ice, as was the case also peratures ever recorded in those in the Weddell Sea and elsewhere, months. High temperatures were but no calls for icebreaker assist also the order of the day at Amund ance were received. sen-Scott when the highest tempera In the air, the flight from Cape ture ever recorded for March was Town to Williams Field in 14'/2 hrs. enjoyed on the fourth of the month, made Australia the only remaining with the thermometer registering large land mass in the Southern minus 18.5° F., 16.5° warmer than Hemisphere from which aircraft t h e p r e v i o u s m a x i m u m M a r c h have not yet penetrated to the Ant warmth. arctic. The replacement of C-124s by At Eights, too, the weather was C-130Es considerably reduced both conversation-worthy. Low and mid the loss and the labour involved in dle-type clouds were much higher the former air dropping of supplies on the average; persistent storms to inland stations. with strong wind gusts, snow, blow Scientific assistance was also given ing snow and ice fog brought higher by air by placing parties in the field, than usual snow accumulation, with and by the new venture of using colder temperatures than those aver turbo-powered helicopters to provide aged in other March months. This June, 1964 year's mean temperature was minus spell, a fire broke out under the roof 12.3° F. (minus 2.1° F. last year) and of one of the trailer vans, but it took minimum temperature minus 47° F. only 30 minutes to put it out. (minus 28° F.). Yet in the first two days of March thc temperature McMurdo's nuclear power plant soared to plus 28° F., while at thc underwent its first run on maximum end of the month another unseason power late in March, with highly able heat wave, accompanied by 40- successful results. Despite this lest, knol winds, saw the temperature go and its ability to continue to gener from minus 35° to plus 9° overnight, ate power at a high rate, it has not only to plummet to minus 13° within yet been used to supply the full load an hour. During the mid-month cold of power required by the station.

UNITED STATES ANTARCTIC RESEARCH PROGRAM

FIELD JOURNEY 'ELTANIN'

The last major traverse operation, The ocean research vessel "Eltan that of the University of Wisconsin in", reported in last "Antarctic" as and Coast and Geodetic Survey, re having completed her longest yet turned to Byrd Station on February cruise last September, has since 20 after having completed 1,450 then concluded three more expedi nautical miles in 92 days. Forty-five tions. Cruise No. 10, "Eltanin's" seismic reflection points and one seventh in Antarctic waters, look her reversed reflection profile, 520 grav from Valparaiso for 61 days over ity and 2,060 magnetic points were 7,000 miles. Thirty-three oceanogra made, twenty-five temperature mea phic stations were taken on 55° surements in 10 holes, all providing South latitude, plankton samplings information on the area around and between stations in the pack ice, two below that between Byrd Station hydrographic casts and more plank and the Filchner Ice Shelf. The party ton samplings at the north and south also established two small stake net boundaries of the Antarctic Converg works for strain measurements, ence. The investigation of a sub collected some 80 m. of ice cores for marine slide area off the coast of micrometrical and glaciological Chile was also included in her oper ations. studies, water samples from thc 10 holes for chemical and stable-isotope Eleven days after "Eltanin's" re analyses, electrical resistivity mea turn from Cruise 10 she left Val surements at nine stations and rock paraiso again on Cruise 11, with samples from two nunataks. investigators from Columbia Univer sity and the Lamond Geological Ob Results of all these samples and servatory (Microbiology), Columbia University and thc Lamont Geologi soundings included the finding of a cal Observatory (Plankton Samp gently sloping ridge connecting the ling), Smithsonian Institution Thiel and Sentinel Mountains, of six (Pelagic Phosphorus Metabolism), almost entirely buried mountains and the University of Southern Cali near the Pensacolas and a completely fornia (Marine Biology). Two buried extension of the Ellesworth Chilean students also participated in this cruise, from the Universities of Range, of the southern boundary of the Filchner Ice Shelf and of a Valparaiso and Chile. rapidly flowing current of ice within On March 2, "Eltanin" started off the slowly-moving ice cap moving on her twelfth cruise, in the Scotia from the polar plateau through the Sea. She is expected to visit Welling intervening mountains. ton in mid-July. June, 1964

Routine scientific reports have could tell them about similar condi continued to flow from the U.S. tions elsewhere in the world. bases and vessels in and around Ant Geologists of a U.S. Geological arctica, adding to man's knowledge Survey party, exploring remote areas of not only this continent but the of the Pensacola Mountains, discov world at large and of the disciplines ered rocks several miles thick, 400 concerned. lo 600 million years old, which they hope will give the information BIOLOGY needed to fill in the gap which covers Biology, which is studied both in eneral and in certain specific direc present knowledge of that era of Ant tions by University teams at the arctic history. Foldings in the layers bases and aboard "Eltanin", has had of sedimentary rock now discovered the additional findings of a combined show that these mountains have John Hopkins University and Ber- been twice formed, with periods of nice P. Bishop Museum team work being under shallow water and ex posed to fresh air. Sub-ice geology ing as guests of the British Antarctic studies have shown that the trough Q,irvey at Bird Island, off the newly _...med Antarctic Peninsula, formerly thought to split the continent in known by Americans as Palmer Pen half" does not extend thc full dis insula. Landed on Bird Island from tance from the Ross to thc Weddell Seas, but only about half-way, while R.R.S. "Shackleton", the party, com a University of Wisconsin aeromag prising an entomologist and orni netic survey of 27,500 miles of Ant thologists, completed nearly fifteen lonths of investigations, before re arctica's icecap has revealed data turning to England, en route to their which, after three months' transla home bases. Banding of giant petrels tion and interpretation, may reveal and Mollymauk nestlings, pathologi a mountain ridge buried under the cal collecting, meteorological obser ice lying parallel with the Prince vations and a plane table survey of Albert Mountains of Victoria Land, Wanderer Valley were among the and other previously unknown facts. activities. THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE One by-product of the main orni Knowledge of Upper Atmosphere thological programme carried out physics has been increased already was the collection of frozen material with the initial stages of a pro for the study of D.D.T. content in gramme started this past season; a fat deposits of penguins and seals. programme which provides an exten It has been stated that D.D.T. has sive probe of solar cosmic ray "invaded the water environment of activity in the ionosphere. This sur the world" and as this chemical vey demands a widespread, high- tends to accumulate in fatty tissue frequency radio communication and has been found in surprisinglv network, the forward scatter net large amounts in the fats and oils work having been set up this season, of deep sea fish, these deposits representing another international should provide further information effort. Signals from Byrd Station in thc global research which is being will be transmitted to Amundsen- conducted. Plans are made to Scott and McMurdo; from McMurdo analyze water from the glacial ice of signals will go to Vostok and further both the Arctic and Antarctic to try plans call for the addition of Aus to discover whether the D.D.T. has tralian, British and French stations been carried by air currents or lo the network. whethcr it has entered the water SCIENCE IN MAPS cycle through the movement of plant Antarctic research is not confined or animal life. to the Antarctic continent. Back in GEOLOGY Washington, the National Science Geologists and glaciologists, study Foundation has initiated several pro ing the secrets beneath the surface jects to encourage and promote the of rock and ice, covered many thou dissemination of Antarctic scientific sands of miles on foot, on vehicles knowledge. Supported by the N.S.F., and by air, studying what Antarctica the American Geographical Society is made of, its history and what it has undertaken the task of publish- June, 1964 ing a series of map folios covering FUTURE PLANS aspects of antarctic research which lend themselves to map presenta Two major projects for next sea tion. This will include geophysical, son's Deep Freeze have already been geological and seismological maps outlined ("Antarctic", March 1964) and explanatory texts in the first and a later report from Washington folio; glaciological studies in the adds a further, civilian, project. A second; aerial photography in the team of top U.S. mountaineers and third, and aeronomical parameters, scientists has proposed an expedition including maps of electron density to try to conquer the highest and in the ionosphere and other Upper as yet unclimbed peak on the Antarc Atmosphere physics findings. In the tic continent — Mt. Vinson, a massif planning stage are further folios cov on approximately 78° 40' S., 85° W., ering exploration history, island only 800 miles from the South Pole, glaciers, climate, geology, oceano rising above the ice cap to nearly graphy, magnetism, gravimetrics 17,000 feet. Scientific exploration of and marine and terrestrial biology. the rocky Sentinel Range, including several other peaks which appear from photographs to consist of pure PUBLICATIONS while marble, is planned in conjunc The American Geophysical Union tion with the alpine attempt, which, will publish in May the first of a it is hoped, will be made in Decem series of books reporting the results ber and January next. of U.S. research in Antarctica, re search papers too extensive, or other Rear-Admiral Reedy, states a re port from Sydney, gave an outline wise unsuitable, for inclusion in of one of the most ami standard scientific journals. Vol. I tions ever planned by the U.S. in will cover marine biology, Vol. II Antarctica—the crossing of the Antarctic glaciology, while material continent by a scientist-explorer is already available for inclusion in team during the next three summer a further five volumes on geology, seasons. The team will travel over meteorology, aeronomy, pedology and botany. some 3,000 miles of mostly unex plored areas, criss-crossing the area As well as the Antarctic Map Folio from McMurdo, over the Pole and on Series and the Antarctic Research to the Belgian base at Roi Baudouin Series, N.S.F. are also sponsoring on the opposite side of the continent. another three projects to dissemin This expedition is, presumably, part ate research results from the Antarc of the four-year traverse into Queen tic. "Records of U.S. Antarctic Speci Maud Land already announced. men Collections" aims at establish ing a central record of the physical location of multitudes ol" specimen BRIEF MENTION collections scattered all over America. Information to be recorded Thc depths to which a Weddell will include the identity of speci seal will, or anyway can, go have been recorded by a University of mens, where collected and where Arizona zoologist studying in Mc deposited. Also N.S.F.-sponsored is the Smithsonian Oceanographic Murdo Sound. Gauges accurate to within 2 per cent were attached lo Sorting Centre project of sorting U.S.A.R.P. specimen collections seals, and two of them have recorded before they are distributed to speci dives of 1,480 feet where pressure would be about 700 lbs. per square alists, deposited with the Institution or forwarded to S.O.S.C. (see above). inch, some 46 limes that of the atmo Finally an "Antarctic Bibliography" sphere. How low can you go? to meet domestic needs for a com A cheque to the value of more prehensive and annotated source of than £850 has been presented to the Antarctic information is being com Chief of Navy Staff in Canberra, re piled at the Library of Congress. presenting the amount given by Efforts are at present concentrated officers and men of the U.S. Navy on current literature, but a search serving in the Antarctic to the "Vov- for older material is contemplated. ager" relief fund. June. 1964

11 buildings are built is firm enough U.S. BASES for aircralt for only 4-6 weeks al the beginning of each summer season. THE POSITION TODAY The AMUNDSEN-SCOTT POLE In the years that have elapsed station, also established in 1957, con sists of 11 buildings on the inland ice 9,000 ft. above sea level at the many scientific a..~ —^, -■ South Geographic Pole on the high in Antarctica to help her scientists polar plateau of Eastern Antarctica. fulfil their part in Hie international Difficult of access and with a mean scientific co-operation that is now annual temperature of —56°, this a feature of that continent. station has not been very suitable There are five permanent U.S. for outdoor research but it is hoped Bases in the Antarctic —McMurdo, that with improved logistic capabili Byrd, Eights, Amundsen-Scott and ties a number of sciences will soon the joint N.Z.-U.S. Hallett, covering be worked on here. As it is, some an area from 72° 19' S. and 170° 13' nine scientists and 13 navy men E. to 90° 00'S. and 119° 32'W. and winter over here annually. varying in elevation from 16 feel to 9,184 feet. The NEW BYRD Station, 880 miles McMURDO, the base camp, con from McMurdo, was built in 1961-2 tains 70 buildings and houses a to replace the 1957-established Old winter population of some 200 naval Byrd, by then under the surrounding personnel and 10 scientists operating ice. To avoid a second disaster of weather services and a biology lab this nature, New Byrd was built oratory. In summer, McMurdo can below the ice, with laboratories house up to 726 people. Its functions especially designed to be free of the are numerous; as well as supplying Station's own electrical and radio the U.S. Naval Weather Service and interferences, and with facilities for biological research facilities, it is the seismological, meteorological, iono communications and logistics centre spheric, auroral and radio-noise re for U.S. ships and aircraft from out search. At present, 12 scientists and side the continent. The airfield for 21 navy men winter over at New McMurdo is Williams Field. Special Byrd, about half way between Mc ized laboratories for cosmic ray Murdo and Eights Stations. physics, geology and glaciology house other research teams. Its posi EIGHTS, situated near the base tion is on Ross Island, 102 feet of of the former Palmer Peninsula sep elevation, built, in 1956, on a base arating the Weddell and Bellings of volcanic ash. A nuclear power hausen seas, is the most recently plant and a water distillation plant established U.S. Station in Antarc are among the facilities the base tica, as well as the smallest of the year-round ones. Built on the site supplies. of the temporary Ski-Hi station Next to be built was HALLETT, a which operated during the 1961—2 much smaller, purely scientific base, summer, Eights is a year-round situated on an Adelie penguin scientific base and is a conjugate rookery on the west coast of the point lo a similar station near Ross Sea, about 380 miles north of Quebec City in Canada. Its building McMurdo Sound. With a winter per was a major undertaking (see "Ant sonnel of scientists from the U.S. arctic", March, 1963), it supports six and N.Z., plus 9 Navy personnel, naval support personnel and five Hallett provides equipment and lab scientists, and the emphasis of its oratories for biological research, work is on upper atmosphere both marine and terrestrial, upper physics. atmosphere physics, meteorology, In addition to these five perman geomagnetism and seismology. Hal ent stations, the U.S. also has three lett is dependent on the sea for most weather stations — Beardmore, fur of its resupply as the bay ice adjoin ther inland towards the pole from ing the glacial moraine on which its McMurdo, Little Rockford to the June, 1964 BRITISH ANTARCTIC SURVEY WORK MARRED BY ACCIDENTS

The summer was an unfortunate one for the British Antarctic Survey, aircraft damage, difficult ice and weather conditions, and a fatal accident on H.M.S. "Protector" combining to delay the programme and lower the usually high level of trouble-free operations.

An early setback occurred in Sep and carried out reconnaissance work tember, 1963, when both the De in preparation for the projected new Havilland Otter aircraft were dam work in the area bordering thc aged in a severe gale at Deception plateau north of the Batterbee Island, before they could fly south Mountains. They selected two sur to start field work from Adelaide vey stations to link the work with Island. Spare tail units could not the Sound and discovered good be delivered until early December, routes readily accessible from Fossil and the planes did not fly forward Bluff. At the same time a geologist until January 6. continued the detailed studies of the From January 6 until March 10 the East Coast of Alexander Island, planes relieved Fossil Bluff and laid (ii) East Coast Central Graham Land depots for 1964, but flying hours A team of geologists and a geo were curtailed because of bad physicist started work in the weather and unexpected unservice- Churchill Peninsula area by sledg abilily. After four or five years of ing over the plateau from Stonington arduous Antarctic service, it became Island, and using depots previously apparent that major overhauls were laid by air and motor toboggan. Start required earlier than anticipated. By ing at Cape Disappointment and and large, therefore, the various field working southwards they reached the Churchill Peninsula" again in projects in progress and planned for 1964 received less support than was December. For one month thereafter desirable. they were plagued by deep soft snow and poor visibility, and finally in the absence of air support, they were FIELD WORK forced to sledge back to base. (i) George VI Sound (iii) Graham Land Plateau Margin Lacking air support, the surveyors in the area north of the Batter- were unable to start the triangula bee mountains tion of the northern part of the Sound. Instead, together with their It had been the intention lo start work in this region of many isolated assistants, they sledged to the area mountain groups and nunataks in the period January to March, using aircraft support. This had to be abandoned because the "John Bis west and the automatic Little coe", with new surveyors on board, America V; a summer research sta was held up by ice, and because of tion operated by three men, Delta the difficulties experienced with the Sub One; and the Shipboard Re aeroplanes. A reconnaissance had, search Station, the USNS "Eltanin". however, been made as described Yet another permanent station, for above, and substantial depots were biological research, is planned for laid by air in two places ready for establishment on the Antarctic Pen the team which will enter the area insula. in September, 1964. June, 1964

(iv) Tottan Mountains WITH TPIE SHIPS Supported by Muskeg tractors a R.R.S. "Shackleton" party of four men from Halley Bay, The "Shackleton" relieved and re- including one geologist and one sur veyor, worked in the area from Nov supplied Signv Island. She also car ember, 1963, to April, 1964. ried out extensive geophysical sur veys in the region of the Scotia Arc. BASES Her dual seismic programme with All the bases were relieved and re- H.M.S. "Protector" was unfortun- supplied by ship during the 1963-64 alelv curtailed by a premature ex season. Hope Bay was closed after plosion on board "Protector", which twelve years' continuous occupation, resulted in the death of two sailors. in February. R.R.S. "John Biscoe" BRITISH ICEBREAKER The "John Biscoe" experienced ex ceptional difficulty in relieving the The Navy Department on April 9 bases at Adelaide Island and Stoning called for tenders to design and build ton Island. Pack ice clung to the a replacement for H.M.S. "Protec coast of Adelaide Island throughout tor", the Navy's only ice patrol ship, the season barring the approaches now 28 years old. to Marguerite Bay, and it was not "Protector" is a converted net- until February 29 that it opened suffi layer with a hull strengthened to ciently to allow the "John Biscoe" withstand floating ice. But to reach to get through. In the meantime the southern B.A.S. bases, either operations had started in an effci L to relieve thc bases under emergency directly or by helicopter, "Protec tor's" successor must be able to push conditions. To this end a landing was her way into and out of the solid made on the hitherto unattainable Antarctic ice. She will be the Royal west coast of Adelaide Island, and a route forced through a two mile zone Navy's first icebreaker. ol complex crevasses. At the head of The new ship will be of approxi this route a supply clump of essen mately 7,000 tons displacement, 260 ft. long, 64 ft. beam and 30 ft. tial materials was built up ready for collection by air. Some 10,000 lbs. draught. Her hull will be all-welded and designed for breaking thick ice. of stores were delivered and almost A stabilisation system will be fitted half the men exchanged in this way to reduce rolling. Heeling tanks will before the ice finally made way for enable the ship to be "rocked" to the ship. It was at this time that free herself should she become some rare good weather prevailed so permitting the first summer flight to wedged in heavy ice. the Larsen Ice Shelf. This meant that In common with all modern ice a large quantity of geological equip breakers, the ship will be powered ment and some geophysical instru by a diesel electric propulsion sys tem driving two propellers. Her ments were recovered when hope had virtually been abandoned. Afler powerful machinery can be con trolled directly from thc bridge and leaving Marguerite Bay the "John the ship can be conned from several Biscoe" embarked the "Royal Naval positions. Hydrographic Survey Party, and This ship will be fitted with exten assisted them in the Bismark Strait sive laboratories and deck equip area until April. ment to be used in oceanographic work in Antarctica and elsewhere. M.V. "Kista Dan" Survey boats and other equipment The "Kista Dan" relieved and re- will be used to conduct hvdrographic supplied Halley Bay without any surveys of the Antarctic' coast. real difficulty from ice. Two Wasp helicopters will be car Travelling on "Kista Dan" was Sir ried to assist in survey work, to con Vivian Fuchs, Director of the Sur vey scientists and their equipment to vey, and a Russian scientist, Dr. G. E. advanced bases and to reconnoitre Grikurov, of the Scientific Research for suitable passages through ice. Institute of Arctic Geology at Lenin- T A P. C June. 1964

the island in the opposite direction In the Steps of to that taken by Shackleton's team, but it is believed that Carse's party crossed by the Karl Larsen plateau, Shackleton which is some distance from the route taken by Shackleton. The British Admiralty announced on March 16 that a 10-man expedition would be sent to the Antarctic to PLASTIC LAB. retrace the steps of Sir Ernest Despite a late start, the new lab Shackleton in South Georgia. oratory at Signy Island had been After his ship "Endurance" was erected, and the interior fitting was crushed by pack ice in 1916 in the progressing well by the end of the Weddell Sea, Shackleton sailed with season. The new method of con a crew of five in a small boat from struction using moulded fire resis Elephant Island, in the South Shet tant plastic and fibre glass panels lands, to South Georgia to organise was a success. The two-storey build help. ing, to accommodate 22 men, is the With two other men he then set first of its size and kind in the out to walk to a whaling station on Antarctic. The work in marine zoo the other side of the island. The logy at this base was somewhat journey was one of extreme hardship curtailed because of building com and a "miracle of mountaineering". mitments, but the remainder of the The new expedition will be led by biological programme proceeded Lieut.-Cdr. M. K. Burley, R.N. His according to plan. team, chosen from hundreds of ser vice volunteers, comprises officers and men from the Army (4), Navy AT LONG LAST (2) and Air Force (3), and includes The British Admiralty said on surveyors, scientists, a medical offi March 18 that a naval survey party cer and photographers. had landed on tiny, uninhabited The enterprise is regarded as the Cook Island in the South Sandwich most ambitious combined services group, which lies in the Antarctic expedition since World War II. ice How east of Cape Horn. The men will spend i\ve months This was thc first recorded visit in South Georgia. since the island was discovered by As well as attempting the crossing Cook in 1775. of thc island by the route of Shackle The survey party, from H.M.S. ton, Worsley and Crean, the team "Protector", which is co-operating will include in its ambitious project with the British Antarctic survey attempts on two unclaimed peaks and the exploration of an uncrossed investigation of the South Sandwich mountain range. group, went ashore by helicopter. The party will fly to Uruguay in October and be landed on South on the nearby active volcano Georgia by naval ice patrol ship island of Bellingshausen to take H.M.S. "Protector". scientific and survey details. The actual landing at Shackleton's "Peggoty Camp" will be by helicop ter from the "Protector", towards the Antarctic conditions are nearer to end of November. It is anticipated those on the moon than anywhere that the crossing will take from five else in this world. This is the belief to ten days. of an expert of moon exploration It will be recalled that in October, plans who went to the Antarctic 1955, Duncan Carse, who led a series specially to study conditions there. of South Georgia Surveys, crossed Geological exploration of the moon, restricted living conditions and con grad. He will work with the survey ditions of scientific research gener in the Marguerite Bay area, while a ally will, he considers, be similar lo British scientist works at one of those being experienced by men in the Russian bases. the Antarctic. June, 1964 South African Base Reports The following news items covering March and April have been received from the South African base SANAE, on the Queen Maud Land Coast of the Antarctic Continent in approximately 70" 30' S., 2° 30' W.

One of the Muskegs was destroyed The S.A.N.A.E. team is largely a by fire during March. This is a heavy meteorological one. Of the total of blow for geologist Andre du Plessis, 13 men, four are meteorologists, the who had his field programme remainder comprising a geologist, a worked out in detail, as he had been geophysicist, an ionosphere ob here for more than a year. However, server, a doctor, three mechanics, he is still confident of undertaking and a radio operator, as well as the a trip to the mountains in the sum leader. mer as the training of the huskies is The South African Antarctic Asso going well. Meanwhile he is concen ciation published in January the first trating on glaciological work and number of its own journal "Antark- intends making a comprehensive tiese Bulletin". A bilingual publica survey of the Trolltunga glacier, tion (the first number is predomin 45 km to the west of S.A.N.A.E. antly in English), it is intended to issue the journal once every two The seismographic apparatus, in months. The full cost of production stalled by the American seismic is borne by B.P. Southern Africa team, has been functioning satisfac (Pty.) Ltd., with no more acknow torily on the short period seismo ledgement for the company than the meters and it is hoped that, during display of its trade-mark on the the winter, good results will also be front page. The editor is J. J. Tal- obtained from the long period seis jaard. mometers. In the last week of March South African weather men in the the seismograph registered its first Antarctic reported late in April that big earthquake, viz. that which they had picked and eaten their first occurred in Alaska. lettuces, parsley and radishes, which were cultivated with the help of heat A triangular traverse to the ice from a fluorescent lamp. rise east of S.A.N.A.E. was com pleted. As the winter draws closer the men are busy with final prepara tions., Sufficient fuel for the winter has been pumped into the drums in "TIROS" the snow-passage, the sledges have been put on drums, and the aerial Tiros, the weather satellite, is play systems have been closely checked ing its part in Antarctic logistics as so as to prevent the necessity of re well as meteorological information. pairs in very low temperatures dur Although there are considerable ing winter. limitations on the reception of infor Sun and star fixes have been taken, mation from Tiros, it has already in order to obtain the exact position proved a great help in supplying of the station. immediate weather forecasts for thc ar^a to be flown by aircraft opera Some faint auroras have already tion between New Zealand and Ant been observed. arctica. It has also revealed a low prsssure system between Christ Andre du Plessis is experimenting church and McMurdo that no land with an indoors vegetable garden or ship station had ever reported. A kept at a reasonable hot house tem readout station for receiving pic perature by fluorescent lamps. The tures is being installed at McMurdo first produce has been fresh green to be ready for planned satellites parsley, and it is hoped that other that will be placed more nearly in vegetables will follow later. polar orbit. June, 1964 Summer Work At Argentine Antarctic Bases Relief of Argentina's five bases in the Antarctic Peninsula area and seasonal scientific work was carried out by the Argentine Antarctic Institute, the Naval Antarctic Group, the Navy Hydro- graphic Service and the Army. ARGENTINE ANTARCTIC tions were made; samples of soil INSTITUTE and seaweeds were taken, and bio logical specimens collected, especi An inspection team comprising ally of the flora of Martel Cove and Capitan de Fragata Federico W. Hannequin Point. Mullcr, assisted by Aroldo Mansilla, inspected General Belgrano Base FILCHNER ICE SHELF and the Naval Post Almirante Brown. The inspection of General Belgrano STUDIES Base, which took place between A team comprising Cesar A. Lisig- January 2 and January 5, had for its noli (glaciologist) and Manuel A. purpose to test the functioning of Fernandez (topographer), left on the all-sky camera and the iono board the "General San Martin" on sonde transferred from Ellsworth December 9, carried out w.-jrk on the Station in the summer of 1962-63; Filchner Ice Shelf, and returned 03 and to inspect the work carried out March 3. In the Moltke and Bertrab by the Institute personnel trans Nunataks area, astro-fixes were de ferred from Ellsworth during 1963. termined of Bertrab Nunatak and At the Navy's Almirante Brown measurements taken to determine station the scientific installations the rate of movement of the ice-shelf. were examined. This task was com At Salta refuge-hut in front of the pleted on February 16. Moltke group of nunataks co-ordin ates were again checked and the dis A team led by Dr. Hector A. tance from the refuge to the nuna Orlando (palaeontologist), with tak was remeasured. The co-ordin Carlos A. Migliore (geology assis ates of General Belgrano and Ells tant) and Anibal J. Spairani (assis worth bases were re-calculated, and tant), left on the ice-breaker "Gen the old Chica Bay base was flowi eral San Martin" on October 21 and over and the formation of a new returned on the transport "Bahia crevasse to the south was noted. Aguirre" on February 22. They worked on Rosamel, Decepcion and In the zone defined to the north by the line EIlsworth-Moltke and 25th of May Islands. to the south by the Great Crevasse The "General San Martin" was (Gran Grieta) it was possible to con blocked by ice off Rosamel Island firm from the air that there have and could not reach the first objec been changes in the width and length tive, Robertson Island. However, of the crevasse. The formation of geological observations and petro- new crevasses was also noted. graphic collections were made at Jorge S. Dulman (assistant biolo Rosamel Island and also at. Decep gist), who left on January 3 on the cion Island. transport "Bahia Aguirre" and re In Lasserre Bay on 25th of May turned on thc same ship on February Island reliefs were effected at Martel 22, look samples of blood from pen Cove, Mackellar Creek, Steinhouse guins for micro-biological analysis. Point and Herequin Point. A collec Pedro Waibal was responsible for tion of characteristic rocks was maintaining and operating the neu gathered from this area and observa tron monitor installed on the "Gen- June, 1964 oral San Martin" to carry out nuclear pleted. On the 17th the ship was testing during the voyage. again in Ushaia where she embarked Alberto E. Pedroni and Jose Bas- cargo for Matienzo Base. On the way bous from the Argentine Antarctic she called in at Lasserre Bay to Institute landed at General Belgrano assist the Argentine Antarctic Insti base where they will spend the 1964 tute men working there; then made winter and carry out a programme for Esperanza on the 24th and in aurora and ionospheric physics. Robertson Island, where thc Matien zo Base was relieved and reprovi- NAVY ANTARCTIC GROUP sioncd. "General San Martin" now sailed The Antarctic Naval group under to Decepcion to transfer cargo and Capitan de Fragata Jorge E. Zim- mermann operated the ice-breaker personnel to the "Bahia Aguirre"; "General San Martin" and the trans then on February 12 continued to the Melchior Islands to inspect the port "Bahia Aguirre" (Capitan de installations there, carrying out Fragata Victor H. Pcreyra Murray). The ships' itineraries were as fol oceanographic work and laying buoys in the Gerlache and Bismarck lows: Straits en route. The Almirante General San Martin Brown detachment was inspected be fore the vessel returned to Buenos Left Buenos Aires on October 21, bound for Esperanza to carry out Aires on March 3. the relief of the base personnel. On October 31 the vessel penetrated to "Bahia Aguirre" Teniente Matienzo Base but was un The transport "Bahia Aguire" left able to complete the relief here be Buenos Aires on January 3 for cause of adverse ice conditions. The Orcadas, arriving there on the 11th ice-breaker was ice-bound in Erebus to carry out the relief of personnel and Terror Gulf for 17 days. As con and to re-slock the base. A small ditions showed no signs of improv team was left to carry out repairs ing, an aerial reconnaissance was at the base. Decepcion was reached carried out on November 8, using a on January 14, and here too after 2-H-13 helicopter, which crashed into relief and reprovisioning a working the sea. The relief of the base person group remained. The relief of Esper nel was effected on November 11 by anza was completed on the 22nd. two Beaver aircraft of the Argentine Men from thc Argentine Antarctic Air Force, which flew from Matienzo Institute were left at Lasserre Bay Base and landed on a floe 2,000 and the ship then made for Ushuaia. metres long and 800 metres wide, arriving there on January 25 and near the ship. disembarking the returning men. Returning to Esperanza on Novem ber 17, the ship left the same day "Bahia Aguirre" left on February for Decepcion to re-supply the naval 2, calling at Orcadas and Lasserre detachment there. When this task Bay, to re-embark the parties left was completed "General San Martin" there on the earlier voyage. On Feb left for Ushuaia to disembark the ruary 10 she was at Luna (Moon) returning men, then went on to Bay to inspect the installations of Buenos Aires, arriving there on Nov the Teniente Camara Naval Detach ember 27. ment, and at Decepcion to pick up "General San Martin" left again the repair group left there previ on December 9 for thc South Orcades ously. After a reconnaissance voyage Islands to discharge the cargo which through Gerlache Strait the ship re could not be unloaded on the earlier turned to Ushuaia. voyage owing to ice conditions and A group of notabilities now came adverse weather. Reaching General on board for a voyage of inspection Belgrano Base on December 17 the which began on February 20. The ship relieved the personnel and re- party visited the Esperanza and De provisioned the base. Returning to cepcion bases, Paraiso and Leith, Orcadas on January 5, the operation arriving back at Ushuaia on Febru was this time successfully com ary 28 and Buenos Aires on March 5. June, 1964

FIELD JOURNEYS JAPAN IS PREPARING During the last three months of FOR 1965-66 1963 several field trips were carried Plans for the construction of a ship were announced by the Educa /v,r 1 a team led by Major Hector R. tion Ministry recently. Japan is Toledo set out from the Teniente scheduled to resume Antarctic obser Maticnzo Base and covered 840 km. vations in the fall of 1965. (520 miles), installing refuge huts at Santa Teresita (66° 22' S., 62° 55' W.). The ship will be designed by the Virgen de Loreto (65° 33' S., 61° 30' Defence Agency's Technological Re W.) and Mayor Arcondo (66° 09' S., search Headquarters. According to 61° 44' W.). The party was supported the plans, the new icebreaker will b( far more powerful than the present by Beaver aircraft flights. En route the men carried out meteorological "Soya" which had been used in past observations and collected geological Japanese Antarctic observations. It specimens. will be in the same category as the From General Belgrano Base a icebreaker "Glacier" now in use by team under Jejiiente Tramontana the United States. travelled 600 km. (372 miles) be The new icebreaker's basic dis tween October 15 and November 5. placement will be 5,000 tons, rising to This was a reconnaissance journey 8,500 tons when loaded to capacity. aimed principally at pegging out the The ship will be about 1000 metres section of the route as far as Gran long, 22 m. wide and equipped with Cristo and the erection of a refuge- a 12,000 horsepower electric propul hut "Santa Barbara" at 80° 17'S., sion engine providing a speed of 17 36° 30'W. knots. It will be capable of loading IN CHARGE 400 tons of freight and three large Leaders of the Argentine bases for helicopters. 1964 are: It will have an instantaneous ice- Decepcion (Deception Island) (14 breaking power of about six metres, men): Teniente de Fragata Juan and be capable of moving through a C. Canepa. 2.8-m. icefield at a speed of 2.1 knots. Orcadas (South Orkneys) (13 men): Teniente de Corbeta Antonio Mo- cellini. HELICOPTER PORT General Belgrano (23 men): Teni ente Primero Jose Tramontana. The ship will bc equipped with various oceanological observation in Esperanza (Hope Bay) (22 men): struments and its deck will be con Major Raul H. Toledo. Teniente Matienzo (13 men): Capitan structed to enable large-sized heli Hector R. Guidobono. copters to take off and land easily. Elevators will also be installed in the ship in order to facilitate the trans ONCE AGAIN? portation of freight. Manning the Readers will reca\< that on two ship will be 200 crewmen in addition previous occasions, in 1957 and in to the 35-member observation team. 1963, plans were announced for a German Antarctic Expedition which Construction of thc new icebreaker did not eventuate. The German phila will be initiated this summer, with telic news-sheet, "Dill Reports the its completion scheduled for August, News" (issue of May 8), now quotes 1965, at a cost of approximately an A.P. report that "this year again Y3.100 million. After a three-month the Deutsches Institut fuer Ausland- period of testing, the ship is expected forschung will prepare a German to leave for the Antarctic in Novem Antarctic Expedition". Others will ber next year. share the editor's feeling that "this The final design of the new vessel year again they will not succeed if will be decided by the end of May they will not get great sums from this year, and the keel will be laid in the Government". July. At the Navy Technical Institute June, 1964 extensive tests with a model (1:20) «MAR CHILE III in 250 m. pool have been carried out. MEN PREPARE TOO The Chilean Navy vessel "Yelcho" has completed the oceanographic A monthly meeting on Antarctic cruise which was named Mar Chile problems is being held at the Polar III, the third such operation in the Division of the National Museum "Chilean Sea". The cruise was car under the chairmanship of the Divi ried out in the Drake Strait area sion Chief, Mr. M. Murayama. There between South America and the Ant is considerable enthusiasm concern arctic Peninsula and was the culmin ing the re-opening of Showa Base. ation of a series of oceanographic and geological investigations. During MAPPING the operation the vessel crossed the The National Geographic Survey Antarctic Circle in the course of its Institute of Japan has completed a scientific programme which began in map of the coast-line near Showa October last year. Technicians and Base, occupied by J.A.R.E., the Japa scientists from five organisations nese Antarctic Research Expedition, took part in the operation: the de from Januarv, 1957, till February, partments of Navigation and Hydro 1962, except for the greater part of graphy of the Navy, of the Concep- the year 1958. The map covers a total cion, Catholic of Valparisa, and de of 125 miles of coast-line. Thc task Norte Universities and of the Geo of charting this area was entrusted logical Observatory of Lamontl. to Japan by S.C.A.R. The 98 islands, Members of the Naval Reserve gave capes, glaciers and other geological assistance also. features discovered by Japanese field The main objectives of the cruise parties have been given Japanese were to add lo the soundings in the area agreed upon at the Eighth International Conference of Hydro graphy, Monaco, 1962, and the con S.C.A.R. HAS A NEW tinuation of the oceanography and geological investigations carried out in 1959, 1961 and 1962 in Drake PRESIDENT Strait, as part of the co-operative programme between the Navy and Succeeding General G. R. Lac the Geological Observatory of lavere as President of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research Lamontt, University of Columbia. (S.C.A.R.) is Dr Laurence M. Gould, Chairman of the Polar Research Committee of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. "Larry" Gould was second in B E L AT E D N E W S command and scientific leader of Admiral Byrd's first Antarctic ex In December, 1960, "Antarctic" re- pedition, 1928-30, during which he led a notable geological dog-sledge journey from Litt'e America, south to the Queen Maud Range, a journey covering 1525 miles. He was from H.M.S. "Owen". We had no chairman of the committee which further news of him. planned the Antarctic portion of the We now learn that he was estab U.S. scientific programme for the lished ashore at Undine Harbour, I.G.Y. and was in the Antarctic him and his hut was built; but he was self during the 1956-57 summer. picked up again a few months later Until his retirement in 1962 Dr by a sealer, taken back to Grytviken Gould was for many years Presi and subsequently to the United King dent of Carleton College, Minnesota. dom. He reported that a tidal wave He is President of the American had swept inland, spoiling much of Association for the Advancement of his gear and making his withdrawal Science. necessary. June, 1964 The Belgian-Dutch Expedition

Fourteen men, ten Belgians and four Dutchmen, are carrying out an extensive scientific programme at Base Roi Baudouin during the first winter of the combined expedition in the new quarters.

During March and April weather The wintering-over men are well sat conditions were exceptionally severe. isfied with their meals and health In March there were 29 days of drift, and morale are excellent. of which 11 were blizzard days; and Among the amenities may be men in April again 29 days of drift, 14 of tioned th? cinema sessions once a them with blizzard conditions. As a week. From time to time visits are result of these frequent blizzards the made to the old "ghost base" which new base has been snowed up much is now buried under eight feet of more quickly than the old one was snow, by men looking for old hams up till 1958. Practically no stores and other well preserved delicacies. were stacked outside the buildings. Since April the full science pro gramme has been in operation. The March temperatures were: maxi Dines anemometer began functioning mum —3° C. (26.6° F), mean —13.1° on April 19. C. (8.4° F.), minimum —25.5° C. (—13.9° F). Corresponding April figures were —7.2° C. (19.1° F.), L I N K B R O K E N —17.1° C. (1.2° F.) and —30.5° C. (—22.9° F.). An end of May report The last survivor of the "Belgica" added, "The polar winter is ap expedition of 1897-9, led by Adrien proaching, as the sun, when it is de Gerlache, died towards the end of visible, disappears already at mid April. He was Jan Van Mirlo, who was one of the "Belgica's" crew. He day". was 85. The men of this Belgian Building operations are at an end. expedition were the first to endure In addition to the three main build an Antarctic winter, as the ship was ings (living quarters, science labora trapped in 71° 30'S., west of the tories, power plant), there is an Antarctic Peninsula and drifted help astronomical observatory 100 metres lessly for a year and a month before south of the base proper, and two being liberated. geomagnetic huts 150 metres to the west. The prefabricated covered- way, 50 metres long, which links the three principal buildings is com modious and well lighted. Transistor BOB THOMSON, O.B.E. radios connect the various buildings and outbuildings mentioned above. The well-known New Zealand Antarctic man, R. B. Thomson (Hal An oil tank 10 metres from the lett 1960, Scott Base 1961) has been generator house holds enough fuel awarded the O.B.E. for his out to last the station a month without standing work in Australian Antarc- anyone having to venture out to do the expedition. refuelling. Thanks to improved in Mr Thomson, whose home is in sulation of the floors, the consump New Plymouth, was a member of tion of fuel is only two-thirds of that the Australian National Antarctic- required by the old base. Research Expedition in 1962-63 and officer-in-charge at Wilkes Station in Inside, the buildings are comfort 1962. He led a party of six which able and a steady temperature of made a successful return journey of 20° C. (68° F.) is maintained. A bath 1800 miles from Wilkes to Vostok, room and a shower with hot and the Russian station at the magnetic cold water have just been installed. South Pole. po3cA\ uoui se Amidcj popoooo.id poisoAjcq ojoa\ oujoonj jo suoi xi§ a\ou ossq avou oqi jo' uoponjjsuoQ •poionjisuoo 'JSH.I 3P 311,1 uo SBA\ AEAVpBOJ A\OU JO SOJJOUI 0£c puc uoissossoj ci op 311,1 UO lOO| •sqnsoj [njimjj qiiM suop ios 'opJJS J° J31siu!i/\[ 'loumboBf -BAJOsqo jEoiSojoiq 'puB |BOiqdB.i3 'W 'paiJIV i'J°d U° psjcodde .9^) -OUBOOO JOJ OpBUl'oJOA\ SdlJl JBOQ e j _ o p p j e p n o r j , , o q i m \ t * S u o j e •sSuipunos-oipBJ ( ( ! U 0 ! | i c 9 „ o q j 8 3 A . i e n u c r u o puB souiijoumq uoonEq' joj poJEd Suiuonounj oipvu -Ojd SBAV OlIS B Ojy.P OUIIBOf JJOJ oscq oqj puc jopjo-SuioS ui uibSe TV 'pOUOdo' SBAV SUOI1B|O.IJOO onou UOOS SBM UOHCJS JOljlEOAV OIICLU -Sbui JOJ AjO!BJOqB[ b puB poj'(Eis -oine oqx -odcqs OijBi oi ucSoq soils -ui ojoav odoosojoi UOSOUI B puB -uoponjisuoo puc sAc.wpcoj 'AjcnuBf 'obuuojub Jioqi qiiAV sjoiouiou jnoj Ajjeo uiojj 'ojoqM . nEOiEjd oqj •pojiBisui OJOAV JOllUOUJ uojjnou oi dn suoj 031 .1° 3uPJH 0lH aiqjssod AVOU B pUB SOUOlBJoqBJ IBOISAq(" opEiu Aeavjiej ojqBO oqj .JO UOIJCAIIOC -ooS puc jBoiSojoog '|B0ix?o[6ig -oj oqx "ou'cjo e puc sjoioeji joiJb.ii ■uoiiBAJosqo pus uoijo; oavi Suipnpu; 'popcojun ojoav oo'jeo -JOO IBOIoOJOOo ' pUB p30|f)O[Oiq qijnv jo suoji 0££ 'ssoioqjJOAON "luonbojj PUB OoBJOAOO-OlOqd pUBAqdBJoOlJBO ojoui puc ojoui Suiiuoooq sooucq.mj ui poisissB ijB.iojp3 ii onono|Y -sip qjiA\ 'joi.mnb' oqi inoq3no.iqi Aiu.iv oavi oqx 'ouiuibjSojo* joui -ums oqi jo uoiio[dujoo oqi pojnoABj §0|icA0.id 'lUBSBOjdun >|.ioa\ opisjno uiJiciu uiej puc sojeS iuojolv qji.vv JoqiBOAv Pfliu uijb^\ •uoiunp'jj 'sa'ouipuob o;.ioqdsouiin pcq a'jo/\" puB uiEpjoisiuv oijOAnoN oi oinoj •uoui ZZ i° ^IJ^d b pcoq nnf/vv ojiiej UO £\ AjBnUBf uo siboubjj xnB 1JOJ poajiv "IAJ 'JoqiEOAV oqi uodri puodop IB |JBO JOUq B OJDBUJ ..IUOqiBQ,, I[iA\ uouE^JEqiuosip oqj jo ssro •sjoidooqoq luojj spuBjsi oqi jo -oris oqx "sijci oiicuinoud jo sucoui of?v?JOAOo oiqdBjSoioqd b jjooijopun iCq s]nuoieiu guiprmq jo suoi 00r oinijisui ' iBoiqdBJoOOj) |buoubn pucj oi OAcq [|ia\'uj'coi iozoji^ oqx oqi uiojj s.'ioqdBJ§oiJBO oavx •sSuip|inq jcioiu •sguipijnq duiBO Ajbiijuu j3[o oqj jo uoaos osudiuoo jjiav osi?'q oqx 'Suoj ouo UIOJJ AjOlBJOqBJ b jo uoiibuijoj SO.UOUI 009 'x'oj-oUiajj c Aq qocoq oqi pro uoiibis (Boif>6joiusios oqi Suipucj oqi ijjiav po>juq oq I[ia\ ii jo 8u;iis-oj oqi popnjoui osoqx "uo^ei •O.UABN np oing cj soiEiuiuop qoiqM -JOpufl OJOAV SUOjlBUBlSUI xJUHSp^O ncoicid oqi uo poiEoo| oq rjpyy 'lioui oi suoubjoijb pui? sjmdo.i Ajbssooou gj osnoq oi pouusjd 'oscq a\ou oqx oqj A"|uo uosbos siqi inq 'pouunjd (■£-\9Z soffcd '£961 ounr ..oiiojcjuy,, §uioq si uoiibjs spuEjsi uojonSjo^i oog) '0961 u! uodn popioop sbav ojoij oqi jo ubijonjisuoooj oiojduioo oqx uoiibis luoubui-iod b jo uouoojo oqx •SOSIBOUEJJ •uo'^BiJopun oq jjiav dho.if? iozo.i3 oqi sonboiiJEiuy 19 sojEJisny ' sojjox UI UOISSOSSOJ B[ Op OQ.T UO UOI1BJS sop o-'uoiijjox np joq3 'puEjio^ "iaj b'jo iionoansuoD oqi f96I Sauna jopun 'suouEJodo joijoj oqi ui uecI jjooi uoui 0r2 'IIc-I3A6 '^-iom oiqdBjf? (HONVHJ) -oiJBO joue oyuuoios oqi j^ue ouiuiB.ir? SQNV1SI XHZOHD -o.id uoiiBJjJBqLuosip oqi poisissB sjoidooqoq Anuy omx "uoionS-io^; oi oino.i uo lUEixioisuJV-onoAnoN puB UOIlinO^ 'OAE1EUJBX 1C pOJJBO pUE ounb psq (uioqi poijED uojonf?.io^ 'pjEoq uo sjoqtuoui uonipodxo Q£ sb) uoiiejosoq jo spinqsi oqi ,,1-iod inoqn qiiAV 8 joquiOAOjsj uo soqios ui„ qi'oq „opjr) bj op pjBpnoa,, -jbiaj lJo['„!uoqiEO„ 'suoi OOS'3 3UIOS piiB „iuoqiB{3,', qi|A\ puB £Z AJEnjqoj jo o3.ieo b qiiM -..luoqiEf),, "S'lM Aq uo puBjsi oqi poiisiA lomnboEr -yvi ino poujBO sbav joijoj jeiiuue oqx •u.ioqs ojoa\ dooqs 00S 'sieluiub ousouiop (3DNVHJ) oqi joj Joppoj pus jonq sb oajos oi NHinao^ax poday sptrejsi DipiPiUY-qng

^961 '8unr June, 1964 all-out war against the winter animals are at sea until just before which was already approaching. The the hair-shedding begins. communal hall, the sick-bay and April brought many gale force two barracks buildings had been winds with snow and sleet. Several erected by the end of March, and glass panes in the mess-house had 1,200 metres of trenches had been to be replaced and outside jobs such dug. as painting "Moaning Nelly", the 100-foot radio aerial, were inter rupted. M A C Q U A R I E I S L A N D On April 18, all hands formed a (AUSTRALIA) working bee carrying sand and There was excitement on Mac equipment 250 feet up Wireless Hill quarie on March 2, writes leader for the installation of a sunshine Robert Nunn in the March "News recorder. Taylor is reported as "aid letter", as in dense fog "Noel Bar ing egg production" by installing rett picked up on Rusty Rachel (our power to the fowl-house, thus keep radar) a strange object approxi ing the fowls warmer and, it is mately one mile off shore moving hoped, producing more eggs. at 7 knots in a northeast direction. . . . We still don't know whether it was another iceberg or a ship pass BALLOON LAUNCHERS ing." A team of four led by Dr. N. R. Par "Nella Dan" anchored in Buckles sons of the University of Tasmania Bay two days early, on March 22, arrived at Macquarie Island in Dec bringing extra stores for the winter ember to carry out a three-month and three new party members, Dr. balloon flight programme and suc Middleton, Purchase and Calwell. ceeded in carrying out all the pro Additional scientific equipment was posed flights. installed, including the All-Sky Landine with some 60 crates of camera photometer, tidal gauge and equipment, 180 cylinders of hydro automatic developing unit. Ten men, gen and a pile of materials with the summer party, including the which to build a hut, their aim was balloon group (see below) returned to launch 30 large hydrogen-filled to Australia by the "Nella Dan". plastic balloons carrying aloft instru ZOO BOUND ment packages to record the inten sities of various types of radiation Among twelve passengers em at altitudes of about 100,000 feel. barked on "Nella Dan" at Macquarie Different detectors were sensitive Island and bound for Australia in to X-rays, neutrons and electrically March were Min and Henry — charged particles such as protons, female and male elephant seals re electrons and mesons. Everything spectively. They were bound for worked well and the team was virtu Sydney's Taronga Park Zoo. Born at ally untroubled by electronic diffi Macquarie Island in the spring of culties. 1962, Min and Henry, now 18 months old, each weigh about 520 Ib. Very fortunately, writes one of the and measure almost seven feet over team in "Aurora", they were treated all. to considerably more geophysical They stood the voyage well. Food activity than they had expected and and water presented no joroblem for were able to make many of their at this time of year they were under flights, particularly simultaneous going one of their customary fasts, flights pre-arranged with a Univer when young seals, plump and glossy, sity of California team in Alaska, exist solely on their blubber reserves. during periods of interesting disturb It is hoped that Min and Henry ances. will quickly adapt themselves lo the Some of the balloons were of warmer climate after their 2,000 mile 80,000 cubic feet volume, some of journey. It is hoped to study the 58,000 feet. "They were made of very events leading up to the elephant thin polyethlylene, Va of a thou seals' moult, which cannot be done sandth of an inch thick, and conse in the natural habitat because the quently required extremely careful June, 1964 handling. Despite thc thinness of the MARION ISLAND plastic, the larger balloons weighed about 401b and the smaller about (SOUTH AFRICA) 30 lb. The larger were usedr ato n dcarry t h a e The South African Antarctic re ifrvlnnrlc of search ship "RSA" left Cap. on February 26 with the relief staff about 9 lb. and supplies for Marion Island for the year March 1964 to March 1965. The new leader is Theo von Ludwig wiuua icuuiitu un. wiiiumvu _.«^...... of seven or eight men, and very good and he has three meteorological assistants, 1 radio operator/mech judgment, to give the balloon even- anician, 1 medical orderly and 2 chance to pick up the instrument men from the Department of Public package and antenna without their works who will do maintenance being dragged and damaged. _ work on the buildings. The ship The balloons rise about 250 feet arrived at Marion on March 2nd and per minute and on reaching 100,000 left again on the 10th with the re feet level off and remain floating turning party, arriving in Cape Town steadily at that altitude. on the" 17th. The new staff members are gradu H E A R D I S L A N D ally digging in and are kept very- (AUSTRALIA) busy unpacking and storing supplies. THE ATTACK ON BIG BEN Two of the men had the fright of their lives when, while fishing one Some fur/her details have been re morning, two killer whales surfaced leased concerning the Heard Island right in front of them. Big Ben Expedition planned for the The sheep that are kept on the coming southern summer. The or island have apparently been very ganisers, several of whom are Out well trained by Lou de Beer, the ward Bound instructors, have char medical orderly. Every afternoon he tered the Hunt Brothers' "Patenela", roars something through the window a 63 ft, 16 ft beam, gaff-rigged and all the sheep come running from schooner with 2,000 sq. ft of working wherever they are grazing to be sail and a 165 h.p. Rolls Royce diesel locked up for the night. engine. The "Patenela" sailed to Mac quarie Island some years ago under charter to a group interested in re opening the sealing industry there. GOUGH ISLAND Government and public opposition forced the abandonment of the pro This island experienced a ject. . "drought" during the second half of A team of eleven, in addition to March resulting in a shortage of thc owners of "Patenela", has been water at the weather station. This announced. It includes Major W. is due to the steeply rising topo M. W. Deacock (leader), Dr. Graham graphy and consequent swift run-off Budd, Dr. Malcolm Hay, Major H. of rain water. W. Tilman and Dr. Russell Pardoe. The "RSA" left Cape Town on Besides climbing Big Ben, the team March 22 with the Gough relief team proposes to carry out a programme under the leadership of L. I. Naude. in marine biology, meteorology, vol- After having made a detour to Bou canology, glaciology, topography and vet Island, it arrived at Gough physiology. Films will be made and Island on the 9th. The relief staff a book written. was ferried ashore by helicopter. The party expects to leave Sydney Bad weather and strong winds ham about the beginning of November on pered off-loading which was not com the 2,400 mile voyage to Heard pleted until a week later. On the Island. Specialist members will make return voyage the "RSA" also called marine biological and meteorological at Tristan da Cunha where cargo studies en route. The team will be for the Islanders was off-loaded. It away for about 14 weeks. arrived back in Cape Town on May 3. June, 1964

BOUVET ISLAND on pounds and pounds of weighty due to the excellent cooking of the When the "RSA" left Cape Town chef Bob Rae. on March 22 with the Gough relief, With the last transport gone the it also carried a team of *»vt»»h-c >ys have now settled down and are .poking forward to Midwinter's day, when it is hoped that a link-up can station on Bouvet Island. This te: ain bc arranged with the Mid consisted of 2 meteorologists, a geo winter diners in Wellington. logist, a glaciologist, a building ex pert and an airworthiness inspector. A rendezvous was arranged with H.M.S. "Protector" on her way home from the Antarctic, and the two ANTARCTIC PENINSULA ships were at the island between March 29 and April 2. The weather A long-standing and needless was unfortunately very unfavourable source of friction has at last been and it was not possible to make as eliminated. many landings as was intended. One The great peninsula that carries landing by helicopter on a beach of Antarctica to" within 600 miles of recent volcanic origin on the western Cape Horn has been re-named the side of the island revealed some Antarctic Peninsula. very interesting features. The final The British have always referred report of the reconnaissance is not to it as Graham Land and to the yet available. Americans it has been the Palmer Peninsula, while the Chileans have called it O'Higgins Land. CAMPBELL ISLAND The Antarctic Peninsula will take in all the territory from Prime Head, ( N E W Z E A L A N D ) its northernmost extension, to a line Met. observer Ron Craig had the drawn provisionally between Cape misfortune to crush his thumb in thc Adams, on the Bowman Peninsula, door of thc hydrogen platform when and a point on the mainland coast releasing a met. balloon in an 80.9 south of Eklund Islands. m.p.h. gale. The Civil Aviation Ad The northern part of the penin ministration chartered the vessel sula will be designated Graham "Holmlea" which left Dunedin for Land. the island on April 24. On board was The southern portion of the Ant a replacement for Craig, Cliff Farr. arctic Peninsula, from the provision Fortunately the weather at Camp al southern boundary to a line from bell was beautifully calm on the Cape Jeremy to Cape Agassiz will be 26th, when Ron was taken on board, known as Palmer Land. and he was safely back in New Zea land on thc 28th. On Russian maps the peninsula has been known as Antarctic Penin Anzac parade was observed on sula for about two years. Campbell Island, the last post bcinc Thc change of name occurred on played by Bill Cousins who made quite a good job of it. The usual February 21 when the United States refreshments were taken afterwards. Secretary of the Interior (Mr. Udall) approved a list of Antarctic place Two 21st Birthdays were held on names submitted by the Board of the Island, each falling within 12 Geographic Names. days of each other, this coming The decision, with which the Brit about with Ron Craig being repatri ish Government concurred, brought ated on medical grounds and his re closer to an end long years of dis placement Cliff Farr arriving on the cussion on the name of the penin Island a few days before his birth sula, and will, we are sure, be widely day. welcomed. This journal has The boys are starting to look at generally used the name "Antarctic their waist lines as they are putting Peninsula" for some time. June, 1964

"Terra Nova" when she left for New THE VETERANS PASS Zealand on March 5, 1912. He served T. C. CLISSOLD in the first World War in the Im perial Army. Emigrating to New Zealand, he was employed by the Tom Clissold is dead. The remark Transport Department and was a able man who was a first-rate cook vehicle inspector at Napier from at Cape Evans during the first year 1938 till his retirement in 1953. He of Scott's Last Expedition and who is survived by his wife, one son and delighted Scfitt by proving himself one daughter. also a skilled and adaptable mech anic, died suddenly at his home in PROFESSOR L. A. COTTON Napier (New Zealand) on October Leo A. Cotton, a young Australian, accompanied Shackleton's "Nimrod" expedition in 1907 as an assistant for the voyage and the establishment of the base at Cape Royds. "Never," j in order wrote Shackleton of him, "had we a to qualify himself for a place in the more willing worker." He joined the staff of the University of Sydney, expedition. His inventive genius was a constant source of interest to the and was Professor of Geology from other members, his most famous 1925 till 1948. He died on July 13 invention being the device whereby aged 79. the "rising" of the bread completed an electric current, rang a bell (for a specified period) and switched on NO SWISS EXPEDITION a red light. This was made from The abandonment of the proposed "odds and ends, such as a cogwheel Swiss Expedition under Gilbert or spring here and a cell or magnet Caillet is officially confirmed. We there". As for his cooking, Scott have received a communication writes, "We had some seal rissoles from the Liquidation office in Berne today so extraordinarily well cooked dated February 25 which states cate that it was impossible to distinguish gorically: "this company is in them from the best beef rissoles . . . liquidation. There will be no expedi our cook . . . really is excellent." tion". On one occasion he trained a team "Ice Cap News" reports that the of clogs which had been pronounced Swiss Federal Government in dis ' ' ' ■ ~, R0ytjS| sociating itself from the project, des cribed it as "foolhard/, dangerous and lacking a scientific basis". Bank ruptcy proceedings were opened on the time," says Scott. November 26. Clissold frequently acted as "model" for photographer Ponting. On October 8, 1911, he slipped when Proudly claiming the largest cir- "posing" on top of an iceberg and fell, injuring his back and suffering Sound, the "McMurdo Sometimes," concussion. This accident prevented did much to maintain the high level his joining the southern "motor ot morale at the station during the parly" as Scott had planned; but he 1965 winter. was one of a party of four which News, a sports page, an advice in December 1911 and January 1912 column under the guidance of man-hauled extra provisions to One "Dear Gabby" and an art section Ton Depot, 200 miles from Cape '"vans, to replenish the stores depol- «,d there to aid the return of Scott's Polar party. country, use Antarctic Rcnt-A-8, the However, it was not considered best vehicle found anywhere on the safe for him to remain for the second continent" or perhaps one inserted winter, and he was sent back on by an enterprising barber. June, 1964

of impotence, and all our weapons BOOKSHELF were only spittle in a volcano."" Un forgettable, surely- Blizzard and Fire: John Bechervaise, You haven't read a book quite like Angus and Robertson Ltd. 252 this about the Antarctic before. It is pages, ill., maps. 25/- (N.Z.) not a book to turn to for facts and The explorer-author of this unusu figures, or for quick reference. It is a book to read carefully, thought ally arresting book was leader of the Australian team at Mawson Base fully, a book to savour. in 1959, a year in which disaster fol L.B.Q. lowed disaster: near shipwreck, a disastrous fire and terrific blizzards PUBLISHED IN NEW ZEALAND in which two aircraft were des Surface Temperature Gradients at troyed. The story of the year is told the Antarctic Convergence: Th. J. in a series of "27 letters actually Houtman. N.Z. Jnl. Geol. Geophvs. written by Bechervaise to various friends. This variant of an old 7: 2. May 1964: 245-270. method has one great advantage: as the author himself says, "letters MAPS written at the time possess a kind Geology of the Tucker Glacier area, of immediacy that may be lost in Victoria Land, Antarctica: Welling later writing". On the other hand, ton, D.S.I.R. Includes inset maps the result is inevitably somewhat of Ridley Beach, Hallett Station. disjointed, there are quite lengthy Obtainable Geological Survey, digressions written "round the in Lower Hutt. Price 5/-. consequent moment" with little rele vance to the main theme, and many of the personal references mean CLASSIFICATION OF nothing to the reader of the book. POLAR LIBRARIES Mr. Bechervaise's consciously lit After 18 years' practical experience erary style will delight some readers in the use of the UDC system at the and annoy others. It is the natural Scott Polar Research Institute, Dr. style for a poet and lover of books Brian Roberts compiled "Universal to use. There is an occasional Decimal Classification for Use in strained figure: "Everything external Polar Libraries". A second edition, is insubstantial in blizzard' and, by revised, a 185-page volume, was pub contrast, there is a withdrawal into lished last year, ano supplements, the self; the body becomes an extra to appear at irregular intervals, will layer of clothing, an insulation to be sent free to owners on request. consciousness". But this is more All those concerned with the classi than balanced by passages of strong, fication of Polar books will find this lucid prose. an invaluable aid. It may be obtained "I was glancing out of the window, from the Scott Polar Research Insti when I saw a wild cyclonic disturb tute, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, ance racing up over the granite England, price 21/- ($3.00), postage from the north-east. It swirled clouds free. 17 pages of cyclostyled "Hints" of snow high in the sun. It reached are an added advantage. the timber dumps and lifted planks, and even anchoring railway sleepers, clean in the air. The next second sheets of plywood were streaming NORWEGIAN-BRITISH-SWEDISH EXPEDITION, 1949-52 through the station." Part 3 of the Scientific Results, Many such incidents are re-created Vol. 6, of this Expedition, published with an accuracy and power which by Norsk Polarinstitutt, is the compel the reader to share the emo General Report by J. Giaevcr and V. tions of the writer. Take these 17 Schytt. In 40 pages with over 20 words about the holocaust which plates the authors give a clear, destroyed the irreplaceable power colourful account of this notable house: "We fought through an agony expedition. June, 1964

B O O K S C O M I N G engaged) and what happens there. Published by the Government Printer, it will have a similar format The closing months of this year to the author's earlier book. (Approx. should see a spate of New Zealand- price 5/-.) written books of Antarctic interest. WHAT, AGAIN? The following are all in course of Readers of Antarctic books have publication. long complained about the exasper 1. The story of New Zealand's part ating repetition of identical titles, in the Trans-Antarctic Expedition of e.g., "Endurance". Now confusion 1957-58. To be published by the New will be worse confuonded! There Zealand Government Printer, "ANT will be at least eight books entitled ARCTICA" by A. S. Helm and J. H. "ANTARCTICA" (by Nordenskjold, Miller will tell the story from the Debenham, Hayes, Schulthus, Caras inside, as Mr. Helm was secretary Eklund, and now the two mentioned of the Ross Sea Committee and Mr. above), while Shackleton's classic Miller was deputy leader of the New story of his "Endurance" expedition Zealand component of the expedi has a prior claim to thc title tion. (Approx. price 37/6.) "SOUTH". 2. The successor to the Socictv's "The Antarctic Today", edited by Dr. Trevor Hatherton, also probably with SOVIET WHALERS IN the title "ANTARCTICA", is being published by the well-known English MELBOURNE firm of Methuens. Details of the con On April 26 one thousand and tents of this important volume of thirty-two Russians with £50,000 in scientific information about the Ant their pockets arrived in Port Phillip arctic were given in "Antarctic" for Bay, Melbourne, Australia. They September, 1963, p. 317. (Approx. we're the crews of the Soviet whaling price £3 3s. Od.) fleet under Commodore Alexei Solya- 3. A completely different type of nik, just back from the 1963-64 book will be "SOUTH: A New Zea whaling season in the Antarctic. The land view of Men and Nature in Ant- ship was thrown open to the juiblic. rctica" by Guy Mannering (pholo- The first visitors arrived at the pier six hours before the public was to ditor) and Graham Billing (text), .o be published by the New Zealand be allowed on board, and two hours firm of A. H. and A. W. Reed. This later the crowd had swelled to about will be the first New Zealand pic 10,000. Only 1,000 managed to get on torial book on the Antarctic, an im board. posing volume comprising 80 pages Melbourne, agog to welcome the of text and 120 pages of illustrations, Russian visitors, besieged them with the majority in colour. The text invitations to everything from a deals with Antarctica in general with Lord Mayor's reception to suburban special emphasis on New Zealand family dinners. work _ there. It should make an The first half of the fleet com acceptable gift. (Price 42/-.) prised the giant 33,000-ton "Soviet- skaya Ukraina", and 16 800-ton 4. A more modest publication will chasers. The remainder, the smaller be "SOUTH FROM NEW ZEALAND" (14,700-ton) factory ship "Slava" and by L. B. Quartermain, author of 16 chasers arrived on May 4, four "Two Huts in the Antarctic". A book days after the departure of the let of some 80 pages with illustra earlier arrivals. The "Slava" fleet left tions and maps, it is described as for home on May 9. "An Introduction to Antarctica". It Fifty-year-old Commodore Solya- will provide a historical and descrip nik is quite a character. He has his tive outline written especially for the daily swim in his "flag-ship's" 10-ft. ordinary man or boy who wants to square swimming pool — even when know more about the Antarctic thc ice has first to be broken. (especially that part of it in which But Melbourne's reporters' most New Zealanders have been actively excited words were retained for June, 1964 THE READER WRITES Sidelights of Antarctic Research

OVERSNOW TRANSPORT Polaris Sno-traveller (U.S.) Eliason (Canadian) Sir,—The following notes on recent Arctic Cat (U.S.) developments in "oversnow" trans Type F: An example o,? •*•** *«-"• port may be of interest to those who is the Tucker Sno-cat (U... are not familiar with the various by Sir Vivian Fuchs in the ' vehicles now being used. Antarctic Expedition. The tracking revolves around a solid pontoon, Type A: These vehicles have light "Caterpillar" type tracking, running giving a complete bearing surface over jockey wheels — onto the snow. Weasels (U.S.) I should be glad to give further information to any interested per Pole-cat-articulated (U.S.) son. Swamp Fox (converted Weasels) (U.S.) ARNOLD HEINE. Snowtrac (Swedish) Arlarctic Division, D.S.I.R., P.O. Box 6C?' Type B: The tracking of these Wellington. vehicles runs over normal size pneu < ■ # * matic tyres. A good example is the (Letters of approximately 500-600 Nodwell (Canadian) now at Scott words are invited from readers who Base. have observed some little-known Musk-ox (U.S.) facet of Antarctic life or who have Polecat —Mark II (U.S.) reached conclusion on some Antarc Bombardier Muskeg (Canadian) tic problem of general interest.— Thiokol Snow Spryte, Trackmas- (Ed.) ter and Imp (U.S.) * • * Type C: This type is a rear pro peller driven ski-equipped vehicle. JOURNEY'S END Lansing Snowmobile (Canadian) Readers will remember the con Polaris Air-Sled (U.S.) troversy early in 1963 about an at Type D: This vehicle is partly of tempt to transport penguins from Type B manufacture, but has the the Antarctic to the Aalborg Zoo in addition of front steering skis. Denmark ("Antarctic" March 1963, Bombardier Snowmobile (Can p. 174). We now have news of the adian) result: through Captain Pedersen, Type E: This group covers all back in Hobart for another voyage types of motor toboggans, some of south on another "Dan" ship. which will be known to "Antarctic" Of the 38 penguins on Magga readers. At Scott Base we have one Dan," 13 reached Europe. All 24 model of the Polaris toboggan; Adelies had to be destroyed on the USARP field parties have used Pol ship, and efforts were concentrated aris and Eliason machines. by the worried ship's crew on sav Bombardier Ski Doo (Canadian) ing the 14 Emperors. They were kept cool in the tropics with fre quent showers and all but one sur vived. If it is any comfort to bird-lovers le" wife Svellana. There were —the survivors were given a royal 60 women altogether in the fleet, welcome at Aalborg. The Director including interpreter Mary Jikha- of the zoo turned out in a dinner reva, 27-year-old graduate of Odessa suit to greet them, and the town's University. Lord Mayor in full regalia! June, 1964

a wharf crane to hoist her spare WHALING TALKS anchor into position. The ship lost New Zealand's Director of Fish one anchor during heavy weather in eries Research, Mr. K. R. Allen, who the Antarctic. for the past three years has been OIL YIELDS one of a four-man international Summary of yield (in barrels) of team of scientists undertaking an whale oil and sperm oil in the 1963— investigation into Antarctic whale 64 pelagic whaling season: last stocks at the request of the Inter season's yield in brackets: national Whaling Commission, has Whale oil first; then sperm oil. resigned from the New Zealand Marine Department to take up an Norwegian (4): 127,795 (125,215); 36,315 (35,485). appointment in Canada. However, Dutch (1): 21,515 (47,048); 10,746 Mr. Allen will attend the fourth and final meeting of the scientific com (13,527). Japanese (7): 412,829 (466,277); mittee at Lowestoft,. England, which 102,941 (57,784). opens on June 8 and lasts for four or five clays. Al this meeting the (from "Norwegian Whaling Gaz Committee ""will prepare a report on ette"). its studies. Commodore Salyanik reported the The New Zealand Minister of Mar recovery from a sperm whale har ine, pointing out that "what happens pooned 200 miles south of Tasmania in Antarctic waters during the whal of a 3701b. chunk of ambergris, which ing season directly affects our own he says is worth £75,000. whaling operations off the New Zea land coast", said that it was im portant for New Zealand that Mr. INSECTS 400 MILES Allen should again participate in the FROM POLE Committee's work. Insects and mites have been dis- Mr. Allen is expected to return to New Zealand on June 15 and will leave for Canada a fortnight later. His place at the next meeting of the International Whaling Commis recently. sion in Norway in the second half Mr. Wise, who has been working of June will be taken by Mr. G. L. in the Antarctic for the Bernice P. O'Halloran, Secretary of Marine. Bishop Museum, Honolulu, said DRASTIC BAN? that the insects discovered were A press report from The Hague primitive soil insects commonly dated March 5 quotes the Dutch known as springtails, and about two Prime Minister as saying the scien to three millimetres long. The mites tific committee intended to propose were much smaller. a general ban on the catching of Mr. Wise said the insects and "blue finback whales", and that the mites were extracted from moss ban was intended to remain in force and algae brought back by a New for a number of years and not just Zealand field party. for one Antarctic pelagic whaling Asked if they could support any season. It was intended that mea other form of animal life such as sures to conserve the various whale parasites or predators, he said: "We have no information on either. species should be much more far- "We are still looking into the reaching than at present. problem of their food. We know the SHIP LOST ANCHOR springtails will feed on mosses, The 8,600-ton Japanese whaling where mosses occur. mother ship Seifu Maru called at "They have occurred in other Fremantle on April 3 carrying 7,000 places where there is no moss and tons of whale meat. The ship was it seems they feed on microscopic on its way back to Japan from the plants in soil, such as fungi and Antarctic. algae. . While taking on bunkers and "We think the mites probably feed stores at Fremantle, the ship used also on microscopic plants in soil." Juno, 1964 The Mystery Of The Stranded Fish

A New Zealand scientist now working in the United States has pro duced important new evidence which may help to solve an old Antarctic mystery. He is Anthony J. (Tony) Gow, a glaciologist who was born and educated in Wellington but has been in America for some years and has been investigating the chemical and physical properties of Antarctic ice since his first visit to the Antarctic during thc I.G.Y.

More than 50 years ago Frank heads of fish which they estimated Debenham of Scott's Last Expedi must have had bodies about five tion (now Professor F. Debenham feet long. They interpreted their of Cambridge) discovered four-foot findings as supporting Debenham's long dead fish and invertebrates hypothesis. such as "glass" sponges (sponge balls with delicate spicules) and Now we come to the new evi coral scattered on top of the thick dence produced by glaciologist An ice that covers south-western Mc thony Gow. With two assistants he Murdo Sound. The remains were camped on the ice shelf for six largely intact and remarkably well days and cored completely through preserved, except that some fish the shelf near the island. Later he were headless. There was no ob discovered by laboratory analysis vious cause for this appearance of of the ice-core crystal structure that marine bottom life on the ice sur the shelf is fresh-water ice from face in uninhabited Antarctica. top to bottom, not sea ice as re quired by the theory. Nor did he But Debenham knew that this ice find any animal remains in the came from the fresh-water Koett cores, as might be expected from litz Glacier flowing out over the sea the theory. His measurements show from its coastal mountain valley. that the ice depth varies from 20 He formed the theory that sea to 50 feet in the area. water froze beneath the ice-shelf, all the way down to the floor of Gow's research provides two pos the sound, trapping the bottom sible leads toward a solution to this old problem. He discovered a dwelling life. Over the years, sun and wind wasted away the top of layer of fresh water sandwiched be the shelf—as evidenced by the tween ice-shelf bottom and sea water. He thinks this may be highly-eroded surface and summer melt pools—but sea water kept caused by shelf-bottom melting or from melt-water running off the freezing below the buoyant ice to surface and down cracks and fis replace the loss. sures that split the shelf in many In this way thc animal remains places. He discovered that some of could gradually work up through his cores, though composed, of the ice until they reached the sur fresh-water ice, do not appear, to face. According to Debenham's have glacial crystal structure. This theory, at this point the original may be caused by freezing of the fresh-water ice would have all dis fresh-water layer underneath the appeared, leaving a shelf made en shelf and gradual build-up of a tirely of frozen sea water. fresh water, but non-glacial shelf in a manner similar to Debenham's Three years ago U.S. scientists theoretical process. discovered a large concentration of marine bottom life near the eastern Gow also found that the inverte most of the Dailey Islands, which brate remains were most concen protrude through the ice shelf. They trated in areas of surface moraine, found the same kinds of remains as suggesting that perhaps both mor Debenham had observed, as well as aine and animals arrived in the groups of clam-like shell-fish and same way. But the island and the Juno, 1964

moraine in front are composed of volcanic rock, and dirt was found SUN NOT OBSERVING THE throughout the core taken at this spot, indicating that perhaps the IQSY moraine, and with it the inverte The world has entered the Inter brates, may have possibly come national Quiet Sun Year—thc time from the submerged edge of the island. of minimum activity in the 11-year cycle of sunspots. Those whose duty it is to watch the sun should be able "Whatever mechanism is re to expect a quiet time, with little sponsible for the presence of marine to report. remains on the ice must be ex tremely delicate," Gow is reported But it is not so. Things have been as saying. "Fragile glass sponges popping on the sun right at the time remain intact, clam-like shells are when it should be most tranquil. Not still hinged together, and coral only have there been active groups stays attached to rock. Only the of sunspots this month, but they fish have been marred. have been accompanied by solar flares causing radio fade-outs. "Another unusual aspect of the The magnetic and ionospheric fish is that they arc all of the same storms started on September 14. family. Most fish caught by biolo There was a pause from September gists in this area are less than one 19 to 22 (a weekend), but they foot long, so I would expect to find continued until Tuesday. some of these smaller fish on top of the ice, but there are none. Seals A complete radio fade-out was re corded at the Godley Heads iono bring up big fish, and sometimes leave their catch to look for more, sphere vertical sounding station so this might explain the presence from 12.30 p.m. to 1.45 p.m. on Sep of damaged fish, but would not tember 15. account for the other animals. At Scott Base hourly readings are Another solution for the fish alone usually noted, but when a magnetic is that they swim up cracks in the storm blows up, the work has to ice and become trapped. be done every quarter-hour, and in formation has to be coded to be "Perhaps there is one explanation sent to New Zealand. for the fish and another for the One experienced observer was invertebrates, which might bc quite upset. He is George Lewis, the picked up by the glacier as it senior technical officer at Scott passed over an old shore-line be Base, Antarctica, who dashed off this fore it reached the sea. It has been telegram to the Geophysical Obser suggested that they might even have vatory at the Department of Scien floated up from the ocean bottom tific and Industrial Research: to the underside of the shelf on filaments of ice which are known No, no please, don't you dare, sometimes to form around them, Not another solar flare, but each explanation has objections. Nor another AGI warning, Or I'll quit this very morning. "A survey of temperatures, salin One more code, one more crit, One more plot and this is it. ities, thicknesses, depths, anl flow rates should be made of the shelf For no matter how I tries and underlying waters not only to There are spots before me eyes, From the 14th pro rata, help explain the mystery of the animal remains but also because of You'll be sent all the data, the glaciological importance of the For no matter what I tell, ice shelf." I'm still plotting, so all is well. The department replied: Looking forward to the data, On the fourteenth pro rata, [Adapted from a USARP press release by What has happened on the sun, Gene Rodgers.] Is upsetting everyone. miu June, 1964

COOPERATION ship "Eltanin" has been berthed and supplied in Chilean, Argentinian and In March this year, "Antarctic" Uruguayan ports, and for her part printed a brief summary of U.S. co has been host to numerous scientists operation with scientists of other from Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Can nations in Antarctica. The same ada, Britain, Iran and Israel. month, "Antarctic Report", the Na Exchanges of scientists have also tional Science Foundation's bulletin been made between "Eltanin" and on Antarctic Research Programme the Soviet research vessel "Ob". work, published a much fuller Further examples of international account of international co-opera- co-operation are given by means of lion in Antarctic research, written data exchange of findings in Antarc by the Director of International Co tica covering mapping, naming of operation and Information Pro geographical features and all the gramme with N.S.F. various scientific disciplines studied in the continent. Tracing the history of this develop ment back to I.G.Y., Mr. Francis out lines the foundation and work of the joint stations of Wilkes (Australia CANTERBURY BRANCH ns.), Ellsworth (Argentina-U.S.), Activities over the past six months and Hallett (N.Z.-U.S.), commending indicate the vitality of the Canter the co-operation between New Zea bury Branch of the N.Z. Antarctic land and U.S. as perhaps the largest Society, centred in Christchurch. single and most successful pro Members arranged a display of Ant gramme between international ex arctic Historical Relics and Equip peditions in Antarctica. This co ment at the Antarctic Week Open operation has been continuous both Day at Harewood in November. Dur at Hallett and in the Scott Base- ing the week also four films "90° McMurdo area, as well as comprisi South", "Antarctic Voyage", "Blue Ice" and "Priceless Laboratory" were ng the more specific ventures. screened. In addition three films Multilateral co-operation is illus were screened in a suburban hall. trated by the visits of U.S.A.R.P. A further film evening was held on scientists to Macquarie Island with February 6, when "Power for Con the Australian National Antarctic tinent Seven" was screened as well Research Expedition, whose work as "Priceless Laboratory". was also supported by the New Zea On March 18, by courtesy of Opera- landers on Campbell Island; and bv ation Deep Freeze, 60 members of the fact that the N.S.F. supports a the Branch inspected U.S.S. "Gla U.S. representative lo the Interna cier" at Lyttelton. tional Antarctic Analysis Centre in On April 16 Mr. Baden Norris de Melbourne, along with meteorolo scribed the excavation of Scott's hut gists from France and Argentina. at Hut Point, illustrating his talk Thc exchange of scientists, parti with his own and Mr. Hurrell's cularly the Russian-U.S. programme, slides. is outlined, followed by an account Prior to the annual meeting on of how assistance has been given by May 28, the "Gateway to the Ant N.S.F. to Belgium and Japan in their arctic" will be screened. endeavours to re-establish bases in Antarctica. BURSARY SCHEME (v. "Antarctic" December, p. 322) In the Antarctic Peninsula, USARP The Branch's plan to provide a scientists have been able to work bursary of at least £120 for a Univer outside the normal range of their sity of Canterbury Expedition mem country's logistic capabilities by help ber each summer for about five years given them bv Argentina, Chile and is under way. Members have them the United Kingdom. Some eighty selves contributed about £100 and an foreign nationals from sixteen coun appeal is to be made to business tries have joined U.S. research teams houses. Christmas cards were printed as students, research assistants and and sold to members for the Bursary teachers, while the U.S. research Fund. The New Zealand Antarctic Society is a group of New Zealanders, some of whom have seen Antarctica for themselves, but all vitally interested in some phase of Antarctic exploration, development or research. You are invited to become a member. BRANCH SECRETARIES Wellington: W. J. P. Macdonald, Box 2110, Wellington. Canterbury: Miss Helen S. Hill, Box 404, Christchurch, or 194 Knowles St., Christchurch 5.

"THE ANTARCTIC TODAY"

This volume is out of print, but a limited number of the follow ing separate sections is available, the stapling slightly rusted: Ionosphere Research (J. W. Beagley). Meteorology (A. R. Martin). Aurora Australis (I. L. Thomsen). These separates are available at a cost of four shillings each from the Secretary, N.Z. Antarctic Society.

"ANTARCTIC"

Published Quarterly • Annual Subscription £1 Copies of previous issues with the exception of Vol. 1, Nos. 1, 2 and 9, Vol. 2, Nos. 2, 4, and 9, may be purchased from the Secre tary of the Society, P.O. Box 2110, Wellington, at a cost of 5/- pet- copy. Of our predecessor, the "ANTARCTIC NEWS BULLETIN", only the following numbers are available: 5-6,8-10, 12-17, 19,20. Price: 4/- per issue.

UNIVERSAL PRINTERS LTD.. 22-26 BLAIR STREET. WELLINGTON