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->*r vonoaviNV Antarctic (successor to the "Antarctic News Bulletin") Vol. 13 No. 4 Contents Issue No. 147 December 1993 Polar New Zealand 138, 146 Australia 148, 171 ANTARCTIC is published Japan 149 quarterly by the New Zealand Antarctic Korea 156 Society Inc., 1979 United States 161

ISSN 0003-5327

Editor: Robin Ormerod Please address all editorial inquiries, Sub-antarctic contributions etc to the Tracking albatrosses 171 Editor, P.O. Box 2110, Wellington, General New Zealand ICAIR 142 Telephone: (04) 4791.226 NZAS and New Zealand pro International: +64 + 4+ 4791.226 Fax: (04) 4791.185 gramme 138 International: +64 + 4 + 4791.185 First Antarctica Lodge 173

All administrative inquiries should go to Vaughan expedition 176 the Secretary, P.O. Box 2110, Wellington New Zealand. Inquiries regarding back issues should go to P.O. Box 404, Christchurch, New Zealand.

(Q No part of this publication may be Coven Detailed DEM for part of Hut reproduced in any way without the prior per Point Peninsula showing building lay mission of the publishers. out for McMurdo Station and Scott Base and roads between them. See ICAIR.. 137 ANTARCTIC December 1993 Vol.13 No. 4

On 2 November 1993, the New Zealand Antarctic Society turned 60. No other organisation in this country has a longer commitment to New Zealand's continued presence on the ice. In this article Bill Hopper, Chairman of the Wellington Branch, traces the origin of the Society. Society presses for New Zealand presence on ice

"That a society be formed, and that it be called the New Zealand Antarctic Society. Moved: Mr Toogood, seconded Mr Russell. Carried unanimously." .... And so New Zealand's first serious Antarctic organisation was founded by a group of Wellingtonians in the boardroom of the Dominion Farmer's Institute on Featherston Street on the evening of Thursday, November 2, 1933. Present on that early summer's night were scientists, businessmen, educationalists, legal men, seafarers, a meteorologist and even the widow of a polar geologist of the "heroic era" of Antarctic exploration.

This unlikely group had two things (of Captain Robert Falcon Scott's sec in common. They all knew the founder ond expedition) as patrons, a judge of and managing director of the Dominion the Supreme Court, Mr Justice (later Farmers' Institute. Arthur Leigh Hunt, Sir) Hubert Ostler as president and two and they all possessed a fanatical inter young men who were with Mawson on est in that last frontier of the explorer's the 1929-31 British Australian New work, Antarctica. Zealand Antarctic Expedition, ornitholo Their first objective was "to group gist Robert Falla and meteorologist together all persons interested in expe Ritchie Simmers, as vice-presidents. ditions, history, oceanography, geol The secretary was Charles Collins, a ogy, meteorology and natural history of young legal officer employed by the Antarctica, sub-Antarctic islands and the Public Trust Office in Wellington. This surrounding seas. band of enthusiastic presided over a 14 Hunt was the driving force. He was member council. an entrepreneur whose Antarctic inter There was Dr W.B. Oliver, director est and imagination was fired by a close of the Dominion Museum; Dr J. personal friendship with Rear Admiral Henderson, director of the Geological Richard Evelyn Byrd of the United States Survey; Captain W. Whiteford of the Navy and his business association with Marine Department and a young teacher Australian Antarctic explorer, Sir Doug of English at Wellington College, Leslie las Mawson. Quartermain. In those early days names associ In the early 1930's, the Society's ated with the fledgling society included goals were many and varied. Education Byrd, Mawson, and Sir Edward Evans by lectures and the printed word, pub-

138 Vol.13. No.4 December 1993 ANTARCTIC

Early connections: Byrd (with Igloo), Douglas Mawson and A. Leigh Hunt, Wellington 1928. Photo: - S.P. Andrew licity for the Society and for Antarctic tica was matched only by that of the activities in general, the conservation of Society's founder. wild life and even the acquisition by The annual meeting of the Society's New Zealand of a suitable vessel for council in 1937 was confronted with polar work. the question of the preservation of Hunt's band of visionaries were whales in the southern ocean. Hunt looked upon as being ahead of their predicted the decimation of Antarctic time in lobbying for New Zealand par whale herds and presented a motion ticipation in geographic, scientific and that was carried unanimously, urging ecological exploration and research on the New Zealand government to seek the frozen continent. British help in securing a "complete Interest began to spread and in 1936 international agreement to regulate the Harold Griffiths, an oil company execu whaling industry". As always, Hunt's tive, formed a branch in Dunedin. He visions were prophetic. had met all the big names in contempo Like many other organisations the r a r y p o l a r e x p l o r a t i o n a n d h i s New Zealand Antarctic Society hiber enthusiasms for the mystique of Antarc nated for the long winter of the Second

139 ANTARCTIC December 1993 Vol.13 No. 4

World War, and was revived in 1949 by Today", president Falla accused the founder, Arthur Leigh Hunt. Government of "negative policy" with On the revitalised council new faces regard to the Ross Dependency. abounded. Captain W.W. Stuart, Ad In 1953, a letter to the Minister of ministrator of the Ross Dependency from External Affairs, Clifton Webb, over the the Marine Department, Frank Simpson, signatures of the president and the So a journalist and Lieutenant Colonel ciety's new and dynamic secretary, Thomas Orde-Lees, a 70 year old vet Arthur Helm, stated: "The Society feels eran of the '1914-17 Shackleton expe that some move to validate our claims to dition joined the three surviving mem sovereignty in the Ross Dependency is bers of the councils of the 1930's. essential and urgent The time is very They were Les Quartermain, head near when New Zealand must, herself, of English at Wellington College, Ritchie establish a post on the shores of the Simmers who had gained a doctorate in Ross Dependency or else watch men of meteorology and Dr Robert Falla now some other nation do so." Director of the Dominion Museum, who Still no action. The next letter went took over the reigns as president. to Prime Minister Sidney Holland and urged the Government "to give serious Continued lobbying consideration to the early establishment of a scientific station in the Ross The early 1950's saw continued lob Dependency....the station to be in op bying of Government for New Zealand eration in time to participate in the participation in Antarctic expeditions International Geophysical Year (IGY) and a physical presence and occupation which is to take place in 1957." of the Ross Dependency. Eventually, after more letters and But these were not the only self deputations Government announced it inflicted tasks of the New Zealand Ant would contribute 50,000 pounds to arctic Society. Council decided it was wards the cost of a proposed Trans- time to enter the publishing field, and Antarctic Expedition and would set up a two members, journalist Frank Simpson committee to organise a New Zealand and Dr John Cumpston, of the Austral base in the Ross Dependency to sup ian High Commission, were given a port the crossing party. And so the bold and daunting job: the collation of a Ross Sea Committee was formed with book containing the best information Arthur Helm as secretary and the New available on Antarctic research and ex Zealand Antarctic Society one of the ploration. contributing members. In November 1952, "The Antarctic Today - a Mid-Century Survey" was Branches for Auckland and launched. It was a 350 page treatise laden with topical information supplied Christchurch by the leading Antarcticians of the day. Internationally acclaimed as an authori While all this was going on, a new tative work, it was translated into Span branch was established in Auckland fol ish by the Argentineans and also into lowed by one in Christchurch and under Russian, with royalties even being paid the editorship of Quartermain, a single- by the USSR. sheet newsletter became a quarterly All this time the Society continued bulletin carrying not only news of the to be frustrated by Government inac Society and New Zealand's national tion. In a foreword to "The Antarctic endeavours, but also coverage of other 140 Vol.13. No.4 December 1993 ANTARCTIC

" to assist the Antarctic Division in the preservation and maintenance of Scott's hut at Cape Evans " Photo: K. McBride, DSIR, 1971-72 nations' activities on the ice. south to continue on the hut mainte Next came a new publishing project nance as part of the Ross Dependency with Dr Trevor Hatherton, leader of Research Committee (RDRC) pro New Zealand's IGY party as editor. gramme. The volunteers, unpaid, went "Antarctica", a survey of scientific south for the love of it with the one achievement and exploration appeared criterion being that they had not previ in 1965 published by Methuen of Lon ously served in an expedition. don with contributions from 17 eminent Responsibility for the huts was taken authorities in four different countries. over the RDRC Historic Sites Manage In the 1960's the Society took up a ment Committee at the end of 1980 new challenge, to assist the Antarctic with the New Zealand Antarctic Society Division of DSIR in the preservation being represented by its president. This and maintenance of Scott's huts at Cape task has now been vested in the Evans and Hut Point and Shackleton's Christchurch-based Antarctic Heritage hut at Cape Royds. During the first half Trust on the board of which the Society of the decade many members worked as continues to be represented. unpaid volunteers clearing out the huts "Currently the Society has five and undertaking basic maintenance. branches, four in New Zealand and one Then in the 1969-70 summer the overseas", says president Margaret era of the "hut caretakers" began. Each Bradshaw of Christchurch. "Its objec year two members were selected to go tives, have evolved over the years, but ANTARCTIC December 1993 Vol.13 No. 4 the heart of the message has always set up bases in the Great White South.'' been the same... .'to bring together peo The New Zealand Antarctic Soci ple interested in Antarcitca...to seek ety's 60th anniversary was marked in protection and proper management of Wellington by a service in the Cathedral Antarctic wildlife and the on Sunday, October 31 and the annual environment....to promote Antarctica Sir Holmes Miller Memorial Lecture through the Society's activities includ given by Margaret Bradshaw on Thurs ing its publication Antarctic, and day November 4, while in Christchurch through exhibits, lectures and other the Canterbury branch took part in the activities as well as the media. "Ant Antarctic Festival held at the Interna arctic", the Society's quarterly bulletin tional Airport on Sunday October 31, continues to carry increased interna when the Society's photographic exhi tional news as more nations accede to bition "Antarctica - the New Zealand the terms of the Antarctic Treaty and Connection" was displayed.

ICAIR An organisation committed to " developing and operat ing a centre of acknowledged international leadership in the collection, co-ordination, utilisation and dissemination of predominently scientific and environmental digital informa tion on the Antarctic and the southern ocean." Using information to further understanding of the Antarctic

Developed in response to a need for an ing of its information in the true spirit of Antarctic data and information system, Antarctic scientific co-operation. ICAIR, the International Centre for Writing for the July 1993 issue of Antarctic Information and Research, GIS Europe Director, Dr Steven M. was established at the International Smith described the aim of ICAIR as Antarctic Centre in Christchurch in being to develop a centre of interna 1992. A joint initiative between New tional leadership in the collection, coor Zealand, the USA and Italy ICAIR op dination, use and dissemination of pre erates under the umbrella of the Royal dominantly scientific and environmen Society of New Zealand and is therefore tal digital information on Antarctica and politically independent. ICAIR is man the Southern Ocean. Mechanisms to aged by a board of trustees comprising achieve this will entail increasing the representatives from the participating accessibility of environmental data to nations. While ICAIR provides a confi scientists and transforming scientific data dential service it encourages the shar and knowledge on Antarctica into forms

142 December 1993 ANTARCTIC more easily understood and applied by improved scientific and geographical decision makers and the general public. information to undertake environmen ICAIR, he writes "employs the latest tal management in Antarctica. Environ computer technology in its use and de mental Impact Assessment, conserva velopment of meta-databases., GIS and tion of flora and fauna, waste disposal satellite data. and management, prevention of marine "Current hardware consists of a pollution, the protection and manage network of three Sun SPARC station2s ment of special areas and tourism are with a 1.9 Gb of storage running ARC/ embraced in the document {see Antarc INFO, Arcview and ERDAS Imagine, tic Vol 13 No. 2pp ) ICAIR quickly and three 486/50 PCs running recognised the need to integrate data ArcView, word processors and to assist this process and is now devel spreadsheets. All computers are backed oping a comprehensive environmental up to a 5 Gb mass-storage device with GIS data base for the Ross Sea region. two tape back-up units. Data can be Key data held in the database will un input from a variety of media including derpin the implementation of the Pro CD-ROM, floppy disk, tape, colour scan tocol. ners and directly from AO digitising > Digital data bases are being com tablets. The network runs on Ethernet, piled at scales ranging from 1:10,000 using a Frame-Relay connection to to 1:250,000 from existing maps of the Internet. This set-up makes it easy to Ross Sea area. Imagery from satellites move data between workstations and and aerial photography is being used to when complete many of the data-bases supplement and enhance vector maps. will be accessible via Internet." Using their advanced technology scores The organisation is offering consul of features can be entered. They include tancy services ranging from environ contours, spot heights, derived digital mental impact assessment and report elevation models, ice free ares, lakes, ing, design, development and imple bathometry, geomorphology, geology mentation of management plans under and glaciology. Other features such as the Madrid Protocol, database develop protected areas, historic sites and facili- ment and customisation as well as train ing for New Zealand and overseas re searchers in fields such as GIS (data input, analysis and data output), satel ANTARCTIC CENTRE lite and other photographic image analy sis. Work currently being undertaken by the organisation includes: > The development of a New Zealand Antarctic Science Directory, which is being based on the NASA Master Direc tory and a logistics and infrastructure database to support the activities of the New Zealand, US and Italian Antarctic Programmes. > A comprehensive GIS data base for the Ross Sea region. The Environmen tal Protocol highlighted the need for ICAIR ANTARCTIC December 1993 ties information are also being included. and Specially Protected Areas (SPAs) in In addition, environmental-impact evalu the McMurdo Sound Region which is ations being generated by the three undertaken in close cooperation with programmes housed at the IAC are the US National Science Foundation added as detailed windows in the re Office of Polar Programs and the New gional schema. Zealand Antarctic Program and both A primary role of the Ross Sea en the US and New Zealand SCAR Na vironmental database will be to support tional Committees. The review is being scientific activities. Data are being col managed by Dr Colin Harris, who has lected in many basic scientific studies in recently completed a PhD in Environ Antarctica and much of this information mental Management using GIS at the is being made available to ICAIR. This Scott Polar Research Institute in Cam development will provide a reliable bridge and joined ICAIR in October. record for determining the cases and Dr's Harris and Smith flew south in possible significance of the changes in early December to visit the 15 pro the Antarctic environment and ecosys tected areas in the Ross Sea region. tems. A comprehensive data directory This number is made up of five SPA's for the Ross Sea region will enable users and ten SSSI's. The majority of the to determine what data are available sites are on Ross Island or in the Dry and make it more accessible. Valleys of Victoria Land. Two further > One of ICAIR's major projects this areas are currently proposed to ASPA season is to commence a review of status: Cape Geology at Granite Har management plans of protected areas bour in Victoria Land and the Tomb at (Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) the site of the Air New Zealand DC10

MCMURDO SOUND PROTECTED AREAS

WS VALLEY SPA-20 Vol.13. No.4 December 1993 ANTARCTIC which crashed on the lower slopes of efforts. The Chileans are establishing a Mt. Erebus in 1979 killing all crew and small information centre (CEDANTAR) passengers. at the University of Magallanes in Punta The programme needs to be un Arenas and, as a result of discussions in dertaken so that the plans meet the New Zealand with the President of requirements of Annex V to the Proto Chile in October, {see Antarctic Vol 13 col on Environmental Protection to the No. 3 page..). Personnel maybe trained Antarctic Treaty. at ICAIR in GIS and remote sensing. The Indians are establishing an Antarc International links tic Study Centre (ASC) at Goa and dis cussions regarding the dissemination of Managers of all Antarctic pro data and information are underway be grammes need scientific information on tween the two organisations. the status and trends within ecosystems > Further collaborative effort is likely and on the risks and possible impacts to involve ICAIR in supply of Antarctic that activities could cause. A joint NZ- data to the UNEP System. Under the US initiative to develop a management UNEP-GRID (the United National Envi plan for Ross Island will become an ronment Programme,- Global Resource integral part of the GIS environmental Information Database), network GRID- Database for the region. The area has Arundel in Noway is responsible for the significant wildlife, botanic, historic and supply of data on the Arctic and Antarc tourist resources and a co-ordinated tic to the UN. The issue is being dis approach to the management will en cussed between the Ministry of Foreign sure that these can be conserved and Affairs and UNEP and a decision is that the value of and effectiveness of expected in 1994. scientific programmes will be enhance. GIS will play a pivotal role in integrating Satellite data and synthesising the necessary infor mation. > During the year ICAIR has hosted During the COMNAP meeting in two Ph.D. students from the US (Uni Christchurch in June (see An tarctic Vol. versity of Pennsylvania and Harvard. 13 No. 2 pages 42-43) ICAIR held an Supported by the US National Science open house to inform delegates of its Foundation, their deployment at ICAIR capabilities, to demonstrate the GIS their deployment was for three months system and Image Analysis software as to work on Russian satellite imagery. well as to discuss current projects and The KFA-1000 satellite has recently future collaboration between countries been declassified and data from it is now on information collection and dissemi commercially available from a company nation. in Texas. Each of the black and white In collaboration with the COMNAP (panchromatic) images has a resolution Tourism subgroup ICAIR is developing of 4-7 metres and covers an area 50 x an Antarctic Tourism database which 60 square miles. The aim of the project will be accessible via INTERNET. An was to assess the imagery as a monitor operational system is being developed ing tool in the Antarctic as the Russian for demonstration at the next Antarctic data is more detailed than any other Treaty meeting scheduled to be held at commercially available satellite data. A Kyoto in May 1994. stereo pair of cloud free images over the Since June both Chile and India Dry Valleys was selected for the study have expressed interest in collaborative which is on-going. 145 ANTARCTIC December 1993 Vol.13 No. 4

> EOSAT (the Earth Observation taken in different years over Dry Val Satellite Company), recently launched leys to assess the suitability of the im Landsat 6, a new generation of satellite agery as a mechanism to detect change. with additional sensors. Unfortunately ICAIR is also developing a range the satellite was lost. Landsat TM data of customised map products for sale at are multi-spectral and objects can be the International Antarctic Centre Li more clearly differentiated than in brary and the Visitor Centre. A sepa panchromatic imagery. The data has a rate range of maps are being generated resolution of 30 metres and each full for the educational market, particularly scene covers 185km square. EOSAT, schools. (the Earth Observation Satellite Com Although the organisation has been pany for whom Landsat 6 was launched operational since the beginning of 1993 and unfortunately lost) has recently it was only officially launched in awarded ICAIR a grant of $US8,200 to Christchurch on 6 October 1993, with establish whether Landsat Thematic a subsequent function in Wellington on Mapper satellite images can be used to Monday November 24 attended by about assess environmental change in Antarc 100 guests and at which the Governor- tica. The funds will enable ICAIR to General was a key speaker. purchase two 100km square scenes

NZAP The programme follows previous scientific drilling in the region by the In brief. United States, Japanese and New Zea land Antarctic programmes but will core strata much older than before and Cape Roberts update require the setting up of a base at Cape Roberts, 125 km north-west of McMurdo Station and Scott Base in the Scientists and representatives from Ross Sea region. The strata will be the British, German, Italian, New Zea cored in a series of four holes, each 500 land and United States Antarctic Pro metres deep from a rig set up on the two grams met in Washington, DC from metre thick sea ice from ten to 20 km September 21-22 to work out details of offshore. Water depths range from 100 a major collaborative scientific project to 5000 metres, which, when combined to run from 1994 to 1998. (see Ant with sub-zero temperatures, will make arctic Vol 13 No. 2 page 43). The the drilling a particularly challenging project, which is costed at around $4 task. million, will core strata at Cape Roberts, The project will be managed by the off the coast of Antarctica in order to New Zealand Antarctic Programme study the history of changing sea level which will be responsible for coordinat and climate from 30 to 100 million ing the logistic support and drilling op years ago. The study will test the theory eration, including safety aspects. Over that past sea level changes have been all responsibility however rests with an largely due to growth and decay of ice international Steering Committee (ISC) sheets, and also look at the possible which is charged with facilitating and connection between the rifting of the Antarctic continent and ice sheet for planning the scientific work of the mation. project. The committee is made up of representatives of participating coun- 146 Vol.13. No.4 December 1993 ANTARCTIC tries and is chaired by Dr Fred Davey Accompaniedby from the Institute of Geological and Programme Director Gilllian Wratt, Nuclear Sciences in Wellington. Gillian Police General Serm Charuratan (Chief Wratt, Director of the New Zealand of the Royal Court Security Police) and Antarctic programme, chairs the Op Christine Fletcher, MP for Eden, the eration/Logistics Management Group party travelled south on Friday 19 No which will oversee the operation of the vember arriving at 11 p.m. They were project and Dr Peter Barrett, Director met at Scott Base by SENZREP Dave of the Antarctic Research Centre at Geddes. The following morning Ant Victoria University also in Wellington, arctic Field Training Leader Andrew is the science co-ordinator. A Compre Thompson took the party out among hensive Environmental Evaluation, cov the pressure ridges in front of Scott ering the project has already been Base for television coverage before circulated by New Zealand through the visiting the field training area, the Crary international community and received Lab at McMurdo and the New Zealand widespread approval. The Washington facility at Arrival Heights. On the Sun meeting concluded with the participants day they flew to Cape Royds and Cape agreeing on a Record of Understanding Evans, visited the Erebus Glacier Tongue to serve as a guide for their cooperation and scientists working on sea physiol for the project. ogy and physiology of Antarctic fish. On the Monday they flew to Vanda station siting Brattina Island, the Agreement with Chile Transantarctic Mountains, Taylor Val ley and head of the Taylor Glacier, the On October 5, New Zealand and VXE Ice Falls at the top of the Wright Chile signed an agreement on Antarc Valley before returning to Vanda for tic co-operation. New Zealand's For lunch. During the afternoon they vis eign Minister the Rt. Hon. Don ited scientists undertaking wind profil McKinnon and Chile's Foreign Minister ing in the Dry Valleys before returning Enrique Silva Cimma were the signato to Scott Base via Marble Point. During ries. It identifies three specific areas of the evening they climbed Observation co-operation: collaboration on an Ant Hill. The party returned to Christchurch arctic sea research programme; the de on the Sunday. The Princess, who has a velopment of closer links between the Ph.D in development education, is in Chilean Antarctic Data Information terested in education and employment Agency and ICAIR, and the develop for the Thai people. ment of city-to-city links between Christchurch and Punta Arenas. The agreement will help develop contacts Rugged cross in for between the scientists and science insti repair tutions. The cross on Observation Hill, Thai Princess visits Scott erected in memory of Captain Robert Falcon Scott, was blown down earlier Base this year and has been temporarily re moved to Scott Base for minor repairs. Among the Distinguished Visitors at The 4x2 metre cross, made out of Scott Base this season was Princess Jarrah, an Australian hardwood, was Maha Chakr Sirindhorn from Thailand. created by Frank Davies, a shipwright 147 ANTARCTIC December 1993 Vol.13 No. 4 on the Terra Nova, the ship used by this season it will be permanently set Scott's last expedition. Initially it was into a concrete foundation with a pro embedded some 30 cm into the rock but truding metal bracket.

ANARE's tadpole that got away

Kelvin Michael IASOS/Antarctic at Ice Station Onion. It ran with no CRCwith acknowledgment to ANARE trouble, but proved hard to find. It was Science Branch, voyage support staff, finally spotted by a sharp-eyed bird ob the Antarctic Science Advisory Com server who detected the flashing bea mittee, Zelcom Technics Integra and con and directed a helicopter to the the Marine Board of the Australian spot. Navy. Reprinted from ANARE News On May 3, at the place to be immor winter, 1993 talised as Ice Station Cauliflower, Tad pole failed to return from its second In recent years satellite remote sens mission and was never found despite an ing has proved of great value in Antarc extensive search. It apparently had de tic environmental studies, but satellites viated from its intended course and are not much use in estimating sea ice missed the lead in the ice. thickness. The standing method, drill Tadpole's trails showed a potential ing a hole, is labour intensive and re for torpedo AUV s in Antarctic research, stricted to spot readings. In common but obvious pitfalls must be overcome. with research teams in North America A successful system must be able to and the UK, among other countries, the home in on a sonar beacon to enable its Institute for Antarctic and Southern recovery. Work has begun on a new Ocean Studies (IASOS) sought a more Tadpole, but it will not be deployed in convenient method by creating an auto the Antarctic till 1994-95. matic underwater vehicle (AUV) to pro vide a stable, versatile platform for a variety of oceanographic research. The raw material was a late 1950's Royal Navy torpedo, 53 cm in diameter and 5.4 metres long, weighing and dis placing about a tonne. With help from private computer firms, a controller was designed and installed into the torpedo, along with an upward looking sonar, precision depth sensor and other sonar navigation devices interfaced to the com puter. Several trials in Storm Bay over the 1992-93 summer showed that Tadpole could follow instructions and with a well designed course close the loop and re turn to its start. On April 29 it had its first pack-ice trial from Aurora Australis Courtesy New Scientist 148 Vol.13. No.4 December 1993 ANTARCTIC

J ARE 35 Twenty-three programmes make up the 35th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition

JARE 35 was scheduled to leave Tokyo crew will winter over. Eight of the aboard the icebreaker M/S Shirase on programmes are biological in nature. 14 November 1993 and arrive at Syowa The second year of the Sea Ice Ecology Station on East Ongul Island in late and Flux Study (SIEFS) programme will December. Following deployment of be carried out. The objectives of this the winter party of 40 scientists and five-to-ten year programme are to study support staff and their supplies the the biological processes in seasonally vessel is scheduled to leave the Station ice-covered regions. These include tem on 10 January 1994. She will con poral changes of primary production tinue general oceanographic and bio and its sedimentation and decomposi logical surveys, begun on en route, until tion processes, the rrietabolic dynamics the end of February and provide further of zooplankton and nekton, energy logistic support for the 11 scientists transfer into higher trophic levels, and undertaking the summer programme in paleoenvironmental studies of the sea which there are also five others includ ice area. Y. Naito and M. Fukuchi from ing two construction personnel from NIPR are the principal investigators. NIPR. Captain Takehiro Hisamatsu will Their major areas of operation are be be in command of the M/S Shirase tween 35deg E and 40deg E around which returns to Tokyo on 13 April Syowa, between 45deg and 55deg E 1994. Glaciologist and Professor and between 55deg and 60deg E in the Okitsugu Watanabe from the National Indian sector of the Antarctic Ocean. Institute of Polar Research (NIPR) is the Two other areas of Breid Bay (around leader for the summer activities and 24deg E) and Prydz Bay have also se Kotaro Yokoyama, also a glaciologist, lected as reference sites. (Prydz Bay is but from the National Institute of Agro- already a CCAMLR monitoring site.) Environmental Sciences, will lead the This season however, not only are shore- winter party. based studies around Syowa Station Twenty-three scientific pro being undertaken but an overwintering grammes are being undertaken by the programme and ship-based work are expedition, many of these will continue part of the overall plan. over the winter. Additional logistic sup Temporal and spatial variability of port wil be provided by the Two Sikorski primary production and its downward S-61A and one Bell-47G-21 helicop flux are to be investigated through moor ters carried aboard the Shirase and by ing experiments in the coastal fast ice a Pilatus Porter PC-6B2-H4 (JA8228) area in the Lutzow-Holm Bay near and Cessna A-185F (JA3889) owned Syowa Station. A. Xanimura and M. by NIPR whose pilots and maintenance Fukuchi from NIPR will be undertaking 149 ANTARCTIC December 1993 Vol.13 No. 4 this research. A Tanimura is also study amphipods will be measured under labo ing the bioenergetics of the zooplankton ratory and in situ condition to estimate community. In this project the meta food requirements. bolic rate of zooplankton will be meas Taxonomical and ecological studies ured under laboratory condition and in of pico-,nano and micro organisms are situ in order to estimate their food being undertaken by Dr Masanobu requirements. Direct measurements of Kawachi, a biological oceanographer, growth and food consumption rates will from Tsukuba University, during the also be carried out. cruise of icebreaker Shirase to and from The swimming behaviour and en Syowa Station. Advantage will be taken ergy expenditure of Antarctic fishes are of her stay in the area to make the same to be observed under laboratory and in observations in the coastal fast ice near situ conditions. An acoustic transmit the Station to evaluate the important ter will be attached to a fish and its role of the sea-ice related production movement monitored with three dimen processes. sional directions. Y. Miyamato from The effects of underwater light on Tokyo University of Fisheries is re fish behaviour is the subject of a study sponsible for this project. by Dr Taeko Hayaski, a marine biologist Also from the Tokyo University but from the Tokyo University of Fisheries. from the ocean Research Institute is Dr Experiments for determining reactions Ichiro Takeuchi, a marine biologist, who, of antarctic fishes to underwater light as part of an ecological study of benthic will be carried on board and in situ. amphipods, will be sampling with bait traps and SCUBA diving in the areas of Multipurpose Satellite Data Receiv the coastal fast ice area and the shelf ing Parabola Antenna at Syowa Sta break. The metabolic rates of the tion, January 1989 Vol.13. No.4 December 1993 ANTARCTIC

. Irradiance will be measured quantita ogy and geomorphology; a geological tively and qualitatively for its effect on survey will be undertaken around Syowa behaviours such as foraging in the coastal Station by geologists Dr Noriyoshi waters including ice covered areas near Tsuchiya from Tohoku University and Syowa Station. Dr Toshiaki Shimura from Niigata Uni Two marine biologists, Dr Kentaro versity. Detailed investigation of pe Watanabe from NIPR and Toshihiko trology, structural geology and Sato from Tsukuba University are geochronology will be carried in se among the winter party and are ex lected ice-free areas of the Lutzow-Holm pected to continue some of these obser Bay region, the Prince Harald and vations at the conclusion of summer Prince Olav Coasts. activities. Project leaders for the geomorphological field work around Geodesy Syowa Station are Kasuomi Hirakawa (summer party) and T. Sawagaki from A geodetic survey will be carried out Hokkaido University. Detailed investi in Rundvagshette, Innhovde, Padda and gations of the geomorphology will be Langhovde using Trimble 4000 SST carried out in selected ice-free areas in GPS receivers.. GPS observations will the vicinity of Syowa, the focus being be conducted at Syowa Station using raised beach problems in relation to the same receivers. Hisao Ikeda, a environmental change and an experi geodetic engineer from the Geographi mental study of current periglacial proc cal Survey Institute will be going south esses. for the summer and is likely to be in On the homeward voyage for the volved in these programmes. In addi Shirase a short visit to Mt. Riiser- tion, GPS will be used to re-establish the Larsen, in Enderby Land will be made geodetic control network. Gravity and for more geomorphological field work, geomagnetic measurements will be per the main purpose being a study of gla formed in selected areas and a the cial geomorphology. The field compo control network will be revised. Gravity nent of these programmes is being un anomaly maps and geomagnetic dertaken by geomorphologist Kazuomi anomaly maps will be based on these Hirakawa and glaciologist. Dr Takeo surveys. Absolute gravity measurements Hondoh who is also from Hokkaido and continuous GPS tracking is be car University. ried out as part of the Japanese contri bution to IAGBN and IGS. Large scale Dome-Fuji - drilling pro colour orthophoto maps of bare rock areas around the Lutzow-Holm Bay area gramme are being prepared. Gravimetric and geomagnetic sur Work on the Dome F project will continue. The principal investigator is veys are to be continued aboard M/S Shirase by scientists from NIPR, the the team leader Dr Okitsugu Watanabe Ocean Research Institute at the Univer from NIPR. This is a five-year pro sity of Tokyo. gramme entitled "Dome Ice Coring Project at Dome Fuji, East Antarctica". It began in 1992 and will continue until Geology and 1996. A 2,000-3,000 metre deep ice geomorphology: core will be drilled using a newly devel Three programmes focus on geol oped system in 1995 and 1996 to re- 151 ANTARCTIC December 1993 Vol.13 No. 4 trieve detailed palaeo-environmental Between 1992 and 1996 T. signals recorded in the Antarctic ice Yamanouchi and S. Aoki from NIPR sheet. will be involved in the project of Antarc Earlier this year a reamer was tested tic Atmospheric Chemistry which is part to expand the drilled borehole diameter of the International Global Atmospheric and casing of tubes into the borehole Chemistry Programme (IGACX/IGBP). were carried out at the ice sheet margin This project is comprised of several co near Syowa Station in April 1993. ordinated observations of greenhouse Glaciological observations will be car gases, troposheric aerosols, ried out along the route from Syowa to stratospheric ozone and associated com Dome F and fuel drums transported to ponents and horizontal and vertical wind that location between October and De profile. The emphasis is on the produc cember. tion and decay processes, the horizon At Dome F, the glaciological traverse tal and vertical transport of materials team will conduct shallow ice coring to from low to high latitudes, from the a 100m depth and casing FRP tubes stratosphere to the troposphere and into the borehole. They will also estab cryosphere. The exchange processes lish the first hut of the Dome-F station. of the minor constituents between the atmosphere and snow or ice needs to be Other programmes clarified and this analysis is related to the Dome F project. In order to meet Personnel involved in two solid earth their objectives of these components geophysics programmes, will remain at large facilities such as a GC-mass the station over the winter. Continuous spectrometer, laser heterodyne gravity observations are being made by spectrometer, laser radar, wind profiler Dr Naoto Ishikawa, a geophysicist from and sampling balloon are being devel Kyoto University and Kazunari Nawa oped together with a precise and long also a geophysicist, but from the Earth range continuous measuring system. quake Research Institute at the Univer Part of this work is being carried out sity of Tokyo. A superconducting grav in conjunction with H. Tanaka and I ity meter will be used for the observa Nagao from Nagoya University. Exten tions which will continue throughout sive observation of atmospheric sulfur 1994 into 1995. Simultaneous earth components, especially dimethylsulfide tide observation will be made by La (DMS or CH3SCH3) are to be made in Coste and Romberg gravimeters. order to understand* the release from Dr Ishikawa is also involved in sum the ocean surface to the atmosphere. mer field work with geophysicist Dr Long term on site observations will be Funaki from NIPR which during which continued for C02Ch4 and surface they will undertake palaeomagnetic ozone. Visible spectrometer measure sampling in the Lutzow-Holm Bay, ment for the stratospheric N02, ozone Prince Olav Coast and Yamato Moun and OC10 will also be made as will tains. Preliminary measurements of sampling for CFC's and carbon iso natural remnant magnetisation will be topes of C02(dl3c). None of these carried out by the team at Syowa Sta scientists are going to Syowa this sea tion where they will also spend the win son and the programmes will be main ter. tained over the winter by other person Lower and upper atmospheric sci nel. It also seems likely that some of the ence programmes are also being under preliminary work for the new compo taken. nents of the programme will be under- 152 Vol.13. No.4 December 1993 ANTARCTIC taken by the winter team. and an engineering work station for the data processing and recording. Once Satellite observations the new system is established the old style film-camera, which has operated Data from the Marine Observation continuously since 1966, will no longer Satellite (MOS-) -1, Synthetic Aperture be used. One reason for the up-grade is Radar (SAR) of the European Remote that the old All Sky Camera uses a large Sensing Satellite (ERS)-l and the Earth fish-eye lens system, with a 180 degree Resources Satellite of Japan (JERS) has field of view, from which it has been been received at Syowa Station since possible to obtain an image every ten 1992. The data is being processed at seconds. In 1992 however the supply Earth Observation Center (EOC) of the of the high speed B/W photo film came National Space Development Agency to an end. The data from the programme of Japan (NASDA) in order to make so far are stored in the WDC-C2 for analyses of polar atmosphere and Aurora in the National Institute of Polar cryosphere. The team involved in this Research. The more than 3,000 rolls of programme are H. Enomoto from the 100ft photo-film from Syowa are to be Kitami Institute of Technology, H. disseminated to scientists through the Warashina from the Sendai National WDC system. College of Technology and T. The new type of camera is charac Yamanouchi, H. Ito, from NIPR. Again terised mainly by the CCD device these programmes will be maintained which is used for the image detector by base personnel as these investigators which has a pixel number of 1000 x are not destined to go south this season. 1018. By keeping the temperature of Upper Atmosphere science pro the device at less than -30deg C, it grammes focussing on physics and the becomes possible to obtain clear auro ionosphere are being continued being ral images with an exposure time of less continued. Telemetry data from the than four seconds without the use of an aurora observation satellite, EXOS-D image intensifier. The data will then be (Akebono) was received at Syowa Sta digitised and transferred to a work sta tion during 1993 and this will continue. tion. Quick look data processes will be Data from the Scandinavian aurora ob carried out at the station. Each image servation satellite, "Freja" is being re data and the summary data displays ceived on a "campaign basis" and coor through the observation night will be dinated with ground-based aurora ob recorded on an 8 mm digital tape re servations at Syowa. corder of five GBytes and magneto- In 1992 imaging riometer was in optical disk system of 600 Megabytes stalled and this has operated continu respectively. The quick look image data ously. Together with another imaging is to be stored, on an optical disk sys riometer in Iceland, the pair will provide tem, every ten seconds keeping the data for studying conjugacy of auroras same time resolution with the previous in both hemispheres throughout the All-sky camera data. year. Both of these projects are the M. Kubota from Tohoku University responsibility of N. Sato from NIPR and is responsible for observations of will be operated by base scientists on his thermospheric winds and temperatures behalf. using a Fabry-Perot Doppler Imaging A new digital All Sky Camera will be System at the station. The objective of installed at the Station in 1994. It will the observations, which will begin in use a CCD camera as an imaging device February 1994, is to investigate the 153 ANTARCTIC December 1993 Vol.13 No. 4 thermospheric dynamics of auroral ac field-aligned plasma irregularity in the tivities by measuring two-dimensional polar cap ionosphere. The line-of-sight distributions of thermospheric winds and plasma drift velocity is obtained from temperatures with high time resolution. the Doppler Shift of the back scatter. The instrument is a field-widened, to This radar has a field of view of 3,000km 165 degrees, Fabry-Perot interferom in radial range and 52 deg in azimuthal eter whose interference fringes are angle. The programme will be under imaged on a proximity focused photon taken in collaboration with the existing counting imager. Target emission are HF radar at Halley Bay station in order auroral 630.Onm (OI) and 557.7 nm to obtain vector driit velocity of the (OI). Expected time resolution measur ionospheric plasma. It forms a compo ing wind speed and temperature is a few nent of Super DARN (Dual Auroral tenths of a second. Radar Network). In order to determine the arrival Ocean physical sciences direction of ELF/VLF emissions ob Hydrographic observations compris served at Syowa Station, three compo ing tidal, oceanographic and antarctic nents of wave electromagnetic fields circumpolar current observations with (Bx, By, Ez) are recorded in analog drifting buoys is to be continued. A form. These will be digitised afterwards bathymetric survey will be conducted and analysed with sophisticated method off Lutzow-Holm Bay for M. Hishida using wave distribution function. The from the Hydrographic Department principal investigator for this experi Maritime Safety Agency in Tokyo. A ment is Professor Hayakaw of the Uni physical and a chemical oceanographer versity of Electro Communications. This Ahihiko Ogawa and Hirofumi Okano programme will also be maintained by from the Maritime Safety Agency are wintering scientists. part of the summer team aboard the The VHF 50 MHz auroral radar will Shirase this season and it is expected be fully renewed in February 1995. The that they will be involved in this pro new system can cover a wider observ gramme. able field than previously as it has a beam which can be scanned more than Human biology and 160 degrees in azimuth direction. The medicine spatial distribution of radar echoes and their Doppler velocities will be ob served on a routine basis. During the winter of 1993 S. Horiuchi An FW/CW ionospheric radar will from Ehime University and R. Maeda be operated continuously at Syowa Sta from Osaka University undertook two human biology programmes. The first tion for Y. Makita, K. Nozaki and T. relates to physiological adaptation to Kuchi from the Communications Re the cold environment and will involved search Laboratory in Tokyo. The radar can observe echo intensity of virtual the taking of blood and urine samples for analysis as well as carrying out other height of the ionosphere with high reso lution. examinations of J ARE. The second, This programme will later be sup part of the Polar Psychological Project plemented by the installation of an HF planned by an ad hoc group, Antarctic band Doppler pulsed radar which is Space-related Human Factors Research, scheduled to be installed at the station SCAR, involved in a a psychological in February 1995. The new system test battery being conducted on the receives coherent back scatter from the wintering personnel in 1993. This 154 Vol.13. No.4 December 1993 ANTARCTIC project will continue in 1994. The test Kazuhisa Nakagaw from Kyoto Univer battery was proposed by Dr Suedfeld sity of Education. Of the three radio from the University of Colombia. T. engineers, Shinji Yabu comes from the Morimoto, Kyoto Pref. University Medi Maritime Safety Agency, Masashi Ito cine and M. Kume from the Waseda from the Ministry of Posts and University of the National Space Devel Telecommunucations and Atsushi opment Agency (NASDA) are the prin Tanaka from NIPR. There is also one cipal investigators. Two doctors from electrical engineer Hirsohi Nishimura NIPR in the wintering party are likely to and a civil engineer Masuru Sakamoto undertake this work. They are Ichio both from NIPR One architect has been Obinata and Tsuginori Yoshida. included in the party. He is Ken Yoshizawa from Niigata University. The winter party Logistic personnel Five meteorological engineers from the Japan Meteorological agency form Logistic support staff include two part of the wintering team. They are pilots, Kazuyuki Koyano and Jun-ichiro Yuzuru Inagawa, Yoshikatsu Yamanoto, Ichiki and an aircraft maintenance engi Yuji Taguchi and Toshihiro Abo and neer Hideki Imaseki are from NIPR. Osamu Ijima. There will be one Two cooks will sustain the team over ionosphericist, Kyoji Iwasaki from the the winter. They are Akitsugu Komatsu Communications Research Laboratory from NIPR and Takahiro Matsui from from the Ministry of Posts and Telecom the Maritime Safety Agency. munications and a space scientist, Noriaki Obara from the same organisa International links tion. Four geophysicists are included in the party. They are Kazunari from the International links are being main Earthquake Research Institute at the tained by the Japanese. The foraging University of Tokyo, Youichi Wakino and diving performance of the Blue- from the Kakioka Magnetic Observa eyed shags at Macquarie Island will be tory at the Japan Meteorological studied by Y. Naito from NIPR and A. Agency, Dr Minoru Funaki from the Kato from the University of Tokyo. The NIPR and Dr Naoto Ishikawa from Kyoto diving performance in relation to diet University.. In additional to the deputy- and chick growth and the physiological leader of the party there are three other aspects will be studied as part of this glaciologists. They are'Dr Hitoshi Shoji ANARE-JARE project. from Kitami Institute of Technology, Dr Harvey J. Marchant, a biologist Takeshi Saito from Kyoto University from the Australian Antarctic Division, and NIPR and Dr Takayuki Shiraiwa Mr Geoffrey L., Fraser from the Aus from Hokkaido University. One mete tralian National University and Mr orologist has been included. He is Marcos Ruiz Quoinones, an electronics Michihiro from Tohuku University and expert from the New Mexico State two marine biologists, Dr Kentaro from University will be included in the sum NIPR and Toshihiko from Tsukuba Uni mer party. versity. Seven mechanical engineers include Taka-aki Hamashita, Keiji Hagiya, Yuji Konishi, Kouichi Moriyama, Yoshiaki Sato and Eiichi Kobo from NIPR, and 155 ANTARCTIC December 1993 Vol.13 No. 4 KARP

Seventh season of Korean Antarctic activities begins in December

The activities of 7th Korea Antarctic gram). Research Program (KARP) to be car Although a number of previous stud ried out during the 1993-94 field sea ies have sampled at or near the son and winter of 1994 include a bio Bransfield Strait area, only a mesoscale logical cruise, a coastal marine science study had investigated the coupling be programme, geological studies, seismo- tween the physical and chemical proc logical observations geophysical work esses and the interactions among bacte at King Sejong Station, and a shore- ria, phytoplankton, zooplankton, krill based winter marine programme. and benthos around the Antarctic Pe Erebus, a 975 ton tug supply ship ninsula area. A new understanding of owned by Compangnie Nationale de ecosystem dynamics and the mesoscale Navigation in France and sailing under upper-ocean circulation can emerge only the command of Captain Alexandre from intensive study of a more restricted Veyser, will be employed by the pro geographic region. gramme for the biological cruise which The cruise will comprise three will involve 26 scientists led by Dr Soon- north-south transects around the South Keun Chang, Director of the Polar Re Shetland Islands from Smith Island in search Center at Seoul in Korea. The the west to Elephant Island in the east vessel will deploy the summer pro and a marginal ice-edge transect in the gramme personnel, resupply King Weddell Sea to determine regional dif Sejong Station and land a party of 15 ferences on biological, physical and there in December 1993 for the winter chemical distribution patterns and proc of 1994. esses. Answers to two major questions The focus of the oceanographic are being sought by the team. Firstly, research this year is on the biological what are the mechanisms which result sciences, the programme being designed in regional differences in distribution, to enable the scientists to examine composition, standing crop and pro regional differences, relationships and ductivity at all trophic levels and sec trophodynamicsofthe physical, chemi ondly what mechanisms are the eco cal and biological processes around logical interface among distinct biologi South Shetland Islands and in the mar cal communities near the Antarctic Pe ginal ice-edge zone of the Weddell Sea. ninsula and what are the dynamics of A total of 58 stations have been selected these regional communities. for sampling along the coastal shelf, To address these questions they will the continental shelf break, the island measure the distributions of bacteria, shelves, the confluence of the phytoplankton, zooplankton and Bellingshausen -Weddell Seas, a por benthos and whenever possible their tion of Drake Passage and marginal ice rate processes over a wide range of zone near the Weddell Sea. {See dia conditions in the different regions and 156 Vol.13. No.4 December 1993 ANTARCTIC

ISB" I ISW i 154" ■ S2°IW

§ Ice Edge Ron I. "■ " ■ ' ■ s c _ - f a S E A *> 1 1 1 r i r

Figure 1. The 7th KARP Biology Cruise Track and Stations (93/94 Field Season) relations with physical and chemical Al Stations parameters. They will basically use the Bongo, CTD cast, PhytoNet CTD/Rosette sampling system, Bongo CZ>: MOCNESS Stations net, and phytoplankton net at every □ : Grab Stations station and in some selected stations Cruise Track MOCNESS and Grap samplers will also be used. Research from the samples will focus dance, biomass, dry weight of repre on: sentative species and developmental > Bacteria, bacterial cell abundance, stages, distributions and physiological distribution, microbial uptake and ca- rates of zooplankton and krill tabolism and physiological rates; > Physical factors: stability of water > Phytoplankton: composition, abun column, measurements of water col dance, cell condition, distribution pat umn properties, CTD casts, geostrophic terns of dominant species, grazing pres circulation, water masses sure, physiological rates such as in situ > Chemical factors: dissolved inorganic primary productivity, chl a biomass. and organic nutrients (nitrate + nitrite, > Zooplankton and Krill: zooplankton ammonium, phosphate, silicate, DON, tow using the Bongo net; discrete water DOP, and dissolved carbon dioxide and sampling (MOCNESS), taxonomy, abun- methane, new production and regener- 157 ANTARCTIC December 1993 Vol.13 No. 4 ated production measurement, C/N geochemical study of the granitic rocks ratio, f-ratio. in the northern part of the Antarctic Peninsula will be carried out during the Geological sciences 1993/94 summer period. The aim of this study is to clarify the chemical fea Glacial Marine sedimentation and tures of the granitic rocks related to the recent glacial history will be studied by Andean Orogeny of the Antarctic Pe a group led by Dr Soon-Keun Chang ninsula. The results, a will be combined and comprising Moon Young Choe, with the previous work, and applied to Byong-Kwon Park, Ho Ii Yoon, Myung the interpretation and reconstruction Woo Han, Hyun Chul Kim, Yong Kwon of the tectonic evolution of the South Kim, Won Dae Pack, Kyung Sik Choi. Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Pe The Antarctic Peninsula is one of the ninsula. most suitable sites to search for evi dence of the Quaternary ice advances Coastal biology both on land and on the seafloor, and the evidence of climatic and eustatic Water depths around Marian Cove changes since the last glacial maximum. and the coastal area off the Weaver Situated between the subpolar glacial Peninsula will also be measured during regime of the northern Antarctic Penin the 7th Karp field period. A continuous sula and the maritime glacial regime of depth measurement survey will be ex the South Shetland Islands, Maxwell tended to Maxwell Bay area from next and Admiralty Bays receive ice from a year. number of glacial sources, including At King Sejong Station, Korea's large outlet glaciers from the adjoining permanent year-round station located landmasses. This makes it an ideal test at 62deg 13 min S and 58deg 47 min area for various models of glacial ma West, land-based studies will be carried rine sedimentation. According to past out. studies, a reconstruction of the glacial Among these is an investigation of history since the late glacial maximum, solar radiation on a horizontal surface. suggest that grounded ice filled the bay For this programme, a precision in Late Wisconsin time, retreated from double dome spectral pyranometer the cove at least 13000 years before (285-3000nm) was installed in Febru present, and was followed by a marine ary 1988 and a UV radiometer of 295- transgression. These studies were, how 385nm was added in February 1993. ever, largely based on the sediment cores During the coming season a UV rather than seismic reflection profiles. biometer of (295-320) will also be Hence it is necessary to obtain seismic installed in order for scientists to study reflection data from these areas to com the effects on biologically harmful UV- pare with the information obtained from B radiation on selected organisms as a the sediment cores. paramter for monitoring long-term ef With the commencement of the 7th fects on the ecosystem in this area. KARP cruise in December 1993 the They plan to analyze characteristics of team intends to obtain more than 250km global solar radion and UV radiation of seismic reflection profiles in fjords and correlate their results with weather such as Maxwell, Admiralty and King phenomena at King Sejong Station. George Bays to infer the glacial ad Geomagnetic variation will be stud vance and retreat during the Holocene. ied at King Sejong Station. Between A field survey and petrological and 1989 and 1992 an observation system 158 Vol.13. No.4 December 1993 ANTARCTIC comprising a Ring-Core fluxgate, pro activities. A short-period seismometer ton magnetometer, strip chart recorder with three components has been in op and other acqusition equipment for eration in the KSS since 1989 but at geomagnetism was installed at the sta present mechanical problems are pre tion. The sensors however, were sub cluding the acquisition of quality data merged under snow water in the sum from this system. For example only mer and other troubles precluded effi analog records can be obtained, and cient operation of the system. During because the KSS is located near the the 7th Karp field season, the system beach, waves and winds interfere with will be repaired, waterproofed and the its operation. During the 1993/94 field operational parameters defined so that season efforts are to be made to reduce data can be accumulated and used for the interference, the digital record research. It is hoped that the data will be system of the seismometer will be re transmitted via the GOES satellite to paired and maintanence of the site car INTERMAGNET (International Real ried out so that good quality data can be Time Global Geomagnetic Observatory obtained and used to help shed light on Network) to Korea. From the results the the seismicity of the region. diurnal variation at the station can be The benthic boundary layer is the researched and a comparison made interface between the water and the between the geomagnetic field at the bottom sediment. It is°an important feed station and in Korea. In addition it will ing ground for benthic organisms and is be used as basic data for the research of also the ultimate sink of particles which the relationship between contain organic material and settle. The magnetosphere and ionosphere at King quantitity and the nature of organic Sejong Station. matter delivered to the benthic commu nity characterise the community in terms Seismicity study. of the constitutent species and their abundance. Therefore measuring the In January 1992, phenomena, organic flux to a benthic community is such as rolling-stones, were observed indispsensable in understsanding the by Argentine scientists working on De marine benthic ecosystem. However ception Island. A total of 70 seismic the environmental nature of the benthic events were recorded during that year boundary layer is not fully understood in by a seismometer installed at King the Antarctic seas. Near-bottom sedi Sejong Station (KSS). Ten of these had ment traps and benthic chambers will an amplitude greater than two centime be deployed on the sea floor about 20 tres. The largest, recorded on 17 June, metres below the surface in Marian 1992, exceeded the maximum limit of Cove. Flux or organic matter reaching all the seismometers with the same size the subtitdal benthic communities will and waveform on King George Island, be measured from the trapped material. (these being at (KSS (Korea). Great Utilization of organic material by benthic Wall (China), Arctowsky (Poland). organisms will be estimated from the It is well known that the area near changes in the concentration of the King George Island exhibits many inter material trapped in the benthic cham esting active tectonic processes such as ber. the subduction of the South Shetland The size of breeding populations Trench and back-arc spreading of the f o r b o t h s p e c i e s , G e n t o o s a n d Bransfield Strait. Seismicity in this re Chinstraps, in rookery close to King gion is closely related to these tectonic Sejong Station will be measured. The 159 ANTARCTIC December 1993 Vol.13 No. 4

breeding chronology will be documented nel. Supplies for their 12 month stay and success estimated. Sceintists will beginning in December 1993 will be try to estimate the rate of chick loss as offloaded from the Erebus. the birds progress through the early Scientific activities for the winter team stages of life. The growth of chicks will will include experimental studies on be monitored and the fledging rate feeding strategies of Laternulaelliptica, measured at the end of the season. in response to the seasonal variation of Their diet will be examined by stomach the water column and benthic microalgal flush techniques and time depth record production. Changes in the quality and ers will be deployed so that their quantiy of fecal materals produced by foraging effort can be estimated to this bivalve species, in response to sea determine how it changes at each stage. sonal changes in species composition A programme of chick banding will be and standing stock of phytoplankton continued. will be studied. An ecological investigation of the Growth rate and production of domi Notothenia neglecta population begun nant benthic animals will be estimated. in previous years is to be extended to Primary production of a macroalgae the early part of the life history of this such as Himantothallus grandifolius species of Antarctic fish. In the spawing will also be determined so that scien season, the size of the sample will be tists can estimate the importance of expanded to document the reproduc macroalgae relative to phytoplakton or tive event more accurately. Fertiliza benthic diatoms in the Antarctic coastal tion and culture of the eggs will be waters. As a preliminary study for attempted and a number of juveniles environmental monitoring in the Ant will be reared to get a rough measure of arctic coastal waters, several dominant their growth rates. Some effort will benthic species and habitat sediments also be given to obtain the data on other will be analysed to determine the con abiotic, biotic components in the habi centrations of heavy metals and toxic tat of N. neglecta. A routine sampling organicd compounds and an indicator programme will be maintained on a species will be selected for continuius monthly basis by an overwintering bi monitoring programmes. Penguins and ologist of 7th Karp party during 1994 fish will also be used as biological pa but during the summer Young-Chul Kang rameters for monitoring programmes. and Hyoung-Chul Shin will be sceintists undertaking the coastal marine biology programmes. Winter activities

In all 15 Korean personnel will spend the winter of 1994 at King Sejong Station. Four members of this party are scientists under the leadership of Ki Soo Nam. The others include Hae Chul Kim, Yong Min Park, and Yong Jung Yoon. The rest of the party com prises one doctor, one meteorologist, Chinstrap one communication technician, one cook and seven maintenance person Vol.13. No.4 December 1993 ANTARCTIC USAP The Peninsula and shipboard programmes

Palmer Station's seasonal projects the 1993-94 season ten cruises are began with the arrival of the teams scheduled and the total of 303 days involved in the Peninsula Long-Term involvement with the programme in Environment Research (LTER) project cludes SAAM support and a period in on the R/V Polar Duke shuttle cruise the shipyard in Talcahuano. The first from Punta Arenas on 13 August, 1993. cruise of the season was scheduled to Two vessels, the RV Polar Duke and begin at Punta Arenas in Chile on the R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer will pro October 3, last for 33 days and, either vide the logistic support for science wholly or partially, support five differ activities and base resupply. The sci ent research projects. ence population at Palmer will remain Dr Barbara B. Prezelin from the high until the departure of the final R/ Department of Biological Sciences/ V Polar Duke cruise on 8 February Marine Sciences Institute at the Univer 1994 and the SAAM - Special Assign sity of California at Santa Barbara and ment of the Airlift Mission - on February a party of 12 other researchers were 18. Palmer Station will sustain four among the early arrivals at the station. seasonal research projects and seven They will undertake a programme in year-round projects during the winter. volving work at Arthur Harbor and on Researchers operating in the vicin board the Polar Duke. Between Octo ity of Palmer Station and the LTER area ber 3 and November 7, others of the will investigate seabird ecology and party will be aboard the vessel which population dynamics and Adelie pen will operate in the Bellingshausen Sea. guin reproductive success and All are studying the effects of ozone energetics. LTER personnel will study diminution, ultraviolet radiation and phytoplankton production, bio-optical phytoplankton biology. The biological properties of the southern oceans, krill consequences of increased ultraviolet population and energetics. In addition, (UV) radiation reaching the Earth's determinations of the sulfur chemistry surface due to the antarctic ozone hole within the antarctic troposphere and has recently been documented. Based the biological effects of increased UV on direct in situ measurements of UV radiation on antarctic biological sys radiation and primary productivity, tems will be investigated. Observations ozone-related damage to the by a remotely operated vehicle and sedi phytoplankton was estimated to result ment trap analysis will determine inputs in a minimum of a 6 to 12 percent of glacial materials into the Arthur Har reduction in primary productivity within bour Marine system. the marginal ice zone of the southern R/V Polar Duke is a 219 feet ice- ocean. The party, this season, will strengthened research vessel which is further examine this'topic by develop being chartered by the National Science ing a space and time climatology of Foundation for use in the southern ocean spectral irradiance arriving at and pen and antarctic regional waters. During etrating the southern ocean. The mag- 161 ANTARCTIC December 1993 Vol.13 No. 4

nitude and kinetics of UV-dependent Antarctic Marine Ecosystem, an ice production of organic carbon and UV dominated environment. photo damage will also be determined Historical records indicate a six to and analysed in the context of a bio- eight year cycle in the maximum extent optical model of primary productivity. of the pack ice during the winter. This Results will significantly enhance the pattern is supported by observations prediction of changes within made during the 1980s. Data gathered phytoplankton communities experienc during the last decade, show that fol ing greater radiation and provide an lowing the same cycle Adelie penguins empirical basis for developing models had a higher survival rate in winters designed to assess the consequences for with heavy pack ice. During this LTER higher trophic levels in the antarctic project investigators from six universi food web. Dr Raymond C. Smith from ties will define ecological processes link the Computer Systems Laboratory ing the extent of the annual pack ice CRSEO at the University of California with the biological dynamics of different at Santa Barbara is involved in the trophic levels within antarctic marine project and the work of his team of nine, communities. Generally the focus will some of whom will deploy to Palmer be on the yearly variations in repre Station/Arthur Harbor or on the ves sentative populations from the food web sel, is dedicated to assessing the - Adelie penguins, skuas, krill and ant impact of ozone-related increases in arctic silverfish - and on the mechanistic UV-B radiation on phytoplankton com links controlling observed variations. munities. They will make specific use These data will allow development of of several in-water instruments includ broader characterisations applicable to ing a Bio-optical Profiling System other large marine environments. To (BIOPS), a ROV, a UV achieve their results the team is using spectroradiometer, a floating subsur remote sensing, annual monitoring and face irradiance and upwelled radiance a series of process-oriented research sensor and free fall irradiance probes to cruises to collect data at several spatial obtain data. Both teams, however will and temporal scales. Modelling will be also be making use of the specialised used to link multiple spatial and tempo equipment aboard the vessel to make ral scales between the biological and measurements, at the Arthur Harbor environmental components of the eco and the LTER area some 200-400 km system. This season, for example from Palmer Station. seabirds' nesting sites will be observed daily within the LTER study area, 50 - LTER 75 km from Palmer Station and during cruise seven of the R/V Polar Duke (see Another party, some of whose mem Antarctic Vol 12 No. 10) from 22 bers also deployed early to Palmer August to 29 September. Zodiacs are Station for field work the Arthur Harbor being used to monitor seabird commu area is led by Dr William R. Fraser from nities on local islands and data will be the Polar Oceans Research Group at analysed in laboratories both aboard the Old Dominion University at Long the vessel and at the station. Lake in Minnesota. This group of ten Dr's Langdon B. Quetin, Robin M. has a staggered deployment, the last Ross from the Marine Science Institute going south on early January of 1994. of the University of California at Santa Their project is part of the Long Term Barbara and Raymond Smith from the Ecological Researcher (LTER) on the Computer Systems Laboratory at the 162 Vol.13. No.4 December 1993 ANTARCTIC

same University are also involved in this ent environments. project. Dr's Quetin and Ross will make Deployed to Palmer and remaining use of a cruise in January to undertake there from early October to early De field work in the area between Anvers cember is a party led by Dr Osmund Island and Marguerite Bay, while Dr Holm-Hansen from the Scripps Institu Smith's area of work is Arthur Harbor tion of Oceanography whose team of and the LTER area 200-400km from six is studying the effects of ozone- Palmer Station which he too will visit related increased UV-B influences on on the January cruise. photosynthesis, photo adaptation, and Also from the Old Dominion Uni viability of phytoplankton in Antarctic versity but taking advantage of the Oc waters. tober cruise of the R/V Polar Duke is a Early in November the vessel pro party undertaking studies of the de vided SAAM support, ferrying a party mography of an antarctic seabird com from King George Island to the station. munity for Dr Wayne Trivelpiece. Their Then in mid November the R/V Polar field of operation is at Copacabana Duke returned to Punta Arenas to Station on King George Island and the offload materials to the Nathaniel B. focus of their study are penguins, the Palmer in preparation for her voyage to major predators of krill {Euphausia the Ross Sea {see page 167 ) and on superba) and an important component November 24 she left the port in sup of the antarctic marine food web. To port of further scientific work, this time understand thoroughly the structure and in the Weddell Sea. function of the antarctic ecosystem, bi Aboard were two parties, one of 16 ologists must have information on popu scientists, led by Dr Joseph J. Torres lation dynamics, as well as factors that from the Department of Marine Sci regulate the size of penguin populations, ence, at the University of South Florida especially the dominant antarctic genus at St. Petersburg in Florida, is studying -Pygoscelis penguins. The three the Antarctic ice edge bloom and its pygoscelid penguins -Adelie {P.adeliae) importance to intermediate trophic lev chinstrap (P antarctica) and gentoo (P. els. The antarctic ice edge has a frontal papua) nest sympatrically on King system with different implications for George Island where they have been different trophic levels. During the sum studied by members of this team for the m e r, p r i m a r y p r o d u c e r s a n d last ten years. The National Science microheterotrophs flourish in the melt Foundation has a field camp on the water lens that is created in the euphotic western shore of Admiralty Bay. Pen zone (upper levels of the ocean pen guins have been regularly banded at etrated by light) at Ihe retreating ice this site, and their breeding ecology edge. By contrast, any enhanced stand and population biology has been stud ing stocks of longer-lived consumer spe ied. Results indicate that each species cies (with generation times of a year or responds differently to winter condi more) at the ice edge must be the result tions, differs in annual survival levels of immigration or production in place. and has different age and sex require This research will test the hypothesis ments for maintaining population lev that the summer ice-edge bloom acts as els. The primary objectives of the pro a biological magnet to concentrate meta- gramme are to determine the age-spe zoan consumers and as a southward cific demographic parameters for these moving generator, facilitating group populations and compare these param and reproduction in zooplankton spe eters with Adelie populations in differ cies. Research conducted in the Scotia- 163 ANTARCTIC December 1993 Vol.13 No. 4

Weddell Sea region during the summer Growth, reproduction and metabolism focused on the distribution, abundance will only be measured in the laboratory. and biological activity of zooplankton The potential effect of hyperiid and micronekton in the upper 1,000 amphipod parasites on the growth and metres of. the water column in the reproduction of salps will also be con open-water marginal ice-zone and pack- sidered and several species of fish that ice regions of the study area between inhabit the ocean near Palmer Station 60degS and 40 deg W. The team aim will be captured and their feeding on to describe the physical environment, salps and other gelatinous zooplankton map the extent and activity of the ice- observed in the laboratory. edge phytoplankton bloom using in vivo These studies will provide important fluorescence, and estimate primary pro data on their trophic position in the duction. Zooplankton/micronekton southern ocean both as consumers of community structure will be character phytoplankton and as the prey of other ised using data from an optical plankton organisms. This work is an essential sampler as well as from nets and trawls. prelude to further projects studying Biological activity of the zooplankton recruitment and population structure in will be evaluated through studies of southern ocean planktonic communi metabolic, grazing, and egg production ties. In addition, the research proposed rates, and diet and metabolic enzyme will provide basic information on the activity. The resultant data will de ways in which oceanic zooplankton cope scribe the zooplankton/micronekton with the seasonally variable food re community structure, major trophic sources of the southern ocean. relationships, grazing impact and pat Salps will be collected from the terns of energy utilisation for species Weddell Sea using a variety of net sys living in the study area, showing clearly tems. Feeding studies will be carried out the impact of the ice-edge bloom on the on board the vessel but divers will take intermediate trophic levels. underwater footage of them feeding in Dr Richard Harbison from the Biol their natural habitat. This voyage will ogy Department at the Woods Hole conclude at Punta Arenas on December Oceanographic Institution and two other 27. scientists are studying gelatinous The first cruise for 1994 will begin zooplankton, specifically the trophic on January 1 at Punta Arenas Most of relationships of salpa thompsoni and the work being undertaken is in sup salpa gerlachei in the southern ocean. port of the LTER project and relevant They live near the Antarctic Peninsula personnel will be deployed to Palmer and both form immense blooms that Station where the cruise will end on nearly dominate the biomass. A knowl February 8. Among those on board will edge of the biology of these species is be members of Dr Prezelin's and Dr essential to understanding the trophic Fraser's teams. They will be joined relationships and global processes oc however by the two other parties also curring in the southern ocean. In order involved in aspects of LTER research. to develop an energy budget for them, On February 9 the vessel will leave the party will investigate the feeding, Palmer for King George Island return and defecation rates, assimilation effi ing two days later with personnel in ciency, growth, reproduction and me volved in SAAM On February 15 this tabolism of both species. Feeding rates party will be returned to King George will be measured in both the laboratory Island and the vessel will go to Punta and the field and the results compared. Arenas, where after five days she will 164 Vol.13. No.4 December 1993 ANTARCTIC begin the first of shuttle operations to this, the first of two cruises, along the Palmer withdrawing scientists and com fjords and continental shelf of southern pleting resupply for the winter. Shuttle Chile. This research en extends current trips will be made again between March investigations into the marine geology 12 and 26 and again between March of the Antarctic Peninsula by including 31 and April 30. glacial-marine environments from a When the vessel finally leaves wider range of latitudes. The Palmer for the season, year round geochemistry and isotopic composition project personnel and instrumentation of collected cores will be analysed to will continue to monitor a spectra of document change sin micro-flora (par select ultraviolet bands reaching the ticularly diatoms) and micro-fauna and Earth's surface at the station for inten the palynology of some cores will be sity and seasonal occurrence, satellite studied to refine understanding of the images from the Defence Mapping Sat relationship between terrestrial and ellite Program (DMSP), ambient air pa marine paleoclimates. In order to en rameters, very-low frequency (VLF) ra hance the applicability of litho- and dio waves and seismic occurrences. seismo-stratigraphic studies to a broader range of Quaternary science, the project Maintenance will be conducted in cooperation with Chilean geologists who are studying the Between May 5 and June 4 the vessel sedimentary and tectonic history of the will be at Talcahuano in Chile undergo region and with other United States ing maintenance and on 9 June until 9 researchers who are studying marine July she will undertake a winter cruise in and terrestrial paleoclimates. support of the Dr's Quetin-Ross science Dr Amy Leventer from the Byrd project. Polar Research Center at the Ohio State University and five others will Chilean fjords also be aboard the cruise. Their project address the late Quaternary marine From July 14 she will be heading record contained in marginal sediments towards the Chilean fjords for a marine of the Pacific rim of southern Chile. geology and geophysics cruise. Diatom, foraminiferal and mineralogic Dr John B. Anderson from the analyses of modern and late Quaternary Department of Geology/Geophysics sediments will be used to develop a Rice University in Houston Texas and high-resolution biostratigraphy and to two others and Dr Jay Stravers from the reconstruct paleo-ecologic, paleo-oce- Department of Geology at Northern anic and paleoclimatic conditions. By lllinios University and a party of four comparing these results with others will be aboard for this 30 day paleoclimatic interpretations of terres marine geology and geophysics cruise. trial and ice core data scientists will Their objective is to examine the dy have a more comprehensive under namics of the Patagonian ice sheet dur standing of the oceanic-atmospheric- ing the late Wisconsin glaciation and its terrestrial response to climate change. response to changes in the marine and Their objective is to develop a high- terrestrial climate during the transition resolution late Quaternary climate from the last glacial and interglacial record for southern Chile that can be periods. They will collect single-channel used to establish the relationships in the seismic-reflection data, 3-5- kilohertz timing and extent of late Quaternary profiler data and piston cores during glacial/climatic fluctuations between the 165 ANTARCTIC December 1993 Vol.13 No. 4

ANTARCTIC PENINSULA SCIENCE

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Antarctic Peninsula and South America five other investigators will undertake and to complete a regional framework sampling and radiometric monitoring of phytoplankton in order to evaluate for future paleoclimatic studies of the the development of photosynthetic re non glacial history of southern South America and the Antarctic region. sponses to ultraviolet light. The project integrates field and laboratory work in order to obtain baseline information The voyages of the from the euphotic zone on marine R/V Nathaniel B Palmer photochemistry related changes in the UV-radiation levels. Additionally they The R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer is oper will determine the flux by in situ chemi ated for the National Science Founda cal actinometry, action spectra for pho tion by Antarctic Support Associates tochemical productio*n of various reac (ASA), on a long-term lease from Edison- tive species and for products of dis Chouest Offshore, Galliano, Louisiana. solved organic matter degradation and This research vessel was built in 1992 the properties of fluorescence and ab- and this year has begun her second sorbency in dissolved organic matter. season of operations. The R/V The information will serve as a basis for Nathaniel B. Palmer is ice-classed (ABS- understanding and predicting the ef A2) and capable of breaking three feet fects of UV-radiation-induced marine of level ice at three knots. She is 308.5 photochemical processes on the pro feet in length with a draft of 22.5 feet ductivity and ecology of the euphotic and can accommodate 37 scientists. zone. Normally she sails with a crew of be The second project, led by Dr Patrick tween 20 and 24 with six to eight sci J. Neale from the Smithsonian Environ ence support s personnel. There are mental Research Center involves a party over 4000 square feet of exterior main of ten other researchers. Knowing that deck working area and over 5500 square increases in middle ultraviolet radiation feet of temperature-controlled labora associated with the antarctic ozone hole tory space on the vessel. have been shown to inhibit the photo During this, her second season of synthesis of phytoplankton they will try operations, the vessel will support seven and estimate the effect of ozone deple oceanographic research cruises in the tion of primary productivity in the mar southern ocean, her geographical range ginal ice zone. Their research will re spanning the Ross, Amundsen, fine the assessment by specifying de Bellingshausen and Weddell Seas mainly tailed, wavelength-dependent biologi in ice-bound regions that were not pre cal weighing functions for the inhibi viously accessible to other research ves tion of photosynthesis by UV radiation sels. Geologic, geophysical, biological, and will consider the mitigating effects chemical and oceanographic research of vertical mixing. Experiments will be will be conducted. both in situ and controlled and the re The first cruise departed from Punta sults incorporated into a model of pho Arenas in Chile on 10 October 1993. tosynthesis and photo inhibition in the This 32 day biological oceanography water column for predicting the influ cruise in the Scotia and Weddell Seas ence of zone depletion on primary pro supports two main science programmes. duction, particularly in the marginal The first is led by Dr Kenneth Mopper zone. from the Chemistry Department of Conductivity, temperature, and Washington State University who with depth (CTD) measurements will also be 167 ANTARCTIC December 1993 Vol.13 No. 4 made. The cruise will end at Punta Are lead to further understanding of ice- nas on 11 November 1993 and the front processes in Antarctica. vessel will spend 21 days in port leaving Continuing on the voyage the NBP again on 4 December for Palmer Sta will then deploy to McMurdo Station tion. arriving on 5 December. Here Dr Louis R. Bartek and his team of seven inves Voyage two tigators from the Department of Geol ogy at the University of Alabama will From Palmer she will sail towards board for a 44 day marine geophysical the Ross Sea for a 30 day marine geol cruise. The team is to conduct an ogy/geophysics cruise during which integrated seismic, sedimentological and high-resolution seismic techniques and palaeontologic investigation of the core sampling with be used to study the glacio-marine stratigraphy of the Ross e seismic stratigraphy and glacial his Sea continental shelf. Their purpose is tory of the Ross Sea continental mar to better understand the Cenozoic his gin. This cruise will end at McMurdo tory of Glaciation in the Ross sea re Station on 18 January 1994. gion. To achieve this they will acquire On board for the leg from Punta seismic images and sediment cores of Arenas to Palmer will be Dr Gail M. the glacial sediments by using high- Ashley and a party of three from the resolution seismic profiling data to lo Department of Geological Sciences at cate regions where the Pleistocene gla Rutgers University in New Brunswick. cial till is thin or absent and undertake During their stay at Palmer they will piston coring at these locations, if till is operate mainly at Arthur Harbor and in penetrated. This, will provide sedimen Loudwater Cove where their project tary records of Cenozoic depositional will test the hypothesis that frazil ice environments and possible important and anchor ice form in glacial meltwa- clues on variations in the antarctic ice ter flowing into subpolar marine water sheets. The seismic profiling will allow and possibly form deposits different from first order correlations of Cenozoic those in temperate and polar glacial sedimentary units that are represented environments. by sediments recovered in the piston Zodiacs will be used to deploy a cores. The results will be important remotely operated vehicle (ROV) near proxy records of the history of both the the Marr Ice Piedmont in Arthur Harbor west antarctic ice sheet and east antarc and Loudwater Cove to detect anchor tic ice sheet, and this, in turn, will pro and frazil ice and to study the glacier vide important constraints to climate terminus. They will also take CTD pro models. The cruise will end at McMurdo files, water samples and use sediment station again on 18 January 1994. traps to study processes of dispersal On January 20 the vessel is sched and obtain sedimentary and bottom uled to depart for a 23 day marine cores to document these processes. A geology and geophysics cruise. On station Furuno echo sounder will be board will be Dr John B. Anderson, deployed from the Zodiac to investigate Department of Geology/Geophysics at the bottom topography and GPS em Rice University, Houston in Texas, and ployed to determine the exact geo a party of 13 others from Rice Univer graphic locations within Arthur Har sity, the University of Colorado and bour and Loudwater Cover. If success Hamilton College. Their purpose is to ful the study will identify significant new establish the most recent (late Wiscon- mechanisms of sediment dispersal and sin-Holocene) history of ice-sheet ad- 168 Vol.13. No.4 December 1993 ANTARCTIC vance and retreat in the Ross Sea. Their western side of the Antarctic Peninsula. objectives include reconstruction of the This project will be the first systematic late Wisconsin i paleodrainage regime, oceanographic study of the continental including ice-stream divides; reconstruc shelves of the two seas and will include tion of former grounding zone posi temperature and salinity profiling, wa tions; determining limits of the timing ter sampling for ocean chemistry and of ice-sheet retreat from the shelf and continuous precision bathymetry. This acquisition of geophysical, cruise disembarks at Punta Arenas in sedimentological and paleontological Chile on 4 April 1994 and five days data that may indicate what environ later the vessel enters the Talcahuano mental factors influenced the retreat of shipyard for maintenance t until the the ice sheet. Experts from various May 24. Sea engineering trials to test fields will interface with glaciological, modifications are scheduled from May physical oceanographers and climatolo- 29 until June 13 when she is due to gists who will address the problem of arrive at Punta Arenas. ice-sheet stability and record of climate Five days later she will begin sup and glaciological change. porting the multifaceted ANZFLUX On 13 February 1994 another group project which will establish two drift of scientists will embark at McMurdo stations, each lasting about 15 days, in Station on the R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer the Weddell Sea. A third shorter drift which is then destined for further work over Maud Rise will also be undertaken in the Amundsen and Bellingshausen if conditions permit. The vessel will Seas. This party of eight, led by Dr return to Punta Arenas on 27 August, Stanley S. Jacobs from the Lamont- 1994. Because this 70 day cruise Doherty Geological Observatory of Co exceeds the normal underway capabil lumbia University in New York will be ity of the vessel she will be moored to undertaken a physical/chemical studies the ice during the two 15 day segments during this 50 day oceanographic cruise. of the project. Normally the vessel does Upwelling warm, deep water covers the not carry helicopters but the feasibility Amundsen and Bellingshausen seas ice of temporary modifications are being shelves and delivers significant amounts examined. of heat to the sea ice and ice shelves at The Weddell Gyre, a large clock the edges. The regional precipitation is wise-flowing oceanic feature in the cen heavy, historically maintaining a peren tral Weddell Sea, transports relatively nial ice cover. Within the last few years warm saline Circumpolar Deep Water however satellite images have shown (CDW) from near the Antarctic that the ice has been receding dramati Circumpolar Current to the south and cally and that large areas of open water west into the Weddell Basin. While this remain through the winter in sectors water mass, which cools and freshens that had earlier been covered. These as it flows away from the Weddell Gyre, irregular distributions are likely to be is made up primarily of cool, lower accompanied by altered surface water CDW with a maximum temperature of properties and possible changes in the about 0-4deg (the upper warmer CDW deep circulation. There are indications loses it identify as the mass cools and that the conditions favouring a reduc freshens), the water that flows south tion in the sea ice may migrate west west between the 3,000 metre high ward towards the Ross Sea and may ocean floor feature Maud Rise and have already contributed to a gradual Antarctica is at a depth of more than warming over recent decades on the 150 metres and warmer with a maxi- 169 ANTARCTIC December 1993 Vol.13 No. 4

mum temperature of about 1.0C. Ob obtained from arctic regions with simi servations and the results of theoretical lar conditions attempt to predict the models suggest that the ocean in this magnitude of the heat flux in this re region is only marginally stable. gion. Although surface waters appear to The most recent observations were mix rapidly with deep waters, the flux of made by investigators during the 1986 salt from the surface to deeper waters Polastern cruise and indicated that north increases only slightly, either because it and west of the Maud Rise (the "cold is lost or as ice forms or because surface regime") heat flux is about 20 watts per waters receive only a limited amount of square metre. This flux increases to fresh water. about 40 watts per square metre to the Water from the southern oceans south and east. They also found that surrounding Antarctica, particularly there is a seasonal cycle, and greater from the Weddell Sea region, has a heat flux activity during the winter. critical role in maintaining the character Using the experience gained in both the of deep water throughout the world. In Antarctic and the Arctic, the group will the mid-1970's a large polyna (lake-like record these data at the two drift sta area of open water that forms within the tions and their immediate surroundings pack ice) developed in the cental Weddell and from their results they hope to be Sea, causing surface waters to mix with able to provide a complete picture of deeper waters and release vast amounts upper ocean mixing. of heat to the atmosphere. This en At the conclusion of the voyage the hanced the cooling and ventilation proc R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer will return to esses that are necessary to produce Punta Arenas departing again on Sep Antarctic bottom water. tember 1 for the Ross Sea. On board Identifying the mechanisms that con will be a team of eight scientists lead by trol turbulent fluxes in the Weddell mixed Dr Martin O. Jeffries, from the Geo layer is the key to understanding what physical Institute at the University of conditions might again cause a phe Alaska in Fairbanks. nomenon like the mid 1970 polyna and During this 50 da'y cruise the snow widespread convection. Learning more cover characteristics on sea ice floes, about the dynamics in this region may ice-floe thickness, and the physical and also be important to predicting the ef structural characteristics of the Ross fects of climatic trends on ventilation of Sea in the late winter will be undertaken the deep ocean. in order to define better how sea-ice To obtain the necessary data, ap types vary by geographical locations; proximately 21 investigators participat how the processes in the antarctic ice ing in nine projects will be supported by pack are deforming it, and the large the R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer for 70 scale thermodynamics and heat ex days during the 1994 winter. These change processes. Specific sea-ice char projects, make the ANZFLUX pro acteristics will be related to the syn gramme and are designed to acquire thetic-aperture-radar (SAR) signatures measurements that will extend to scien observed from the Japanese JERS-1 tific understanding of the dynamics and satellite. These include snow cover char thermodynamics of momentum, heat acteristics (depth, temperature, density and salt flux through the upper ocean and stable isotopic compositions; and and its ice cover into the atmosphere. structural characteristics of ice (amounts Two opposing theories based on ob of different types such as snow, ice, servations and models that use data frazil, platelet or congelation). Because 170 Vol.13. No.4 December 1993 ANTARCTIC different ice types result from variations the kind of air-ice-ocean interactions in the conditions under which ice forms, that can be studied using SAR data and the team will gain a better understand will have broader relevance and appli ing of the sea-ice parameters and their cation to atmospheric, biologic and oce geophysical controls by integrating their anic investigations in the Southern observations with SAR data analysis and oceans. modelling studies. The late-winter sea The party will disembark at Lyttelton son is optimal for this work because the where the vessel will pick up Dr Jeffries ice is at its maximum thickness and and his party for a repeat of his work in extent. The results derived from this the Amundsen and Bellingshausen Seas. programme will be useful in defining ANARE sub Antarctic Tracking albatrosses across southern seas

Graham Robertson, Australian Antarctic Division, Hobart, Henri Wiemerskirch, CNRS, France

Albatrosses' legendary flight capa populations of several albatross spe bilities are deeply intrenched in the cies. The response of wildlife science marine folklore, courtesy of a 19th cen and management agencies has been to tury fable, and the recollections of early combine attempts to modify commer mariners of the southern oceans. Birds cial fishing practices, particularly their could seemingly appear from nowhere method of line deployment, with re over vast tracts of featureless ocean and search on the foraging ecology and be follow ships in endless procession over haviour of albatrosses, so that the inter windswept waters, only to disappear as action between albatrosses and fishing mysteriously a they had arrived. fleets, and the periods of vulnerability in These days the mystery of the alba the bird's life cycle, can be understood. tross is less shrouded, but their remark Thanks to recent advances in satel able powers of flight and penchant for lite telemetry, this last point can now be following ships remain. Compared to addressed by putting tiny lightweight the early days though, there are few satellite-dedicated transmitters on the albatrosses wandering the Southern backs of albatrosses. Developed in the Ocean. Albatrosses catch prey near the mid-1980's, satellite transmitters are a ocean's surface and follow ships, be perfect tool for tracking the movements haviour that makes them vulnerable to of albatrosses. The birds are large commercial fishing fleets harvesting the enough to carry devices, they frequent same waters. middle-to-high latitudes where satellite Commercial fishing-particularly the overpasses are relatively numerous, and long-lining method where baited hooks their pelagic wandering are enormous. are captured by albatrosses during long The most abundant albatross spe line deployment - is thought to be re cies in the Australian region of the South sponsible for declining global ern Ocean is the three kilogram light 171 ANTARCTIC December 1993 Vol.13 No. 4

mantled sooty albatross. It breeds in two different patterns of flight, com substantial numbers at Macquarie Is muting flight where over two to four land and is a bi-catch species of the days they flew at great speed to particu long-line fishing method. To determine lar areas of the ocean, and foraging their foraging ranges, in November flight, where birds spent between three 1992, we deployed 30-gram transmit and 11 days "working" an area before ters on five light-mantled sooties during returning to Macquarie in less than two the incubation phase of their breeding days' flying time. When commuting, cycle. To minimise transmitter weight they average 37km/hour and peaked at battery size was reduced to the extent 84km/h and stopped flying for only a that units were powered for less than 28 few hours at night. When foraging the days, equivalent to just two 10-14 day birds continuously changed direction and feeding trips while being relieved by flew more slowly, about 13 km/h on partners of incubation duties. As it average, as they presumably searched turned out, problems with the transmit for food. (Albatrosses feed mainly on ters and predicted battery life meant we live squid by diving into the surface recorded only two complete trips and layers of the water, and on dead squid two partial trips, where batteries be came exhausted while the birds were at floating on the surface.) Perhaps the most interesting find sea. ing was where albatrosses flew to feed. Even so, the results were spectacu Most birds foraged in Antarctic pelagic lar. The two birds with complete tracks waters up to 2200 (average of all birds: flew 6463 and 6975 km in ten and 15 1721) from Macquarie Island in a south days (see figure). These birds exhibited westerly direction and adjacent to the

.^AlifCltc

Map U flight paths of thrte light-mantled sooty albatrosses on foraging flights from Macquarie Is. The transmitter battery for bird and albatroites- great flight capacity. Transit flight Is energetically 'failed at sea: hence the return track to the Island is not shown. inexpensive, and time spent on the wing may profitably be spent The long, looping flight path of the same individual probably reflects seeking floating food items before reaching distant foraging waters the interplay between wind direction when the bird left the island Map 2: The mam foraging locations for five light-mantled sootv a l b a t r o s s e s . D r a f t i n g J C o x r

172 Vol.13. No.4 December 1993 ANTARCTIC

Antarctic continent (see figure). The wind direction in the mid-latitudes is predominantly westerly, and to reach First Antarctica Antarctic waters and return in time to relieve their mate from incubation du Lodge, ties light-mantled sooties had to fly in cross winds, occasionally against the Little America wind, and with a tail wind when return ing to Macquarie. Light mantled sooties R.I. Lewis Smith are small albatrosses about a third the British Antarctic Survey, weight of wandering albatrosses, yet Cambridge, United Kingdom their speed on transit flights exceeds that of the wanderer. Their tendency to Until the recent publication of Eugene spend much of their time across and Rodgers' (1990) account of Rear Admi down wind may explain their remark ral Richard E. Byrd's 1928-30 Expedi able airspeed and their ability to exploit tion to Antarctica it was not widely known feeding zones great distances from their that the leader relied heavily on the nesting sites. (Distant foraging waters staunch loyalty of Freemasons for its may also minimise competition with success. What is even less known was other albatross species in waters near that Byrd's second expedition (1933- Macquarie). 35) was equally reliant on his Freema The study has several spin-off for son personnel, and, to some extent, conservation. First, although light man these could be considered as Masonic tled sooties breed in the subantarctic expeditions - the first and last (as far as they appear to rely, at least during incu is known) of their kind to Antarctica. bation, on Antarctic resources. Conse Despite their scientific achievements, quently, protecting the birds' breeding Byrd's two expeditions to Antarctica site or the 200 nautical mile economic were fraught with problems and some zone around that site from human ac what sinister actions. These have been tivities will not necessarily protect long- admirably researched and recounted by ranging bird species like light-mantled Rodgers (1990) in his analysis of Byrd's sooties. personality. Byrd was obsessed with Second, if our results are typical for loyalty and a fear of mutiny, had a light-mantled sooties during incubating, rather secretive nature and was often the birds during this stage of the breed suspicious of many of his expedition ing cycle would be unlikely to encounter members. His behaviour was sometimes long-line tuna fleets, since that fishery is paranoid. When circumstances became largely restricted to waters north of difficult he often became emotionally 50deg S. Nonetheless our sample size isolated and insecure. was small and our study was restricted Byrd was a devout Freemason and to a two week period. An expanded he recruited many fellow Masons whom study is needed to examine between- he knew he could trust. At least 14 year differences in foraging ranges and members of his first expedition and 13 to assess foraging ranges at other stages members of his second expedition were of the birds' breeding cycle. Masons (see Table 1). However, while there was nothing unusual in selecting Reprinted with persmission from his expedition members for this reason, ANARE News, Winter 1993. Byrd's obsession for loyalty led him to

173 ANTARCTIC December 1993 Vol.13 No. 4 indulge in a rather bizarre ritualistic The oath of this secret brotherhood behaviour which is clearly documented was strongly influenced by Masonic tra by Rodgers (1990), (p. 144-146). Byrd ditions. In this way several young mem appears to have had a particular rela bers were indoctrinated (E.J. Demas, tionship with the younger expedition F.E. Crockett, J. De Ganahl, C.F. Gould members and, whether they were Ma and possibly K.F. Bubier, E.E. Goodale sons or not, he succeeded in inducting and C.E. Lofgren), while A.H. Clarke several of his team at Little America refused Byrd's propositioning. This com Station into a self-designated fraternity bination of Freemasons and "Loyal Le which he called the "Loyal Legion". gionnaires" appears to have given Byrd According to Rodgers, Byrd's induction a greater degree of security, at least of Paul Siple invited him "to join a during his first expedition. fraternity, the purpose of which is to During his second expedition to ensure, as far as possible, that neither Little America Byrd again relied on the now nor in civilisation any person or trust he held for his fellow Masons, persons in the expedition be permitted although details are less well docu to be disloyal or mutinous." In other mented. There is no mention in any of words, that you join with me in trying to Byrd's published personal accounts prevent the spirit of loyalty of the expe (Byrd, 1930, 1935, 1938) that any of dition from being lowered by disloyal, his expedition members were Freema treacherous or mutinous conduct on the sons. Similarly, there is no reference to part of any disgruntled members. No this in the Expedition's "newspaper," one but myself will know who the other Little America Times (Horowtt?, 1933- members are until we return to civilisa 35). However, it is on record (Anon tion, when at some suitable time, in my 1935) that, on the final day of his sec home, they will be made known to each ond expedition, 5 February 1935, on other.

Table 1. Freemason members of Byrd's First and Second Antarctic Expedi tions

1928-30 Expedition 1933-35 Expedition R.E. Byrd B. Balchen R.E. Byrd L. Barter Q.A. Blackburn Q.A. Blackburn R.G. Brophy L. Clark G.L. Brown J.M. Gillies (Captain, Eleanor Boiling) H.F. Gjortson K.F. Bubier H.I. June C.E. Lofgren G. M. Mitchell A.C. McKinley I.S. Oretiz F.C. Melville R.E. Round (Captain, City of New York) O. Schonyon A.N. Parker J.S. Sisson B. Roth J.T. Rucker F.C. Voight S.A. Strom G.W. Tennant

174 Vol.13. No.4 December 1993 ANTARCTIC board Jacob Ruppert, 13 Freemasons "5 February, 1935 held a special meeting to open Antarc Minutes of the First Antarctica Lodge tica's first Freemason's Lodge. The ex No. 777, held in the mess-room of the pedition's station Little America, inland Expedition Ship S.S. Jacob Ruppert at from Bay of Whales, western Ross Sea, the Ice Barrier Ross Sea, Lat. 78-deg - was closed on 5-6 February by the expe South, Long. 173-30 West on Feb.5 dition members and men from the two 1935 ships Bear and Jacob Ruppert Byrd The lodge was tyle at 9.30 p.m., (1935, p.382) recorded "All the night the following officers and brethren be of the 5th [February] and into the morn ing present: Wor.master, Bro. G.M. ing of the next day the Bear's splendid Mitchell, Warren Amesbury, Mass., crew, assisted by Innes-Taylor, Poulter U.S.A., and Masters 161 N.Z.; Sen. and a few hands from the Ruppert, Warden, Bro., J.G. Sissons[sicl, Mokoia laboured to clean out the cache No. 213, Wellington N.Z.; Jun. War About 8 o'clock [0800hr 6th February! den, Bro. Hj.F. Gjortson, St. Olaus fil the Bear cast off and steamed out of the de tre Soiler, Norway; Sec'y Bro. R.E. Bight [Bay of Whales] out to tranship Round, Canterbury, Kilwinning 23, cargo, in the lee of the Barrier". Lyttleton, N.Z.; Sen. Deacon, Bro. J.M. During that evening the group of Gillies, Lilley Ellis 3£36, Birkenhead, Masons attended the first meeting of England; Jun. Deacon, Bro. F.C. Voight, First Antarctica Lodge No. 777, New Overseas No. 40, Providence, R.I., Zealand Constitution. Nine different U.S.A.; In.Guard, Bro. I.S. Ortiz, Un jurisdictions from four countries were ion 31, New London, Conn., U.S.A.; represented (see Table 1 and Fig 2). Chap., Bro. L.L. Barter, Acacia No. 9, The minutes of the meeting read as Lawrence, Kansas , U.S.A.; Tyler, Bro. follows:

First page of the Attendance Book, First Antarctica Lodge, No. 777, New Zealand Constitution, Little America, 5 February 1935 m J&QyJi.Vl

kiX'^

* ■ * ' ^ a - , j \ ^ M £ * c L u l . y r v ^ • y c ^

175 ANTARCTIC December 1993 Vol.13 No. 4

Q.A. Blackburn, Steward, Bro O. BYRD, R.E. Alone. G.P. Puttnam, New York Schonyan, St. John No. 94 Lodge, HOROWITZ, A. (ed.). 1933-35. Little Invercargill, N.E.; Bro. R.E. Byrd, Kane America Times 1933-35. Published at Bay Lodge No. 454, New York City, U.S.A. of Whales, Antarctica, Little America. ;Bro. H.L. June, Kane Lodge No. 454, RODGERS, E 1990. Beyond the Barrier. New York City, U.S.A.; Bro. L. Clark, The story of Byrd's First Expedition to Ant Nassau 536, Brooklyn, U.S.A. Ithe lat arctica. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, ter three being members while the oth Maryland. ers were officers]. Vaughan expedition Lodge was opened in the First De The Mount Vaughan Antarctic Expedi gree, and as this was the first and pre tion has suffered a major set back. The sumably the only meeting of the Lodge, DC-6 aircraft chartered by the expedi the Secretary reported that there was tion from Allcair Air Transport crashed no correspondence requiring attention. while landing near Patriot Hills on No The Wor. Master, Bro. G.M. Mitchell, vember 27. Aboard were the expedi then delivered a lecture on 'The first tion's fuel supplies and the 20 dogs, Degree Tracing Board' from the Ritual dog handler, veterinarian, a radio op of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, erator and a crew of four. Only the U.S.A. Fraternal greetings were then radio operator, named as George offered, by each brother present on Menard from Talkeetnae, was injured. behalf of his mother lodge. The lodge He suffered a broken leg, was treated at was closed at 10:30 p.m. and at the Patriot Hills and evacuated. Since then request of Bro. Junior Warden, all the the party has been returned to Punta brethren remained to partake of some Arenas by the South African Hercules, refreshments. chartered for the summer by ANI to Toasts were proposed during the support its summer operations. evening honouring the countries of the At the time of going to press plans attending brothers. Thus honoured were for the future of the expedition are King George V, King Hakon of Norway uncertain. and President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The expedition, which aimed to This last toast was proposed by Bro. cover the 500 miles from Patriot Hills to R.E. Byrd, leader of the expedition. The meeting closed with a vote of Mount Vaughan hads already been scaled down. Shortage of money and appreciation to the wives of Wellington N.Z. brethren who provided the refresh time were cited as the main reasons. ment to be partaken of at this South Vaughan, a member of 1928-29 Byrd Pole meeting". expedition, had hoped to climb the mountain named for him on his 88th References birthday. ANON. 1935. Tyler's Register Antarctica It now seems likely that the expedi Lodge, No. 777. Grand Jurisdiction of New tion will take place in a scaled down Zealand. The Masonic Beacon, November form in January. Vaughan is expected 1,1935. [Page nos. not known) BYRD, R.E 1931. Little America. Aerial to be accompanied by two guides and a exploration in the Antarctic and the flight to Natinal Geographic Film Unit crew for the South Pole. G.P. Putnam's Sons, New the summiting of the mountain. Ac York cording to expedition headquarters in BYRD, R.E. Discovery. The story of the Second Byrd Antarctic Expedition. G.P. Anchorage it now seems unlikey that transportation will be available for the Puttnam's, New York go dogs and rest of the team members. 176 The New Zealand Antarctic Society Secretary, Inc., was formed in 1933. Itcomprises Wellington Branch, New Zealanders and overseas friends, New Zealand Antarctic Society Inc., many of whom have been to the Antarc P.O. Box 2110, tic and all of whom are vitally interested WELLINGTON, 6000 in some phase of Antarctic exploration, history, development or research. South Island residents should write to the: The annual subscription entitles members to: Secretary, Canterbury Branch, >Antarctic, published each March, New Zealand Antarctic Society Inc., June, September and December. It is P.O. Box 404, unique in Antarctic literature as it is the CHRISTCHURCH 8000 only periodical which provides regular or the and up to date news of the activities of all nations at work in the Antarctic and the Secretary, subantarctic. 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