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South African Antarctic Earth Science Programme 1959-1969: Solid Earth Geophysics, Oceanography and Glaciology D

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South African Antarctic Earth Science Programme 1959-1969: Solid Earth Geophysics, Oceanography and Glaciology D 2 S. Afr. Tydskrif vir Antarktiese Navorsing, No. 2 1972 South African Antarctic Earth Science Programme 1959-1969: Solid Earth Geophysics, Oceanography and Glaciology D. C. Neethling* Director: Antarctic Earth Science Research Programme (1965-1970) Introduction South Africa commenced research in the earth of Transport, in accordance with the recommendations sciences some two years after the cl ose of the Inter­ of SCAR, the Scientific Committee for Antarctic national Geophysical Year. Since then, a continuing Research set up during the IGY by the International programme of exploration in the fi elds of geology, Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU). glaciology, solid earth .geophysics, and oceanography, Following an initial period of largely unco-ordinated and a station observatory programme in seismology research, in which various organizations were involved, have been maintained in the sector longitude 1o w the Earth Science Programme was re-organized on a to 6°30'W, latitude 69°S to 74°12'S (Fig. 1). The permanent basis when an Antarctic Section was area investigated constitutes part of the Queen established within the Geological Survey. The Chief Maud Land region of East Antarctica and includes Geologist of this Section was designated Programme the King H aakon VII Sea, the Fimbul Ice Shelf, the Director and was responsible for the formulation of ice-covered mountains of the Ahlmannryggen and long-term objectives, directi on of fie ld programmes Borgmassivet occurring inland from the Princess and supervision of data processing. Expedition Martha Coast, and the Kirwanveggen, an escarpment geologists are attached to the Antarctic Section for along the edge of the Polar Plateau. contract periods, of approximately 1 -~ years, com­ This review of the first decade summarizes the prising 3 to 4 months of pre-expedition training at the results of the earth science research activities that Geological Survey in Pretoria, and 13 to 14 months were complementary to the main geological mapping wintering in Antarctica foll owed by a post-expedition programme (a review of which may be published later). data-processing period of 3 to 12 months. A total The results achieved are a tribute not only to the of 195 Earth Science Programme reports have been geologists themselves but to all the members of the completed during the period under review; most of the 1st to the lOth South African Expeditions who data have been published, or are in the press. assisted in the Earth Science Research Programme. (b) Logistics The expedition geologists were: Victor von Brunn During the fi rst two years, oversnow expeditions were (1960) ; Barry Butt (1961); Dirk Neethling (1962, staged from the Norwegian TGY base, Norway 1968); Otto Langenegger (1963); Andre du Plessis Station, and thereafter from the main South African (1964): Wolfgang Pollak (1965); Eddie de Ridder base, Sanae (70° 18,5'S, 2°21 ,5'W), which is about and Horst Bastin (1966); Kobus Retief and Charles 21 km to the north-east (Fig. I). Both these bases are Kingsley (1967); Brian Watters (1968); Anton more than 120 km from the nearest rock outcrop and Aucamp (1968, 1969) and Leon Wolmarans ( 1969). as exploration proceeded further inland, increased su p­ The Programme Director also participated in the port missions over severely crevassed regions were U.S. Deep Freeze Expedition to Victoria Land during required to establish and maintain supply depots at 1964, and in expeditions to Bouvet Island during stategic points in and en route to the mountain areas. 1964 and 1966. In 1968 he was joint leader of a It soon became evident that, in spite of the provision combined South African-Belgian Expedition to western of additional tractor support, the method of pre and Queen Maud Land. post-winter field seasons using Sanae as wintering (a) Programme organization base greatly reduced the time available for field The Earth Science Programme, as an integral part of work during the short summer season. During 1966 the South African National Antarctic Research the establishment of a subsidiary 4-6 man inland Programme, is administered by the Geological Survey wintering base was therefore proposed in order to extend of the Department of Mines on the advice of the the scope of exploration activities. This led to the esta­ South African Scientific Committee for Antarctic blishment in 1969 of Borga Base (?2°58'S, 3°48'W) Research (SASCAR). Its long-term objectives have some 350 km south of Sanae (Fig. !). Implicit in its been formulated, within the limitations of available logistic support which is provided by the Department *Present Address : South African Embassy, London WC2N 5DP S. Afr. Journal of Antarctic Research, No. 2 1972 3 original conception is that Borga Base should be re­ included several detours to obtain additional sub­ garded as a temporary station and that it should be surface detail of inter-nunatak and transglacier moved to keep pace with advances in exploration bedrock configuration of the continent. In addition, activities. reconnaissance marine surveys were made in the offshore waters of the King Haakon VII Sea to in­ vestigate the morphology of the continental slope and nse. Oversnow Geophysical Surveys G EOPIIYSICAL TR.WERSES 1960-1969 The interdependence of logistics and traverse opera­ ~HI AFRICA\' NATIONAL AS TAMcnC (XPFOITION tions necessitated planning of the oversnow geo­ WI~T[RN QUEE..\' MAUD L AND. 1\ ' I AR( I ItA I physical programme in several distinct stages in order REFERENCE to maximize the use of the logistic support available at Sanae. ':... ...... .......... (a) Stage 1 (Sanae Base - Fimbul Ice Shelf- Ahl- ........ .... .. .... mannryggen - Borgmassi1•et) This initial reconnaissance, with Sanae as the start­ ing point, embraced more than 800 traverse-kilo­ ····· metres in the period 1962 - 1968 (Fig. 1). Observations .. ... .\ of relative gravity, and of vertical and total magnetic I I field variations were made at more than 360 field ~ o: Slit:tF I \ JE t.B -'R'r I stations spaced approximately 3 km apart. Elevations I I were determined by barometric observations using either the fixed point or trailing method (Neethling .:'>, I I • '.:. ...'1 1 2 3 I et a/. • 1968; De Ridder 1970; Retief4 1968). o .•../"I absolute gravity base existed in western Queen Maud I Land before 1971 and the relative gravity data were used mainly to calculate subglacial rock elevations I from regionally corrected free-air anomalies. All I traverses were linked to localities of zero ice thickness I at rock outcrops and a conversion factor of 20 m per milligal free-air anomaly was used in the computation of the rock floor elevations. This factor was determined by comparison of the free-air anomalies with seismic refraction soundings by Robin 5 ( 1958) a nd a good fit was obtained for values of ice thickness less than l 000 m. At ice depths exceeding I 000 m the gravi­ metric method was apt to give values that are lower by about 20 per cent. Some indication of the nature of the bedrock and of its structure was also obtained from the magnetic data. In general it was observed that the pattern of ··... \· both gravity and magnetic anomalies existing on the continental shelf approximates the east-north-easterly trend of the edge of the continental slope and other Fig. 1. Map showing routes ofover snow traverse parties and prominent lineaments in the Ahlmannryggen. Within site of Borga Base, Ahfmann Ridge (reproduced from TSO the area of Blflskimen and Eskimo Ice Rises, vertical Mise. 4554, Trigonometrical Survey, Pretoria) magnetic and free-air anomalies are mainly positive and of short wave length (c. 20 km), and range in am­ plitude from 300 to 6 000 gamma and 30 to 60 milligal Submarine and Subglacial Morphology respectively. of the Princess Martha Coast (b) Stage 11 (Borga Base - Kirwanveggen - Polar A geophysical-glaciological observation progra mme, Plateau) supplemented by late-winter/autumn ice-shelf traverses, After the establishment of Borga Base in 1969, the was programmed for both the geological and the potential range of the traverse operations was greatly support field parties in order to explore the submarine extended. The main project planned for this stage is and su bglacial features below the ice-shelf and ice-sheet. a 2 000-km return traverse to the northernmost Although the routes of inland oversnow traverses from turning point of the United States South Pole­ Sanae were largely determined by the location of the Queen Maud Land Traverse (Neethling 6 1969; Wol­ areas selected for geological mapping, these fortunately marans & Neethling 7 1970). This traverse, which involved repeated journeys along the larger part of a should have commenced during 1971, has now, due more than 300-km north-south line which traversed to logistic considerations, been rescheduled for the contrasting morphological regions of the ice-covered summer of 1973/74. The return route has been planned continental margin and its hinterland. Extensions of the to intersect a Soviet plateau traverse made during main traverse across the inland border of the ice-shelf 1968 (Fig. 2). Traverse observations will include 4 S. Afr. Tydskrif vir Antarktiese Navorsing, No. 2 1972 radio echo sounding, gravity, magnetics (all elements), of snow samples for stable isotope determinations. astronomical observations for position fixing, glacio­ Major traverse stations wi ll be spaced 80 km apart, logical observations, ice flow studies, and collecti on with minor ones every 8 km. I I \./ I I I I \ I I I I I I \\ I .._I . I I '\\ I \ I 1 / ~~~\);~,-1\- --- I ' \.\ ( , I 'I ' ~ \ "(., ' I ~~ \ \ :c,' -----"··,· _____. _ _ POLAR TRAVERSES SOUTH U!'fiTaD S TATES 0 ' AWaRJCA _"L.!. ~- .-u&SIA ______U_B_!._! ________ _ JAPAN - ·-- -- - _ J,! p_a, l!,. .. _ -·- ·--- COWW O NWEALTH TA Jt ___ J,.,~ ..!'- -- . NOJlWJtCIAN- 8RITISH - SWEDISH ....____ I -7'-------- ~--------~----,---~-----c~------~~~~~~~L---------------~------~------~ Fig.
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