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Aerial Survey of Graham Land, the Falkland Islands

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Aerial Survey of Graham Land, the Falkland Islands Aerial Survey of Graham Land* The Falkland Islands & Dependencies Aerial Survey Expedition 1955-57 P. G. MOTT, Technical Director, Hunting Aerosurveys Ltd. ABSTRACT: The paper describes the recent expedition during the two Antarctic summers of 1955/56 and 1956/57 carried 01tt by Hunting A erasurveys Ltd. under contract to the United Kingdom Government. Employing two Canso amphibean aircraft and a ship-based helicopter, the expedition completed full vertical air photo coverage of an area of 35,000 square miles over the peninsula of Graham Land and adjoining archipelago in the British sector of the Antarctic. Using a 950-ton freighter converted as a helicopter base, parties of ground surveyors were landed along the coast and islands of Graham Land, where they completed over 200 miles offully-observed triangulation to serve as ground control for the preparation of photogrammetric maps covering the area photographed .. these are now under preparation by the Directorate of Overseas Surveys. The author, who organized and led the expedition, describes the equipment and methods employed for both photography and ground control, with special reference to the photogrammetric problems involved. ITHE past quarter of a century air in Greenland, where a regular programme l photography has played an ever-in­ of air photography coupled wi th ground creasing role in the exploration and map­ triangulation first began in the early ping of the Polar regions, so much so that 1930's and has since resulted in the pro­ it is a commonly held belief among the duction of a highly accurate series of general public that one has only to point a 1/250,000 maps covering nearly the entire camera out of the side of an aeroplane fly­ coastal strip of the world's largest island. ing over unknown territory to be able to In the Antarctic the later expeditions of claim that it is mapped. As was later Admiral Byrd and the even more recent proved in the case of some of the early Operation Deep Freeze have carried out flights across Graham Land, aerial photo­ mainly trimetrogon photography covering graphic reconnaissance alone may lead to a very large part of the main continental conclusions that result in major topo­ mass which, by itself, is probably the graphical inaccuracies in an area where greatest single contribution to our knowl­ glacier and sea ice often merge together edge of the Antarctic that has yet been when viewed obliquely, and where succes­ made. I believe I am correct in saying, sive features all encrusted in an over-all ice however, that the great majority of these sheet are so numerous and so alike as to photographs are as yet entirely unrelated have a common resemblance. This state­ to any form of ground control and must ment is not, of course, to discredit the high therefore be considered of limited value for spirit of enterprise and the remarkable mapping purposes until some form of con­ achievements of Ellsworth and others who trol becomes available. did so much to pioneer the way for more de­ The Antarctic expedition which is the tailed studies to follow. subject of this paper was, I believe, the The first serious attempt to carry out a first attempt at one and the same time to photogrammetric survey in the Arctic was, provide the desired elements of the photo­ I believe, that of the Danish Government grammetrist-vertical photographs tied to * Presented at the Society's 24th Annual Meeting, Shoreham Hotel, Washington, D. c., March 26, 1958. 415 416 PHOTOGRAMMETRIC ENGINEERING kind was placed on contract to a civil operating company. The Graham Land peninsula (or Palmer peninsula, as you prefer to call it in the United States) extends for 800 miles from the main mass of the Antarctic continent and is divided from South America by 600 miles of tempestuous sea known as Drake Strait. (Figure 1). A central plateau of ice between 4,000 and 8,000 feet above sea level forms the backbone of the peninsula, which descends abruptly on either flank in a complex system of mountain ridges di­ vided by innumerable glaciers and deeply indented by fjords. The eastern coast of Graham Land is permanently blocked by pack ice that is compacted under great pressure by the prevailing easterly gales. During the summer months the west coast on the other hand is usually naviga­ ble to ships as far as latitude 68°S. In 1908 P. G. MOTT Britain formally laid claim to Graham a pattern of identified ground points, the Land as part of the Falkland Islands De­ heights and positions of which were sur­ pendencies. In the course of her adminis­ veyed to wi thin plottable accuracy. I t also tration of the area Britain has set up a happened to be the first occasion in Ant­ number of permanent bases along the coast arctic history when a major survey of this and surrounding islands for the purpose of Miles King:Gecrgel:-- S~iJ~~llF --­ ~~T~L=~~N~~I~- A.]. Thornton FIG. 1 AERIAL SURVEY OF GRAHAM LAND 417 ity in the forms of hot springs and occa­ sional tremors. Our choice of aircraft was limited by the fact that no airstrip existed anywhere in the area from which a land plane with the required endurance and capacity could have been operated. A pure flying boat, on the other hand, would have been seriously endangered by ice floes drifting into the harbour from the open sea or from the terminal ice-cliffs of the glaciers descend­ ing from the mountains encircling Port Foster. By employing an amphibian we could beach the aircraft ou t of danger of ice and at the same time greatly ease the work of servicing and refuelling. The Canso has a range of 2,000 miles with an operational ceili ng for photographic work FIG. 2. Canso in flight over of 13,500 feet; moreover, its rugged con­ Graham Land coast. struction and proven reliability made it well adapted for a project of this nature (Figure 2). As an insurance against loss or providing a meteorological reporting serv­ damage, and in order to take the fullest ad­ ice and to carry out various forms of scien­ vantage of the limited season of good tific research, including survey. Due to the weather, we took two aircraft which were extremely difficult nature of the terrain specially modified in Canada by Kenting and the limited working season, the extent Aviation Ltd., and flown down via South of the mapping carried out by these ground America and the Falkland Islands to the parties was necessarily slow and by ground expedition base, a transit of some 9,000 methods alone it would take a very long miles. time indeed to produce even a moderately For the trans-shipment of stores and ex­ accurate map covering the whole area. In pedition personnel (with the exception of the early part of 1955 therefore the United the Canso crews, who flew down with the Kingdom Colonial Office decided to put aircraft) we chartered a 950-ton Danish into effect a plan that had been maturing freighter, the "Oluf Sven." Before depar­ for some years, for an aerial survey of the ture the ship underwent extensive modifi­ more important parts of the area. cations in order to provide accommodation The combined programme of air photog­ for 22 passengers, in addition to her nor­ raphy and ground-control covering an mal complement of 14 crew. A steel bulk­ area of approximately 40,000 square miles head was constructed separating the fore was put out to tender. In May 1955 the part of the ship, to enable her to carry contract was awarded to Hunting Aero­ 60,000 gallons of high octane spirit. She surveys Ltd. had also to be fitted with a prefabricated Our plan was to establish a base for two helicopter deck, which during the voyage Canso amphibian flying boats at Decep­ south was carried as part of the cargo in tion Island, in the South Shetlands. The is­ her holds, and could be reconstructed on land is shaped like an atoll with a rim of arrival at the expedition base after un­ ice-capped mountains containing an inner loading was complete. In addition to her harbour, Port Foster, which is four miles normal navigational aids, the ship was across and seven miles in length. During fitted with Decca radar, an Anschutz the summer months this unique harbour gyro-compass and echo-sounding equip­ becomes free of ice and forms the safest ment reading to a depth of 300 fathoms. natural anchorage in the whole of Ant­ On the initial outward voyage he carried arctica. Deception Tsland, which owes its a total cargo of some 650 tons, j ncludi ng name to a single narrow entrance known as two crated helicopters, a 60-foot long pre­ Neptune's Bellows, that can easily be fabricated hut, a complete radio station missed by a passing ship, is of volcanic and literally hundreds of items of stores origin and is still subject to thermal activ- varying from aero engines and a 4-ton 418 PHOTOGRAMMETRIC ENGINEERING tractor to sacks of coal. Directly the base installations at De­ ception Island were ready for the operation of the Cansos, we planned to use the ship as a mobile platform from which we could fly off parties of surveyors from the deck on to selected points on shore, thereby over­ coming the major obstacles of terrain and weather. We believed that by using heli­ copter transport it should be possible to provide a close network of triangulated control connecting the mainland of Gra­ ham Land and the coastal islands.
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