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VlnSNINSd 3I13UV1NV ANTARCTIC (successor to "Antarctic News Bulletin) Vol. 11 No. 7 Issue 127 Vol. 11 No.'sltol2 January 1986 to December 1988

Contents

Polar Activities ANTARCTIC is published quarterly by the New Zealand 274 New Zealand Antarctic Society Inc., 1978. Australia 282 United Kingdom ISSN 0003-5327 284 United States 288 Editor: Robin Ormerod West Germany 290 Please address all editorial inquiries, con tributions etc. to the Editor, P.O. Box 2110, Antarctic Treaty 291 Wellington, New Zealand. Antarctic oil 292 Telephone: (04) 791-226 International: + 64-4-791-226 Sub-Antarctic Deadline for final copy for the next issue is Macquarie 293 May 10. Publication date approximately May 31. General 296 All administrative enquiries should go to Greenpeace Bulletin "Co-ordinator", P.O. Box 1223, Mt Minto 299 Christchurch. Trans-Antarctic 300 Profile 302 Registered at P.O. Headquarters, as a Obituaries 307 magazine. Books 315

Cover: A colony of Antarctic petrels, © No part of this publication may be reproduced in any way without the prior permission of the described by earlier expeditions, in the publishers. Rockefeller Mountains was located by a New Zealand field party last season. This photograph of two of the birds was taken by Dr Paul Broady. Antarctic Vol. 11 No. 7/12

NZARP: RockefellerMts N.Z. team finds plane wreck on frozen lake Nearly 60 years ago a Fokker Universal monoplane named Virginia became the first aircraft casualty in Antarctica. It was damaged beyond repair in a blizzard which tore the plane from its moorings on a frozen meltwater lake in the Rockefeller Mountains of Marie Byrd Land. On December 24 1987 a New Zealand geological and biological expedition which worked in the Alexandra and Rockefeller Mountains for 53 days last summer found the wrecked plane still on the frozen lake below the southern slope of Washington Ridge. It was upside down and only the tail and the lower part of the wing were buried in the ice. Most of the fabric had been torn off by fierce winds in the past 59 years but the stainless steel parts of the airframe were still gleaming. The cold, dry climate had preserved the wooden wing spars and the remains of the skis.

Dr Chris Adams, of the Institute of Whitney Wasp. The pilot of the Fokker Nuclear Sciences, leader of the New was Bernt Balchen, and another pilot, Zealand expedition, and his companions, Harold June, acted as radio operator. Dr Steve Weaver (biochemist), Dr Paul In the mid-afternoon of March 7 Gould, Broady (botanist) of the University of Balchen and June flew to the Rockefellers, Canterbury, and Peter Cleary, an Antarctic landing on the frozen surface of the Division field leader, were working on meltwater lake which was actually hard nearby Mt Nilsen when they picked up blue ice thinly covered by snow. The three with binoculars a dark object at the base of men were able to start survey work the Washington Ridge. They moved down to next morning but had to halt it by noon the meltwater lake, which was showing because of high winds. Heavy snow and signs of summer warmth, and inspected winds of 28 to 46 knots made work ex the remains of the high-wing Fokker, one tremely difficult and the party had to build of three planes used on Byrd's first ex a wall of snow blocks in front of the plane pedition (1928-30). and pile more blocks on the skis and in There was no sign of the 425 h.p. Pratt front of the fuselage. and Whitney Wasp engine which had On March 13 the party was able to taken the plane on its first and last flight of complete triangulation of a peak and col 217km from Little America I in the Bay of lect geological specimens. But the winds Whales. There was a good reason for its were stronger than ever, reaching a peak absence. Other visitors to the scene of the of 78 knots in one gust, and finally a sud power crash had removed the engine, in den violent gust, estimated to reach 130 struments, and the three-bladed propeller. knots tore the Fokker from its moorings. It Virginia was flown to the Rockefellers on burst clear, rose into flight and flew March 7, 1929, because Dr Laurence backwards for more than 480m and then Gould, second-in-command of the expedi crashed on the blue ice, landing on its skis. tion, wanted to make a preliminary geo The force of the wind was so great that the logical survey of the mountains which had spinning propeller kept turning the engine been discovered on January 27 during over, and the ends of all three blades were Byrd's flight to the Alexandra Mountains in curled like corkscrews at the tips — clear Stars and Stripes, the expedition's smallest evidence of a power crash. plane, a Fairchild folding wing monoplane Although the plane had landed on its also powered by a 425 h.p. Pratt and skis and the wing was undamaged except 274 Vol 11 No. 7/12

Two views of "Virginia", a Fokker Universal Monoplane, which became the first "air" ca sualty in Antarctica nearly 60 years ago. Today she still lies on her back, with her fabric torn away but her structure, though buckled is in good condition. Photos: Peter Cleary. Antarctic Vol.11 No. 7/12 for the tips, it was a complete wreck. The with the expedition's ships at Dundein, his ski pedestals were split open, one ski was New York office, Little America, and the ripped off, and the struts were bent and four dog teams he had ordered to head for torn. In addition the tail section was the mountains when the weather at the broken, fuselage was ripped open and the base showed no signs of improving. cabin was exposed. About five o'clock on the morning of When the wind dropped and the three March 22 Hansen was told by Little men were able to reach the Fokker from America that the Fairchild was on its way. their damaged tent they found that the Smith arrived with June; three men emergency radio set had also been badly squeezed into the equipment-crowded battered. June reassembled it but could not cabin, and were back at Little America raise Little America although he could hear before 8 p.m. Gould brought back a few the base operators sending. The final blow geological specimens but had to leave his fell when the crankshaft of the hand- rock hammers behind. On the way home cranked generator broke. Three depressed the dog teams were sighted 88km out and men sat in the shattered fuselage listening signalled to return home. to Little America discussing their absence Back on the blue ice of the frozen lake with operators in New York, but unable to the wrecked Virginia remained exposed to send an explanation only 217km. the winter cold and blizzards and un disturbed until 1934. On November 15 of Landing marked that year the second Byrd expedition's By March 17 Byrd became alarmed long-distance twin-engined Curtiss-Wright about the lack of messages from Gould. Condor biplane named William Horlick But the weather at Little America was bad took off from Little America II on an ex for flying so while the Fairchild was ploration flight of 1250km which enabled grounded the base radio operators kept an Byrd to study again the mountains of emergency schedule, sending frequent Marie Byrd Land discovered in 1929. The weather reports and repeating every hour plane had a flight crew of six with Harold a message that the plane would fly out at June as chief pilot. the first break in the weather. June re ceived one of these messages just when Wreckage the party was considering trying to walk Late in the afternoon the William Horlick back to Little America. was on the homeward leg to Little America A long-awaited break in the weather II. As the plane drew near the Rockefellers came on the afternoon of March 19. The Byrd remembered the destruction of Fairchild, flown by Dean Smith with Byrd Virginia and suggested to June that the and Malcolm Hanson as radio engineer wreckage might still be visible. June was took off for the Rockefellers at 5 p.m. Two the first to sight the Fokker which, from surveys failed to reveal any trace of the the air, looked like a twisted, crumpled ball party or the Fokker. Then Smith sighted a of metal locked in the blue ice. column of smoke and a flashing light. Remarkably it was not completely buried in Balchen and June had marked out a snow after nearly six years of blizzards be landing T with flags on the ice which was cause of steady down-drafts of wind. rough. But Smith made an excellent land As the Condor flew on Byrd had an ing and kept his engine idling while idea. The Fokker had an excellent engine Balchen and June were ordered to return which could be salvaged when a small to Little America. Food and a small sledge party was available and sold in the United were removed from the plane and Smith States. The Great Depression had not took off into the gathering twilight. lifted, and that morning Byrd's New York With improved radio communications manager had advised him that "rocks Byrd, sitting in a small tent in the were showing in the bottom of the expedi Rockefellers, was able to keep in touch tion treasury". With Washington Ridge 276 Vol 11 No. 7/12

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well behind them Byrd shouted to the engine was sealed. Then it had to be sawn navigator, Kennett Rawson "maybe it's from the fuselage and lifted onto the dog rather odd to end a flight of exploration sledge. Four other Americans who had ar with a junk survey but in these times an rived at Washington Ridge several hours explorer can't be fastidious". before helped to put the engine on the So early in December two dog drivers, sledge. They were the Marie Byrd Land F. S. (Duke) Dane, an insurance broker in Party — Paul Siple, biologist and leader, private life, E . L. (Ed) Moody, who F. Alton Wade, geologist; Stevenson Cor described himself as an agriculturist, and ey and Olin D. Stancliff (dog drivers) — Paul Swan, of the aviation unit, set out by who had been in the field for more than dog team to recover the Fokker's engine. two months, and had made a detour to They arrived at Washington Ridge on visit the Rockefeller Mountains. December 18 and found that blizzards had When Dane, Swan and Moody returned hurled the plane another 182m, tossed it to Little America II early in January, 1935, on its back, and blown the fabric of the they brought the Fokker's engine, rusty in fuselage away. spots but still in good condition, and also It took the salvage party several days to the plane's instruments and propeller. chop away the hard blue ice in which the They reported that traces of the camp Antarctic Vol. 11 No. 7/12 were still visible — tent poles with no fabric A week after the seismic station began to attached, ski poles, fur clothing, a carton operate two more visitors to the of cigarettes too stale to smoke, a cooker, Rockefellers left Little America III by dog and blocks of slightly gamey pemmican. team. They were the chief scientist, F. There were three other visitors to the Alton Wade, who was on his way to com Rockefellers while Siple's team and the plete the geological investigation begun in salvage party were on their way back to December, 1934, and Dr Russell G. Little America II. A geophysicist and Frazier, base medical officer. On December geologist, Charles Gill Morgan, was co- 10 they arrived at the first mountain, Ten- leader of a tractor party which made a nant Peak. 1311km journey to the Rockefeller Plateau Thirteen peaks were surveyed and geo to measure ice thickness by seismic soun logically investigated in the next 18 days ding and make magnetic observations. The and Dr Frazier collected biological tractor broke down when 217km from specimens at the sites visited. On home, and there was a call for spare parts. December 30 the two men joined other field groups in the return from the 105- Cairn Mile Depot 16km south of Breckinridge Finne Ronne and Richard B. Black ar Peak in the Rockefellers. rived on December 30 by dog team with Like their predecessors, Wade and the parts and by the next day the tractor Frazier climbed Mt Nilsen. On December was running again. But Morgan left the 15 they left a note at the summit in the party and made a side trip with the dog cairn built by Morgan, Black and Ronne. drivers to the Rockefellers. The three men The note, signed by both men and in climbed Mt Nilsen, built a cairn there, and cluding the name of their lead dog, Navy, returned to base on January 6. said: "This cairn originally built December Nearly six years later the blue ice lake, 1934 by C. G. Morgan, Finne Ronne, and Washington Ridge, and the surrounding R. B. Black, of the Byrd Antarctic Expedi peaks had more visitors, this time from the tion. Next visited by Commander Isaac United States Antarctic Service Expedition Schlossbach in November 1940, and fin of 1939-41 which early in 1940 established ally by the Edward Land Geological West Base, designated Little America III Survey Party of the United States Antarctic 9.6km north of Little America I-II. In the Survey." spring three sledging and two tractor parties transported equipment for a seismic Other visitors station to a site on Mt Franklin not far from There were other visitors to the Washington Ridge. Rockefellers in the years after the depar ture of the U.S. Antarctic Service expedi Seismic station tion. A fuel depot was placed on the blue This seismic station was completed on ice lake for an aerial photographic mission November 17 and was operated con some time before 1964, and a U.S. Geo tinuously for 41 days by a physicist, Roy logical Survey team was in the area in the G. Fitzsimmons, who was assisted by 1966-67 season. It placed a geoceiver on Raymond A. Butler and Lieutenant- Mt Nilsen, and one of the topographic Commander Isaac Schlossbach, a veteran engineers, Charles E. Morrison, made a of Byrd's second expedition. The party visit on December 31, 1966 to the Fokker had no dogs but Fitzsimmons and Butler, Rocks. These rock outcrops were named backpacking their equipment and supplies, to recall the Fokker's backward flight and made a triangulation of every peak in the crash. Rockefllers except the northern group. An earlier visitor returned to the Fitzsimmons also collected gulls, Snow Rockefellers at the same time. It was F. petrels and Antarctic petrels during his Alton Wade, now leader of a geological stay. party in an air-supported traverse of the 278 Vol 11 No. 7/12 Antarctic

Marie Byrd Land coast. He was a passen cookers also used as containers for Primus ger in the helicopter which landed the stoves were dug out of the ice, and one Geological Survey party on the blue ice was brought out. lake. Washington Ridge is a rock ridge sur Soon after the New Zealand expedition mounted by three peaks. Drs Adams, was put into the Rockefellers 10km north Weaver, Broady and Peter Cleary, did not of Mt Frazier Drs Adams, Weaver, Broady climb the central peak. Had they done so and Peter Cleary, came across many traces they might have discovered an historic of the men who had worked in the document — a claim sheet designed to Rockefellers since 1929, some for only a assist in supporting a sovereignty claim by few days, others for several weeks. They the United States Government. On climbed 13 peaks or mountains — Mts December 12, 1940 the Rockefeller Frazier, Jackling, Fitzsimmons, Shideler, Mountains seismic station team raised the Paterson, Nilsen, Schlossbach, Franklin, United States flag and witnessed and de Washington Ridge, Breckinridge, Gould posited a claim sheet in a rock cairn built and Tennant Peaks, and Mt Butler. Not far on the central peak at 78deg 06min S/ from Washington Ridge they inspected the 154deg 48min W. Fokker Rocks. This claim sheet and others deposited in Ascent masked areas explored by the Antarctic Service On Mt Nilsen the party found a granite expedition were put in place on the in boulder which marked the ascent in 1934 structions of President Roosevelt. His order to Byrd as commanding officer of the ex by Morgan, Black and Ronne. The two Americans and the Norwegian had cut an pedition outlined the duties and the activ ities to be undertaken in Antarctica. inscription in the granite and built their cairn. Stuck between two boulders of the Never recognised cairn was the crumpled note written 47 Byrd was told in the order, dated Nov years ago and bearing the names of Wade, ember 25, 1939, that the United States Frazier and Navy. Peter Cleary, who found had never recognised any claims of it, made a copy and replaced the original. sovereignty over territory in the Antarctic A similar note was found in a cairn on regions asserted by any foreign state. But, Tennant Peak but there was nothing in lit in Roosevelt's words "members of the tle cairns on Mt Schlossbach and Gould Service may take any appropriate steps Peak. such as dropping written claims from air About 400m from the wrecked Fokker planes, depositing such writing in cairns the fuel depot contained eight fuel drums, etcetera which might assist in supporting a five jerrycans, and two boxes of emer sovereignty claim by the United States gency ration packs. The jerrycans were Government". stamped with the letters USMC, suggesting that an aircraft or helicopter flown by a Antarctic petrels Marine Corps crew might have put in the A colony of Antarctic petrels described depot. by earlier expeditions at Washington Ridge Fitzsimmons, Butler and Schlossbach was not found but on the last day of this were in the Rockefellers longer than most expedition a large colony of Antarctic of the visitors and naturally left much more petrels containing up to 20,000 birds was material behind in 1940. The New Zealand located at Paterson Ridge in the party found the but floor and four corner Rockefeller Mountains. The closest possible posts still standing. Scattered around a feeding grounds for the birds is open water depot site 100m away were a box of bat 85 km to the west. On the cliffs above the teries, a caribou skin sleeping bag, two fuel easily accessible rookery were nest sites of barrels, blocks of dog pemmican, and several hundred snow petrels. Further de rusted tins without labels to indicate what tails of the scientific work carried out by food they contained. Two stainless steel will appear in our next issue. 279 Antarctic Vol.11 No. 7/12

Iceberg update B-9 moves more slowly than expected

B-9. one of the longest icebergs ever super-berg is still 500km from Ross recorded, has been moving more slowly Island. and in a more complex path than ex Meanwhile several smaller bergs less pected. After breaking away from the than 20 km in length have been moving eastern Ross Ice Shelf in early October much faster along the front of the Ross 1987. B-9 began to accelerate in a Ice Shelf. These bergs originated in the west-north-westerly direction until same calving event as B-9, and on Feb mid-November when it collided with the ruary 23 the western-most was only ice-shelf. This collision, and possibly 80km west of Ross Island. It is travelling some forcing by a suspected current up to 10km per day and could have flowing from under the iceshelf. caused drifted into McMurdo Sound by now. a deflection of B-9 towards the north- The disparity in speed of these bergs north-west until early January 1988 and and B-9 may be due to differences in a slow counter clockwise rotation. current flows within the Ross sea. The Position data sheer size of B-9 means that it is proba Position data derived from weather bly subject to different currents working on it from different directions at the satellite imagery obtained by the US same time. Navy/National Oceanic and At mospheric Administration Joint Ice There have been suggestions that B-9 Centre between January 6 and March 23 is breaking up. Some confusion has are grouped within an area 46km arisen because, as it spawned B-9. the across. This grouping is not much wider ice shelf developed two parallel fracture than the accuracy of geographically systems about 10 km apart and about locating the berg's position (which is 40 km south of the former ice shelf twice the single positioning error of coastline. The southern-most fracture ±10-15km). It may mean that B-9 was became the new front of the ice shelf, caught in a strong current eddy or pulse while the northern-most fracture opposing its northward movement, and became the southern side of B-9. The is now caught in the eddy or area of ice between the fractures broke into sluggish water movement. The other several bergs or "cohorts" of B-9. possibility is that the berg was tem These bergs, some of which are still porarily grounded on the sea floor, al near B-9, have continued to break up. though the water depth here (77deg In addition, B-9 had areas of sea ice 35min S/166 W) is probably about 450 frozen to it when it calved and these metres, probably more than 140m have also been drifting away. deeper than the maximum draft of the berg. Because B-9 has not been drifting in a straight line it moved only 170km Dimensions from its birthplace in four months mak As with all icebergs, small amounts of ing good only 1.3km per day. The B-9 have cracked off around the sides.

280 Vol 11 No. 7/12 Antarctic

Balleny . Scott I s l a n d s * Island

'>* 180 160E I 1

The dimensions of B-9 were given by Main drift paths of icebergs in the Ross the Joint Ice Centre as 86 x 22 nautical Sea sector deduced from known drifts miles (160 x 40 km) until January 21 of icebergs, current patterns and iceberg when it was listed as 83 x 19 nm (154 sources.

x 35 km). The accuracy of these mea (Copyright: Dr H.itry Key*. Depatttnent of Co/iM'ir.iivori. surements is about ± 4 km so while N.Z. .inSouthern Ocean. Although decreased sufficiently to be able to say it little impeded by the pack ice that is breaking up. The most precise mea covers the Ross Sea for most of the surements of B-9 are 154 x 30 km year it may take one or two years to derived by Jay Zwally of NASA from reach open water. If it does not break LANDSAT images early in 1988 and up B-9 may run aground on Ross Bank they are accurate to within a kilometre. in the central Ross Sea or collide with B-9 will sooner or later fracture into the Ross Sea Ice Shelf again, producing two or more large bergs, probably other large bergs. across a narrow crevassed portion about 40 km from one end. Meanwhile it will "Antarctic" thanks Dr Harry Keys, Science Directorate, Department of probably continue generally west. It Conservation, Wellington for this con may take some months to reach Ross tribution.

281 Antarctic Vol. 11 No. 7/12

ANARE Further studies on Law Dome For six months in 1985/86 basal water was discharged from under cold ice in an area of Law Dome. The phenomenon known as a "jokulhlaup" event, derived from the Icelandic "jokull" or small icecap, is common in many glaciated areas, especially in Iceland but this was the first time it had been re corded in Antarctica. However convincing proof has recently come from the Antarctic where radio echo sounding traces have shown extensive sheets of water. Seventeen sub-glacial lakes have been plotted beneath one segment of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet and a lake, at least 15 km long has been discovered beneath the outer part of the Lambert Glacier running out on the Amery Ice sheet between the Mawson and Davis draining area to the east of the Prince Charles Mountains.

Preliminary investigations in 1985 infer events. By analysis of the character and red the existence of a sub-glacial lake in a origins of the debris and ice bands the role large bedrock depression immediately of sub-glacial hydrology may be deduced upstream of the water outburst on Law while spatial analysis of oxygen isotopes Dome. Isotopic and chemical analysis con will be used to map the emergent basal ice firmed the basal origin of the water. and help identify the transport paths and Working in a zone extending 20 km in flow patterns. land from the ice margin and adjacent to Morphological and other analyses halp the Clarke, Bailey and Mitchell Peninsulas scientists understand the sequence of pat scientists sought information on the mor terns during the recent holocene when the phology and extent of the sub-glacial lake, ice cap margins fluctuated. The study will the supposed presence of which may pro complement other work on Law Dome's vide information about the nature and glaciology and response to climatic change. regime of the former Law Dome thermal area. Ice core Detailed topographic, gravity and ice- drilling programme sounding surveys were carried out to The first stage of a three year pro locate the boundaries of the sub-glacial gramme designed to obtain a continuous lake and its immediate catchment area. core to 1,200 metres beneath the Law The basal ice sequences were mapped and Dome ice cap was completed this season. samples of ice and debris cored and col Analysis of the core will help scientists lected from exposures and pits for subse understand the present state and past his quent analysis of the ice crystals, entrap tory of the ice sheet, its flow characteristics ped air, oxygen and hydrogen isotopes and reaction to climatic variations, and a and chemical solutes. The sizes and shapes wide range of environmental data that is of particles of debris and their disposition archived in the ice. within the ice will also be studied. Scientists have deduced that glacial From morphological analysis including movement is attributable to ice deformation the character and origins of the ice-cap at the lowest layers. Samples from the and surrounding structures such as the deep ice at the centre of the Dome will be Loken Moraines adjacent to the outburst measured for crystal structure which is in scientists hope to be able to calculate the trinsic to ice sheet dynamics. This will be basal thermal, hydraulic and hydrolic combined with deformation data obtained mechanisms controlling the jokulhlaup by accurately surveying the bore hole soon 282 Vol 11 No. 7/12 Antarctic after drilling and by remeasuring it several Another aspect of the work at Law years later. Dome last season was a study of the pro As drilling proceeds the ice sheet perties and structure of snow and ice. The temperature profile will be measured. distribution of surface snow properties Climate history and prior ice sheet extent covering the full range of glaciological and will be investigated by measurements of climatic conditions found on Law Dome the oxygen-isotope ratio of the ice. Analy were mapped in cross-section by Anare sis will be made of gasses trapped in bub scientists who are seeking to reconstruct a bles in the ice to determine past at history of changes in surface conditions. mospheric concentrations. Other chemical Measurements of the physical properties particulate and isotopic species in the ice of snow and ice from surface samples and will be measured to give information on cores drilled from the ice sheet are used to the earth's climate, atmosphere, investigate the development of the crystal cryosphere and oceans in the past. structure found within the ice sheet. Be cause such structures are modified by natu Paleo-environment ral deformation they influence the rate of The chronological deposition of ice- movement. Measurements of surface sam layers in the core will provide information ples provide ground truth information for which can be used for dating the paleo- calibration and validation by other surveys environmental records. Annual cycles of of the starting conditions from which the some isotopes and impurities will be used characteristics observed in deep ice cores to accurately determine the age, depth can be established. scale which can be checked by stratigraphic Changes of visible features such as past horizons of volcanic and nuclear fallout. melting reflect the transformation from The bottom of the core is expected to be snow to ice while studies of the physical up to 50,000 years old with accurate properties help scientists to evaluate which dating from annual cycles possible to about other analyses may be usefully employed 10,000 years. After that the layers become in ice core studies and to understand why too distorted and other dating methods records indicated by cores have been such as isotopic delay will be used. modified. This is a long term project being During the last year Australian scientists carried out in collaboration with the Lan have been developing a mechanical ice zhou Institute of Glaciology and drilling facility which will be shipped to Geocryology, PRC. Casey on board the Icebird and installed inside a specially constructed building. The 18 metre steel arch building rests on an integral sled and will be "drifted in" at the Communications drillsite. The drill and field camp compris ing living cars with accommodation for up upgraded to ten people, a kitchen-mess area, power Communications between Australia and generating modules, and facility for core Antarctica advanced last summer when analysis, storage and transport will be tow Mawson became the second station to join ed to the site by bulldozer in December the ANARESAT network. ANARESAT is a 1988. It will take several days, depending dedicated satellite communication system on the weather, to travel the 110 km from installed by the Overseas Telecommunica Casey to the drill site. tions Commission, linking the Antarctic Last summer a pilot hole was thermally Division's headquarters at Kingston, drilled and cased to 94 metres. Mechanical Tasmania with Antarctic Stations. The ser drilling, core logging and analysis will pro vice from Davis Station began operating ceed during the next two years with the last year, and the remaining continental core being returned annually to the station, Casey is scheduled to join the Glaciology section in Melbourne. network at the end of this year. 283 Antarctic Vol. 11 No. 7/12

BAS Diverse programme for British in summer season The start of summer activities, for which preparations were underway early at the five British bases, were hampered by some of the coldest temperatures on record with heavy ice and snow conditions and strong winds delaying resupply. Diverse scientific activity over a wide area is however reported with filming for a new television series, seal and penguin counts and base reconstructions com pleted early. Faraday director Dr Nigel Bonner visited by Faraday experienced weather worse helicopter from HMS Endurance bringing than usual with a record minimum mail from the UK. The director then visited temperature for October of -31.8deg C. the Berthelot Island depot to check and Because of bad weather and ice conditions renew the contents. An Anglia TV crew the West German research and supply also came ashore from the Endurance. vessel Polarstern abandoned a planned A count of skua nests and eggs were visit in late November after several at undertaken on the local islands and the tempts to reach the base. One of its programme of ozone observations has helicopters reached Faraday on November continued. 27. Some BAS personnel flew to Beasochea Bay to help locate suitable Halley camp sites for West German programmes. At Halley preparations for the summer Four scientists were put ashore at Faraday programme began early and by November to undertake some biological and geologi 6 all field skidoos had been serviced and cal work assisted by three BAS personnel. sledges packed. Departure was then RRS John Biscoe's planned call at the delayed by six days of snow and wind end of November was rescheduled to causing havoc among the recently con December 4 by which time the remaining structed posts supporting aerials and sea ice in the channel caused no problems cabooses which are raised once or twice a and she made a safe mooring surrounded year because of snow accumulation. The by fast ice. The relief began at 0500 hours perimeter and airstrip drumlines were rais and took several days. Stores and provi ed above the snowline, repaired and sions included 14 tons of concrete. The cleared of snow ready for the first aircraft. Biscoe departed on December 8 at 0400 Scientists gave a live interview to Swiss returning BAS personnel to the U.K. after Television on ozone and the 77th and final their tour of duty. balloon associated with the research pro Several other attempts to visit Faraday gramme was launched on November 23. were thwarted by ice conditions; The Several visits were made to the coast World Discoverer, the Society Explorer and the old base and the ramp between and the Ecuadorian ship Orion failed dur the sea ice and the ice shelf at Mobster ing January and February while the yacht which is required for successful relief was Kotich succeeded at the end of January. checked. The new director of BAS Dr David Penguin counts made at the coast by the Drewry, accompanied by the deputy team waiting for the arrival of RRS 284 Vol 11 No. 7/12

Bransfield revealed 14,300 chicks counted Drs Drewry and Bonner of the Survey in the colony of about 40,000 birds. The spent a week on the base during the relief fast ice broke and receded rapidly and by before flying to Rothera in one of the BAS November 27 only Mobster and Windy Twin Otters on December 30. Creek were obstructed. The relief included the redeployment of By December 1 the last of the field an ionospheric radar, the AIS equipment parties left for the emperor penguin colony and the establishment of a new, over-the- at Windy Creek as the warm weather horizon radar. The Polar Anglo American caused new problems as the ice melted Conjugate Experiment (PACE) is a joint around the base requiring a constant watch UK/USA project designed to give informa of the building voids. tion on ionospheric conditions over a large RRS Bransfield arrived on December 21 area of the continent. In conjunction with in fine conditions with high temperatures. the Twin Otter being operated in Canada Relief began on December 22 with a series where programme personnel are looking at of 12 hour shifts operating almost non-stop the Arctic ionosphere, it forms a unique for two weeks. Winds of 40-50 knots then facility for simultaneous study of the two however delayed the programme as the polar ionospheres. vessel had to stand off for three days. Fuel in 3,700 drums was unloaded and moved Gentoo penguins coming ashore at Damoy Pt, within a week from the ship to the base Wiencke Island. - Photo: L. D. B. Herrod/ 13km away. BAS. Antarctic Vol. 11 No. 7/12

On January 5, the West Germans de RRS Bransfield arrived on December 10 ployed a field party, lA mile away from in good weather bringing the Directors. Halley station with the help of helicopters After a short stay she sailed to revisit again and large snow vehicles. They were sup on January 27 when she took several porting a field party, some 250 miles south members of the base staff to Atriceps and using two Dornier aircraft. AH left late in Grey Island, east of Coronation Island to February on the Polarstern. count shags. The programme on the A Japanese Twin Otter refuelled and breeding success of the blue-eyed shag stayed overnight at the airstrip at the same ended during the summer. Icebergs were time as two West German aircraft were encroaching on the area when the ship visiting. _. sailed on January 28. Signy Many visits were made to North Point, After a record low temperature in Octo the Gourley Point and the Foca huts ber of -24.1deg C, the base prepared for where new aerials were fitted. During the relief and staff made several spring summer travel across the lowland areas journeys. was made difficult by the increasing fur Weddell seals and their pups were film seal population and 13,000 were counted. ed diving on the west coast. Visitors to A data logging system was installed at Coronation Island observed a number of Pumphouse Lake to record temperatures silver-grey fulmars, rarely seen around and light levels. A portable infra-red gas Signy and a pair of Antarctic petrels were analyser (IRGA) was used to measure also observed in late winter around North photosynthesis in stream algae and another Point. system was used in a controlled environ In spite of strong winds the fast ice and ment chamber to measure the effects of pack ice held firm around the island. RRS water loss on photosynthesis in terrestrial Biscoe arrived in the area on November 14 algae. Research on algal photosynthesis in heavy ice and poor weather. For two will continue further south next season on days she sought a lead into the Strait but James Ross Island. on December 17 she retreated and re Studies of microbial activity in sediments turned to Stanley. in and around Borge Bay continued with High winds persisted for several days regular diving throughout the winter to and the ice disappeared. The Biscoe re collect samples. turned on December 23 and in spite of An automatic weather station was in conditions put a launch ashore with mail stalled at the base during the summer. and the summer Base Commander. Similar to those at Halley and Faraday it Unloading proved difficult with winds still will provide more data on weather patterns up to 50 knots. The ship sailed two days than previously. An ex-Bas staff member later leaving two limnologists to study the commissioned by Anglia Television to lakes and streams during the summer. spend the winter at the station left on the As the weather improved in December first ship having filmed wildlife including penguin census was undertaken by base spectacular sequences from under the fast staff. All the rookeries on Signy were ice. His work will be used in a new televi visited and the final count of breeding pairs sion series. _ , revealed 40,000 adelies, 64,000 Rothera chinstraps, 500 gentoos and nine The first flight to Damoy (summer sta macaronis. tion) was made on 13 November with two Serious work began on the renovation of BAS personnel. Bad weather prevented the shed to accommodate the new boat further flights until the end of the month which was to be shipped in on the when a further eight flights were made Bransfield at the end of the season. The between Rothera and Damoy. Two people repair of field huts and reinforcement of were left at Damoy to assist with the se seal fences was also undertaken. cond call of the John Biscoe. 286 Vol 11 No. 7/12 Antarctic

A Chilean aircraft which flew in on Nov December 26 for two days before leaving ember 13 developed engine trouble and via Halley for Neumayer. The BAS direc assistance was given by base mechanics. It tor and deputy arrived in a Twin Otter flew out on December 7. Bad weather in from Halley to spend a few days on base November prevented any field parties before joining HMS Endurance. being deployed by air; three were deploy HMS Endurance with the Anglia televi ed however from the John Biscoe. sion crew aboard called in at Faraday and Palmer Station and uplifted a field party Damoy from Deception Island before visiting the Early December saw movement again Chilean base Marsh on King George and several flights were made to Damoy to Island. uplift personnel to Rothera and flights from A BAS twin otter aircraft also visited Fossil Bluff to Ronne Ice Shelf to deploy a Marsh at the beginning of January to field party intending to traverse from the rendezvous with an RAF Hercules taking ice front across the featureless Ronne Ice out an injured man, originally flown to Shelf to the Ellsworth Mountains. This was Rothera from Halley. Fully recovered he part of a continuing glaciology programme. has since returned to winter at Faraday. Further south in the Pensacola Moun Bird Island tains the Americans deployed two British Bird Island experienced the coldest and four American geologists from snowiest winter since recordings began. McMurdo Station as part of a joint BAS/ Fur seals which normally haul out of the USARP project. Three flights from Rothera Island for breeding did not arrive in the brought further supplies for them, and the usual numbers while elephant seals staked last Twin Otter, with two British field early claims on the deserted beaches and assistants remained with them to give close more than 20 elephant seal pups were support. born with sizeable harems. The first fur seal Two Bulgarian geologists worked with a pup was born on November 13 and on 24 British geologist on Alexander Island. twins, a male and female were recorded At the end of December another geo for the first time since 1978. Altogether logical field party was deployed at Seal 757 pups were born, weighed, sexed and Nunataks on the east coast using hover numbered and counts were made of the craft instead of skidoos because of prob leopard seal population. Biological work lems with meltpools. continued with the checking of the With the improvement in the weather a macaroni penguin eggs and monitoring the glaciological party was landed near Fossil seasonal changes of hormone levels. Bluff to work before moving further south Early nesting birds were also affected by where they were joined by another the weather. The majority of the northern glaciological team. Anglia Television film giant petrels were unable to build nests be ing the base and new buildings at Rothera cause of heavy snow cover and most eggs were able to go out into the field towards were deserted after laying. Some birds the end of December before joining HMS tried to sit out the bad weather with snow Endurance at the beginning of January. drifting over them completely covered. A glaciological field party was airlifted to Black browed and grey headed albatrosses its worksite at the north end of George VI returned to the colonies in large numbers sound and another was taken to just south but egg losses were disastrously high. of Fossil Bluff from where they travelled Many confused birds laid their eggs only to south down to George VI sound to the be left to the skuas. Gentoo penguins were Eklund Islands. The final field party to a month late laying eggs with the macaroni leave Rothera was put into Cetus Hill in penguins extending their winter stay. By Palmer Land where a geological project is the end of October the numbers of being undertaken. penguins had built up, but there were far Two West German aircraft arrived on fewer than usual. 287 Antarctic Vol.11 No. 7/12

RRS John Biscoe successfully anchored petrels. She returned for Christmas, leav after a difficult night on high seas; the relief ing again on Boxing Day for further bio took two days to complete but not two logical studies. consecutive days. Biscoe had to shelter be RRS Bransfield called in for a short stay. cause of bad weather. Eventually 17 tons On board were the BAS directors who of cargo was landed and stored. visited the albatross and macaroni penguin Damien II arrived on November 19, and colonies. A British warship brought mail sailed the following day with two BAS and food at Christmas. scientists who were to study burrowing

USARP Wilkes Land Hercules will be modernised Juliet Delta 321, the United States ski-equipped Hercules which crashed in Wilkes Land on December 4, 1971, and remained buried in the snow and ice of East Antarctica for 15 years, should be back in the United States early next year. Covered by 10m of snow, the aircraft was brought to the surface on December 25, 1986, and last season, after major repairs, it was flown 750 nautical miles to McMurdo Station on January 10, and then to Christchurch on January 16. Air New Zealand engineers at Christ replacement of all four engines and pro church are now engaged in repairs to pellers and installation of flight instruments Juliet Delta under the airline's contract removed after the 1971 crash. Main and with the National Science Foundation. nose struts were also replaced and damage When the work is completed the Hercules to the fuselage repaired or patched. By the will be flown back to the makers, first week of January the aircraft was Lockheed-Georgia, who will modernise it almost ready for the flight back to Williams and fit it with new wings, new skis, and Field from which it had departed more new communication systems. Recovery of than 16 years earlier. the aircraft over two seasons cost less than On January 10 Juliet Delta was flown US$3 million, and another US$7 million back to Williams Field in about five hours will be needed to make it fully operational. by Commander Jack Rector commanding A new Hercules complete with spares costs officer of the U.S. Navy's VXE-6 US$38 million. Squadron, and his crew of five. Dr Peter Preparations for the repair of Juliet Delta Wilkness, director of the NSF Division of began in mid-November last year, when Polar Programmes, and Mr Ron La Count, the camp used in the 1986-87 summer senior US representative in Antarctica last was re-opened and the 2438m skiway at summer, were in another Hercules which D59 (68deg 20min S/137deg 21min E), a maintained visual contact with No. 321, staging point for French geological flying under a deck of clouds, as the re traverses, was prepared for flights by Her paired aircraft still needed navigational cules aircraft from McMurdo Station. No. support. 321 was badly damaged on takeoff after There were some anxious moments just resupplying a French traverse party head before the flight when a start device in the ing towards D59. salvaged No. 4 engine had to be removed Major repairs to Juliet Delta included to stop an oil leak. But the crew of No. 288 Vol 11 No. 7/12 Antarctic

321 brought the aircraft with three engines that could be seen was smoke and twisted running behind the escort plane on the metal. skiway. The escort Hercules revved its With Brad Honeycutt and Johnny How engines, creating a "prop wash" which ard, of the Naval Air Rework Facility, activated No. 4 engine on Juliet Delta. Cherry Point, North Carolina, Card ran to With all four engines running the crew the cockpit of the plane to see if anyone made an ice speed taxi run down the was alive or conscious. Howard sighted the skiway to see how the plane handled and crew members on one side of the plane whether any problems would become ap and shouted to Card and Honeycutt that parent at takeoff speed. But everything he had found them. went well and a second trial run was not Then the three searched for a way into needed. the plane. Inside the trapped survivors were also looking for a way out. Time was "Boring" vital — fuel was leaking into the cockpit Juliet Delta came back to Christchurch and electrical power was still on. A small just after 4.30 p.m. on January 16. Com hole leading into the cockpit fuselage was mander Rector, who had the same crew, found and enlarged, and one by one the described the eight-hour flight "as boring victims were pulled out. as could be, just as we wanted it". The After all the men had been removed aircraft flew to New Zealand in company from the wreckage Card and others at the with another Hercules which acted as a skiway loaded them on sledges for the navigation and communications craft. Its 1.59km journey to the camp. The sledges landing gear fully extended because the were only 5m from the crash site when the old hydraulics system needed to be check first of several explosions rocked the Her ed out. Juliet Delta had to fly lower and cules. slower because of this so an extra 3600 When the sledges arrived at the camp gallons of fuel were carried in a tank in Card turned the living tent into a makeshift stalled in the cargo compartment. emergency room. His first task was to Recovery of Juliet Delta cost the U.S. determine the extent of each victim's inju Navy and the National Science Foundation ries and find out which were the most much more than money. Two lives were serious. Nine men from the recovery and lost and another Hercules bringing a new support teams were assigned to sit with the engine, propeller, and starting equipment survivors, observe their condition and let to D59 on December 9 was destroyed. Card know what was going on. The aircraft, flown by a VXE-6 Squadron crew of seven and carrying four passen Bad weather gers, crashed when attempting to land on Because of bad weather a medical the skiway, and then caught fire. emergency team did not reach the crash But for the heroism of three men who site for almost eight and a half hours. pulled out nine shocked and injured sur During that time Card's organisation and vivors from the aircraft while fires from calm kept at least one man alive. Lieute leaking fuel burned all around the nant David S. Kermode, a Navy doctor wreckage, and the medical care given at who cared for the survivors at McMurdo the recovery camp under the direction of Station, said later that the situation at D59 U.S. Navy Corpsman Second Class would have taxed a hospital emergency Barney Card, of San Diego, others might room. "Card had nine cases — four of have died. them serious. One would have died with Barney Card, the only man with medical out him. He really kept his wits about training at the camp, which is 1.59km him." from the skiway, heard shouts of "crash" After preliminary treatment in the just after 8.30 a.m. He jumped on a McMurdo Station dispensary four of the snowmobile to get to the skiway where all injured were flown to Christchurch on 289 Antarctic Vol. 11 No. 7/12

December 10 and admitted to hospital. end of the season. They were They were Lieutenant-Commander Einar Lieutenant-Commanders Richard Potter, L. Corelli (Bremerton, Washington State), Maurice Spence (Camarillo, California), Lieutenant-Commander David Ogden, and David Coggan, Aviation Machinist Lieutenant Carlton Byrd, and Aviation Mate Second Class Marvin Staton (Point Machinist Mate First Class John Jaenish Mugu, California), and Aviation Mechanic (Saratoga Springs, New York State). In Airman Michael Callahan (Harleville, Pen January they were transferred to Hawaii nsylvania) . for medical observation. Reference: "Antarctic", No. 6, Winter, Five men remained in Antarctica and 1987. Pages 258-259. returned to the United States towards the New West German station on ice shelf West Germany now has two summer research stations in the Weddell Sea area. Filchner, the first, at 77deg 08min S/50deg 34min W, was set up in 1982 on the Filchner/Ronne Ice Shelf. In 1986 Drescher was opened on the Riiser- Larsen Ice Shelf at 72deg 53min S/19deg lOmin W for summer biological and meteorological observations. Drescher Station, which consists of three research. The first priority was to erect prefabricated huts, is 1km north of the Drescher Station. It took 36 hours of mouth of Drescher Inlet, an ice-covered helicopter flights and construction work in bay south of Cape Vestkapp (72deg 40min which members of the ship's crew took S/19deg OOmin W), a prominent part before a team of West German and westward projection of the ice shelf front Dutch biologists and meteorologists moved which was named Vestkapp (west cape) by in. Norway. The cape is midway along the ice Because transport over the sea ice was front and 96.5km west of the Kraul not possible the ship's two helicopters had Mountains, Queen Maud Land. to fly building material and equipment to In 1986 the Alfred Wegener Institute for the site in crates each holding 600 to Polar and Marine Research sent its 800kg. In two days the two living huts and research and supply vessel Polarstern to the stores hut were ready for use by five to cruise in Antarctica for the whole year. six biologists and two meteorologists. The cruise, made in three legs between For six weeks the group operated as an May 6 and December 14, included the first independent unit, investigating the breed all-winter operation of a research vessel ing and feeding biology of Weddell seals moving freely in the pack ice zone of the and Emperor penguins. The meteor Weddell Sea. ological observations yielded valuable data On the third leg of the cruise, which was on the structure and dynamics of the the second leg of the Winter Weddell Sea planetary boundary layer over the edge of Project (WWSP 86) the Polarstern sailed the shelf ice and supplemented simulta from Capetown on September 28 for the neous measurements made on board the permanent Georg von Neumayer Station Polarstern and by meteorological ARGOS on the Ekstrom Ice Shelf. It reached Atka buoys placed on large drifting floes from Bay on October 12 and the station was the vessel or by helicopter. visited briefly. On her return to pick up the field party Then the Polarstern headed for the the Polarstern stopped in Drescher Inlet Vestkapp area to carry out oceanographic from November 22 to 24 to load cargo 290 Vol 11 No. 7/12 Antarctic from the station and enable working birds in the inlet. groups aboard ship to study the fast ice. Drescher Station's three huts, each When the vessel sailed the huts were left measuring 6.5 x 2.5 x 2.5m, are of with a supply of petrol and kerosene for lightweight design with insulated walls future science activities and for refuelling 10cm thick. The field party praised the ex aircraft and helicopters engaged in flight cellent insulation properties of the walls operations. which kept the station warm despite strong Using two large and two small gales and temperatures down to minus snowmobiles, each with Nansen sledges for 32deg Celsius, and even when generators transport across the inlet, the scientists were not running at night. worked on the ice from mid-October to late November. Their project was inter Each living hut has four bunks in the rupted by 13 days altogether of drifting back section, a combined cooking and snow. Four breeding sites of Weddell seals work area in the middle, and a separate were found, and the population in the entrance with sink and snow melting appa Drescher Inlet amounted to about 250 in ratus. The huts are parallel to each other dividuals, including 68 pups. in a distance of 35m and the store is Adult Emperor penguins and chicks located between them. Cooking is done were counted by direct and aerial census. with propane gas; frozen meat and other The direct census on October 24 yielded a frozen supplies are stored outside in total of 6660 chicks, 6890 breeding birds, wooden boxes. Electricity is provided by and 630 non-breeders present in the col three petrol generators of 4.5 kW AC ony at that date. The number of chicks in each. Main power consumers are five dicated a total of about 13,300 breeding electric heaters and the two snow melters. Antarctic Treaty Italy and East Germany full members Italy and the German Democratic Republic (1982) and Sweden (1984). Late in 1987 are now consultative parties to the Antarc Switzerland also acceded as did Austria in early tic Treaty. They were admitted to full 1988. membership at the 14th metting of con Between 1977 and 1985 six countries were sultative parties held in Rio de Janeiro admitted to full membership by the 12 original between October 5 and 16. Ecuador's ac signatories of the treaty — Argentina, Australia, cession to the treaty, announced at the Belgium, Chile, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, USSR, UK and USA. same meeting, brought the membership to Poland was the first in 1977 and was followed 36. Of these 20 are consultative parties by the Federal Republic of Germany (West and 16 acceding countries. Since that Germany) in 1981, and then by Brazil and India meeting Switzerland and more recently (1983) and the People's Republic of China and Austria have also acceded and the mem Uruguay (1985). bership now stands at 38. East Germany, which acceded to the Antarc South Korea was the first country to accede tic Treaty in 1974, and was accepted as a last year, and with Ecuador's accession the 16 member of the Scientific Committee on Antarc members who, since 1983 have been able to tic Research, has been engaged in Antarctic participate in treaty meeting as observers, are: research as far back as 1959 when the first Bulgaria (1978), Czechoslovakia (1962), Cuba group of scientists took part in the 5th Soviet (1984), Democratic People's Republic of North Antarctic Expedition. Since then GDR scientists Korea (1986), Denmark (1965), Ecuador and technicians have worked within the (1987), Finland (1984), Greece (1986), framework of Soviet expeditions, carrying out Hungary (1984), Netherlands (1967). Papua independent but fully integrated research in New Guinea (1981), Peru (1981), Republic of meteorology, geodesy, glaciology, geophysics, South Korea (1987), Romania (1971), Spain biology, isotope physics and medicine. 291 Antarctic Vol. 11 No. 7/12

Antarctic oil More countries making seismic surveys

Italy, now a consultative member of the Antarctic Treaty, has followed the ex ample of West Germany and France by chartering the research vessel Explora for a marine geological survey to investigate the geological structure of the con tinental margin of Antarctica and obtain information about its hydrocarbon potential. The 978-tonne ice-strengthened Explora, which called at Wellington late in February, was chartered for the survey by the Geophysical Experimental Observatory of Trieste.

Consultative parties to the Antarctic Built in 1983 the Explora is registered in Treaty engaged in scientific research in Bremen and owned by Sloman-Nettun Antarctica are required to exchange infor Schiffarts. In the 1977-78 season she was mation about their programmes. Each chartered by the West German Federal party also has to give notice of any ex Bureau for Geosciences and Natural Re pedition to Antarctica not in the official sources. Scientists led by Professor K. Hinz programme but organised in, calling at or made geophysical studies in the Weddell proceeding from the area in which the Sea and the South Atlantic. party is operating. Described as an investigation of the Last season's Italian expedition to the geological structure of the continental Ross Dependency carried out an margin the programme was continued oceanographic programme from the during the 1979-80 season from the Ex chartered Norwegian research ship Polar plora in the Bellingshausen and Ross Seas. Queen in Terra Nova Bay and the Ross In the 1981-82 season the Explora was Sea, and the National Institute for chartered again by the French Petroleum Hydrocarbons was represented in the field Institute for a marine geophysical survey in teams. The third expedition also extended the Adelie Land sector and the Ross Sea. and improved the Terra Nova Bay Station One French publication described the established in 1986-87 and carried out a purpose of the survey, conducted in wide range of other research projects. January and February as oil research. Notice was given in the exchange of in From Hobart the Explora sailed to work in formation that the Geophysical Experi the Dumont d'Urville Sea. She continued mental Observatory (OGS) planned an in her survey in the Ross Sea and returned to dependent research expedition to acquire the New Zealand port of Bluff by way of geophysical data from the vicinity of South Macquarie Island on her way back to America along the Antarctic ice edge as far Bremen. as the Ross Sea — a distance of about Since 1976 Norwegian, German, and 5935 nautical miles. In the course of its Soviet ships have collected seismic reflec cruise OGS planned also a deep crustal tion profiles over the continental margin in exploration profile of about 540nm in the the Weddell Sea area. The Soviet Union Ross Sea. The Explora was in the Terra has used ice-strengthened research ships Nova Bay area early in February and was for this work, but last season, for the first associated with the Italian programme time, it sent one of its recently-built before heading for Wellington. icebreakers south on a scientific mission. 292 Vol 11 No. 7/12 Antarctic

A week before Christmas the Finnish- two probes produced additional data on built icebreaker Vitus Bering set out on its continental spreading to support the possi first voyage to Antarctica to conduct bility that the breaking away of Australia seismic and gravimetric experiments in the and New Zealand from Antarctica may Lazarev and Sodruzhestva Seas. The have produced basins of which some could icebreaker, named after the greatest Arctic be rich in hydrocarbons. explorer of the 18th century who led two Japan has concentrated on marine Russian expeditions and discovered the geophysical surveys in Antarctica since the strait which bears his name, has been 1980-81 summer. The programmes have designed for Arctic and Antarctic service. been conducted by the technology She carries aircraft and helicopters and is research centre of the Japan National Oil equipped with cargo handling gear. Corporation for the Agency of Natural Re sources and Energy, a division of the Mini United States United States scientists have made stry of International Trade and Industry. A geological survey ship owned by the Japa marine geological surveys from Coast nese Metal Mining Agency has been used Guard icebreakers, particularly the Glacier, for the surveys, and the research staff has for the last seven or eight summers. The included scientists from other institutions work has been done by field teams from such as the Tokyo University Ocean Rice University, Houston, Texas, in the Research Institute. Ross and Bellingshausen Seas and off the Late in November 1980 the geological Antarctic Peninsula. survey ship Hakurei Maru went south to In the 1981-82 season the Glacier took begin the first survey in the Bellingshausen a Rice University team from Punta Arenas, Sea (1980). The programme was con Chile, to the Weddell Sea for a short tinued in the Weddell Sea (1981) and the marine geological survey of the continental Ross Sea (1982). A second three-year margin. Last summer the project was con programme began in 1982-83 in the tinued from the National Science Founda Wilkes Basin area of the Dumont d'Urville tion's research vessel Polar Duke along the Sea off Adelie Land and in part of the continental slope and margins on the west Ross Sea, and was completed in two side of the Antarctic Peninsula. stages. Australia Investigations of the hydrocarbon poten Two-stage survey tial of the East Antarctic continental margin A two-stage survey was completed by the Hakurei Maru during the 1984 summer were conducted during the 1981-82 sum in the Australian sector of Antarctica as far mer programme of Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE). as Amundsen Bay, Enderby Land. The Marine geological studies were carried out three-year programme was completed in 1985-86 by surveys in the Norwegian from the Nella Dan by scientists and sector of East Antarctica off the Queen technicians from the Australian Bureau of Mineral Resources. They worked offshore Maud Land coast. from the Amery Ice Shelf in the Prydz Last season the Hakurei Maru left Japan Bay/Lambert Glacier region which is con early in November for the South Orkney sidered to be a prime hydrocarbon ex Islands to continue the programme initiated in 1980-81. She returned at the end of ploration area. March after the scientists aboard completed Japan another marine geology and geomor Areas in the Ross Sea and off Wilkes phology programme for the technology Land adjacent to French, Australian, and research centre of the Japan National Oil Japanese surveys in earlier seasons were Corporation. covered in 1984 by the US Geological Brazil, which became a consultative Survey's research vessel S. P. Lee. The party to the Antarctic Treaty in 1983 and 293 Antarctic Vol. 11 No. 7/12

established a summer research station, Last season the company, which is said now permanent, on King George Island in to be supported by the Brazilian Govern the South Shetlands, is another country to ment, was reported to be planning a carry out seismic surveys outside the offi seismic survey in the Ross Sea. So far cial programme. A Brazilian oil company, there has been no information about the Petrobas, is reported to have made a survey, the ship to be used, and just where seismic survey of an area of 5000 square Petrobas intended to operate. kilometres off King George.

Sub-Antarctic Seal studies at Australia's sub-Antarctic Islands Recent scientific observations have revealed a decline in the elephant seal pop ulations at most sub-Antarctic Islands, except South Georgia where numbers have remained relatively static. Populations at Heard and Macquarie Island have declined as much as 50 percent in the last 35 years. This summer Australian scientists focussed on migration, diet and pupping of elephant seals in an effort to isolate the reasons for the decline. Part of the pro ject was co-operative with South African scientists working on Marion Islands. Work was also undertaken on the leopard seal and on the fur seals which are increasing in number. Two parties were landed at Heard Island Counts will be made regularly on Mac early in the summer to carry out the se quarie and at the Vestfold Hills during the cond full census of elephant seals at Heard winter months. Island. The first party of 13 worked from Other aspects of the elephant seal the ANARE base at Atlas Cove counting research programme included the collec seals on the nearby beaches. The second tion of blood samples from seal pups to party of four worked from Spit Bay coun determine the genetic relationships be ting seals along 46 km of coast from Com- tween the seals in the populations of pton Lagoon in the north of Cape Labuan Heard and Macquarie Islands. In all, 120 in the south. By using amphibious craft samples were collected from pups in the scientists were able to survey distant coasts Atlas Cove area while 230 samples were in one day on two occasions. taken from pups between Compton Seals on nearby Spit Island were Lagoon and Long Beach. A similar counted from helicopter during the landing number of blood samples were collected of the second summer party on Heard from Macquarie Island. Island. Nella Dan was also able to sail For further information on their migra close enough to the Island to enable the tion the hind flippers of all male seals were number of harems to be counted from the checked for tags to determine whether bridge. they were returning to the same or a dif In all approximately 13,000 breeding el ferent location. The programme was car ephant cows were counted confirming ried out at Macquarie, Heard, Vestfold 1985/86 data which indicated a 60 per Hills and by a two person team landed late cent decline of the Heard Island population in the season at Petersen Island. Four since the 1950's. The Macquarie Island hundred and seventy eight male seals were census showed a 50 per cent drop in the tagged at Petersen Island this season. equivalent period. In 1986 over 300 males were tagged at 294 Vol 11 No. 7/12 Antarctic the Vestfold Hills and 200 males at Heard numbers which vary in cycles of about nine Island. Animals tagged at Heard Island and years. From observations at Macquarie at Casey and Davis, on the continent, during the last 35 years the numbers of were found in the Heard Island colonies. seals hauling out varies between 20 in Among them were two cows and two bulls sparse seasons to 200 in an abundant tagged at Davis 1740 km to the south only year. seven months earlier. Records at Heard Island are more Comparative weighing sparse. From figures obtained over a In the second part of a five year pro limited time between 1949 and 1953 when it was manned continuously it is unclear gramme a large number of weaned pups were weighed at both sub-Antarctic island whether a similar trend exists. As part of locations and at the colonies near the con this information a census was also taken of tinental bases. Cows do not feed while the numbers of leopard seals at each island location and details such as body length lactating and data from the weighing can be used as a measure of maternal invest and sex were recorded. Stomach lavation ment. Concurrent and comparative of 35 leopard seals for diet data was also weighings were carried out by the South undertaken. Africans at Marion Island. In all 825 Information on the condition and disper weaners were weighed at Heard Island and sal of such groups will assist in assessing more than 100 each at both Marion and the effects of their predation of crabeater Macquarie Islands. seals, an important part of the diet of leo Also working on Macquarie were two pards and also of krill, and in providing an scientists from the University of Queens index of some natural background fluctua land who concentrated on the food and tions in the pack-ice ecosystem. feeding strategies of pregnant and lactating Fur seals seals, the growth of sucking pups and their While elephant seal population figures diet in the early post weaning stages when are declining, and data on the Leopard they are thought to feed close to the Island seal is being collected, the numbers of fur unlike the adults which move further seals, hunted to extinction at Macquarie afield. This too, should help in under Island in the early part of the century are standing aspects of the energetics and increasing. This is also true on Heard maternal investment. Island where more than 10,000 fur seals Additional work was undertaken on the were seen in late February 1988. measurement of blubber of the elephant Three species of fur seal are known to seals at Macquarie and Heard Island using exist in the Australiasin segment of the ultrasound and tritium techniques. southern oceans, the New Zealand Fur The stomach contents of 60 male seals seal (A Fosteri), the sub-Antarctic fur seal at Heard and 25 at Macquarie were wash (A tropicalis) and the Antarctic fur seal (A ed out through a soft rubber hose from gazella). anaesthetised animals. Such work is signifi In 1948 small numbers of the New cant because elephant seals feed on squid Zealand fur seal were observed by the first and fish and may be valuable indicators of ANARE party on Macquarie Island and the status of the Southern Ocean new born pups were seen in 1955. While ecosystem. Further elements of the overall the other species have been breeding on programme from which survival, move the North Head Peninsula the New ment and diving patterns may be deter Zealand fur seal has not. mined. Work began this season on a ten to 20 Leopard seals year programme to establish the conserva Work was also undertaken on the leo tion status of fur seals at Macquarie. It will pard seals which are known to migrate focus on the growth rate of seals on the northwards from the pack ice ecosystem in Island, the contribution of each species on 295 Antarctic Vol. 11 No. 7/12 that growth and whether the population is programme of body measurements, and likely to expand markedly from breeding weighing to estimate growth rates was un there or to increase slowly from immigra dertaken. Juveniles, tagged as pups the tion only. previous season, and tagged cows were As part of the programme the total sought to determine whether they returned number of animals on North Head Penin to breeding territories and which produced sula were counted each week during the pups. season and the numbers of bulls and cows An unexpected discovery from Heard in each territory were recorded. Island in the 1987/88 summer was the Mating was observed to determine finding of the sub-Antarctic fur seal. A few whether it occurred between the sub-An dozen animals were seen among the thou tarctic and Antarctic seals and whether the sands of Antarctic fur seals. One sub-An New Zealand fur seal was involved. tarctic fur seal pup, that was born on the Methods to determine the differences be Island, was recognised as well. tween the three species were sought as a Greenpeace ship on way to Antarctic Peninsula

Greenpeace, the international environmental organisation, sent its third expedi tion to the Antarctic Peninsula on March 9 to continue its programme of en vironmental monitoring of scientific bases. This will be the first voyage to the area for the purpose by the organisation's ship Greenpeace. In 1986-87 it sailed to the Ross Dependency and East Antarctica and a base was set up on Ross Island. Delayed for two weeks at Lyttelton by this season's programme on March 9. engine trouble the Greenpeace finally sail When she arrives at the Argentinian Port ed south on January 24 and was off Cape of Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, additional Evans, Ross Island, by February 3. The crew and supplies will be taken on. expedition resupplied its World Park Base, How long the ship will remain depends replaced last winter's team with four new on ice and weather. Present plans are to volunteers, visited McMurdo Station and spend 30 days visiting bases and carrying Scott Base, and departed on February 14 out the environmental programme. Be to inspect other bases in the Ross cause the region normally has a longer Dependency. Because of thick ice and ice-free summer season and milder heavy seas the expedition was unable to weather the ship could remain for most of visit the Soviet Base Leningradskaya on April and even return to Ushuaia early in the Oates Coast or the French Dumont May. d'Urville Station in the Pointe Geologie Most of the Greenpeace programme will Archipelago, Adelie Land. The Green concentrate on King George Island in the peace changed course for Lyttelton when South Shetlands, one of the most accessi past the Balleny Island, reaching port on ble areas in Antarctica. Argentina, Brazil, March 3. After nearly a week in port to Chile, China, Poland, Soviet Union and refuel, make crew changes, and dispose of Uruguay have stations on the island and 150 drums of rubbish, including 30 of South Korea, Peru and Ecuador establish human wastes, from World Park Base, the ed bases this summer. Greenpeace departed on the second leg of Greenpeace proposes to examine each 296 Vol 11 No. 7/12 Antarctic base in terms of its impact on the sur through ice holes with lines and traps and rounding environment. The cumulative their organs will be collected and examined effects of 10 bases on the island ecology later for traces of pollution. Little data was will also be studied. available last season because sea ice near No major construction was done at Cape Evans was either absent or unsafe World Park Base during the ship's stay but for walking. A related study will examine the expedition initiated an alternative the composition and distribution of energy project, using solar panels and a plankton in the Ross Sea near Cape wind generator. A 600W solar panel Evans. system was fitted against the sides of the Other projects will include observation of main building to prevent wind damage and penguins, skuas, and seals near the base a 2kw wind generator was placed on a 13 and monitoring of meltwater lakes. The m tower close to the base. meteorological study will cover detailed To provide additional workshop space observations of air and water temperatures, the nearby dismantled hut used by the wind strength and direction, barometric Footsteps of Scott Expedition was re- pressure and humidity and ice formation erected. The satellite radome on the roof and movements. of the base was moved away and placed A monitoring programme of certain on a 10m tower. beach profiles in the geological project will An important environmental change was include changes in geomorphology and the introduction of a "BIO-LOO" which grain size during the seasons. Seaborne will convert all human wastes into compost litter on the shore will be monitored and for easier removal when the base is resup encrusted animal and plant life on it will be plied. examined. When the Greenpeace departed from Melatonin studies McMurdo Sound at 11 p.m. on February Last year the goal of the medical 14 she left behind the second winter team research was to investigate the function of of three men and one woman. They are a the pineal gland in the winter team. Dr van 35-year-old American, Keith Swenson Dorp explored the hypothesis that mood is (leader-mechanic), a West German woman related to exposure to sunlight, the geologist, Dr Sabine Schmidt (3), a Polish mediating organ being the pineal gland, oceanographer, Wojciech Moskal (37) and and also the belief that increased secretion a 37-year-old Dutch-Australian radio of melatonin in the winter months is engineer, Sjoerd Jongens. Dr Lynn Horton related to the Antarctic wintering syn went south as the winter base doctor but drome. she was replaced by Wojciech Moskal. During the winter the team members an Team returns swered a mood questionnaire every fort Dr Horton returned with last winter's night and recorded their sleeping patterns. team of three New Zealanders, Kevin Every month they filled in a series of forms Conaglen (leader), Justin Farrelly (radio to provide information on their operator), Dr Cornelius van Dorp (doctor) physiological state, reactions to each other, and a West German woman biologist, Dr and their methods of coping with their en Gudrun Gaudean. They had been at Cape vironment. Evans since February 14, 1987. Methods developed by the second ex Research projects to be carried out this pedition for sampling soil, ice, and snow year by Dr Schmidt will follow the pilot near bases were used again this year by programme of biological and meteorolo Greenpeace scientists during the time their gical research initiated last year but will in ship was in McMurdo Sound. They spent a clude some geological work. day taking 31 samples of soil and water for Dr Schmidt will study the coastal fish of analysis to test for contaminants from the western Ross Sea to obtain basic data McMurdo Station and neighbouring Scott for a whole year. Fish will be caught Base, and photographed both bases. 297 Antarctic Vol.11 No. 7/12

Waste dump sites were also examined to almost completed the inspection of the determine whether they contained any base when the master, Captain James rubbish prohibited for disposal in Antarctica Cottier, was asked by Don Richards, by the Antarctic Treaty code of conduct on master of the Allan and Vi Thistlethwayte waste disposal. The expedition brought if the ship's helicopter could pick up six back to Lyttelton a 4m length of effluent Australians who had climbed Mt Minto in pipe found floating in McMurdo Sound, the Admiralty Range on February 18. metal, fuel pipes, and a decomposing bat Because of the loss of a motor toboggan tery picked up on the foreshore. the climbers' return to the AVT which had brought them from Sydney to Cape Hallett Terra Nova Bay was likely to be later than planned. Don When Greenpeace II visited the newly- Richards was concerned that the late re built Italian station in Terra Nova Bay in turn might lead to the AVT being caught the 1986-87 season the expedition had by ice in the Ross Sea. completed its programme, which included A reconnaissance flight towards the an environmental impact study, and sailed climbers' base camp at the junction of the for Lyttelton. The Greenpeace III team ar Staircase and Tucker Glaciers was made rived on February 16 and found that com on February 21 by the chief helicopter pilot pletion of construction of the station this Gary Dukes, and Kevin Conaglen but they season included the installation of a waste were forced back by bad visibility and high incinerator and a water treatment plant. winds. On February 23 however, the While the Greenpeace was in Terra weather was better and Gary Dukes and Nova Bay a party flew by helicopter to the second pilot, Peter Malcolm, flew the Gondwana Station, small West German Hughes 500D in turns to pick up the summer base established in Gerlache Inlet climbers and their gear. The operation, in January, 1983. It has not been used which took five trips, began at 6.10 a.m. since the 1984-85 season. Greenpeace and was completed by mid-day. opposes any expansion of the base be Landed on the helicopter pad of the cause no environmental impact assessment Greenpeace the climbers were transferred report was prepared. The party photo to the AVT in inflatable boats. Later in the graphed the base which Greenpeace day both vessels headed out to the Ross believes should stay closed until a full EIA Sea and turned north. They ran into bad has been prepared and other possible sites weather, and with time running against have been explored. them Greenpeace gave up plans to visit Continued north Leningradskaya or Dumont d'Urville. Greenpeace continued north off the Victoria Land coast to visit the abandoned Impassable ice joint US/NZ Hallett Station in Edisto Inlet Leningradskaya, established in 1973, is behind Cape Hallett. The station has been difficult to reach because of an area of fast closed since 1973, and for several seasons ice 10 km to 20 km wide. Last year the New Zealand and American teams have ship was blocked by impassible ice and any worked to clear up the area and minimise attempt in late February would have been the effects of human habitation and also most risky. Ice reports were also unfavourable for a provide the best conditions to rejuvenate the site as a penguin rookery. visit to Dumont d'Urville to examine the Originally the Greenpeace expected to present status of the 1100m all-weather arrive off Cape Hallett early on February airstrip which France began to build in 18 and spend a whole day examining the 1982-83. Direct work on the strip was deserted base but it had to stand out to sea suspended for three seasons, but construc until late on February 19. On February 20 tion began again this summer, and Green it was in Willett Cove, a sheltered cove in peace was concerned about the effect of side Edisto Inlet near Hallett Station. It had the work on Adelie and Emperor penguin 298 Vol 11 No. 7/12 Antarctic colonies and the breeding sites of other Base in 1988-89. A medical doctor, a radio seabirds. technician, a diesel electric generator mechanic and a biologist will be required from September Footnote: Greenpeace has already called for this year to March 1990. four volunteers who will winter at World Park Australians climb Mt Minto

Four Australian climbers and a two-man men departed, five on skis and one driving film crew completed the first ascent of Mt. the skidoo which towed the sledges. They Minto (4165m) in the Admiralty Mountains made good progress and camped at the of Northern Victoria Land on February 18 head of Edisto Inlet for the night. The next and returned to their base camp at the foot day they started the crossing of Football of the peak on February 19. Leader of the Saddle, the broad pass on the ridge be party was a geologist, Greg Mortimer, who tween Edisto Inlet and the Tucker Glacier, was in the Australian team which climbed which offers an all-snow route to the lower Mt. Everest in 1984. end of the glacier. By the end of February With Mortimer were three mountaineers, 4 they were 32 km from the ship. Jonathan Chester, Lincoln Hall and Lyall Greg Mortimer sent Chester and Hilton Closs, and the film crew, Chris Hilton and back to pick up more fuel for the skidoo Dr Glen Singleman. The six men of the and other items on February 6. They spent Australian Bicentennial Antarctic Expedi the night on the ship which motored them tion sailed from Sydney on December 31 the next morning almost to the head of the in the Oceanic Research Foundation Bay. The pair then started back to a base research vessel Dick Smith Explorer, now camp on the glacier some 30km further renamed Allan and Vi Thistlethwayte after away. The next stage was the difficult ice a generous supporter of the venture. The climb rising more than 300m up the AVT carried a crew of five, four men and Tucker Glacier and then in by the Man- one woman headed by Don Richards o-war glacier to reach the south side of Mt. (master/radio operator), who has made Minto and put in a base camp for the final two earlier Antarctic voyages. assault. After a 33-day voyage, mostly under When ice to which the AVT was sail, the AVT arrived off Cape Hallett at 2 moored started to break up and move out a.m. local time on February 1. When she on February 6 the ship motored out to reached 69deg 42min S the ship was wards the Edisto Inlet entrance and into caught in thick pack ice and had to motor good sheltered water. The original plan through it from January 28 until January was for the AVT to sail out of Edisto Inlet 30. She was stuck for two days and broke and remain in the Ross Sea area away free at noon on January 30. But there was from ice until the climbers returned to their open water off Cape Hallett, and the AVT shore base but, concerned about condi was able to motor into Edisto Inlet, tions, the Captain asked the master of escorted by 40 to 50 fin whales, and tie up Greenpeace if the ship's helicopters could to a sheer ice shelf close to land and the recover the team which had lost its motor now uninhabited US/NZ base. toboggan and was slowing its retreat. The All hands worked through the early operation which took five trips, began at hours to unload the climbing party's gear 6.10 am on February 23 and was com and stores. The sun was out all day, and pleted by mid-day, the climbers were by February 2 the sledges, two large and transferred from the helicopter pad on one small, had been put together, and the Greenpeace to the AVT by inflatable skidoo assembled. boats. The AVT returned to Sydney via On February 3 at 4 p.m. local time the Christchurch. 299 Vol. 11 No. 7/12 Trans-Antarctic crossing planned for 1990 The first west-east axis traverse of Antarc of North and South America to Hope Bay tica was announced in the United States at the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. From late in 1987. It is planned for 1989/90. there, on August 15 of 1989, the dogsled Six explorers from different countries will traverse will begin, the team being due at use dogs in the operation which will be the the South Pole by December 15 before first unmechanised crossing of the conti crossing the area of Inaccessibility, and nent, involves the building of a special heading via Vostock, to the Soviet coastal support vessel and has a budget of $US8 base of Mirnyy where it is due to arrive on million. March 1, 1990. It will be met by the vessel The 5,000 mile, seven month traverse is and returned to the States. due to begin in August of 1989 and end in Minnesotan Will Steger (43) and French March 1990. The team will sail south in adventurer Jean-Louis Etienne (41) are the their specially designed sailing vessel cur joint leaders of the expedition, first mooted rently under construction at a small ship at a chance meeting in the Arctic in 1986. yard south of Paris. It is 120 feet long, 30 Steger was leading a successful dog sled feet wide and has a 16mm thick walnut expedition to the North Pole to which shaped aluminium hull designed to overide Etienne was skiing alone. and crush the ice. She has two masts, a They will be accompanied by Victor 365 hp motor, will have a crew of eight Boyarski, a Russian glaciologist with the and is costing $US2 million. Arctic and Antarctic Institute in Leningrad, With the traverse team and 50 dogs the who has had extensive Antarctic ex UAP, as she will be called, after her spon perience and will be in charge of the scien sor, a French insurance company, is due tific experiments in glaciology, meteorolo to leave Duluth, Minnesota in the spring of gy, ozone and radiation planned during 1989 on a journey which will take them the expedition. through the Great Lakes, down the coast Other members of the team are likely to

Prior to leading a successful expedition to the North Pole in 1986 Will Steger's achievements included first ascents in the Peruvian Andes of two peaks over 19.000ft and 10.000 miles of kayaking on the MacKenzie. Peace and Yukon Rivers. From 1973 to 1986. following three years of teaching at the Minnesota Outward Bound School. Steger operated a winter travel school out of Ely. Minnesota. He currently owns and operates a dog breeding and training camp in norther Minnesota from which the dogs to be used in the expedition will be drawn.

In 1986 Dr Jean-Louis Etinenne became the first Frenchman to reach the North Pole at the end of a solo skiing adventure. A physician specialising in sports medicine and nutrition he has completed nine major expeditions since 1975. These include two in Patagonia, a sailing/climbing venture on the northwest coast of Greenland and two in the Himalaya's. Having sailed as a crew member in the 1976 Tall ships race and in the 1977-8 round the world race he has overseen the construction of the specially designed vessel for the Trans-Antarctic Expedition. He will also be the team's physi- Vol 11 No. 7/12 Antarctic be Geoff Somers from Northern England, Zealand Antarctic Research Programme. who has spent 36 consecutive months on The team was due to leave St Paul, the Antarctic Peninsula working with the Minnesota, on April 10 for Greenland British Antarctic Survey; Keizo Funatsu where it is to train for three months. Using from Osaka, Japan, who has spent four a chartered flight they will take 30 dogs to years training with dog teams in the United Narssarssuaq where they will be transferred States and Martyn Williams, a Canadian to the ice cap 50 miles north by helicopter who runs Adventure Network Interna on April 16 to make a 2000 mile traverse tional, an Antarctic tourist operation and across the ice arriving at the Humboldt guides in the Yukon for the rest of the Glacier area on June 20. After three year. weeks they will be resupplied by Twin Ot Dogs and expedition members have ter flying out of Nook on the eastern coast been training at Ely, Minnesota Base of Greenland. Camp under the direction of Steger who A French film crew accompanying the owns and operates a dog breeding and team for the start of the training run will be training camp. Some of the dogs used in collected at the same time; they are the expedition may be descendents of the preparing a series of five separate Scott Base huskies flown to Minnesota in documentaries, the first to be filmed of February 1986 after a decision to withdraw The proposed route of the 1990 international them from active involvement in the New Trans-Antarctica expedition.

AtlanGc Ocean Indian Ocean

90»W 90'E

Amundsen Sea

Pacific Ocean

1990 International Trans-Antarctica Route

Kilometers 0 5 0 0 1 0 0 0 b=^H^^ Reprinted with permission from the 180» St. Paul Pioneer Press Dispatch

301 Antarctic Vol.11 No. 7/12 training in North Minnesota, a second of the expedition and will be preparing Will Steger, followed by Greenland, Ant newsbriefs during the next two and a half arctica and a combination of all after the years and hope to do the first live broad expedition. ABC has bought the rights to cast from Antarctica.

90 Degree South ship for sale

Aurora, the former Norwegian Arctic sealer writing of the story of the expedition. The and research vessel Polaris V which took Norwegian version of "Toward 90 Degrees the 90 Degrees South Expedition from South" (Mot 90 Grader Syld) is about 250 Lyttelton to the Bay of Whales and pages long and has 42 colour and 10 black brought Dr Monica Kristensen and her and white photographs, and three maps. companions back after their unsuccessful Publication in Norway and Denmark was attempt to reach the South Pole, is up for planned for October. The Norwegian price sale. The expedition has been unable to is expected to be 238 kroner ($NZ55 retain the ship and she is now in Oslo har plus). British and Swedish editions are bour. planned for the northern spring of 1988. Vangen, the expedition's logistic base near Kingsvinger in Norway, has been An hour long documentary film of the maintained. It serves as a home for the 16 expedition was made in conjunction with huskies the expedition still owns. Most of the National Geographic Society and BBC the others have been returned to their Channel 4. Three members of a British film unit were aboard the Aurora on her previous owners. Vangen has also been a useful base for reorganising all the equip first voyage south and returned to Lyttel ment brought back by the Aurora, and ton with 25,000 ft of film. such activities as cataloguing and classify Arrangements were made for the first ing the 10,000 slides taken on the expedi screenings of the film in the United States tion. on October 18 and in Britain the week Since her return to Oslo, Dr Kristensen before Christmas. It is also to be shown by has included in her responsibilities the Norwegian TV.

Profile: U.S. artist visits McMurdo Sound The U.S. National Science Foundation, which manages and oversees all Ameri can studies in Antarctica, has in the last ten years invited a number of artists, photographers and writers to visit various United States Antarctic bases and in terpret the experience using their particular medium. Their choice for the 1987-88 season was Alan Campbell who was selected because of his level of experience and the emphasis of colour and light in his paintings.

Campbell received his Bachelor of Fine "What in your background equipped you Arts with Honours from the University of for this last season's work?" Georgia in 1973, completed his M.F.A. "Since I gave up teaching ten years ago there in 1976 and studied further at the I have undertaken a number of fulltime University of California at Berkeley and in commissions for individuals and corpora Cortona, Italy. In this special interview tions and have completed several "Antarctic" asked Alan: documentary series of paintings about a 302 Vol 11 No. 7/12 number of special places. Five years ago I to the National Science Foundation, I was became involved in a project for the Sea encouraged to apply and was subsequently Grant Programme from the University of accepted." Georgia. I spent two weeks on board a "Which Antarctic painters did you study?" deep sea research vessel observing aspects "From the historical perspective Edward of fisheries research and produced a series Wilson and Herbert Ponting did some of of works relating to the experience. It was the best work that has probably ever been a wonderful collaboration." done down there, with Wilson so "What interested you in Antarctica?" noteworthy for his watercolours. Others "About two years ago I saw a series of did good on-site personal paintings of photographs of Antarctica and immediately sledging through storms, ships and early realised that here was an opportunity to expeditions. More recently I have met combine my interest in science with my Austen Deans and seen Maurice Conly's documentary work and my longtime inter works and 1 hope to be in touch with three est in colour and light." contemporary Australian artists sent down "Of all aspects of art what created this the previous season through the Australian emphasis for you?" programme. They are planning an ex "The study of J. M. W. Turner and the hibition at the National Museum at French impressionists certainly come to Canberra next year. David Smith is an mind. The American artists Winslow English painter who has been down with Homer and Edward Hopper also figure BAS; his work is also of interest." very strongly in this influence. For some "Why art and not photography?" time I have had an increasing interest in "They are two quite different mediums. the abstract qualities in nature in both ar Each serves its own purpose and neither chitectural and landscape forms, plus one substitutes well for the other. For a lot adopting a documentary interpretive ap of accurate information to be obtained proach to a given subject. I felt that ail of quickly a camera is certainly better than a these different aspects, plus the experience paintbrush but if you want interpretation, with another science group could be drawn the manipulation, editing, selective use of together by working in Antarctica." colour, and are dealing in abstract ideas — "What impact did the photographs have?" painting is most often stronger in those "The first photographs I saw of Antarc areas. To some extent photography copes tica hit me like a brick. I remember being but the latitude is greater in painting. For stunned by the sight of an iceberg like a huge piece of marble glowing deep red in a blue black ocean. The light, colour and the highly abstract qualities of the Antarctic landscape were a pow erful motivation and a direct link to my ex perience as an artist. I also have quite a lot of science in my back ground from studies at university level even though I don't work professionally in science areas at all. However when I wrote Antarctic Vol. 11 No. 7/12

example there are limitations in the range looked 15 minutes walk and finding that it of colours possible in photographic dyes; was a good three hours distant and then the sensitivity of the human eye is much only eight feet high! greater. I am trained as a painter, I do a "Time and geological change was also lot of photography but the options are more vast than I thought; what is a 75 to much greater in painting as to what I can 100 year lifetime in the context of a place say and how well I can say it. I also feel I millions of years old? have a much greater range of choices and "The influence of 24 hour sunlight was ways of responding to them. To me it is a unexpected; the best time to work was much more successful way of conveying about 12 until 3 in the morning. Back in feelings about a place, to individual people New Zealand I am still having trouble so that they share some of the experience. sleeping on a regular schedule. I am still It is very hard in photography to reach re-adjusting. below the surface appearance of things. I "I didn't anticipate the strange surreal prefer not to exhibit any of the photo qualities such as the dead silence where graphs except for references as to where the site was." you can hear the blood moving through your ears, and where the senses of smell "How did your Antarctic experience tie in and hearing on which we normally rely are with your general philosophy towards so suppressed. The mirage effects too were painting?" quite startling; I have a photograph of a "In being able to translate an ex C130 under a second floating upside down perience; I was given enough time to get above it at Williams field!" far enough into the subject and place, for it to become more than a superficial ex "What technical difficulties did the en perience and for me to be able to translate vironment pose?" that experience to people who may not "I was used to operating much faster; it have any direct contact with it at all. Being took time to come to terms with the idea able to take these images back to the that everything took so much effort and States, show them to people who have energy. For example to operate in the area never been to Antarctica and watch their of McMurdo Sound you are very depen reaction will be, quite an important stage in dent on helicopter schedules and these in the project. turn are dependent on the weather. This "Antarctica is one of the few places I all created a sense of urgency. have worked where I had no previous ex "Once actually on location the weather perience and yet could be excited about still played a factor. In extreme conditions, going to paint without feeling like a tour I relied on the use of a nylon dome tent ist." with a perspex window to combat freezing "Any preconceptions about Antarctica?" temperatures with the watercolours. It "I talked to enough scientists to be able worked wonderfully. to anticipate the tremendous ranges of col "Planning was always essential. For ex our and light and knew it was not all white ample, we had two and a half hours on like most people think. I also knew bliz the Canada Glacier for the ice caves and zards did not blow every day non stop and had to be able to plan ahead to set up that there would be surprisingly mild con immediately and be prepared to do what ditions. was practical for that amount of time." "I certainly expected places to be closer "Why watercolours?" together and to be able to cover more of "Well it didn't seem that lifting wet oil the continent than I did. The scale was paintings in and out of helicopters would much larger than I ever imagined, both in be a great social success! Seriously though, physical geography and mental percep the decision to use watercolour in a place tions. In a place like the Wright Valley it like Antarctica, even with the possibilities really hit home seeing something that of employing it in freezing temperatures, 304 Vol 11 No. 7/12 Antarctic was a strategic success. It is a very light "As for other sites we were in and out weight, very portable medium. Also it dries of places like Marble Point, the Koettlitz very rapidly. Just the character of the Glacier, Miers Valley — some very brief medium itself which is ideally suited to the stays of an hour or two but they still gen subject. Watercolour is THE' medium for erated enough ideas for painting. Some very spontaneous work. In terms of cap more extended stays were at Vanda for turing qualities of light it often exceeds oils, ten days. Cape Royds for four, and three particularly when working quickly. Also it at Cape Evans, in and around Scott Base is probably the medium I am most at home and McMurdo, up Castle Rock and Arrival with even though I have painted with oils Heights and then out at Cape Crozier for a for twice as long. The fact that it adjusted short trip: I also forfeited a trip to the so well in conjunction with the dome tent South Pole in order to travel up to Cape relieved me from needing any other Hallett for three days with the icebreaker, medium. including Terra Nova Bay briefly. And 1 "I was happy to put the whole initial was in Adelie Land — at the site of 321 — round of work in watercolour and will build the day they flew it out after 17 years on up larger watercolours up to 10 feet long the ice. There was one additional flight in addition to large oil paintings from the down to the Nicholson Peninsula to pick initial water colour studies." up an American science team." "Were these works completed on site?" "Who chose the locations?" "All but about three or four were finish "They were recommended by NSF. ed on site and only one in the exhibit was American scientists, the Navy helicopter done from photographs; that was the flight pilots and by some people at Scott Base. out of Adelie Land with 321. Everything Scientists who I talked to and explained else was done entirely on location." what I was doing gave very clear recom "Why was that so important to you?" mendations about places that had unique "Because there is a greater range of landscape features such as in the dry subtleties of colour, texture and detail that valleys. And the helicopter pilots who were the human eye can pick up. Even the best constantly flying about and knew the most photographs can't really capture such col accessible locations became very eager and ours as I saw there. Also there is some supportive. thing about the spirit of the place when Page ofthe artists notebook. you are there. It will be quite abstract to be back in a warm summertime studio in Athens, Georgia and doing paintings about icebergs without feeling the temperatures and the presence of all the landscape. Having been there personally and having taken all my own photographs will help immensely but it will be even more help to have worked as much as possible on loca tion." "How many different locations did you visit, how long were you there?" "I visited four sites in the dry valleys: Vanda Station, Linneaus Terrace near the ice falls in the Wright Valley, back around the Taylor Valley on a promintory at Lake Bonney adjacent to the upper Taylor Glacier and on the lower end of the Taylor Valley at Lake Fryxell and the Canada Glacier. Antarctic Vol. 11 No. 7/12

"I was covering and learning as much as imagery used; these are important con possible and had to try and rely on other cerns. Landsat photographs, montage, the people's experiences and bring them into collage practices of juxtaposing photo the project. Actually using other peoples' graphic and handmade images, the use of knowledge and eyes and ears rather than charts and graphs of computer images, all just looking at maps became quite impor of these methods offer possibilities." tant." "Aside from watercolours and 35mm did "What dominated your selection of subject you utilise any other medium?" material?" "I took ten hours of video which have "Light and colour. There is obviously a undergone some preliminary editing but it lot of landscape and yet some of the has no narrative type quality as yet. It is paintings to be produced back in the States barely beyond a private subject listing at will have quite a few figures in them; peo this stage. I may do something with it but ple in various situations and settings. There in the meantime it is good reference mate are not too many people or figures in this rial for some of the artwork and some of initial selection of work but there will be in the presentations and talks that will be the later exhibits. They are there in the given." sketch books and in the slides. There was "What happens next?" such a breadth of material to cover in Ant "My exhibition schedule in the States arctica that this (exhibition) is just the first starts in September of this year. Six exhibi round of preliminary work." tions are planned at present and they run "Will subsequent work be impressions or all the way through summer of 1989; three will it follow the photographs very close- in the State of Georgia, followed by one in ly?" Washington DC, and in February/March "I will try to capture some of the multi of next year the first sites of a tour through ple impressions of the place; I hope that museums starting at Tennessee and Los some of the work does become more Angeles. abstract. I want to take some of the images "We hope to put together two more on of science and put them into more of the the west coast; one in San Francisco and work. The only example of this in the ex one in Seattle. This is important because hibit are the drawings and small water col there is a lot of support for the icebreakers our that were done on the meteorological and the helicopter squadron in these areas. and science graph papers. "Also we hope to be able to exhibit in "You have to realise of course that this Australia and England and maybe have is somewhat nebulous conversation. We return exhibits in New Zealand. Incidently are talking about things that don't exist one of the exhibitions in the States is going yet. I don't know what they are going to to be a combined show with former look like exactly, but yes I have ideas. For astronaut Alan Bean featuring his paintings example I am quite excited about the idea of the moon. We have talked about the of taking photographs of actual artwork, possibility of turning that into a larger and processing them through computers, schedule to take the idea of juxtaposing producing a new generation of images in Antarctica and the moon into an extensive slightly altered technological forms and tour." then actually drawing or painting over that. "And after that?" I want to mix the two disciplines of art and "Maybe write a book and reproductions science and to actually introduce the im of the paintings. Although artists, writers agery of science into some of the paintings and photographers do not normally go because that is so much what Antarctica is down for more than a season the subject all about. The presence and activities of certainly demands serious treatment and I people; the blending of science and tech am prepared to show a commitment for nology into the artwork to where it will the next four or five years. Yes I would actually be visible in some of the types of very much like to go again." 306 Vol 11 No. 7/12 Antarctic

Obituaries: Death at 99 William Burton: last of Scott's men Scott's last man, William Burton, who died in Christchurch on the morn ing of February 15 only a few weeks before his 100th birthday, made a modest but lasting contribution to the Heroic Age of Antarctic exploration in his three years with the 1910-13 expedition. He was only 22 when he joined the Terra Nova from H.M.S. Indomitable but his reliability, re sourcefulness and capacity for hard work in the engine room or wherever he was needed were recognised by his commanding officers and his ship mates, most of whom were Royal Navy men. William Burton lived in New Zealand for William Williams, R.N., engineer of the 67 years after he left the Royal Navy with Terra Nova, asked the Indomitable's the rank of chief petty officer. When the engineer-commander if he could recom last member of Scott's shore party, Tryg- mend three leading hands prepared to gve Gran, died in 1980 Bill Burton was discard their ratings and join the expedition alone with his memories. as firemen. Bill Burton, who had been This quiet and independent 99 year old promoted to stoker first class before he left was a Londoner and proud of it. He was the Acheron, was one of the lucky ones born in Limehouse on April 7, 1888, and lived in Camberwell. His mother died when he was four. When he was eight, he and his sister were sent to a school at books, diaries and letters of Sco Clifton in North Wales where they had to board while their father and uncle were in Wilson, Bowers, Teddy Evam Venezuela engaged on a railway construc Cherry-Garrard and Scott biographiei These accounts do not mention all th tion job. As Bill was ready to leave before 32 officers and men in the ship's parti, his father returned, the school was respon sible for finding him a job. they do help us to understand what meant to serve below decks in a coa For two years he was a farmer's pupil or fired ship more than 75 years ago. M labourer. He wanted to be a farmer and to earn more money worked in a coalmine. greatest debt is to Bill Burton himsel He was always happy to talk of the oi Finally he decided to join the Royal Navy. On January 13, 1908, Bill Burton sign oh informal occasions. I < I also to Robin Burton, who , ed on for 12 years. His first ship was ' some of his grandfather's mei H.M.S. Acheron and he was entered as a stoker second class. After five months he In more detail, and Dr Da' Williams, of the British * spent about two weeks at H.M.S. Pem broke, shore base of the Chatham Division and then joined the 17,250-tonne battle cruiser, H.M.S. Indomitable. She had been chosen to join the crew of Scott's last ex completed early in 1908, carried a crew of pedition. On 3 May. 1910. he joined the 750, and could steam at 26 knots. Terra Nova one month before she sailed It was while he was serving in Indomita for New Zealand. He retained his navy pay ble that Chief Engine-Room Artificer and remained on the books of H.M.S. Vol. 11 No. 7/12

President, shore base of the London Divi Burton's own words "she would roll on sion, for the whole of his three years' Ant grass". Another bad habit was her persis arctic service. tent leaking. After a rousing send-off from Cardiff on After South Trinidad the Terra Nova en June 15 the expedition faced a long countered rough weather on the way to voyage through the tropics to the Cape by the Cape of Good Hope and did not reach way of Madeira and the remote island of the Simonstown Naval Base until August South Trinidad in the South Atlantic. Built 15. Scott had been waiting anxiously for in 1884 the former whaler was a slow ship her arrival, having been in Capetown since with steam and not much better under sail August 2 trying to persuade wealthy South as well. She was heavy on coal, and in Bill Africans to contribute to the expedition's Vol 11 No. 7/12 Antarctic funds. Although the response was disap place in Christchurch for picnics and pointing South Africa was hospitable and entertainment. It escaped while being exer members of the expedition were able to cised. enjoy some time ashore after nearly nine Port Chalmers was the Terra Nova's last weeks at sea. port of call. The over-burdened ship sailed Bill Burton spent part of his leave in on November 29. On the night of Capetown and like others in the crew was December 1 she ran into a furious storm regally entertained. He went ashore first which lasted until early on December 3 with Lashly and Crean, and with the and almost brough her to the brink of Bo's'un Alf Cheetham visited Groote disaster. Scott, Evans, Wilson, Bowers and Schurr, once the home of Cecil Rhodes at Cherry-Garrard gave their versions in Rondebosch on the outskirts of the city. diaries, letters and books. All accounts When the two men returned to their praised the desperate efforts of scientists ship Bill Burton was carrying a squirrel and crew to save the ship but few names given to him as a pet by some children. It were mentioned. was still aboard when the expedition left Below decks, at the height of the storm, Simon's Bay on September 2, and re Bill Burton, now an assistant engineer, and mained below decks with other pets until his shipmates toiled to keep the engines the Terra Nova reached Lyttelton on going at slow speed while the Terra Nova October 28. was swept by huge waves and rolled in cessantly. More and more water poured into the ship and the pumps began to clog Leak with a mixture of coal dust and oil in the To everyone in the expedition Lyttelton bilges. meant another four weeks of hard work and also enjoyment of New Zealand hos Desperate straits pitality. The first task was to dry-dock the Early on the morning of December 2 Terra Nova to find and stop the leak which Williams reported that his pumps were had plagued her since Cardiff. Then all the choked and could not cope. He and stores had to be landed, sorted and Lashly, working up to their necks in water, restowed when the ship came out of dock. cleared and re-cleared the pump suction When the Terra Nova sailed for Port boxes but the water beat them and started Chalmers on November 26 her upper to put the fires out. When dawn broke the deck, according to Lieutenant Teddy Terra Nova was in desperate straits with Evans, resembled a floating farmyard with much of the lee bulwarks torn away, leav ponies, dogs and rabbits. In 1922 when ing the decks open for the sea to pour in. Apsley Cherry-Garrard wrote "The Worst In the next 24 hours men worked in Journey in the World", he remembered two-hour shifts to bail the ship out with the rabbits and added squirrel and Persian buckets, forming a chain up from the kittens to the pets aboard the ship. Evans, engine room, and one watch manned the who wrote "South with Scott" in 1921 hand pump which, although choked, dis also referred to these animals. charged a small stream of water. While the Both men no doubt remembered Bill bucket brigade and hand pumpers worked Burton bringing his squirrel aboard the hour after hour the chief engineer and the Terra Nova at Simonstown, but unlike ship's carpenter, Francis Davies began the Crean's rabbits it did not multiply on the task of cutting a hole in an iron bulkhead voyage to Lyttelton. Some of the rabbits to reach the hand and pump suction reached Cape Evans and although popular boxes. The job had to be done with hand accounts of the expedition have often drills and chisels and took hours. Bill Bur referred to squirrels it never sailed. Bill ton was part of the team which finished its Burton entrusted it to the Johnson family vital work by 10 p.m. There was room who ran fishponds and gardens, a popular enough then for Evans, Bowers, Davies 309 Antarctic Vol. 11 No. 7/12 and one of the biologists Teddy Nelson, to rival until February 18. In spite of his climb through into the hold and wriggle engine room responsibilities Bill Burton along to the pump-well. was able to go ashore. Campbell's men Evans and his men spent two hours sheltered in one of Borchgrevink's huts bringing up buckets of coal dust and oil while their own was erected, and Bill Bur balls which had choked the pump suction ton was called on to get the stove going. It boxes. By 4 a.m. on December 3 the hand was already operational when he arrived pump was gaining on the water, and five so he had an excuse to stretch his legs on hours later fires were lit and the engineers shingly Ridley Beach. and stokers were able to raise steam. The Pennell left Cape Adare on February 20. weather moderated, the sun came out and Two days later some snow-capped moun the Terra Nova was underway again. tains, and then more peaks and lower land After the storm and stress Bill Burton were sighted west of North Cape. This and his shipmates had three weeks of relief new land was christened Oates Land. from raging seas in the comparative silence Pennell tried for several days to get closer of the pack ice until they reached open to the new land but could not break water. The Terra Nova was off Cape through the barrier of pack ice. The ship Evans on January 4, 1911, and in eight was held up on March 2 and did not clear days of intense activity day and night the pack until March 8. The next fortnight everything was ashore, and the shore party was spent coping with heavy weather and moved into the hut on January 17. trying to gain a favourable wind which As Lieutenant Evans joined the shore came at last and the Terra Nova reached party the navigator Lieutenant Harry Pen Lyttelton on April 1. nell assumed command of the Terra Nova Refit and Bill Burton began a series of cruises For three months the ship underwent a which are part of polar history. thorough refit at Lyttelton. In the winter ar In the last week of January the Terra rangements were made with the New Nova headed eastward to land the Eastern Zealand Government for the Terra Nova to Party, led by Lieutenant Victor Campbell, do surveying work around the Three Kings which was to explore King Edward VII Islands and between the group and the Land. Heavy pack ice prevented a land extreme north of New Zealand. The ship ing, and the ship turned back. On January was away from July 10 until October 10, 31 she steamed into a deep bay which and in the next months those on board proved to be the Bay of Whales and the were fully occupied with preparations for next morning one of the scientists saw a the second voyage. ship anchored to the sea ice. It was the This time the ship's cargo included Fram. seven mules given to Scott by the Indian Government to enable him to do further Amundsen exploration in the second year, and 14 Bill Burton saw Amundsen and two of Siberian dogs of Vladivostock. Loaded his officers arrive for lunch on the Terra with relief stores for Cape Evans the Terra Nova. Later he was in a party of officers Nova departed at daybreak on December and men who met the Norwegians, in 15. spected their ship, and said goodbye. The Fine weather and a smooth sea made Terra Nova was back at Cape Evans on the first days more pleasant than those of February 8 and Pennell left a note for the previous summer. The engine worked Scott at Hut Point telling of Amundsen's without a hitch, the mules were able to plans. Then he headed north to land move in their stalls, and the dogs were Campbell's men, now the Northern Party, given a daily run around the upper deck. at Cape Adare where Borchgrevink's ex By December 28 the ship was held up in pedition had wintered in 1899. Pack ice heavy pack, but conditions improved, and and a four day gale delayed the ship's ar the ice was left behind early on January 1. 310 Vol 11 No. 7/12 Antarctic

On the morning of January 3 the Terra Evans was at Hut Point seriously ill and Nova met heavy pack near Cape Adare, should be taken off at once. The gale and Robertson Bay was full of ice. By 7 came on again and Atkinson and his party p.m. the next day Campbell and his party, could not bring Evans aboard until the their specimens and all necessary stores early hours of February 28. were on board. The ship had to work There were still 19 tons of stores to land through more pack to reach Terra Nova at Cape Evans. Everyone on shore and Bay, and could not land the Northern aboard pitched in when the ship arrived, Party near Evans Cove until January 8. and the stores were landed in the boats Four days later the ship arrived off between 2 a.m. and 7.30 a.m. on Febru Beaufort Island to find heavy pack barring ary 29. Pennell headed north again to the entrance to McMurdo Sound. Nothing reach Campbell's party but conditions of could be done until February 4 when the Terra Nova Bay were no better. The pack ship was off Cape Barne. In the next two was impenetrable so on the morning of days two miles of ice went out in a gale, March 3 the ship returned to Cape Evans and at last the Terra Nova was secured to put Atkinson ashore (Evans had needed alongside fast ice and safe ice between her medical care for a few days) and embark and Cape Evans. The dogs were put men going home. Shortly after 10 p.m. ashore, the mules were hoisted out the the ship turned north the third time for next morning and the crew began the ar Terra Nova Bay. She had to force her way duous task of unloading tonnes of stores through thickening ice past Cape Bird and and the slow sledge journeys nearly three found conditions had grown even worse miles across the sea ice to Cape Evans off Terra Nova Bay. On March 7 the ex began. tent of the pack forced Pennell to turn On February 14 ice started breaking up north as there was no chance of reaching and did not go out so the Terra Nova the party that season. crossed to Butter Point to pick up the geological party. In their report of the Storm raged ship's three Antarctic voyages, Evans and For a fortnight the Terra Nova's voyage Pennell described the 1911-12 season as a was relatively uneventful. It blew hard be hard one in many ways for the engine tween March 21 and 25, and on the night room personnel, and said they never failed of March 24 a severe storm raged — the the ship in any of her difficulties which most severe encountered by the ship dur started soon after picking up the geological ing her whole commission. Two days' party. The four men could not be landed calm followed. At daybreak on April 1 the at Cape Evans so the ship turned north for ship entered Akaroa Harbour to dispatch the first attempt to pick up Campbell's telegrams with the season's news. She party. For four days the Terra Nova tried berthed at Lyttelton on April 3. to make her way through heavy pack, her Refitting of the ship was hurried as much progress not helped by heavy snow and a as possible and arrangements were made storm which lasted two days. On February for a ship's party of 13 including officers to 23 she was caught in the pack and had to survey Admiralty Bay in the Marlborough struggle for four hours to turn, finally Sounds during the winter. Three men re escaping 26 hours later. mained aboard the Terra Nova as ship- keepers. Bill Burton and his best friend Evans ill Robert Brissenden, were in the party which Conditions were not much better when boarded at an accommodation house near the ship headed for Cape Evans to embark French Pass and worked from motor laun those going home. A strong southerly wind ches in the bay. This work lasted from made it difficult to approach and when a June 10 to October 15 when the party had boat was sent ashore on the night of Feb to return to Lyttelton to prepare for the last ruary 25 Pennell was told that Lieutenant relief voyage. On August 17 Brissenden 311 Antarctic Vol.11 No. 7/12

was drowned. He was buried on the 23 the ship began to punch her way hillside overlooking the bay and a marble through heavy pack ice to reach Terra cross was erected to his memory. Nova Bay. By 3 a.m. on January 25 she Bill Burton's final voyage south in the had worked through the ice near Camp Terra Nova began when the ship left Lyt bell's winter quarters. A depot of geologi telton at 5 a.m. on December 14, 1912. cal specimens left behind in 1912 was She ran into heavy weather on December picked up, and the rest of the expedition 17 and on December 26 passed the first inspected the ice cave where the Northern iceberg of the voyage. Party had spent the 1912 winter. Very Hopes of an almost ice-free voyage to early on January 26 the Terra Nova left the Ross Sea were not realised. The Terra the ice-guarded coast of Victoria Land and Nova, now commanded by Lieutenant by evening was virtually in the open Ross Evans, who had recovered from his bad Sea. She ran into heavy weather on Feb attack of scurvy, had a tremendous strug ruary 2 and was beset by icebergs. gle to get into the Ross Sea at all. She entered the pack on December 30, having Oamaru fought her way for more than 400nm, and Eight days later at 3 a.m. the ship was not clear of the ice until January 16, reached Oamaru. Pennell and Atkinson 1913. went ashore with Scott's dispatch for cir On the morning of January 18 the ship culation to the world. The Terra Nova re rounded Cape Barne and steamed towards mained at sea until February 12 when she returned to Lyttelton with flags at half- Cape Evans, anchoring off the beach. The shore party gave three cheers and the mast. Seventy-five years later the ship's White Ensign covered Bill Burton's coffin ship's company replied. Then Campbell shouted back to Evans Scott and his party at the funeral service. had died on the way back from the Pole. One month after her sad homecoming For the next 30 hours the Terra Nova the Terra Nova began the voyage back to remained at anchor off Cape Evans. All England under Pennell's command. hands worked through the night and in 24 Crossing the Southern Ocean north-east hours had packed and transported winds drove her farther south than intend ed and in the last week of March progress specimens, collections and equipment to the ship. A list of food and equipment was towards Cape Horn was marred by fog and thick weather and the presence of made, and the hut cleared up and closed. On January 19 the expedition left Cape several icebergs. But after passing Cape Evans for the last time. A call was made at Horn on April 11 in a strong gale the ship faced a beautiful day on April 12 and then Cape Royds to pick up specimens, and then the ship steamed up McMurdo Sound experienced fine weather all the way to towards Hut Point until stopped by fast ice. England. Bill Burton enjoyed the fine weather, the Sledge party presence of 13 dogs going home as pets of Early on January 20 Atkinson set out various members of the expedition, and with a sledge party of seven men to erect leave in Rio de Janeiro where the Terra the memorial cross on Observation Hill. Nova arrived on April 28 and stayed for Davies built the 9 ft cross of Australian jar- four days to coal and take on fresh food. rah timber and Bill Burton and other Coal trimming was slightly less arduous be members of the ship and shore parties cause a New Zealand volunteer, Mr Gib hauled it by sledge from Cape Evans son Anderson, of Christchurch, had been across the sea ice to Hut Point. taken on for the job. When Atkinson and his party returned After a call at Fayal in the Azores on on the night of January 21 the Terra Nova June 2 so cable messages could be sent headed for Granite Harbour to pick up a home the Terra Nova finally anchored in geological depot. Then early on January Crew Sound, Scilly Islands on June 11. 312 Vol 11 No. 7/12 Antarctic

Two days were spent painting and cleaning sent to a shore hospital. After his discharge up and on June 14 the ship arrived at he was posted first to H.M.S. Pembroke, Cardiff, exactly three years after leaving. then to H.M.S. Wallington, and finally When the Terra Nova came back under back to Chatham on shore duty. two to a London dock Bill Burton did not By 1919 Bill Burton's hearing was no return immediately to the Royal Navy. In better. He was concered he would not July members of the expedition went to hear orders properly and did not want to Buckingham Palace to be honoured for blemish a good service record. So, having their Antarctic service by King George V. spent some time in H.M.S. Gibraltar, the Bill Burton received the Polar Medal in naval shore hospital at Portland, he was silver. Nearly 58 years later he wore the invalided out on October 5, 1920. medal in Christchurch when he was pre When he left the Royal Navy Bill Burton sented to Prince Charles, great-grandson and his wife decided to emigrate to New of King George V. Zealand where he had arranged a job in Bill Burton remained on the books of Christchurch. In 1921 the Burtons and H.M.S. President until September 29, their three children, Lewin, Blanche and 1913. From London he returned to Albert, sailed from Southampton aboard H.M.S. Pembroke at Chatham and was the Waimana, bound for Wellington and promoted to stoker petty officer on then Lyttelton. December 18. In March the next year he There was no job in Christchurch; the married Florence Cott who had waved firm had gone into liquidation. Bill Burton goodbye to him in 1910. They lived at worked as a painter until he found a job Gillingham, Kent, which was close enough with the Christchurch Tramway Board. He for Bill Burton to walk from the base when was with the board as a welder for 27 his ship was in port. years. Three months before Britain declared war on Germany Bill Burton was at sea Antarctic Society aboard H.M.S. Lowestoft, a brand-new As the 67 New Zealand years passed Bill 5400-tonne light cruiser built at Chatham. Burton became an honoured and well- He served in her at the Dogger Band and loved member of a community with Ant arctic interests which was more aware than Heligoland Bight actions early in the war. the general public of his part in Scott's ex War service pedition. And his interest in the Antarctic Bill Burton's next two ships were never waned. He joined the New Zealand destroyers. H.M.S. Midge was in a reserve Antarctic Society's Canterbury branch flotilla when the Battle of Jutland was when it was formed in 1955, served on its fought in May, 1916, but took no part in committee, and in 1964 was made a life the action. Bill Burton did not join her until member of the society. the third week of June, and served in her In 1963 the United States Navy took for less than a month. three shipmates, Bill Burton, Mortimer His next posting was to his second McCarthy and William McDonald, back to destroyer, H.M.S. Pellew, in which he Antarctica. As the guests of the Naval served from June 22, 1916 to December Support Force Commander, Rear-Admiral 3, 1917. He was promoted to chief petty James R. Reedy, they sailed south as they officer in 1917 and recommended for the had done 53 years earlier. The support Distinguished Service Medal but the ship Arneb took them to Hallett Station lieutenant-commander who was to sign the and McMurdo Station. They visited Scott necessary papers when he returned from Base, the historic huts at Cape Evans, sea duty was killed in action. Cape Royds, and Hut Point, and though Towards the end of the war Bill Burton unable to make the steep climb to the was sent to a hospital ship to have his ears memorial cross were flown over Observa checked. They were so bad that he was tion Hill by helicopter. 313 Antarctic Vol.11 No. 7/12

A New Zealand Federated Mountain lived by himself. He continued to drive his Clubs expedition worked in Northern Vic car until he was 94 and wanted to stay on toria Land during the 1962-63 season and the road but admitted that the car gave up honoured the Terra Nova veterans by giv first. With the loving support of a devoted ing their names to three peaks in the Vic family he maintained his independent way tory Mountains. Mt Burton (2740m) ap of life until he was 97. He went to live in a propriately, like the other peaks, is near rest home early in 1986 and attended his the Trafalgar Glacier. last Antarctic church service when he was After his wife died in 1968 Bill Burton 99. Second Colbeck a navigator with Mawson Two Colbecks, father and son, are re Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chartered membered on maps of Antarctica for their Surveyors and the Institute of Navigation. service to expeditions led by Borchgrevink, Colbeck's father, who died in 1930, was Scott and Mawson. The son, christened a ship's officer when he first went south in William Robinson like his father, died in 1898 as magnetic observer with Bor- Liverpool last year aged 80. chegrevink's expedition which wintered at Colbeck the younger, one of four sons, Cape Adare in 1899. He returned to the joined Scott's old ship Discovery as second Wilson Line and in 1902 was commission officer and navigator with the British, ed as a lieutenant RNR and appointed to Australian and New Zealand Antarctic command the Morning which made two Research Expedition led by Sir Douglas relief voyages to McMurdo Sound during Mawson which discovered Mac. Robertson Scott's 1901-04 National Antarctic Expedi Land, the BANZARE Coast, and Princess tion. Elizabeth Land, and carried out the pre When the Morning returned to England liminary charting of a vast arc of East Ant Colbeck resumed service with the Wilson arctica's coastline in the 1929-30 and Line and eventually became its com 1930-31 summers. modore. He was engaged on "secret" When he joined Discovery at the age of work in the First World War and also at 23 in 1929 Colbeck had served in H.M.S. tained the rank of captain RNR. Later he Sussex as a Royal Naval Reserve sub became marine superintendent of a ship lieutenant. He played a prominent part in ping company in London. navigating and surveying the coastline of what is now known as Australian Antarctic Colbeck Bay (71deg 38min S/170deg 05min E) in the southern part of Robertson Territory. His name was given to the Col beck Archipelago which consists of Bay, Victoria Land, is a reminder of Cap numerous small rocky islets near Byrd tain Colbeck's service with Borchgrevink. Head, Mac. Robertson Land at 67deg Better known is Cape Colbeck (77deg 26min S/60deg 58min E. 07min S/157deg 54min W) at the north After the BANZARE expedition ended west end of Edward VII Peninsula, Marie Colbeck was promoted to first officer for Byrd Land, discovered by Scott's expedi the homeward voyage from Melbourne to tion in January, 1902. England. Later he served in the Merchant Both father and son were awarded the Navy, was engaged in salvage work in Polar Medal for their Antarctic service. But Liverpool during the Second World War, the son was first gazetted in error to re and held the rank of captain RNR when ceive a bar to the medal, the authorities appointed marine surveyor to the Mersey having mistaken him for his father. The er Docks and Harbour Board. He held a ror was quickly rectified, and he received master's degree in engineering and was a the medal in his own right. 314 Vol 11 No. 7/12 Antarctic

Books In the footsteps of Scott by Roger Mear and Robert Swan Johnathan Cape, London 306 pages, route maps, 108 photographs. Size 255 mm d. x 175: ISBN 0-224-01418-3. N.Z. $49.99. Englishmen Robert Scott and Robert Swan Mear handles the task of recording a both set their minds on walking from Ross complicated set of events extremely well. Island to the South Geographic Pole. Like The writing is tight, yet still captures the se Scott some 70 years before, Swan didn't renity and beauty of the Ross Island area, just talk about such an escapade. He went the Beardmore and the Polar Plateau. Im to Antarctica and did it. At the Pole, Scott portantly, Mear has been honest and open found a black flag; for Swan there was an in his descriptions of how team members ignominious flight home that tarnished a related to each other during the winter, personal triumph. while re-enacting the "Worst Journey" to In a glorious death for Empire, Scott Cape Crozier and particularly on the Pole created a legend. In Swan's wake, during journey. The first winter ascent of Erebus the decade since 1977 when he first by Mear on his own, helps the reader to dreamed up this scheme, remains a tangl interpret Mear's dominant role throughout ed path of vivid experiences embroidered the whole expedition. by friendships formed amid collisions with The appendices on nutrition, physiology, bureaucracy, a sunken vessel and a vast psychology and equipment are valuable debt. comment for future polar work by small In the "Footsteps of Scott", largely groups. Swan, Mear and Wood even sur written by team-member Roger Mear, prise themselves with the efficiency of retraces that adventure, focusing on the manhauling using ultra-modern gear in 1984-86 period in Antarctica. The book cluding fibreglass pulks for long range un takes the readers from expedition origins supported traverses. Mear is the first to with the British Antarctic Survey where decry the use of extra supplies when they Swan and Mear met, through the first meet a U.S. geological team on the winter at Cape Evans, to the main sledging Beardmore Glacier. Such an event shreds journey itself, the dramatic sinking of the the precious feeling of isolation. It also af Southern Quest off Beaufort Island and on fects interpretation of logistic data and to the evacuation to New Zealand by the performance in reaching the Pole with U.S. Antarctic Programme of almost the considerable food and fuel reserves. whole Footsteps' expedition. The colour photographs are graphic. The narrative ends with the final pick-up They capture the immensity and that Swan and Giles Kershaw pulled off in seriousness of the undertaking by con December, 1986. They flew a Twin Otter trasting the insignificance of an individual across the continent from South America in an awesome landscape with the to collect Gareth Wood's team that had punishing ease that the Southern Quest remained for a second winter in the Cape slipped beneath the pack ice. Pictured in Evans Base. Wood ensured the expedition such an environment it is a matter for equipment, including a Cessna Kershaw wonder that such a frail-looking aircraft as originally planned to fly to the Pole, was a Cessna could be able to make the round not souvenired or scattered to the four trip to the Pole and return the trio to Ross winds. Greenpeace finally returned the Island. Footsteps' equipment to New Zealand in The authors are not at odds with gov March, 1987 leaving behind the hut which ernment policy towards private expedi has been incorporated into its World Park tions, merely the way rules were inter base. preted and applied. New Zealand and in 315 Antarctic Vol. 11 No. 7/12 particular U.S. administrators do not come objectives quite distant from government out of the book well at all. Mear is careful operations, the Geographic Pole and its with every word, yet comes across more principal gateway Ross Island, will continue strongly and directly in his criticism of the to be a magnet for adventurers. Inevitably Government approach to the Footsteps' this must lead to interaction with govern repatriation. ment operations and seemingly conflict of Private expeditions in Antarctica can interest. — Colin Monteath only increase. Despite attractive coastal Living Dangerously Ranulph Fiennes Macmillan, London, 1987. 263 pages, 67 colour and 15 black and white plates, maps, diagrams. Size: 250mm d. x 190 w. ISBN 0-333-44417-5. N.Z. $39.95. You would expect a name like Sir Ranulph now seems amusing that this determined Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes to attract an and ingenious group were written off as unusual string of experiences. His amateurs. autobiography 'Living Dangerously' is as 'Living Dangerously' is not a book about complex and exciting as the name. Yes, Transglobe — in fact, only the last two Ran Fiennes is British, with family tradi chapters are dedicated to the expedition. tions stretching back to the ninth century. Polar buffs should already have read Fien (One of his relatives is immortalised in the nes' excellent Transglobe volumes 'Hell on nursery rhyme 'Ride a Cockhorse to Ban Ice' (Hodder and Stoughton 1979) and bury Cross'.) 'To the Ends of the Earth' (Hodder and Despite four adventure books prior to Stoughton 1983). 1979, most New Zealanders had never Ran Fiennes was born and bred a soldier heard of this rather zany Englishman until with deeply rooted family traditions. The January 1981 when Fiennes, with two madcap expeditions described throughout companions drove skidoos toward Scott the bulk of the book, such as parachuting Base. They had just completed the second into remote Norwegian mountains and crossing of Antarctica in a mere 67 days. travelling up the Nile by hovercraft, are Twenty-two thousand New Zealanders from much-needed breaks in his active who flooded through the trade exhibition service with the Sultan of Oman's forces in Auckland will never forget the British against Communist guerillas. Transglobe Expedition. Ruthless desert warfare has a profound Crossing Antarctica is impressive effect on Fiennes and is largely responsible enough, yet I suspect this book would for his eventual full-time occupation as an never have been written is Fiennes and adventurer. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Charlie Burton had not reached the North of his early life in South Africa, hair-brain Pole on their second attempt. During ed schemes during school days at Eton Easter 1982, both men became the first in and in the army. history to have reached both poles by sur In many ways the book is a tribute to face travel. Virginia Pepper, childhood sweetheart, By circling the globe on the Greenwich who became the skilled logistics manager meridian in the course of a single journey, and communications expert throughout the Transglobe encompassed the greatest Transglobe operation. Prince Charles journeys of Shackleton, Amundsen, writes "My admiration for Ran is un Nansen, Franklin, Peary and others. What bounded and thank God he exists. The began as the whimsical idea of Ginny world would be a far duller place without Fiennes', took fully ten years to complete. him". In achieving such a multi-million dollar Fiennes is different, refreshingly so. ambitious goal, essentially without a bank Having already stood the polar world on account (so they couldn't get into debt!), it its ear, I look forward to his next move. C. M. 316 The New Zealand Antarctic Society Inc.,

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