HNjTflRCiTilG A NEWS BULLETIN published quarterly by the NEW ZEALAND ANTARCTIC SOCIETY (INC)

Eight years of exposure to wind and snow on the Polar Plateau have almost completely buried this United States Navy Hercules in the ice of Wilkes Land. It crashed at 68deg 20min S on December 4 1971 when supporting French traverse. The photograph was taken four years after the crash by another French traverse party. . „ Expeditions Polaires Francaises photo

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larsen -f iceShelt. 9 (successor to Antarctic News Bulletin' 96th Issue December, 1979 Editor: J. M. CAFFIN, 35 Chepstow Avenue, Christchurch, 5. Address all contributions, inquiries etc. to the Editor.

CONTENTS! ARTICLES POLISH SUMMER 427-430

POLAR ACTIVITIES NEW ZEALAND 406-409 UNITED STATES 413-418,420,426 UNITED KINGDOM 421-424 WEST GERMANY 409, 425 SOVIET UNION 426

GENERAL DC10 DISASTER 410-412 BYRD ANNIVERSARY 419 CONSERVATION TROPHY 432 THE READER WRITES 430 OBITUARY 431

ISSN 0003-5327 © New Zealand Antarctic Society (Inc) 1978. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any way without the prior permission of the publishers. ANTARCTIC December 1979 NEW ZEALAND FIELD WORK BEGINS New Zealand's Antarctic research programme for 1979-80, which began officially on October 8, was not materially affected by the Air New Zealand DC 10 crash on Mt Erebus last month. Although the resources of Scott Base were concentrated on the search and recovery operation for 10 days, and pressure on base facilities caused one pro ject to be cancelled, and another to be delayed, the first part of the programme was in full swing by the middle of this month. Five days before the DC10 crash, and trying conditions. Lower tem however, early movement of the annual peratures affected the drilling equip sea ice in McMurdo Sound caused the ment, and the drillers were hampered by abandonment of the largest project broken ground under the seafloor, scat undertaken so far — drilling two holes tered boulders in the mud of the glacial into the seafloor to obtain core samples moraine, and cracks in the strata which of sediments which can provide a record prevented proper circulation of mud and of the early history of Antarctic glacia water in the drill hole. tion. Drillers working from an ice plat There was a sudden emergency on form 22km south-east of Marble Point November 16 when the drillers had and 80m west from Scott Base expected reached a depth of 200m. Drilling stop ;lacial strata beneath ped because the drill bit struck soft mud the seafloor at 280m but were forced to and sand which produced continual stop 50m short of the scientists' target. cave-ins of the drill hole. The solution to Because the drilling programme for the problem was found in New Zealand the project known as the McMurdo — a supply of bentonite clay from north Sound Sediment and Tectonic Study had of Christchurch. to be completed early this month while A consignment of 240kg of bentonite, the sea ice was still firm, the second stage which is used in oil drilling operations, ofthe project also had to be abandoned. was sent south by the first Royal New Another hole was to have been drilled Zealand Air Force Hercules flight to An below the seafloor at a site known as tarctica on November 17. The bentonite MSST2, which is 16km into New was taken 80m over the ice from Scott Harbour near the main drilling supply Base to the drill site, and was pumped depot at Rig Point on the mainland. into the drill hole to provide a firm wall Drilling from the rig at MSSTS 1, and enable the drilling to continue which was established on 2m of sea ice, through the sandy layer deep in the began on October 18. Three days later seafloor. the drill bit passed through 194m of water to reach the seafloor. The first DRILL BIT BENT geological core samples were extracted Drilling stopped completely on the next day, and by November 11 the November 23 when an apparent obstruc drill bit was 168m beneath the seafloor. tion was encountered. Inspection re vealed that the drill bit had been bent to five degrees as a result of movement of ICE PLATFORM the sea ice which put the drilling rig plat Living and working on an ice platform form out of alignment with the drill with 194m of water beneath them, the hole. Although the drillers had reached a Ministry of Works drillers encountered depth of 230m the obstruction occurred substantial problems in cold, difficult, only 6m below the surface. December 1979 ANTARCTIC

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One of New Zealand's most remote field parties at the beginning of its research in the Ohio Range of the Horlick Mountains 525km from the South Pole. The United States Navy Hercules which landed the party in the area last month is ready to return to McMurdo Station. Mrs Margaret Bradshaw, leader of the party, is in front of the aircraft with the expedition flag. On the left Graeme Ayres, an Antarctic Division field leader, checks the field radio. Antarctic Division photo. Scientists and drillers at MSSTS1, a to move out from Scott Base to the dry joint project by the Antarctic Division, valleys of Southern Victoria Land, the Victoria University of Wellington, and Ellsworth Mountains, the Ross Ice the Ministry of Works, were disap Shelf, and to a remote field camp in the pointed not to reach their target. But the Ohio Range of the Horlick Mountains data obtained from the 230m core is ex only 525km from the South Pole. They pected to provide much information were transported to their research areas about the development of the Antarctic by United States Navy aircraft and ice sheet, the flora of old Antarctica, helicopters. Other teams in the pro and more recent geological events in the gramme began their research at or from Ross Sea area. The core is older than any Scott Base, and in McMurdo Sound. previous Antarctic geological core, and One of the early parties in the field rock samples brought up during the was the geological expedition led by Mr drilling are estimated to be about 16 R. H. Findlay, of the Antarctic Divi million years old. sion, who left Scott Base on November 1 After the drilling project ended four with two motor toboggans and three drillers remained at the site until early sledges on a two-month journey to the this month. Assisted by members of the Blue Glacier region about 80km west of Antarctic Division staff under the super Ross Island. Its mission was to make a vision of the project manager, Mr Garth* geological analysis of the metamorphic Varcoe, they dismantled the rig and rock in the Blue Glacier region of the other equipment, and transported it Royal Society Range, and to continue across the sea ice of McMurdo Sound to the New Zealand programme of Scott Base. geological mapping of the Ross In the first two months of the new Dependency. season New Zealand field parties started For the first 10 days the expedition ANTARCTIC December 1979 was accompanied by Mr Colin With four tonnes of equipment the Monteath, field operations officer, An Ohio Range party will be self-sufficient tarctic Division, whose responsibility for two months, and will not be resup- was to monitor and test Antarctic equip plied by air during its stay in the only ment while it was used in the field by a locality in Antarctica where an abun research party. One of the two geologists dance of marine fossils can be found. in Mr Findlay's team, Adrian Daly, had Mrs Bradshaw will study these fossils, to be brought out to Scott Base by heli Dr Force will pay particular attention to copter and flown back to New Zealand sedimentology of the area, and Dr when his toes became frostbitten. He Kellogg will study the magnetism of the was replaced by Mr J. McConchie. rocks and fossils as an aid to dating them. DRY VALLEYS Next to leave Scott Base on November 5 was the advance party of the Univer sity of Waikato expedition, Dr Chris Hendy and Mr Colin Rickard, who were on their way to set up camp on the RNZAF shores of Lake Fryxell in the Taylor Royal New Zealand Air Force Her Valley from which two teams will con cules aircraft made 13 flights to Antarc duct ecological and penrhemiral qfnHips tica in late November and early of lakes in the dry valleys. Four Scott December this season as part of New Base staff accompanied the party on the Zealand's contribution to the United journey across the sea ice of McMurdo Sound to the western shores. There States-New Zealand logistic pool for the United States Navy helicopters were us transport of men and supplies from ed to shuttle the expedition's equipment Christchurch to McMurdo Station. Originally No. 40 Squadron was to have over mountainous passes into the Taylor made nine flights in Operation Ice Cube, Valley. three less than last season, but it was Another party which will remain in called on to make four more because of the field until January next year was the Air New Zealand DC10 crash on Mt flown more than 1300km from Scott Erebus. Base to the Ohio Range of the Horlick A Royal Australian Air Force Her Mountains. The leader of the party is cules joined the logistic pool this season Mrs Margaret Bradshaw, the Canter under a tripartite agreement which pro bury Museum's geologist, who is on her vides for Australian scientists to be third visit to Antarctica. With her are flown from McMurdo Station to Casey two Americans, Dr Lucy Force and Dr Station by United States Navy ski- Karl Kellogg, of the United States equipped Hercules aircraft. The Her Geological Survey, and a Mt Cook cules made six flights between Christ National Park ranger, Mr Graeme church and McMurdo Station. Two of Ayres, who is the field leader. them were training flights. SECOND ATTEMPT As in past seasons four RNZAF Iroquois helicopter pilots and two A United States Navy ski-equipped crewmen were attached to the United Hercules' landed the party at a height of States Navy's VXE-6 Squadron. Flight 2000m on the Polar Plateau just after Lieutenants I. O. McLeod and D. J. five o'clock on the morning of Watson, and Sergeant E. K. J. Shangs, November 20. It was the aircraft's se- began their tour of duty in Antarctic last The first attempt was aborted when the month by Flight Lieutenant J. Cole, an Hercules was prevented from landing by RAAF pilot serving on exchange with 50-knot winds sweeping across the Polar the RNZAF, Flight Lieutenant A. W. Plateau. Lloyd, and Sergeant C. P. Barnett. December 1979 ANTARCTIC Frostbitten geologist evacuated One of three geologists in an Antarctic On November 15 the party reported to Division expedition to the Blue Glacier Scott Base that it was camped in bad region had to be brought out from a weather at the head of the Salient field camp at the head of the Salient Glacier, about 120km from the base. Glacier by a United States Navy heli Although Mr Daly had mentioned that copter last month and flown to Christ he had been suffering a little from cold church for hospital treatment when he feet, the seriousness of his condition was was found to be suffering from frost not established until the morning of bitten toes. Mr Adrian Daly, aged 24, of November 15. Arrangements were then Hamilton, reached McMurdo Station on made by field radio for an immediate August 15 and was transferred to a evacuation. United States Air Force Starlifter, which arrived in Christchurch the next morn Mr Daly was expected to remain in ing. hospital for treatment for some weeks. Led by Mr R. H. Findlay, of the His place in the expedition was taken by itarctic Division, the party, which in- Mr J. McConchie, who had been work ided Mr Ken Brodie (geologist) and ing as a field assistant with a New Mr Geoff Hill (field leader) left Scott Zealand Oceanographic Institute project •ase on November 2. Using motor in McMurdo Sound. He joined the party a week after Mr Daly returned to New toboggans and sledges, the four men reached the Blue Glacier area on Zealand, being taken by helicopter to a November 5 and established a base field camp on the Walcott Glacier. West Germans begin field work Field parties from the West German after Dr Herlofk Klovstad, the expedi expedition to Northern Victoria Land tion's medical officer. were at work soon after the Schepelsturm After the field parties have finished reached the Cape Hallett area in the se their work the Schepelsturm will proceed cond week of December. New Zealand north to Cape Moore. Then she is ex Hughes 500 helicopters chartered by the pected to move into Smith Inlet from expedition flew one party to Football where the expedition will use its heli Mountain, an 822m peak on a ridge bet copters to establish a field camp at the ween Edisto Inlet and the Tucker base of the Lillie Glacier. Glacier, and the other to Cape Klovstad at the southern extremity of Robertson Winter team of 10 Bay. Ten men will winter at Scott Base next Less than six days after she sailed year under the leadership of Mr C. A. from Timaru the Schepelsturm was Roper, of Christchurch. The 10th reported to have stopped in pancake ice member of the New Zealand team, Mr 16km east of Cape Hallett. Her position David Reese, of Te Anau, was chosen on the morning of December 12 was last month. 72deg 2min S/171deg 19min E. Mr Reese, who comes from Mur- Football Mountain was used as a chison, worked as a park assistant for survey point by a New Zealand the Fiordland National Park Board at geological expedition in the 1957-58 Te Anau before he went south. He is an season. It has a prominent rock scar on assistant maintenance officer at Scott the north side which the expedition nam Base, and has worked with the McMur ed The Football. Cape Klovstad is bet do, Sound Sediment and Tectonic Study ween the Murray and Newnes Glaciers. Graeme Keown, of Palmerston It was charted in 1899 by the Southern North, who has been the base store Cross Expedition to Cape Adare led by keeper this summer will also join the C. E. Borchgrevink, and was named winter team. ANTARCTIC December 1979 Plane crash on Mt. Erebus kills 257 Antarctica's active volcano, Mount Erebus, claimed the lives of 257 men, women, and children, on November 28 when an Air New Zealand DC10 on a scenic flight crashed on the north-east side of the mountain at a height of 457m. The aircraft, which carried 237 passengers from eight countries, and a crew of 20, was on the last of four flights made to the McMurdo Sound area last month. Of the 237 passengers who died in the crash 178 were New Zealanders, 26 Japanese, 21 Americans, six British, two Australian, two Canadian, one French and one Swiss. The crash was the worst disaster in New Zealand's history, the third worst international air disaster, and the worst in 25 years of aviation in Antarctica. One of the victims was the commen Far to the south the United States tator, Peter Mulgrew, who was the radio naval support force on Ross Island had operator, with the New Zealand party begun a search and rescue operation led by Sir Edmund Hillary which reach from McMurdo Station less than two ed the South Pole by land in 1957-58. A hours after the last radio signal from the noted mountaineer and yachtsman, DC 10 had been received at Williams 52-year-old Mr Mulgrew, who accom Field. At 12.44 p.m. local time the pilot panied Sir Edmund Hillary on several reported that he was 61km from Ross expeditions to the Himalayas, was on his Island at a height of 1828m and was fourth flight with Air New Zealand as a descending to 609m. Four minutes later commentator for the Antarctic day the DC10 crashed on the north-eastern trips. slope of Erebus, which rises to a height Air New Zealand's DC10 left of 3794m. Auckland at 8.20 a.m. (N.Z. time) for McMurdo Sound on the scenic flight NO RESPONSE which was to include 45 minutes of By 1.30 p.m. when the DC10 had not sight-seeing over Ross Island, Scott been sighted or responded to radio calls Base, McMurdo Station, and other the search began. A United States Navy features in the area, including Erebus. Hercules and two helicopters of VXE-6 As on all previous flights it was expected Squadron flew out over McMurdo to land at Christchurch soon after 7.00 Sound but sighted nothing. On the way p.m. to discharge local passenges and back to Christchurch later in the day a refuel for the flight back to Auckland. United States Air Force Starlifter which On the 8000km Antarctic flights, had followed the DC10 in to McMurdo which began in 1977, each DC 10 carried Sound also searched the area without result. 109,000kg of fuel, and kept a minimum of 51,000kg for the return journey to Antarctic's perpetual summer New Zealand after the 45 minutes over daylight enabled the search to be con McMurdo Sound. Fears for the safety of tinued into the early hours of November the aircraft on November 28 were con 29. Then at 12.56 a.m. the wreckage of firmed by 9 p.m. when the DC10 was the DC10 was sighted by a United States nearly two hours overdue, and its fuel Navy Hercules. Several hours later three reserve was almost exhausted. By 10 members of the New Zealand Antarctic p.m. Air New Zealand accepted that the Division's field staff from Scott Base, aircraft was officially lost. Hugh Logan, Daryll Thomson, and December 1979 ANTARCTIC

New Zealand mountaineers probe a crevasse where the Air New Zealand DC10 crashed on Mt Erebus on November 28. Mr John Stanton, one of the members of the face rescue team, is controlling a rope secured to Mr J. R. (Harry) Keys while he checks the safety of snow bridges in the crevasse. Anlarc(ic Division pho|0 Keith Woodford reached the crash site A base camp was established 600m by helicopter. below the site of the crash, timber was flown to Erebus, 50km from McMurdo HIGH WINDS Station and Scott Base, to build a heli Conditions were hazardous for the copter landing pad, and New Zealanders three experienced mountaineers with and Americans began their arduous and snow and winds gusting to 50 knots as dangerous taks. They were joined later the helicopter hovered over the steep and in the week by crash investigators from crevassed slope of Erebus where the the United States. DC10 had hit and exploded on impact. United States Navy helicopter crews Wreckage was strewn over an area 600m flew mission after mission to Erebus, by 100km, but the field team, which had returning day and night with victims' landed at 10.45 a.m. was able to report bodies which were held in a temporary by 11.32 a.m. that there were no sur morgue at Williams field for transport to vivors. Auckland by RNZAF Hercules aircraft. At the crash site the grim search went By the afternoon of November 29 crash investigators, police identification on. To leave the officer in charge at teams, and a New Zealand face rescue Scott Base, Mr M. M. Prebble, free to team, which included men with ex co-ordinate the operation, Mr R. B. perience on Erebus in past seasons with Thomson, superintendent of the Antarc New Zealand research projects, were on tic Division, took over his normal duties their way from Christchurch in a Royal as leader. New Zealand Air Force Hercules. Their Strong winds, low cloud, and snow, task was to recover victim's bodies, and hampered the searchers, and grounded also to search the wreakage of the DC10 helicopters for one day, but later on the for the flight recorder and the cockpit night of December 2 the flight recorder voice recorder which might help to and the cockpit voice recorder were determine the cause of the crash. recovered undamaged within 15m of ANTARCTIC December 1979

each other. The voice recorder was these flights were made on special found at 9 p.m. and the flight recorder charters or by arrangement with travel two hours later. As the search went on firms. The airline used Boeing 747 air aircraft instruments were also recovered craft on most of the flights from from the snow-covered wreckage of the Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth over a DC10. longer sightseeing route, and Boeing 707 WORK COMPLETED aircraft on a shorter route for flights departing from Melbourne. By December 9 the work on Erebus was completed. One RNZAF Hercules TWO ROUTES flew to Auckland with the first bodies on Two sightseeing routes have been used December; a second arrived there on by Qantas for its Antarctic flights since December 11. Because of the opera 1977. One follows the coast of George tional demands made on aircraft sup VI Land as far as the French base, Du porting the American and New Zealand mont d'Urville, in Adelie Land, and programmes No. 40 Squadron was call then back over the South Magnetic Pole. ed on to make four additional flights, The other route is over Oates Land and two of them to Auckland. Northern Victoria Land to Cape After the search and investigation Washington at 74deg 30min S in the teams had returned one task remained Ross Dependency. Only one flight by a for the New Zealanders and Americans Boeing 747 from Sydney by way of on Ross Island — the erection of a Melbourne on November 17, 1977, took memorial cross on Erebus. Built at Scott passengers into McMurdo Sound and Base, the cross bears a brass plaque. On over Mt Erebus. it are engraved the words which follow. Until the crash on November 28 the "Sacred to the memory of the 257 two airlines had carried more than passengers and crew of Flight NZ90I 10,000 passengers south on 40 flights. who died lkm from this site on Qantas flights have taken an average of November 28th, 1979. 300 passengers on the Boeing 747 flights, Erected by the communities of Ross and 140 in the Boeing 707 aircraft. Air Island." New Zealand's average loading in the A simple ceremony to dedicate the DC10 has been about 230. As a result cross, which also carries the DClO's Qantas has carried more than twice as registration letters ZKNPC, was held at many passengers as Air New Zealand Scott Base. Later the cross was flown to since 1977. the slopes of Erebus by a United States Last month's crash did not affect Navy helicopter. Qantas charter flights this month. FLIGHTS SOUTH Flights were made on December 2 and 9, and a third is planned for February 16 Two international airlines — Air New next year. Zealand and Qantas — began "day trips" to Antarctica in February, 1977. Air New Zealand's 13 flights before the Historic huts project crash were all to the Ross Dependency Because of the pressure on facilities at and the McMurdo Sound area, where Scott Base as a result of the DC 10 crash the tourist attractions are Mt Erebus, the on Mt Erebus the Antarctic Division has historic huts of Scott and Shackleton on had to cancel the restoration and main Ross Island, the New Zealand and tenance work at Scott's huts at Cape American bases there, and the strange Evans and Hut Point, and Shackleton's dry valleys of Southern Victoria Land. hut at Cape Royds. Two members of the Qantas, which flew a Boeing 747B to New Zealand Antarctic Society, Messrs the South Magnetic Pole on February 13 Alan Wright and Gavin Dougherty, and 20, 1977, and introduced Antarctic were to have flown south this month to "day trips" for tourists, had made 27 act as caretakers of the three huts on flights south before the DC10 crash. All Ross Island. December 1979 ANTARCTIC U.S. science projects this summer This season the United States will spend about $52 million on research in Antarctica, an increase of %2Vi million on last season's expenditure. The cost of the scientific programme, which is financed and co-ordinated by the National Science Foundation, includes $33 million to support the research with aircraft, icebreakers, and cargo ships, and to maintain the four American inland and coastal stations. About 300 scientists, including 25 women, and representatives of 10 other countries, are engaged in research on the continent, and in southern waters. With support by air and sea they are at work in Ellsworth Land, around the Antarctic Peninsula, at the South Pole, in Enderby and Victoria Lands, on the East Antarctic ice sheet, and in the Ross, Bellingshausen, and Weddell Seas. There are 80 projects in the United In past seasons the resource and States Antarctic Research Programme, radioactivity survey by a field team from and they include evaluations of Antarc the University of Kansas has covered the tica's mineral and marine living mountains of Victoria Land, exposed resources. One field team will make a rocks in Marie Byrd Land, and the Dar marine geological survey of the Bell win Glacier area. This season the team, ingshausen Sea, one purpose of which is using airborne gamma-ray spectro to obtain information about the hydro meters, will attempt to determine the carbon potential of the Antarctic con distribution and concentation of radio tinental margin. Another team; which active elements in the folded sediments includes West German geologists, will of the Beacon Supergroup in the continue a radiometric survey begun in Ellsworth Mountains. the 1975-76 season to assess the potential resources of uranium and thorium in the URANIUM SITES exposed rocks of Antarctica. This Much of the team's work will be con season the survey has been extended to centrated in the northern Sentinel Range the Ellsworth Mountains. which is known to have carbon-bearing On its marine geological cruise to the deposits that are potential sites for Bellingshausen Sea aboard the United uranium. Objectives of the survey are: States Coast Guard icebreaker Glacier a (1) to locate specific rock types which field team from Rice University, may have radioactive element concentra Houston, Texas, will examine sediment tions, and to evaluate the geochemical and faunal distribution patterns on a characteristics of those rocks; (2) to pro portion of the Antarctic continental vide fundamental geological informa margin bounded by mountains and tion about specific rock types and condi valley glaciers. Piston cores taken tions of deposition or crystallisation; throughout the Bellingshausen Sea from and (3) to provide baseline radioactivity the Glacier are expected to provide in measurements that may ultimately serve formation about past and present ice as benchmarks for evaluating the en conditions, about the influence of tec vironmental impact of human operation tonic elements upon terrigenous sedi in Antarctica. mentation, and about the hydrocarbon Marine resources of commercial in potential of the continental margin. terest are being studied again in the An- tarctic Peninusla area. Investigations of divided into a northern range, the Sen the biology of Euphausia superba, the tinel, and a southern range, the Heritage dominant species of Antarctic krill, are Range. The mountains, which cover an designed to determine whether data ob area 354km long and 80km wide, occupy tained for krill in special aquaria at a strategic position as a bridge between Palmer Station are applicable to the geologically younger West Antarctica population as a whole. These studies are and the older areas of East Antarctica. being supported by the research vessel Hero. BASE CAMP Another project conducted from the Hero in Drake Passage is expected to A base camp to accommodate a max imum population of 58 has been estab supplement knowledge of the primary lished in a flat area of the north-central productivity of the Southern Ocean. The Heritage Range. Buildings, supplies, Skidaway Institute of Oceanography in enuinment and thrpp helfonntors in <;nn- U I I I m e .w....^,,.., role of port 35 scientists working in the area bacterial plankton as a food source and have been flown to the Ellsworth Moun a consumer of dissolved organic matter tains from McMurdo Station by way of in the Southern Ocean. the old Byrd Station. This support has been provided by United States Navy Hercules aircraft of VXE-6 Squadron. FOOD WEBS Scientific field parties are using motor Between mid-January and early tobaggans and sledges for surface March next year another team led by Dr transport, and the helicopters, which Robert W. Risebrough will continue its have an operating radius of 185km, will study of flows of organic compounds be used to transfer the scientists to other through Antarctic food webs supporting sites. and dependent upon krill. It will use the Dr Gerald F. Webers, professor of Hero to obtain water samples which will geology at Macalester College, St Paul, indicate the levels of petroleum-derived Minnesota, is chief scientists of the pro and related compounds, and synthetic ject. As part ofthe geological investiga and natural organic chemical com tion of the Ellsworth Mountains scien pounds in marine food webs. The team tists will search for fossil plants and will also make a detailed census of animals to obtain more clues about the penguin colonies to obtain data that will evolution of life and the environmental provide a growth curve for Adelie pen conditions which existed millions of guin chicks, and possibly indicate pre years ago in Antarctica. In addition, the sent or future changes in the available fossils will supply reliable dates which food supply. can be used to interpret the geological Largest of the 80 events in this history of Antarctica and its relationship season's programme is the Ellsworth to other continents. Mountains Project, which has been Part of the Ellsworth Mountains Pro planned to cover four seasons. It in ject is a study of the glacial history of the cludes six geological and glaciological area. Because the Ellsworth Mountains studies, and a search for meteorites, by occur precisely at the grounding line bet scientists from several United States in ween the West Antarctic ice sheet and stitutions, and West Germany, Japan, the Ronne Ice Shelf, they are ideal for New Zealand, and the Soviet Union. monitoring ice advances and recessions The project began last month and will in the Weddell Sea area. continue until the third week of January To seek evidence that the West An next year. tarctic ice sheet is disintegrating scien Located between the West Antarctic tists from the University of Maine at plateau and the Ronne Ice Shelf, the Orono led by Dr George H. Denton will Ellsworth Mountains, which are about map glacial erosion ii and depositional 2092km from McMurdo Station, are features in the Ellsworth Mountains. December 1979 ANTARCTIC

This is to reconstruct former ice sheet known ice. A West German team will surfaces and chart their recessions. They join United States and French teams at believe that during glacial periods the Dome C this summer. West Antarctic ice sheet expands to the A geophysical investigation of the edge of the continental shelves in the Dome C area is being made by a Univer Ross and Weddell Seas, and that during sity of Wisconsin team headed by Dr interglacial periods the sheet retreats to Charles R. Bentley. Its continuing pro about its present position and maintains gramme includes studies of the internal large ice shelves. During particularly layering of the ice sheet in addition to its warm interglacials, however, the last thickness, detection of different temper about 124,000 years ago, it is believed atures, and magnetotelluric soundings to that the ice sheet loses its shelves and provide information about the rock collapses rapidly. under the ice. This glaciological research has also Dr Ian M. Whillans is leader of the been extended to the McMurdo Sound Ohio State University team which began region. There Dr Denton's team has a glaciological investigation of the ice mapped the Upper Taylor and Wright dome area in the 1977-78 season. It is in Valleys, and the Mackay Glacier area to vestigating the size and velocity of the gain more data on the last advance of ice sheet in the region to understand the grounded ice in the Ross Sea. past, present, and future behaviour of Last season more than 300 meteorites this and other ice masses. This month ranging in size up to 150kg were found and next month the team will test in southern Victoria Land by a United whether the ice thickness and velocity in States-Japanese team which continued a the Dome C area have changed over search first started in the 1976-77 season. time, and study variations in bottom This season a team from the University topography that must disturb glacial of Pittsburgh led by Dr William A. flow and so influence ice dynamics and Cassidy will concentrate its search in the calculations of the age of ice deep in the Allan Hills and Mt Reckling areas north ice sheet. west of McMurdo Station. It will also DEEP SOUNDINGS search near areas of glacial erosion in the A West German team led by Dr F. Ellsworth Mountains. Thyssen, of the Geophysical Institute, Dr Fumihiko Nishio, one of the Munster, will conduct deep geo-electric Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition soundings of the ice sheet near Dome C. participants in the United States pro Evaluation of similar experiments on the gramme, will search for meteorites in the Greenland ice sheet has shown what ap Allan Hills area as he did last season. He pear to be two regions with different will also assist in resurvey of the ice behaviour within the ice. The West Ger strain network placed there last summer. mans will use longer electrode spacings Later he will stay at Vanda Station in the than those used in Greenland to deter Wright Valley to observe "ice shocks" mine if this difference in ice behaviour is at Lake Vanda. also evident in the Antarctic ice sheet. French scientists led by Dr Claude DOMEC Lorius, of the Glaciological Laboratory, Scientists of four nations—Australia, Grenoble, will collect shallow snow France, the Soviet Union, and the cores and samples from snow pits, and United States, are engaged again this bring back ice cores from the hole drilled season in joint studies of the East An to a depth of 906m at Dome C in the tarctic ice sheet which are part of the In 1977-78 season by another French team. ternational Antarctic Glaciological Pro The studies have been planned to deter ject. Much of the work is being done at mine the origins of chemical impurities Dome C, the ice dome in Wilkes Land in the ice and impurity changes over 1150km from McMurdo Station which time, and also to note elevation changes contains some of the world's thickest in the ice sheet that indicate its stability. ANTARCTIC December 1979

To assist the glaciological studies at stratigraphic correlations. As part of a Dome C a shallow ice core drilling team continuing project more snow and ice from the University of Nebraska will samples will be collected from Byrd, collect ice core for scientists in Siple, and Vostok Stations for later vestigating the physical properties and analysis. chemical constituents of snow and ice from the polar ice sheets. Another drill Geophysical monitoring for climatic crew will drill similar 100m holes at Siple, change in Antarctic is being continued at the Pole Station this summer and next •yrd, and Vostok Stations for the same winter by a team from the National purpose. Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra tion. Levels of carbon dioxide, surface SOLAR TELESCOPE and total ozone, certain fluorocarbons, Direct optical observations of the sun and aerosols in the atmopshere will be will be made this season at the monitored from the South Pole Clean Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. Dr Air Facility. The purpose is to detect Martin A. Pomerantz and two French long-term changes in concentrations of astronomers will use a special solar atmospheric trace gases and particles telescope which was tested at the Pole resulting from human activities that may last season. The purpose of the experi affect the earth's climate. ment during the maximum phase of the A related project will be carried out at present 11-year sunspot cycle is to detect McMurdo Station and the Pole Station large-scale motions on the surface of the by scientists from the State University of sun caused by oscillation in its interior New York at Albany. The goal is to (solar seismology). define the physical properties of at Investigations of cosmic ray intensity mospheric aerosols, and to determine variations will be continued at the South the meteorological processes that Pole Station and McMurdo Station. transport aerosol materials from Cosmic ray detectors at these stations maritime and possibly continental and at Thule, Greenland, enable the regions to Antarctica. scientists to monitor the dynamic state Measurements of trace gases and of interplanetary weather by keeping aerosols in the Antarctic stratosphere track of the changing flow patterns of will be made by scientists from the cosmic rays around the earth. University of Wyoming. They will fly A team from Stanford University led and recover balloons carrying trace gas by Dr Robert A. Helliwell will work at samplers, aerosol counters, and a con the Soviet station, Vostok, and the Pole densation necleus counter from the Pole Station in an investigation of solar ter- and McMurdo Stations to measure restial effects on atmospheric electric stratosphere constituents. These consti fields in Antarctica. Fair-weather tuents are important in determining the atmospheric electric field data will be stratospheric ozone profile, the level of used to investigate the effects of solar major volcanic acticity, and the way flares and other solar phenomena upon condensation nuclei in the troposphere the atmospheric electric field. and stratosphere affect precipitation. Past solar activity and world climate TRITIUM SAMPLING may be related to anomalous fluctuations in nitrate and ammonia nitrogen in An Because it is so remote the Pole Sta tarctic snow and ice. If Dr Bruce C. tion is being used by scientists from the Parker and Dr Edward J. Zeller, and a University of Miami as a global baseline team from Virginia Polytechnic and station for the sampling of tritium gas State University can establish this rela and tritiated hydrocarbons in the atmos tionship, the data will aid investigation phere. Data will be used in studies of air of past world climates, and provide a exchange between the hemispheres, of tool for measurement of the age of ice, atmospheric hydrogen and hydrogen places and rates of deposition, and residence times, and of the flow of water December 1979 ANTARCTIC vapour between the stratosphere and the Polytechnic Institute and State Univer troposphere. sity. Last season scuba divers in the pro Air, sea ice, and sea water samples will ject found vast mats of pinkish-orange be taken north of McMurdo Station by a coloured algae growing in vast mats team from the University of Alaska for about 6m beneath the permanent ice cover of Lakes Fryxell and Hoare in the comparison with similar samples from the Arctic. Determination of the sources lower Taylor Valley. of trace gases — carbon monoxide, car Since early this season the present bon dioxide, methane, hydrogen, and team has been continuing the studies of nitrous oxide — in the samples will con the benthic algal mats and their role in tribute to understanding of atmospheric the biological activity of Antarctic oasis circulation and the effect of human ac lakes. Half the team have repeated last tivity upon the atmosphere. Measure season's scuba diving observations, and ments of carbon dioxide over the sea ice have made immediate analyses of of McMurdo Sound and in the air at the samples at Lake Hoare, which is at least South Pole should provide a clearer 30m deep. Lake Fryxell is about 15m understanding of the influence of sea ice deep. upon the atmosphere in the Antarctic. Studies of microbial flora living inside the rocks in the dry valleys and other KATABATIC WINDS arid areas, which were initiated by Dr E. Imre Friedmann, of Florida State To obtain a better understanding of Antarctica's persistent katabatic winds University, are being extended this which blow down to the coast from the season to the Ellsworth Mountains. The Polar Plateau a team led by Dr Gerald existence of cyanobacteria, lichens, and Wendler, of the University of Alaska, eukaryotic algae has been confirmed in will establish an array of automatic Beacon sandstone, marble, granite, and weather stations from Dome C to Du anorthosite rocks. This season more mont d'Urville Station in Adelie Land rocks will be sampled and more which is the windiest part of the conti organisms cultured. The purpose is to nent. Four stations will be established by determine the factors that affect the French scientists, and in co-operation distribution and growth of the micr- the Americans will also put in four, one organisms, and study their possible ef for comparison with the present French fects on the rock sub-strata such as station, one at Dome C, and two at in weathering and mineral leaching. termediate points, D59 (68deg 20min S/137deg 2lmin E) and D49 (67deg KILLER WHALES 33minS/138 deg 26min E). In past seasons much of the research Eight automatic weather stations were in the McMurdo Sound area has been installed last summer to collect data for concentrated on studies of seals, meteorological research and operational penguins, and fish. This season a team weather forecasting for aircraft and from the Hubbs-Sea World Institute will helicopter flights. This season a Stan attempt to obtain recordings of the vocal ford University team will re-calibrate sounds of the local killer whale popula and service the stations at Minna Bluff, tion. Later, the team headed by Dr Ross Island, Marble Point, White Joseph Jehl and Dr William E. Evans Island, Byrd Station, and the Asgard will continue its studies ofthe movement Range in the dry valleys area. The Byrd and distribution of killer whales and Station unit will be moved to Dome C pilot whales from the United States for the katabatic wind studies. Coast Guard icebreaker Polar Sea on the In Southern Victoria Land a project way to Palmer Station and Ushuaia, for ecosystem comparisons of dry valley Tierra del Fuego. lakes and soils is being continued by a A census will be made of the small team led by Drs Bruce C. Parker and whales, and they will be photographed George M. Simmons, of the Virginia for colour pattern studies. Sonobuoys ANTARCTIC December 1979 will be deployed from the icebreaker to Grew, of thc University of California, record the vocal sounds of the whales. will return to Enderby Land this month Data will also be collected about other to make a petrologic study of metemor- marine mammals and birds to support phic rocks. He will be with the other projects in the Antarctic Peninsula Australian National Antarctic Research area. Expeditions, and will work from a field Weddell seals moving over the ice in camp at Mt King. His objective is to McMurdo Sound have been tracked this estimate the pressure and temperature season by a field team from the Univer conditions under which metamorphic sity of Minnesota. A radio tracking rocks in Enderby Land crystallised. system with remote sensing has enabled Early next year thc United States the scientists to obtain data on the move Coast Guard icebreaker Polar Sea will ments of the seals, and also Antarctic- make an oceanographic cruise to the cod (Dissostichus mawsoni) in the Weddell Sea. One team from the Univer waters under the ice. Working at Hutton Cliffs about 16m from McMurdo Sta sity of California will complete the analysis of temperature and salinity data tion the team has also tested a data col obtained in the 1978-79 season during lection system which will telemeter data the Internatioanal Weddell Sea Ocean from key monitoring stations to a cen ographic Expedition. It will recover cur tral laboratory or satellite. rent meters set in the southern Weddell For several seasons Dr Arthur L. Sea and make a closely-spaced array DeVries, of the University of Illinois, of conductivity-tempcrature-depth sta has worked in McMurdo Sound study tions. ing the unique glycoprotein anti-freeze in certain Antarctic fish which enables Because sea ice influences exchanges them to survive whilst swimming in ice- between the ocean and atmosphere, and laden sea water. This season he and his is itself modified by these exchanges, a team are studying why these fish ap team from the University of States Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering parently maintain constant levels of this anti-freeze even in warm temperatures. Laboratory is trying to determine the relationship of Antarctic sea ice to the atmospheric and oceanic circulation pat FISH PROTEIN terns of the southern polar region. Most Other studies of the way in which An of the team's field work will be done tarctic fish adapt to sub-zero with the aid of the Polar Sea. temperatures have been continued this This season the team will place five season by a team led by Dr Audrey V. buoys iq the Weddell Sea to gather Haschemeyer, of Hunter College, New meteorogical data about the relative ef York. A major objective is to determine fects of winds and water currents upon rates of protein turnover in living An the pack ice. It will also measure ice tarctic fish for comparison with protein thickness distribution through satellite turnover rates in temperate fish and in imagery and data buoys to determine its mammals. effects on heat and other exchanges Fish caught from holes drilled in the across the air-sea boundary, and take ice ice of McMurdo Sound have also been samples to characterise the structural studied by another team led by Dr and physical properties of sea ice. Joseph T. Eastman, of Ohio University, which has also done scuba diving under Drift, air temperature, and at the ice in its research. Anatomical mospheric pressure records from buoys deployed last season will be analysed to studies of the fish are designed to pro determine the forcing fields for sea ice vide a better understanding of their role motion in the Weddell Sea. These buoys in the ecosystem of the Southern Ocean. were dropped by parachute from a Her One United States scientist will work cules aircraft which made a 16-hour far away from other participants in the flight from McMurdo Station to the research programme. Dr Edward S. Weddell Sea and back. December 1979 ANTARCTIC Byrd's first flight to South Pole commemorated Two veterans of Rear-Admiral Richard E. Byrd's first expedition, who watched his aircraft Floyd Bennett flying to the South Pole from their field camp at the foot of the Queen Maud Mountains returned to Antarctica last month to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their leader's historic flight. They were Dr Laurence M. Gould, second-in- command of the expedition, and leader of the Geological Party, and Mr Norman Vaughan, who was. in charge of the party's five dog teams. But the planned observance of the an- of the National Science Foundation's niversary was saddened by the tragic chalet. About 200 attended, and the crash of the Air New Zealand DC10 on speakers were Dr Norman Hackerman, Mt Erebus on the day that the official chairman of the NSF board, Dr Gould, party flew south. Events in the pro- Mr Vaughan, Senator Byrd, Mr Breyer, gramme had to be changed because the and Dr E. P. Todd, director ofthe foun- resources of McMurdo Station and Scott dation's Division of Polar Programmes. Base were fully committed to the search Dr Hackerman presented an NSF award for the DC10. for distinguished public service in Originally it was planned that Byrd's recognition of his lifelong contributions flight should be commemorated by re- to science, research, exploration, educa- tracing with a United States Navy Her- tion, and polar policies, cules on November 29 the original flight New Zealand commemoration of the path of the Floyd Bennett from Little m h, and Admira, B d> , . America o the Pole. This event had to tion wkh New Zealanders and their be cancelled but on November 30 some coum was als0 overshadowed by the members of the party flew to the disaster in Antarctica. But at Wellington Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station on m allended a ceremony organised by ?from r°U^nBritish Antarctic Survey teams this summer. Other projects in the research programme will in clude aeromagnetic flights over selected areas ofthe Antarctic Penin sula and the Weddell Sea, experiments on the feeding of krill in the waters around South Georgia, and geological investigations of the plutonic rocks of the Antarctic Peninsula. Modernisation of Faraday summer visit. Paintings done on his geophysical observatory will be the previous visit now adorn both the major logistic task this season. The sta B.A.S. headquarters and the Scott Polar tion was established on Winter Island in Research Institute in Cambridge. Also the Argentine Islands in 1947 and the on board is a team of builders who will present buildings on the adjoining work on the modernisation of Faraday. Galindez Island date from 1954. Major Among the scientists going south this alterations will bc made to the existing summer from headquarters is a geologist main building and all domestic and who will work on the plutonic rocks of laboratory facilities improved. A new the Antarctic Peninsula and collect two-storey extension will provide ac samples for geochemical analysis. A se commodation for 24 men. cond geologist will investigate the BAS began its summer programme on fossiliferous sedimentary rocks October 16 when the Royal Research associated with the ancient volcanoes. Ship Bransfield sailed from Southamp This project is expected to give a more ton, under the command of Captain complete picture of the ancient arc S. J. Lawrence. After visiting Mayport, which is thought to have formed where Florida to take on supplies for the part of the Pacific Ocean floor was United States Palmer Station, she pro sliding beneath the Antarctic Shield. ceeded south by way of Rio de Janeiro A third geologist, Dr. M. R. A. and was due at South Georgia at the Thomson, has joined the large American beginning of this month. earth science team working in the She was to call at the Falkland Islands Ellsworth Mountains. Together with Dr to pick up more passengers (48 joined I. W. D. Dalziel of Lamont-Doherty the ship in Southampton) including sum Geological Observatory, New York, he mer field parties to be landed at Hope will assess whether the area is a suitable Bay and at the Damoy air facility. Those one for studying the general relation taken to Damoy will be flown south to ships and differential movement be summer work sites. (The two Twin Otter tween the Antarctic Peninsula and the aircraft left Toronto in mid-November). Antarctic Shield. Palmer Station will be relieved about ICE DRILLING the same time, as will Faraday if sea ice Aeromagnetic flights will be con conditions permit. The Bransfield will tinued by a team of two geophysicists then relieve Signy and revisit South and an electronics engineer, who will in Georgia before sailing south to Halley. stall the magnetometer and fly over Among the men on board is the artist selected areas of the Antarctic Peninsula David Smith who is making his second and Weddell Sea. Their programme will ANTARCTIC December 1979

'■JtCi>

Faraday, the British Antarctic Survey geophysical observatory on Galindez Island in the Argentine Islands, which is being modernised this summer. Major alterations will be made to the present buildings which date from 1954. The picture was taken with a telephotO lens. BAS phoJo by Alan Rodger include flights flights from from British, British, Argentine Argentine because the Royal Research Ship John and Soviet stations. Biscoe, which completed sea trials at the Six glaciologists are also going south end of last month, is due to sail south at for the summer. With the support of the the end of this month. This is later than field assistants they will operate as four had been expected. independent teams across the southern This season's work will be concen part of the Antarctic Peninsula. trated on an area of undisturbed water One team will study the effect of between the South Orkney Islands and ocean tides on the Ronne Ice Shelf, par South Georgia, where the physical and ticularly at the "hinge-zone". Two chemical parameters of the water will be others will use a newly-developed hot related to the distribution of plankton. water drill to probe the 300m thick Around South Georgia the vertical and George VI Ice Shelf, and deploy strings horizontal distribution of the plankton of oceanographic sensors in the sea will be monitored in detail. water below. KRILL EXPERIMENTS POLLUTION STUDY Three biologists will work from A fourth glaciologist will examine the Grytviken, South Georgia. One will electrical properties of the surface ice, carry out experiments on the feeding of which are related to mechanical proper krill, controlling their diets and measur ties and the presence of impurities, and ing the rates at which they remove therefore relevant to general problems nutrients from the water. Another — a of the stability of ice shelves. Two professional diver — will supervise chemical glaciologists will sample snow under-water biological work, and a third from pits, bore-holes and crevasse walls — a terrestrial biologist — will work on as part of a continuing study of global special study sites near Grytviken. atmospheric pollution. Two biologists will work on Signy Work on the second season of the Island on Antarctic shags and on insects long-term Offshore Biological Pro and mites in the moss. A visiting gramme will be limited to two months biologist from Bristol University will December 1979 ANTARCTIC make observations of sea birds from the In October, a new field hut was pre Bransfield. fabricated at the base for erection at Atmospheric sciences and observatory Royal Bay, beyond St. Andrew's Bay. geophysics programms continue at Fara Re-consolidation of the sea ice and the day (Argentine Islands), Halley and return of longer days at Signy Island South Georgia. Faraday has been enabled a number of visits to be made to operating the first British nearby Coronation Island in the first microprocessor to be used in Antarctica. half of September. Strong winds then This instrument, the Ionospheric Data broke up the ice, and the accompanying Entry System, greatly simplifies the high temperatures caused melt-water reduction and handling of ionospheric problems around the station. All hands data, making the data computer- turned to the urgent task of digging compatible at an early stage as well as drainage pits and channels, the former controlling many of the possible human providing a surfeit of fresh water for showers and baths.

WEATHER DATA RAINY DAYS Amongst the equipment being taken At the Argentine Islands, several clim south this season is a semi-automatic bing parties from Faraday took advan weather station which has been tage of solid sea ice and longer days to developed recently. This will be installed visit the mainland in September and Oc at Grytviken. After thorough field tober. One party which climbed Mt. testing similar equipment will be Shackleton in September had to sit out developed for the other BAS stations. two days of rain before being able to The new station is designed to provide return to base! most of the routine meteorological data, thus freeing the scientific staff to con VISITS TO BASES centrate on research. Further south on Adelaide Island, the On South Georgia, local journeys Rothera Station men, with vehicles and were resumed in August; the old whaling the residual dog teams, were out in force beacons were repaired in preparation for from August onwards. In August, one the next phase of the Offshore party managed to reach the old British Biological Programme. A pleasant sur base on Detaille Island in Lallemand prise at the beginning of the month was Fjord but were stranded there for two the arrival of a Polish trawler with two weeks when the ice temporarily bags of mail for the BAS men. departed. Two other parties visited the The old whaling stations in Cumber old base on Horseshoe Island, land Bay and Stromness Bay, and local replenishing depots en route. glaciers, were visited in September. At In September, a party visited the the same time biologists resumed diving Argentine base San Martin on the operations and also carried out field Debenham Islands, 128 km away, and work at Dartmouth Point, Cumberland an Argentine party paid a return visit Bay and at St. Andrew's Bay to the shortly afterwards. Other groups travell south-east. ed to Blaiklock Island, where the refuge hut was repaired, and to the eastern side RETURN OF SKUAS of the Antarctic Peninsula overlocking the Weddell Sea. The return of the elephant seals and skuas in September signalled the end of winter. A one-winged skua which had PENGUIN COLONIES remained at the station throughout the Several localities on Adelaide Island winter declined to join the new arrivals and around Square Bay in north-eastern and now seems to be a permanent resi Marguerite Bay were visited in October, dent. and another party from San Martin ANTARCTIC December 1979 visited Rothera. During October, the by the sight of several thousand piedmont air facility was prepared for Emperors and chicks. the summer air operations: 700 drums of Work at the base included the digging aviation fuel were hauled up from out of the garage ramp to get the Rothera three miles away. vehicles to thc surface, the jacking up of the mobile ionospherics hut and the At Halley, the men ventured out in removal of accumulated ice from September on the annual trip to the around thc buildings in the steel-lined Emperor penguin colonies about 6.4 km tunnels. In October a field party left a from base. After circumnavigating an vehicle caboose at the "hinge-zone" as a area of pressure ice they were rewarded refuge for summer travellers. Second French yacht sails to Antarctica Last month a second French yacht sailed from New Zealand to An tarctica. Charles Ferchaud and his sister, Jean-Marie, left Auckland for Palmer Station, the United States base on Anvers Island, on November 29 in the 12m steel ketch Momo. They expected to reach Palmer Station in six or seven weeks.

First to sail from New Zealand were and then crossed the South Atlantic to three French mountaineers, Jean Brazil, arriving at Salvador de Bahia at Lescure, his wife Claudine, and her the beginning of April. From Rio de brother, Jean-Marie Pare. They left Janeiro they sailed to Cape Town, and Lyttelton in the 10m aluminium yacht in May decided to go to Antarctica. Isatis on December 3 last year and reach ed Palmer Station on January 15. Later For the present voyage the Momo has been re-rigged, and her sails have been they called at Port Lockroy, Wiencke Island, and then sailed to the South strengthened. She has a paraffin heater, Shetlands and on the Chile. and can be steered from inside under a plexiglass dome. Like the crew of the Isatis the Fer- chauds have had sailing experience in the At the end of July the Ferchauds left Arctic. Charles Ferchaud, who is 30, was Cape Town, and after six weeks in the a chief engineer in French merchant "Roaring Forties" reached Fremantle. ships for 10 years. His sister, who is 31, Then they sailed to Sydney by way of worked in several African countries as Bass Strait, and discussed their plans an accountant for a French company. with Dr Davis Lewis, who sailed his They began their sailing in the Bay is 9.7m steel sloop Ice Bird from Sydney to Biscay when they were very young. Palmer Station in 1972-73. In May last year the Ferchauds sailed Depending on ice conditions, the Fer from France to Tromso, Norway. Then chauds plan to remain in the Antarctic they took their 15-tonne ketch to Spits Peninsula region until the end of bergen. With good ice and weather con February, calling at two British Antarc ditions they were able to reach 80deg tic Survey bases, Faraday in the Argen 30min N, the limit of the ice. On the tine Islands, and Rothera on Adelaide return voyage to France they called at Island. At the beginning of March they Reykjavik and Plymouth. will sail for Cape Town by way of the Last November the Ferchauds sailed South Shetlands, South Orkneys, and to the Azores and the Canary Islands, South Georgia. December 1979 ANTARCTIC Two West German expeditions sail south

West Germany's two Antarctic ex a potted Christmas tree placed on board peditions, the first for 40 years, both before she left Timaru, 1000 tonnes of sailed south this month. One will spend fuel, 180 tonnes of fresh water (she also more than two months in Northern Vic has a vaporising plant to produce distill toria Land making geological studies ed water), and 150 tonnes of aviation with New Zealand chartered helicopter fuel for the three helicopters. support; the other will survey the site for West Germany's first permanent base on Captain Udo Rieck, who commands the Ronne Ice Shelf on the weddell Sea the Schepelsturm, has had experience of side of the continent. ice and icebergs in the Baltic and in Arc tic waters. He has served aboard an ice GANOVEX 79, the expedition to breaker in the Baltic, and also in the Northern Victoria Land, sailed from the Schnoorturm, sister ship to the New Zealand port of Timaru on Schepelsturm, which was used to tow December 6 aboard the 1598-tonne icebergs out of the sea lanes off Schepelsturm, a Hansa Line vessel Labrador, and away from offshore oil designed for polar work and strengthen rigs. ed for ice-breaking. The expedition is led by Dr Franz Tessensohn, a geologist in After her return from Antarctica late the newly-established Antarctic Division in February the Schepelsturm will go to of the Federal Institute of Geosciences Australia where she will be used for off and Resources in Hanover. shore oil exploration. In the 1980-81 season she will sail into the Weddell Sea There are 12 West Germans, six New to take part in the establishment of the Zealanders, an American, and an West German base on the Ronne Ice Australian in the expedition. Twelve of Shelf. She will return to Antarctica in the group are technicians, and eight are the 1981-82 season when the West Ger scientists. One of the geologists is Dr D. man programme is planned to ti< N. B. Skinner, of the New Zealand the international expedition to Norti. Geological Survey, who has spent six Victoria Land. seasons in Antarctica since 1960. He acted as interpreter and liaison officer Deutsche Offshore Gesellschaft has during the expedition's survival training also been responsible for the logistics of at Mt Cook, which was organised by Mr the expedition which will survey the site Gary Ball, who will be the West Ger for the permanent station on the Ronne mans' field guide in North Victoria Ice Shelf. The chartered Norwegian Land. polar research vessel Polarsirkel sailed Designed and built four years ago, the from Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, about Schepelsturm is under charter to the the middle of this month. She carried Deutsche Offshore Gesellschaft. She has two helicopters for ferrying supplies and two main engines each developing 4500 equipment and ice reconnaissance. h.p., and her reinforced hull and 100 During January and February the h.p. bow-thruster enable her to cut Polarsirkel will work her way westward through pack ice 3.6m thick at a speed towards the Antarctic Peninsula as far as of six knots. On a test run in the Spitz- possible to enable the scientists and bergen region she cut through a metre of engineers to study alternative sites on the solid Arctic ice at eight knots. ice shelf. Some of the 20 scientists and With a crew of 15 the Schepelsturm is technicians aboard the vessel will do well-equipped to act as the expedition's marine biological and oceanographic floating base in Antarctic waters until research during her cruise in the Weddell February next year. Her supplies include Sea. ANTARCTIC December 1979 Setback to Soviet plan for Druznhaya Soviet plans for the relief of Druzhnaya, the summer research station on the Filchner Ice Shelf, and this season's geological and siesmic programme, suffered a severe setback when the ice-strengthened cargo ship Olenik collided with another Soviet ship in a narrow and stormy stretch of sea off Denmark on October 31. The 7684-tonne Olenik was cut almost in half by the collision with the 15,090-tonne tanker General Shkodunovich. She burst into flames and burned fiercely for several hours. One member of the crew of the Olenik helicopters, the aircraft, and all her died, two were severely burned, and four cargo were destroyed or badly damaged. others suffered minor burns. Crew Several ships, including the Swedish members, and scientists of the 25th Soviet Antarctic Expedition, including ferry Stena Olympic, aided the rescue Tal women, jumped from the blazing operation. Danish Navy he" plucked men and women from mt iv_> r the collision. Ninety-four crew sea in stormy and foggy weather. West ition members were rescued, German coastguards also helped to but four men were reported missing. rescue members of the crew and the ex pedition. Carrying four helicopters, a light air craft, fuel, and oxygen supplies, the The four badly burned men were 13-year-old Olenik sailed from taken to hospital in Copenhagen. Leningrad on October 28, and was ex Although damaged in the collision, pected to reach Druznhaya early this the General Shkodunovich, which car month. As she is reported to have burn ried a cargo of molasses, was able to sail ed fiercely for several hours after the col on to the Danish port of Abenra. All her lision, it is assumed that the four crew were reported safe and unhurt. Damaged Starlifter's landing A United States Air Force Starlifter Although the landing gear was hang damaged in an emergency landing at ing only by the hydraulic lines, Captain Christchurch on October 31 was flown Colley managed to land thc Starlifter back to the United States late last month safely at 2.08 a.m. after a flight of nearly after temporary repairs. The Starlifter, seven hours. The outer starboard engine engaged in the summer airlift of men and the wing tip were damaged when the and supplies for the United States An Starlifter struck the main runway, but tarctic research programme, flew the crew of nine and 11 passengers 3895km from Williams Field, McMurdo scrambled to safety in less than a Station, to New Zealand with its star minute, and no-one was injured. board main landing gear trailing about one metre below its normal position. A new engine, wing tip, and landing Captain Robert E. Colley, pilot ofthe gear, were flown from the United States Starlifter, learned that the landing gear last month, and temporary repairs were had been almost torn away soon after he made to the Starlifter with the assistance took off from Williams Field on the of Air New Zealand engineering staff at night of October 30. Because of lack of the airport. The Starlifter left Christ maintenance facilities he decided to church for the United States in carry on to New Zealand. November 26. December 1979 ANTARCTIC A summer with Poles and Antarctic krill by Roger Waite In the 1978-79 summer an English-born New Zealand marine biol ogist, Roger Waite, was in the Antarctic but a long way from other New Zealanders working in the Ross Dependency. He was at Arc towski Station on King George Island. South Shetlands, which was established in the 1976-77 season as Poland's first permanent Antarc tic research station. Mr Waite, who has a B.Sc degree with honours from the Univer sity of Keele, North Staffordshire, worked at Arctowski Station on the ecology of the Antarctic krill Euphausia superba. In the follow ing article he gives his impressions of life with the Poles on King George Island. As a result of a proposal by Professor for the season's labour. The projects R. H. Clark, universities representative then began. on the Ross Dependency Research Com The work of the marine laboratory mittee, and a spell of frenzied diplomatic was principally on the Antarctic krill activity by the New Zealand Ministry of because of its tremendous importance to ;n Affairs, I was granted a position Antarctic marine ecosystems, and the on the 1978-79 Polish Antarctic Expedi tion. I joined the motor-vessel Antoni prospect of a colossal fishery steadily ap Garnuszewski in Kiel, West Germany, proaching a reality. Krill-orientated pro and was treated to a sedate cruise to Arc jects included work on muscle towski Station by way of Argentina. physiology, natural decomposition, moulting, and population structure. The station is located on Admiralty Bay, King George Island, in the South Wind, waves, and ice permitting, krill Shetlands. Here I was to spend the sum were caught from Dzunia, an open mer working on the ecology of the An fishing boat reinforced below the water- tarctic krill Euphausia superba, and line against ice. A 2m by lm rectangular other locally occurring euphausids. mid-water trawl with 6mm mesh was used, this being the largest net the First impressions of the station were Dzunia could pull. vivid. Rows of bright orange huts set against an impressive background of Krill fishing took place throughout precipitous ice-covered mountains; the day in winds of up to about Force 5 volleys of Very lights tracing across the on the Beaufort scale. Handling wet nets sky as the winter group celebrated the in such winds as these, and sub-zero arrival of their fresh company; passion temperatures is a hazard familiar to ate reunion of old friends and the most Antarctic marine biologists. By the welcome of new; the stark beauty of the time a night's fishing was over fingers ice and a vast array of wildlife with little were frozen and the mind was numbed. fear of man. But the work had only just begun. Two weeks of hard work followed — Other marine projects included a discharge, transport, and stowage of survey of benthic macro-algae, inverte stores, ditch digging, and constructing brates, and fish species within Admiralty helicopter pads. Then the marine labor Bay, a study of fish muscle history, and atory, aquaria, and boat were prepared various aspects of the bay's hydrology. ANTARCTIC December 1979

Duznia, an open fishing boat used by Polish scientists to catch krill from Arctowski Station. The photograph was taken by Roger Waite, a New Zealand marine biologist, who spent the 1978-79 summer at the station on King George Island. The work of other disciplines of Arc been at home for even a minute was towski Station has been briefly reviewed Christmas morning. in the June, 1979, issue of "Antarctic", Entertainment on the station was and will not be repeated here. principally do-it-yourself as with most Antarctic bases. The only recreation of STATION LIFE ficially provided was table tennis outside Work continued seven days a week the radio shack, and two films a week in with a slackening of pace on Sunday, the dining room. A prohibition on many Poles being devout Catholics. Oc- alcohol was lifted on occasions of casinally, however, nature decreed a religious importance or of local public holiday for all except the significance such as the chief's birthday. meteorologists and cooks who had to work overtime. At times such as these This gave ample opportunity to sam ple the many varieties of excellent vodka extended tea breaks with attendant produced in Poland. Interesting locally- amiable hubbub were the principal oc manufactured varieties of contraband li cupation. quor also appeared on days of personal While conversation was initially dif import, but generally tea or coffee pro ficult for a unilingual New Zealander, a vided ample stimulation for amiable system of key words from four or five conversation. This was fortunate. My cultures (accompanied by gesture and trusted translators' lingual abilities were mime) gradually evolved to a point where I could be 95 per cent certain I inversely proportional to their alcohol had correctly guessed the subject of con consumption. versation. Even when this failed normal PENGUIN COLONIES ly there were competent translators Outside the station there was much to available. Poles are an extremely see and do, although the area normally sociable race, always willing to give available to walkers was limited by the assistance. I think it is a great credit to presence of glaciers. Walking along the their hospitality that the only occasion beach bordering the penguin colonies on which I would have liked to have was the most popular pursuit, although December 1979 ANTARCTIC agate collecting came a close second. of man. Further out towards the sea Serious photography was limited to the large colonies of fur seals congregated in dedicated, affluent or those in posses the bay. Weddell, Crabeater and sion of departmental equipment. Leopard seals were present on the shore It was always rewarding to walk with or icebergs. individuals from different scientific I saw only about nine whales during disciplines as it always produced new in my stay at the station. Four were hump formation on life, rock, sea, and air. backs, and the rest were too distant to This produced eventually an interesting identify. But the number of whalebones composite view of the area's past and scattered on the beaches testified to their present environment. But for me the previous abundance. And rusty har major point of interest was the wildlife. poons provided evidence of the cause of their demise. Admiralty Bay supports large numbers of birds and mammals ultimately depen FIVE STATIONS dent on fish, krill, and other inverte brates in the sea. Also there is the in Man was the only other locally abun evitable population of skuas largely dant mammal. Five other stations have been built on King George Island, three dependent on station refuse for food. of which are abandoned at present. The Some 8000 Adelie penguins crowd the two operational stations are Soviet (Bel hills to seaward ofthe station, providing lingshausen) and Chilean (President a dramatic interaction of sights, sounds, Frei) Stations built side by side in the and, when the wind is in the wrong spirit of brotherhood engendered by the direction, smell. There are also hundreds Allende Government. The friendship of Gentoo and Chinstrap penguins has nearly gone but the stations remain. roosting locally. Three Royal penguins On New Year's Day about 20 people also visited the bay briefly. from Arctowski visited the Russians by The opportunity to observe the helicopter. I was kindly invited to go behaviour of birds so closely was unique with them to enjoy Russian cooking and in my experience. The penguins would hospitality which was so good that the allow you to approach to about 3m helicopter pilots treated us to a display before they showed signs of significant of their considerable flying skills on the disturbance. This permitted close observ return journey, nearly inducing nausea ation of the breeding birds. It was very in several passengers. The second heli peaceful, if that is an apt word for a copter became non-functional shortly penguin colony, just to sit with afterwards, preventing further social binoculars during an hour of leisure, visits. allowing yourself to become enraptured However, I was allowed to hitch a ride by the bustle of life. Or, on occasion, to the abandoned British station "G" in death at the hands of the ever-present Admiralty Bay. The derelict structure skuas. was partly restored by field parties from A few pairs of sheathbills also roamed Arctowski over the summer for use as a the colonies in search of some tasty field camp, but the empty shell still morsel. Moderate numbers of reminds one of the transience of man's Dominican gulls were also present. present inhabitation of Antarctica. Elsewhere in the bay giant petrels, Other events on the social merry-go- albatrosses, Cape pigeons, snow petrels, round of the Antarctic Peninsula includ Wilson's storm petrels, and Antarctic ed visits of various ships top the base, terns evaded, hid from, ignored or dived the most interesting of which was the at you. Professor Siedlecki. Unfortunately, Groups of elephant seals clustered on from a professional viewpoint, it was the beaches, sleeping off their last meal, equipped for fish rather than krill engaging in mock combat, and bellow research. Two tourist ships sporadically ing in noisy protest against the intrusion deposited their human cargo at the sta- ANTARCTIC December 1979 tion for a mere $5000 for each she picked up the expedition from the passenger. Polish Dobrowolski Station at the Soviet Except for visits from the naval vessels station, Mirny, and then called at of the Argentinian, British , and Chilean Adelaide, South Australia, for fuel and claimants to the area, the United States cargo. Here I said farewell to my good National Science Foundation's ship friends as they sailed for Poland, and Hero was the only other visitor. Its returned to those essences of civilisation regular calls gave me practice in the — petrol and fluent conversation. English language. And Graeme Currie, [Mr Waite is now in Christchurch, and is Hero's Australian radio operator, made working in thc zoology department, home seem somehow nearer. University of Canterbury. His present But the return of the Antoni research is concerned with krill popula Garnuszewski brought it closer still. tion dynamics.] After a one-month tour of the pack ice THE READER WRITES SCOTT'S PARTY Sir,—The Antarctic appears to attract from the Lindblad Explorer through more than its fair share of "authorities". Scott's hut at Cape Evans. The visitors On the strength of visits lasting several stayed less than three hours in the area. days or even hours many travellers re During this time Franz Lazi's television turn as experts and are prepared to pon team interviewed Sir Peter Scott in his tificate on all things polar. father's cubicle for West German view A report from Johannesburg by the ing. correspondent of "The Times" dated Apart from a previous brief landing at November 15 quoted Peter Johnson as Cape Royds this was the only contact the stating that scientists claimed that the ship had with Ross Island. There was no bodies of Scott's polar party would visit to Scott Base, and no visit to the site where it is believed the bodies lie. emerge from the ice shelf "any day now". The report then claims that I know of no scientist who would Johnson visited the site in company with stake his reputation on being able to Sir Peter Scott recently. poinpoint the present position of Scott's This report received wide publicity, party, and certainly of none who would speak of emerging from the ice "any day Johnson being referred to as an exper now". The unpredicable movement of ienced Antarctic traveller etc. Most New ice generally, plus the unknown in Zealand radio stations and newspapers fluence of Ross Island on that move carried the story, but several were mov ment, would not allow anything other ed to add additional bits of mis-inform than an educated guess, and give no ation. Quoting "The Times", the credence to any suggestions to the con "Christchurch Star" of November 21 t r a r y . Y o u r s e t c . , added that Johnson had visited New BADEN NORRIS Zealand's Scott Base at the time. Surely it is not unreasonable to expect Christmas gifts a newspaper of the reputation enjoyed New Zealand men and women at Scott by "The Times" to check such reports. Base, and with scientific parties in the Peter Johnson is a South African photo field, will share gifts of Christmas cakes, grapher and author who, as a passenger mince pies, fruit, and home-made bis on the Lindblad Explorer, made his first cuits from the Canterbury branch of the visit to the Ross Seas area in February New Zealand Antarctic Society again this year. He could not be regarded as an this year. For the last 16 years branch experienced Antarctic traveller, and I members have sent cakes and biscuits to doubt that he made such a claim. New Zealanders working in the Antarc- I took Johnson and 96 other visitors December 1979 ANTARCTIC Desert sands to southern ice After crossing the Sahara Desert from crossing to Scott Base by way of the Algiers in four-wheeled drive vehicles South Pole, the Robert Scott Glacier, five members of the British Transglobe and thc Ross Ice Shelf. Expedition arrived in the Ivory Coast Members of the expedition, under the port of Abidjan early last month. There leadership of Ranulph Fiennes are: Ice they joined the Benjamin Bowring, team, Charles Burton, Oliver Shepard. formerly the Kista Dan, for the next Mobile ice base, Virginia Fiennes, Simon stage of their planned polar circum Grimes. Antarctic base, David Mason, navigation ofthe world using the Green Anthony Birkbeck. Air supply team, wich meridian as a basic route. Captain Giles Kershaw, Sergeant Gerry This month the expedition, which is Nicholson, Royal Electrical and Mech 1 by Sir Ranulph Fiennes, will sail to anical Engineers. Cape Town to prepare for the Antarctic Rear-Admiral O. St John Steiner, a stage of its journey. The Benjamin former Assistant Chief of Defence Staff, Bowring is expected to reach the South now retired, is in command of the crew African base, Sanae, in Queen Maud of the Benjamin Bowring. Other mem Land, early next year. bers are: Antony Bowring, Lieutenant Peter Polley (Canada), Cyrus Balaporia A base will be established near Sanae, (India), David Peck, Kenneth Cameron, and four members of the expedition will Mark Williams (New Zealand), Howard later travel to a basc in the Borga Massif Wilson (New Zealand), Terry Kenching- where they will winter in 1980. Early in ton, Eddie Pike, Martin Weymouth, October the ice group hopes to begin the Paul Clark (United States), Jill Mac- first stage of its 4224km Antarctic- nicol. Pete" Demas went south twice One of the 11 surviving members of In the winter of 1934 Demas devoted the winter party of Byrd's first expedi all his skills and energy to enable the tion, E. J. Demas, died in California on men at Little America to rescue Byrd November 16. "Pete," as he was known from a certain death when he became ill to all the men who served with Byrd in during nearly four months alone on the 1928-30 and 1933-35, was also the last Ross Ice Shelf at Advance Base 198km survivor of Byrd's North Pole expedi to the south. He and others kept the tion. tractors running, and he was one of the Demas accompanied Byrd on both of men in the party led by Dr Thomas C. his Arctic expeditions before he went Poulter which reached Advance Base south. In the 1928-30 expedition he serv early in August after three earlier at ed as an aviation mechanic, and played a tempts had failed because of mechanical leading part in the overhaul, mainten difficulties, blizzards, and extremely low ance, and preparation ofthe expedition's temperatures. aircraft, including the Floyd Bennett. For his second expedition Byrd took One of the New Zealand Antarctic four snowmobiles for use on scientific Society's caretakers who worked on the journeys, and the establishment of supp historic huts on Ross Island in the ly depots. Demas was in charge of the 1976-77 season has returned to Antarc tracked vehicles, and his mechanical tica. Jeremy Sutton-Pratt, a member of skills in their maintenance, overhaul, the Wellington branch, is now at and operation in polar conditions con Rothera, the British Antarctic Survey tributed greatly to the scientific achieve base on Adelaide Island in the Antarctic ments of the expedition. Peninsula area. ANTARCTIC December 1979 Award of Conservation Trophy A world authority on the ecology of penguins, Dr Bernard Stonehouse, has been awarded the New Zealand Antarctic Society's Conservation Trophy for 1979. The award has been made to Dr Stonehouse, of the School of Environmental Science, Unversity of Bradford, in recognition of his efforts to protect and preserve the most southerly penguin colony in the world at Cape Royds. The award, announced jointly by Mr R. M. Heke, president of the An tarctic Society, and Mr R. L. Park, chairman of the Canterbury branch, also recognises his contribution to New Zealand Antarctic research as leader of the University of Canterbury biological unit on Ross Island for five years. There have been seven previous In 1961 Dr Stonehouse initiated the awards of the trophy — an Emperor zoology department's biological research penguin carved in African walnut — in Antarctica. He led the first expedition which was presented to the Canterbury to Cape Royds on Ross Island, and branch by one of its members in 1971. directed for five summers studies of The trophy is awarded to any person or Adelie penguins, Weddell seals, McCor organisation contributing significantly mick skuas, marine fish and inverte to any aspect of Antarctic conservation brates, and fresh-water fauna in the — preservation of flora and fauna in the McMurdo Sound area. Antarctic or on sub-Antarctic islands, and the preservation of historic His studies of the small Adelie penguin colony of breeding birds at buildings. Dr Stonehouse was Cape Royds revealed that its numbers :d by the Canterbury branch of had declined alarmingly since the in the society which selects the recipient. crease in activity on Ross Island. A 53-year-old Englishman, Dr Stone Because of flights by United States Navy house began his distinguished career in helicopters in the area, and pressure Antarctic research 33 years ago. After from visitors the colony declined from war service in the Fleet Air Arm, he 2000 pairs in 1955 to 1100 in 1962. worked from 1946 to 1950 with the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey Dr Stonehouse reported this steady (now British Antarctic Survey) as a decline in numbers to the Ross meteorologist, biologist, and pilot. He Dependency Research Committee. His spent three years at the FIDS base in recommendations were accepted by the Marguerite Bay, discovered an Emperor committee and the United States penguin colony, and made the first authorities, and the decline was arrested. breeding studies of the birds since the New flying regulations kept helicopters days of Dr Edward Wilson. away from the breeding areas, and From 1953 to 1956 Dr Stronehouse pressure from visitors was reduced. was biologist to the Falkland Islands Until he returned to England in 1969 Government on South Georgia where he Dr Stonehouse also worked on the worked on the ecology of the King ecology of sub-Antarctic and temperate penguin. In 1957-59 he was the leader of latitude penguins with the University of the British Ornithological Union's Canterbury biology unit, and as a New centenary expedition to Ascension Zealand resident. He has written exten Island in the South Atlantic. He then sively on the birds and animals of An came to New Zealand in 1960 as a senior tarctica, and in 1975 edited an lecturer in the University of Canterbury authoritative book on the Spheniscidae, zoology department. "The Biology of Penguins". flNiTHRGTil is published quarterly in March, June, September, and December. It is the only periodical in the world which gives regular up-to-date news of the Antarctic activities of all the nations at work in the far south. It has a worldwide circulation. Yearly subscription NZ$6.00, Overseas NZ$7.00, includes postage (air mail postage extra), single copies $2.00. Details of back issues available, may be obtained from the Secretary, New Zealand Antarctic Society (Inc.), P.O. Box 1223, Christchurch, New Zealand. Back issues more than five years old are available on request. Overseas subscribers are asked to ensure that their remittances are converted to New Zealand currency.

NEW ZEALAND ANTARCTIC SOCIETY (INC.) The New Zealand Antarctic Society was formed in 1933. It comprises New Zealanders and overseas friends, many of whom have seen Antarctica for themselves, and all of whom are vitally interested in some phase of Antarctic exploration, development, or research. The society has taken an active part in restoring and maintaining the historic huts in the Ross Dependency and has been involved in the establishment of a national Antarctic centre at the Canterbury Museum, Christchurch. There are two branches of the society and functions are arranged throughout the year. You are invited to become a member, South Island residents should write to the Canterbury secretary, North Islanders should write to the Wellington secretary, and overseas residents to the secretary of the New Zealand Society. For addresses, see below. The yearly membership fee is NZ$4.00 (or equivalent local currency). Membership fee, overseas and local, including "Antarctic", NZ$10.00.

New Zealand Secretary P.O. Box 1223, Christchurch

Branch Secretaries Canterbury: P.O. Box 404, Christchurch. Wellington: P.O. Box 2110, Wellington.