HNjTflRCiTjIC A NEWS BULLETIN published quarterly by the NEW ZEALAND ANTARCTIC SOCIETY (INC) M i'i Twenty-five years after. New Zealand's Prime Minister (Mr R. D. Muldoon) and official guests who celebrated on January 20 the establishment of Scott Base 25 years ago, and the completion of a quarter of a century of scientific research in Antarctica. Behind Mr Muldoon are the flags of the 13 other consultative members of the Antarctic Treaty. On the extreme left of the photograph is Sir Edmund Hillary, first leader at Scott Base. Mr L. P. B. Slattery, officer-in-charge this winter, is on the extreme right. \lr\\VOI. Q57, h\e\ IMO. Q Registeredy. 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CONTENTS I ARTICLES SCOTT BASE 301-303 POLAR ACTIVITIES NEW ZEALAND 294-300, 313 UNITED STATES 304-309 AUSTRALIA 310-313 WEST GERMANY 314-318 EAST GERMANY 318 UNITED KINGDOM 319-321 SOUTH AFRICA 322-323 ARGENTINA 324 SOVIET UNION 325 INDIA 326 CHINA 327 BRAZIL 328 SUB-ANTARCTIC MARION ISLAND 329-331 GENERAL OBITUARIES 331-332 TRANSGLOBE 332 TOURISM 333-335 NEW STAMPS 336 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 March 1982 N.Z. PROGRAMME FROM CAPE ADARE TO SOUTH POLE New Zealand's Antarctic research programme for the 1981—82 season, which ended last month, marked the completion of the first 25 years of scientific endeavour by New Zealanders, mainly in the Ross Dependency. The programme called on the services of more than 160 men and women during the summer. It included a major geological project in Northern Victoria Land with United States and Australian scientists, and vulcanological studies on Mt Erebus with Americans and Japanese, and ranged from Cape Adare to the South Pole. A major event was the completion of company, and will be linked with the the third stage in the rebuilding of Scott outside world by radio-telephone and Base. The Prime Minister (Mr R. D. telegraph during the winter months. Muldoon) who flew south for the anni Deputy officer-in-charge this winter is versary celebrations on January 20, Mr K. J. Martin (base engineer, officially opened an accommodation Hastings). His companions are Messrs block for 42 people, and a kitchen and C J. Choros (senior technical officer, mess block. Both were completed ahead Wellington), G.O. Morgan (chef, of schedule by New Zealand Army and Waiouru), R. B. Walshe (fitter- Ministry of Works construction teams. electrician, Wellington), P. R. Nelson As in past seasons New Zealand scien (fitter-mechanic, Whangarei), R. S. tists took part in other national pro Mason (technician, Wellington), P. R. grammes and shared field work with Wheeler (technician, Thames), A. M. scientists from the United States, Japan, Babington (senior Post Office techn- and Australia. Six guest scientists from cian, Invercargill), and E. G. Bowcock these countries and two from the (field assistant-dog handler, Northland). People's Republic of China worked with the New Zealand programme. FIELD PARTIES When the last members of the summer New Zealand contributed 16 scientists team left Scott Base on February 18 for and support staff to the major geo New Zealand 10 men of the winter team logical study of Northern Victoria Land, officially began nearly seven months of which began early in November. Five isolation. The officer-in-charge for the geological field parties were flown to a summer, Mr A. Newton, handed over to base camp on the Evans Neve. They re the winter OIC, Mr L. P. B. Slattery, mained in the field for extended periods who is also the postmaster. Mr Slattery, until early in January, being supported the first postmaster to be appointed by United States helicopters when OIC, and his nine companions, will not see new faces again until the end of necessary. August when United States Navy New data on the Bowers Supergroup Hercules aircraft will make spring geological sequence were obtained by flights. But they have 21 huskies for the team led by Dr Malcolm Laird, of March 1982 ANTARCTIC the Geological Survey, which sledged in evidence, to conclude that the Bowers to the Bowers Mountains to investigate Supergroup is older than Middle Cam the relationship and possible connection brian in age. Previously the age was between the rock formations of Antarc understood to range down into the late tica and Australia. In the team were Dr Precambrian (Vendian). John Bradshaw, geology department, Later in the season the two Geological University of Canterbury, Dr Chris Adams, Institute of Nuclear Sciences, Survey parties amalgamated for scien and Ken Sullivan (field leader). tific reasons. Also Dr Adams joined a United States project led by Dr Carlos Investigation by toboggan and Plummer in the Daniels Range of the helicopter between Frolov Ridge and the USARP Mountains. lower Mariner Glacier has confirmed Another Geological Survey scientist, that the Bowers Supergroup crops out Dr George Grindley, also worked with along a 350km-long belt cutting across Dr Plummer's party in the first three Northern Victoria Land from the Oates weeks of November. From his studies he Coast to the Ross Sea. The sequence is prepared a provisional geological history faulted to the east against the Robertson of the area which will be checked by pet Bay Group, and rests, at least locally, unformably on metamorphic rocks cor rology, chemistry, and radiometric related with the Wilson Group in the dating. west. A threefold division of the Bowers WANDER PATH Supergroup into Sledgers, Mariner, and Leap Year Groups is maintained. Towards the end of the month Dr However, new data indicate that the Grindley was joined by Dr Peter Oliver previously uncategorised Husky (Geological Survey). With helicopter Conglomerate forms a basal phase of and motor toboggan support they car ried out paleomagentic sampling of Sledgers Group. The discovery of shelly fossils within the Sledgers Group, and Paleozoic (600 — 224 million years) and close examination of contacts between Early Mesozoic (255 — 195 my) rocks this unit and the overlying Mariner from outcrops over a wide area of Nor Group now confirm that they have con thern Victoria Land. formable relationships and are both Certain units were sampled in detail. Cambrian in age (600 to 500 million From the samples collected at Gallipoli years). Heights, in the Salamander Range, Lawrence Peaks, and the Mariner Glacier region, Dr Grindley hopes to FOSSIL EVIDENCE determine an apparent polar wander Another Geological Survey party led path for the volcanic and sedimentary by Dr Roger Cooper worked in the rocks of Northern Victoria Land. centre of the Bowers Mountains, the Volcanic complexes were studied at Leitch Massif, and the Mt McCarthy Gallipoli Heights, in the Salamander area to continue investigations of fossil- Range, and the Lawrence Peaks. Fossil ifcrous units begun in the 1974—75 hydrothermal alteration was evident at season. The party included Dr Jim Jago, Lawrence Peaks, and plant fossils found South Australian Institute of in sedimentary interbeds at Gallipoli "echnology. Professor Bert Rowell, Heights may provide further age con University of Kansas, and Peter Brad- trol. Volcanics there were dated as late dock (field leader). Devonian (about 370my). As a result of the new work done last An Antarctic Division geologist, Dr season palcontological evidence for the Bob Findlay, led a sledging party which age and rclaiionships of units within the made structural and metamorphic obser Bowers Supergroup will now be re vations in the Robertson Bay Group. viewed. The chief conclusion is that With him were a Geological Survey geo there is no reason, from the fossil logist, Brad Field, Walter Fowlie (field ■J',I«.!-IR- I ANTARCTIC March 1982 leader) and Bill Atkinson (field wide Rennick Glacier, aided by Gary assistant). Ball, one of three New Zealand field Areas where the party worked were guides with the expedition.