A N E W S B U L L E T I N p u b l i s h e d q u a r t e r l y b y t h e NEW ZEALAND ANTARCTIC SOCIETY IN McMURDO SOUND H.M.N.Z.S. "Endeavour" crew member surveys a berg, Mt. Erebus in background. R.N.Z.N. Official Photo. Vol. 4, No. 3 SEPTEMBER, 1965 Winter and Summer buses. Scott S u m m e r b a s e o n l y . t H a l l e t t " NEW ZEALAND Transferred base Wilkes US toAust TASMANIA Temporarily non-operational KSyowa , CamtVt-H I. (N.l) Mjcjuancl. C \ . ' f > Hallt* (US.) Scett Base- At) • y! iA N Tlf _^^Amundsen-Scolt(U.5.;A R/CTT^-1-aP^Ai/^' iJ • ^ x \ S S i s x ^ <* MawitJn"\ Maud •■•• f*rinii Vs© T r y » •^ ^s J?/ ^r^.s.'- DRAWN IY DEPARTMENT OF LANDS 1 SURVEY WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND, MAR.I9G4- 2 M.D EDITION (Successor to "Antarctic News Bulletin") Vol. 4, No. 3 SEPTEMBER, 1965 Editor: L. B. Quartermain, M.A., 1 Ariki Road, Wellington, E.2, New Zealand. Business Communications, Subscriptions, etc., to: Secretary, New Zealand Antarctic Society, P.O. Box 2110, Wellington, N.Z. CONTENTS EXPEDITIONS New Zealand Teams for 1965-66 Zoologist stirs up a hornets' nest Soil Studies in the Antarctic: P. R. Stevens and J. D. H. Williams Balleny Islands: B. C. Waterhouse France Belguim-Netherlands Australia South Africa U.S.S.R Argentina Chile United Kingdom U.S.A. Japan Sub-Antarctic Islands Whaling Antarctic Stations - 3 - The Argentine Islands Hovercraft in Antarctic: J. R. Green A Stone from the Dry Valleys: Alison Sanson Antarctic Bookshelf Magnetic Polar Journey 1912: R. B. Thomson Glaciological Survey of the Amery Ice Shelf: W. Budd The Reader Writes 50 Years Ago 114 ANTARCTIC September, 1965 NEW ZEALAND PREPARATIONS FOR COMING ANTARCTIC SEASON Preparations are in full swing for the 1965-66 summer field programme in the Ross Dependency, and for next year's scientific programme at Scott Base. The scale of activities will be some relatively small gaps remaining in what more restricted than in recent the reconnaissance survey of the years, primarily because of the clos Dependency, and to continue the ing of Hallet Station for winter oper specialised studies of particularly ations. New Zealand participation in interesting areas which the earlier the joint running of this station investigations have revealed. ceased in November 1964 because The major expeditions planned are summer-operation only was not con as follows: sidered justifiable in New Zealand's BEARDMORE GLACIER. A four-man case. party will spend four to six weeks At Scott Base, studies in auroral studying the stratigraphy of the coal physics, geomagnetism, earth cur measures and limestone of Mounts rents, ionospheric physics, radio pro Buckley and Darwin at the head of pagation, seismology and meteor the Beardmorc Glacier, first seen by ology will be continued with some Shackleton's southern party in De modification. The auroral radar cember 1908, in 84° 59' S and 85° S equipment will be temporarily with respectively. Mt. Buckley is named drawn in December 1965. after George Buckley, a New Zca- lander who accompanied the expedi FEWER DOGS tion on the "Nimrod" as far as the There is no intention to abandon pack-ice, returning to New Zealand the use of dog-teams for field work, on the towing-ship "Koonya". but the proved effectiveness of motor toboggans for certain types of opera CAMPBELL GLACIER VALLEY. A tion has made it unnecessary to four-man parly with either motor maintain as many dogs at Scott Base toboggans or dogs will spend four to as in previous years. At the peak six weeks on a geological study of period for field survey work in 1960— the western side of Campbell Glacier 61 the Scott Base dog population in northern Victoria Land. This low- numbered nearly 100. During the gradient, two and a half mile wide coming year the numbers will be glacier was first explored by the reduced to 30. Northern Party of Scott's Last Ex These modifications will make pos pedition in January, 1912, and is sible the reduction of the Scott Base named after the leader of the party, winter party from 13 to 12. Lieut. V. L. A. Campbell. A New Zealand team, Gair (leader), FIELD WORK Pain, Tobin and Sheehan dog-sledged The extensive dog-sledging jour down the glacier in January, 1963, neys of the past nine years have and carried out geological work, virtually completed the topographi chiefly on the eastern side. They were cal and geological reconnaissance of air-lifted out from a point about 20 the Ross Dependency. The results are miles up the glacier from Mount enshrined in the series of maps pro Melbourne. The 1965-66 team plans duced by the Lands and Survey to strike in near Mt. Dickason and Department and in the numerous to work up-valley. They may share scientific papers published in the a common base with the Victoria New Zealand Journal of Geology and University team working at Inexpres Geophysics and in many other publi sible Island. cations. The programme for the 1965— The glacier flows slightly east of 66 summer is designed to fill the south to the west of Mount Mel- September, 1965 bourne, into Terra Nova Bay. The lower portion of the glacier, south WINTER TEAM FOR from Mt. Dickason to the Boomerang Glacier, is known to be badly SCOTT BASE crevassed. ICE SHELF PROJECT. A three-man M. M. Prebble. Leader. (See last party will continue the long-term issue.) study of the McMurdo Ice Shelf. A separate party will undertake a drill Dr. A. Porter (27), Wellington. Senior ing and geophysical programme on Scientist. Dr. Porter was born in the ice shelf. Newfoundland and was educated at the Grand Falls Academy, the Univer NUCLEAR SAMPLING. Sampling of sity of New Brunswick (1954-59) and snow, ice and water by the Institute Syracuse University (1959-61). He of Nuclear Sciences, D.S.I.R., will be studied forestry and physics, and was continued, in order to provide in a chemical engineer in Australia be formation both on natural nuclear fore coming to New Zealand in Janu products and on the product of ary this year. He has been working as nuclear explosions. The sampling will a wood physicist. be done by men engaged on other D. M. Randell (22), Levin. Technician. F'rojects,rom New and Zealand will, itto is the hoped, South extend Pole. Mr. Randell is a technician in the Post Office. He was born in Levin VICTORIA UNIVERSITY OF WELL and attended Horowhenua College. INGTON. A four-man team will study He worked for eighteen months with the well-exposed basement complex the N.Z.B.C. in Wanganui and then at Inexpressible Island, northern was engaged on construction work at Victoria Land. They will be given the Levin Post Office. U.S. aircraft support, but on the site will operate on foot. Biological obser R. Vickers (23), Wellington. Techni vations will also be made and salt cian. Born in Wellington, he attended deposits investigated. It is expected Rongotai College and Wellington that this programme will occupy Technical College (1955-59). He was about three weeks. Further work will employed in radio engineering, 1960- probably also be carried out in the 64, and this year has been engaged Wright and Taylor valleys, occupying in aviation radio. about four weeks. I. P. Johnson (26), Gisborne. Senior UNIVERSITY OF CANTERBURY. Technician. Born at Wanganui and The biological work of past seasons educated at Wanganui Technical Col will be continued by an enlarged lege. Mr. Johnson is a radio techni group of seven men from the Zoologi cian. He recently spent a month at cal Department of the university. the Chatham Islands at the request They will study the Adelie penguins, of the "ham" radio enthusiasts of Weddell seals and skuas of the Mc America. He was at Campbell Island Murdo Sound area and the Emperor in 1959-60 and again in 1961-62, and penguin colony at Cape Crozier. also served on Raoul Island for the DOMINION MUSEUM, WELLING two-year period 1962-63-64. TON. Three men will be working at N. N. Dewson (41), Auckland. Base Hallett Station and two men at Cape Engineer. Mr. Dewson, who was born Bird. in Auckland, is a Naval rating. Leav ing Napier Boys High School in 1939 H.M.N.Z.S. "ENDEAVOUR". During he served in the R.N.Z.N. from 1942 the supply vovages of "Endeavour" to 1965 as an engine-room artificer between New Zealand and McMurdo and chief engine-room artificer. He is Sound, occanographic and magnetic married and has one child. observations will be made and sedi ment thickness measurements taken. T. O. McGeough (38), N. Ireland. Again a special cruise will be made Fitter Mechanic. After nine years at to the south and west of New Zea Derrylatinee P.E.S. Mr. McGeough land for scientific purposes. became an apprentice motor mech- September, 1965 anic. He left Ireland in 1950 and SUMMER PARTIES worked, chiefly as a heavy-duty The following men have been mechanic, in Australia, New Guinea, selected by the Antarctic Divisic- Arabia, Canada, the Spanish Sahara and California before coming to New carry out the projects plannec Zealand this year. the 1965—66 summer. A. G. Junge (22), Te Aroha. Fitter FIELD TEAMS Electrician. Mr. Judge was born in Campbell Glacier Rangiora and was educated at D.