Antarctic Sub-Structure Needs Intensive Study

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28217, 4 March 1957, Page 10

Antarctic Sub-Structure Needs Intensive Study

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, March 3. | Not until the Antarctic ice has been thoroughly probed with exlosive sounding shots will man ever be sure whether a continent lies beneath—or just a group of islands, said Dr. Lloyd V. Eerkner, vice-president of the international special cojnmittee for

International Geophysical Year. Observations taken so far had changed whole scientific conceptions of the earth’s surface, continued Dr. Berkner. In fact, the tremendous progress of the last few years had served to convince scientists how little they knew of the earth’s structure. “I warn you all that discoveries will come in the most astonishing places,” he said. The importance of New Zealand in I.G.Y. was tremendous, said Dr. Berkner. New Zealand was of scientific interest in itself. It was neither island nor continent. It was surrounded by water, yet was part of the thick crust of the earth's surface that stretched to

the Antarctic and had been known as Atlantis. In the Antarctic, man could observe the last remaining ice age —a phenomenon of vital interest to scientists. New Zealand might well be proud of its Antarctic bases—an astonishing effort for so small a country, said Dr. Berkner. A par- j ticularly valuable contribution to I.G.Y. was the country’s complete coverage for observing the phenomenon of the aurora with a chain of observation posts stretching in a north-south line from Wellington through Christchurch, Invercargill, Campbell Island, and Cape Adare to Scott Base in the Antarctic, he said.