ANTARCTIC SURVEYS

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29373, 28 November 1960, Page 10

ANTARCTIC SURVEYS

‘ Small Teams Useful

Enormous scope still existed- in the Antarctic for small expeditions of about 10 men or less to do specified jobs, according to Dr. B. B. Roberts, senior research fellow with the Scott Polar Research.- Institute who will travel to the American base in McMurdo Sound today to “learn something of the American activities in the Antarctic.”

Dr. Roberts has spent many years in the Antarctic and Arctic regions. In 1937 he was a member of a small expedition to Grahamland which travelled by sailing schooner and spent three years exploring the coastline. This team was led by an Australian, John Rymill. Since 1950 he has been in the Arctic investigating the work done by various expeditions. Before that he spent considerable time at the British, Argentinian, and Chilean bases in Grahamland. Small parties with dog teams and aerial support could achieve much field survey work, he said. The size of the Antarctic continent left an enormous amount of scope for such parties to carry out mapping and geological surveys of islands and coastlines. Nine British bases with 91 men had completed a detailed map of a. portion of Grahamland. “The area we are working in is big to us; yet it is so small compared with the rest of the continent,” said Dr. Roberts. Only one fully permanent British base had been built. The others were temporary constructions which could be occupied for a year or two and then deserted when surveys of the area were finished. It was obviously impossible to shift a base of such size and permanency as the New Zealand Scott base, he said Provided the necessary financial assistance and support could be found, the small expedition was of considerable use. Comparisons between the highly - mechanised American work and the smaller field-sur-veys done by British parties [were- not possible, said Dr. Roberts. The mountains in Grahamland were extremely steep and rugged and quite unsuited to mechanical transport. “Dog teams can go places that machines could never hope to penetrate.” Air supply was also not feasible because no flat land existed on which an air strip could be built. The only alternative was sea ice which would take only small ski-equipped Otter and other light aircraft. During his stay with the Americans Dr. Roberts hopes to study some of the problems of administration and the liaison between the scientific work and the Government.