Busiest Summer At Vanda Station

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32073, 22 August 1969, Page 12

Busiest Summer At Vanda Station

The scale of activities of New Zealand’s research programme in the Antarctic in the 1969-70 season is about the same as last season’s. This summer 83 men will work at Scott Base and at the new Vanda Station in the Wright Dry Valley. According to Mr P. B. Thomson, superintendent of the Antarctic division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research the summer will be the busiest at Vanda Station. Between 40 and 50 persons will work from there in the peak period. They will include visiting groups from several coun-. tries.

Two large field parties will be active in the Terra Nova Bay area extending north to Mount Dickason and in the Scott Glacier area between the Polar Plateau and the

Ross Ice Shelf. These areas should have been included in. the 1968-69 programme bitt were withdrawn for economic reasons. ( , Studies in auroral physifcs,: geomagnetism, ionospheric physics, meteorology and seismology will be continued at Scott Base. Some changes have been made to the auroral programme because of a co-operative venture with Vanda Station into the measurements of auroral heights. Changes have been made also in the ionospheric physics programme. At Vanda Station studies ih earth currents, geomagnetism, meteorology and seismology will continue. The Studies in very low frequency propagation will be expanded to include whistler recording, in association with similar work at Scott Base, where 1Q men will spend next winter. Four New Zealanders and one American exchange scientist will occupy Vanda Station next winter. They will

make observations of the “hof’ lake level, temperatures and chemistry at regular intervals and observations to supplement the work of summer parties in the Wright Dry Valley area. Eight men from Victoria University will do research in the Ross Dependency for up to eight weeks during the summer. Four will continue studies of glacial and marine sediments in the dry valleys and on raised beaches and promontories bordering the Ross Sea. ; The other four will study the geochemistry of Antarctic lakes to deduce past climatic' and glacial events.

Auckland University will epntinue studies of the transmission of underwater sound in Antarctic waters and record sea noise, marine biological noises and earthquakes. The Antarctic biological unit Of the University of Canterbury will also continue its researches. Two men will

spend several weeks carrying out studies of the Weddell seal in the southern part of McMurdo Sound, a party of four or five will spend up to four months at Cape Bird studying skuas and penguins. The D.S.I.R. air and snow sampling programme will be continued and the department’s detailed study of the McMurdo Ice Shelf between Ross Island and the mainland will continue for up to four months. The party will also complete the surveying programme round the Vanda Station.

The Royal New Zealand Air Force will make three supply flights using Hercules aircraft. The first will be on November 11. Mr Thomson said H.M.N.Z.S. Endeavour would make one supply voyage to the Antarctic next season. It would leave Lyttelton in mid-Janu-ary carrying cargo for Scott Base and some cargo for the United States Antarctic research programme.