Studying the atmosphere

Press, 13 April 1978, Page 14

Studying the atmosphere

Thirty-two-year-old Will Kimber from Rotorua has a key job at Scott Base tliis winter. He will be running the ionosonde which records the amount of ionisation in the earth’s upper atmosphere at heights from 80km to 350 km. This data is passed on to other world centres where it is used for the prediction of radio operating conditions. Will, who comes from England, has been in New Zealand for more than five years. He said that his interest in Antarctica has been a gradual process which began 10 years ago when he was shown over the British Antarctic Survey supply ship Kista Dan docked at Southampton. After coming to New Zealand, chance contact with people who had worked at Scott Base aroused his curiosity even more. This eventually prompted him to apply for a position with the New Zealand Antarctic programme. Will sees his Antarctic experience as both a professional and personal challenge. He has worked as a registered radio technician and has done courses in electron microscopy and digital electronics and he is eager to increase his knowledge in these fields. The panoramic ionosonde which is used at Scott Base was designed

and constructed in New Zealand, it is a delicate and highly sensitive piece of equipment. It sweeps from one to 22 megacycles in 24secs at 15-minute intervals. Will is confident that he will be able to handle any prob-

lems that arise with the instrument during the winter months. Will is an avid reader and has been unofficially appointed Scott Base librarian. Some of his spare time will be taken up with sorting out the 1000 or so books in the library there. Photography is his other great interest; he develops and prints his own films in the Scott Base darkroom. He intends to have an interesting collection of photographs to bring home in October.

THE WINTERING MEN AT SCOTT BASE

By Margaret Cullen, Information Off icer. Antarctic Division.