Worries over Ice group

Press, 20 January 1987, Page 3

Worries over Ice group

The slow progress of the Norwegian 90 Degrees South expedition to the South Pole is causing concern to United States Antarctic authorities.

Dr Peter Wilkniss, the polar director for the United States National Science Foundation said in Christchurch yesterday that he did not know whether the expedition would continue to the South Pole or turn back. The four-member expedition, which is led by a Norwegian, Dr Monica Kristensen, is running behind schedule in its quest to reach the pole. The group sent a message to its supply ship Aurora last week, saying that all was well and it was leaving its third supply depot and heading south. It had had trouble finding the depot because of bad weather. It needs to pick up pace considerably if it is to reach the South Pole and be back as scheduled at the Bay of Whales in time to catch the Aurora on February 28. If the group arrives later, the Aurora will be hindered by thickening pack ice. “We don’t want to support them unless they get in trouble,” said Dr Wilkniss.

Dr Wilkniss was asked whether the expedition

had taken on too much, in Combining the trek to the pole with scientific work.

He said that the group had asked for a National Science Foundation grant for its scientific work, but had been turned down. The foundation had believed that it would be better served by Its own scientists using established facilities. Dr Wilkniss was asked if the Americans would help the party if requested. "We aren’t in a position to help in any way unless there’s a life-threatening situation,” he said. American authorities and the officer-in-charge of New Zealand’s Scott Base, Mr Stewart Guy, had met to discuss their response to private expeditions, he said. The bases tried to follow the progress of the private expeditions.

Dr Wilkniss said that expeditions were told when no help would be available to them. They knew, for example, that the last American Hercules flight would leave the South Pole on February 14. Private expeditions could tune into United States weather forecasts for Antarctica, but none would be “tailor-made” for them.