EXPLORATION PLANNED

Evening Star, Issue 25882, 28 August 1946, Page 9

EXPLORATION PLANNED

QUEEN MAUD LAND

" OASIS " OF ANTARCTIC MOUNTAINS

[N.Z.E.F. Special Correspondent.]

. LONDON, August 27. , An expedition to. survey an "oasis”of mountains, bare of snow ahd, ice, in the extensive area known as Queen Maud Land, in the Antarctic, is ex-| pected to take place " in about two? years’ time.’’ British and-Norwegian explorers will take part, and' words of Professor L. P. Kirwan, direc-tor-and secretary of the Royal Geographical Society, "there will be considerable discussions during next year, arid we hope New Zealand will be in them.” ■ 7

Mr Kirwan, who emphasised that the plans were in their earliest stage, I said the matter had been discussed [with Dr E. Mafsden and other New Zealand scientists recently at Cambridge “in a purely informal scientific I Way.” He added that there was “ a i possibility that the expedition wotild leave for the Antarctic from New Zea- , land,” and the Dominion, would be kept fully informed on the' progress of the talks. i . Mr Kirwan said that from a scientific viewpoint the “ oasis ” was an extremely important area. There were 1 a number of things that might be discovered apart from purely glacialogical and meteorological conditions. ■lt could be _ seen whether there was plant or animal life, which it was impossible to 1 detect from the, air, while the relation between the area and the nearest continents geologically -was also, of great interest. . One of the problems to be solved by those planning the expedition is to secure a ship capable of carrying aircraft, snow jeeps, and equipment. •■“■We have a lot to do to get around that one,” remarked Mr Kirwan. The' existence of the “oasis” was discovered on the eve of the outbreak of the'war in 19{J9 by Nazi explorers. They surveyed and photographed the mountains from the air, and dropped; swastika flags in an attempt .to lay claim to the territory, ■which is Norwegian. :

A valley which is believed to be volcanically warmed is thought to lie, 200 niiles south of the sea in an unmapped area. The real purpose of the German expedition was to establish a meteorological base to aid their ocean raiders. The German report, with photographs, was published at Leipzig in 1942. In addition to Professor Kirwan, Professor H. W. Ahlmann, of Stockholm University,- is associated with .the new expedition, the operational base for which is likely to be New Zealand or Tasmania. It is reported that the former German motorship carrying snow jeeps and aircraft is being prepared at Oslo.