EXPLORING THE ARCTIC IN THE GRAF ZEPPELIN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19060, 3 May 1930, Page 8

EXPLORING THE ARCTIC IN THE GRAF ZEPPELIN.

To-Day's Signed Article

Specially written for the “Star

By

Dr Fridtjof Nansen.

Our plan is to start from a last European station in northern Norway, either South-Varanger, Kirkenes or probably Tromso to travel across the Arctic regions on the Greenland-American side of the Pole to Fairbanks in Alaska, where a station with mooring-mast, etc., is being prepared. In Fairbanks the airship will be filled up with the necessary gas, etc., and will make a trip back into the inner part of the unknown Arctic towards the Pole and return to Fairbanks. When the ship has then been filled up with gas for a second time, it will start on its homeward journey across the Arctic region on the Siberian side of the Pole, and, after having, among other things, surveyed the unknown Nicolas 11. Land or North Land, it will return to its starting station in northern Norway, and then go back to its home in Friedrichshafen.

'J'IIE PROPOSED ROUTES of the airship are between 5200 and 7200 kilometres. The radius of action of the airship is about 12.000 kilometres. Thus there is a good margin. To Cover the Unknown. If this plan can be carried out, the expedition will practically cover the whole of the still unknown parts of the Arctic regions. During the cruises observations of various kinds will be carried out. All little-known or unknown lands and islands will naturally be surveyed and mapped by exact photogrammatic methods. The depths of the sea crossed will be determined by a specially constructed echosounding apparatus, which can be used from the ship in the air without landing on the ice, wherever there is a channel or lane of open water. The apparatus attached to a cable will be lowered into the water, and a sounding will be taken. In this manner it is hoped that the expedition may be able to determine in its main features the extent and shape of the deep Polar Basin, discovered during the Fram expedition in 1593-1596, and it may thus be possible to determine the edge of the broad continental shelf surrounding this basin. The Problems To Be Solved. It is thus to be hoped that the expedition may be able to solve finally the chief geographical problems still remaining in the frozen North. It is also hoped that, especially on the second trip, it may be possible to land on the ice and to take series of deep-sea temperatures and water samples down to 2000 metres from the eastern unknown depths of the Arctic Basin. But, in addition to this, other observations will be made. It is intended to make investigations of the higher layers of the atmosphere, and especially to determine the height and nature of the boundary between the troposphere and strato sphere. Magnetic observations of importance in these unknown regions will be made; investigations of the electricity of the atmosphere and other observations will also be carried out. Thus an important foundation may be laid for the future methodical scientific exploration of the Arctic regions, but of special importance

may probably be the experience gained during this expedition as to the future use of aircraft for scientific research. New Inventions. It is hoped that Dr Hugo Eckener will be able to take the technical leadership of the airship. The various preparations for the expedition are being carried out under the supervision of special commissions consisting of prominent experts of world fame and of various nationalities. I have already mentioned that a speciil apparatus for echo-sounding is being built, and will be carefully tested before the start of the expedition. Experiments have already been made with magnetic observations on board the airship and have proved very successful. Special magnetic instruments are now being constructed. New inventions of instruments for the observation in the higher parts of the atmosphere are being tried. An apparatus for transferring weathercharts by picture-radio, and a radio-tele-graphic long and short-wave apparatus ii being prepared, etc. Emergency equipment with sledges, kayaks, sledge dogs and provisions for ninety days, is being prepared for the possibility that the members of the expedition may have to leave the airship and travel across the ice to land. Soviet’s Assistance. The Soviet Government has appointed a special Government Commission xtndcr the leadership of the Peoples’ Commissary, Kemeneff, and they have promised to equip all meteorological stations on the territory of the Soviet Union north of GO degrees north latitude with special instruments for the purpose, and to provide the radio-stations at Matochkin-Char, on Great Liakhov Island, and at Stredne Kolymak with radio apparatus for the navigation of the airship, and also to equip several stations with short-wave and picture-radio apparatus'. It is also hoped to obtain the co-opera-tion of the Danish meteorological radiostations on Iceland and Greenland. Likewise it will be of the greatest importance to secure the co-operation of the meteorological stations in Canada and in Alaska, by arrangement with the Canadian and the American Governments. (Anglo-American N.S. Copyright.)