*AIMS
The ongoing aim of this project is to understand the origin and paleoenvironmental significance of relict ice from glaciers and lakes, which now lies buried by surficial sediments in many parts of the Dry Valleys. This phase of the project focuses on relict ice, buried in Lower Victoria Valley, which will be used as an analogue for relict ice in Beacon Valley. Of particular value will be the independent dating of sediments covering the ice using a new method of atmospherically derived beryllium-10.
Studies have shown that the use of atmospheric Be-10 to date Antarctic soil profiles gives equivocal results, and an independent test is needed. This requires sampling of a soil profile in a deposit of a known age. Such a deposit was sampled near the Hart Glacier in the Wright Valley.
In this field season, we also sampled the modern environments and stratigraphically recent ice deposits in Lower Victoria Valley as well as the modern and buried ice deposits in Beacon Valley. The main aim will be to analyse the ice for percentages of O 2, N 2 and Ar in the occluded gas bubbles. Ratios of these gases can be used to distinguish glacial and lake ice. The gas analyses will be used in conjunction with standard chemical (6 cations and 3 anions) and stable isotopic analyses to help characterize the ice. Results from this study will not only help with interpreting the origin of the buried ice but also test Hall's (2002) lake model for Victoria Valley.
*PERSONNEL
Name | Designation | Organisation | Departed Chch | Returned Chch |
---|---|---|---|---|
Warren Dickinson | Event PI | VUW | 7 Nov | 14 Dec |
Ron Sletten | Colleague USA | Univ Washington | 21 Nov | 14 Dec |
Gretchen Williams | Student | VUW | 7 Nov | 17 Dec |
Martin Schiller | Student | VUW | 7 Nov | 22 Dec |
*PLANNING
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Application process
The application process was organised in a professional and efficient manner. While the review process of the Antarctic Research Committee is rigorous and unbiased, the ranking/grading system lacks accountability, as the ranking results are not provided to the applicant. This also leaves the applicant without a clear understanding for several months of whether or not his/her event will have logistical support for the coming season.
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Communications with Antarctica New Zealand staff
Generally good
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Provision of maps and aerial photographs
Need for additional LIDAR data
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Pre-season information
Generally good
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Medicals, documentation and flights to Antarctica
Excellent
- Environmental Advice
- Other comments
*PREPARATIONS FOR THE FIELD
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Reception and planning for your event
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Availability and condition of equipment received
All equipment needs to be thoroughly checked out by event personel before leaving for the field. There should now be enough resources in the HFC to allow event personel to select from a variety of equipment.
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Field training
For those with previous Antarctic field experience, the AFT refresher is a reminder (in case people have short memories) of Antarctic conditions. However, Antarctica NZ should consider whether AFT is a beneficial and an efficient use of funds for personnel with continuous Antarctic field experience. As I understand, AFT was set up in 1995 for event personnel who had no Antarctic field experience within the last 5 years. It is not clear why this has changed to one of mandatory AFT every 3 years.
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Field party equipment 'shakedown' journey
All equipment was functional.
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Delays at Scott Base, whatever the cause
Weather
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Safety and Risk Management processes
I have considerable concern regarding the 'new' safety and risk management processes. It is not clear how these procedures contribute to improved safety in the field, which essentially relies on the equipment and judgment of event personnel in the field. These new proceedures should take into account previous experiences of the field party. Implementing these proceedures contributes to a substantial increase in the work load of both the science and base personel without, in my view, clear advances in field safety.
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General comments about Scott Base
Scott Base staff were generally up to the usual high standards of 'can-do' and help that I have received in previous years.
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Other comments
Comments such at those found on the BM report (11 Dec. 2005) were unwarrented.
*Event Diary
WEATHER
Generally good for field work in the Dry Valleys
*ACCIDENTS, INCIDENTS OR HAZARDS
None to report.
FIELD EQUIPMENT
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Quality, suitability and performance of field clothing
All new parkas and wind jackets should be a bright colour (yellow). Black, blue and green simply do not show up in the Dry Valley landscapes.
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Performance and design of field equipment such as tents, technical climbing equipment, kitchen gear, primus boxes, sleep kits and sledges
Lots of new gear coming on line, but proceed with caution. The old stuff works well and is tried and tested. Field parties were given choices on the new gear which is a good way to proceed. The new Macpac dome tents should not have been taken into the field without the modified flys.
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20 person day ration box system
OK for some uses but generally need to be repacked in to breakfeast, lunch and dinner for longer duration events; Field support people need to be flexible on this; Rationing of certain foods for field parties does not seem appropriate in some cases.
RADIO COMMUNICATIONS
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Other comments
Iridium is cheap comms for areas that cannot get VHF; Suggest HF be used as backup. However, the new HF radios are good.
ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT TAKEN TO SCOTT BASE
Numerous items have purchased by K047 over the years, but this past season there were 2 issues; 1) A solar panel kit for charging computers in the field was promised by Antarctica NZ, and this piece of kit never arrived. Prudently, I brought my own solar panel charging kit, but this added 40 lbs of cargo to SB. 2) Because of past experience in trying to cram 4 people into a Scott tent for cooking and evening discussion, I purchased an Arctic Oven (AO) tent, which has been used sucessfully for winter camping on the north slope of Alaska. The tent has about the same floor space as an Endura but is half the weight and much easier to set up. Modifications were made to the AO tent to make it more wind resistant, but the tent was deemed to be unsafe for Dry Valley conditions. I was faced with not using the AO and taking an Endura, a situation which would put us over the allowable helio weight. A compromise was reached in that a Scott tent, which just put us under allowable weight, would be used as a backup. The AO tent weathered 40-50kt gusts in Beacon and Kennar valleys without problems.
- Other comments
*ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
*Sites Visited (please fill in a box for each site visited)
Site name | Victoria |
Site location (coordinates/description) | Central to lower Victoria Valley |
Dates occupied | 14.11.05-20.11.05 |
Total days (or hours) at site | 6 days |
Maximum number of people at site (your event) | 3 |
Total person-days (or person-hours) at site | 6 days |
Main activity undertaken | Granite sampling, ice sampling |
Cumulative impacts observed | no |
Site name | Central Victoria Valley |
Site location (coordinates/description) | At 77.37824773°S, 162.21840204°E. Polygon in Victoria Valley. |
Dates occupied | 20.11.05 |
Total days (or hours) at site | 4 hours |
Maximum number of people at site (your event) | 3 |
Total person-days (or person-hours) at site | 1 day |
Main activity undertaken | Soil profile sampling |
Cumulative impacts observed | no |
Site name | Wright Valley |
Site location (coordinates/description) | Central to lower Wright Valley |
Dates occupied | 20.11.05-25.11.05 |
Total days (or hours) at site | 5 days |
Maximum number of people at site (your event) | 3 |
Total person-days (or person-hours) at site | 5 days |
Main activity undertaken | Granite sampling |
Cumulative impacts observed | no |
Site name | Hart Ash |
Site location (coordinates/description) | Around 77.49694956°S and 162.37238330°E, located between Hart Glacier and Goodspeed Glacier in Wright Valley. About 100 m 2 of ash occurrence. |
Dates occupied | 22.11.05-23.11.05 |
Total days (or hours) at site | 16 |
Maximum number of people at site (your event) | 3 |
Total person-days (or person-hours) at site | 4 days |
Main activity undertaken | Soil profile sampling |
Cumulative impacts observed | minor surface disturbance |
Site name | Central Beacon Valley |
Site location (coordinates/description) | 77.84823127°S 160.60356494°E, a polygon in central Beacon Valley close to the MetStation |
Dates occupied | 28.11.05-29.11.05 |
Total days (or hours) at site | 2 days |
Maximum number of people at site (your event) | 4 |
Total person-days (or person-hours) at site | 3 days |
Main activity undertaken | Soil profile sampling |
Cumulative impacts observed | minor surface disturbation |
Site name | Mullins Glacier |
Site location (coordinates/description) | Around 77.88421663°S, 160.54304995°E, debris covered glacier in Beacon Valley |
Dates occupied | 30.11.05-2.12.05 |
Total days (or hours) at site | 12 hours |
Maximum number of people at site (your event) | 2 |
Total person-days (or person-hours) at site | 2.5 days |
Main activity undertaken | Soil profile sampling, bulk soil sampling |
Cumulative impacts observed | no |
Site name | Beacon Valley |
Site location (coordinates/description) | (77.86343143°S, 160.59164261°E); whole Beacon V. |
Dates occupied | 25.11.05-2.12.05 |
Total days (or hours) at site | 7 days |
Maximum number of people at site (your event) | 2 |
Total person-days (or person-hours) at site | 7 days |
Main activity undertaken | Granite sampling |
Cumulative impacts observed | no |
Site name | Kennar Valley |
Site location (coordinates/description) | Kennar Valley |
Dates occupied | 3.12.05-7.11.05 |
Total days (or hours) at site | 2 days |
Maximum number of people at site (your event) | 4 |
Total person-days (or person-hours) at site | 3 days |
Main activity undertaken | Granite sampling |
Cumulative impacts observed | no |
Geological Material
Location (coordinates if available) | weight | |||
Hart Ash | 77.49694956S | 162.3723833E | 4 | |
Hart Ash | 77.49596251S | 162.37243778E | 3 | |
Hart Ash | 77.49624859S | 162.37364142E | 2 | |
Hart Ash | 77.49582731S | 162.37311353E | 3.6 | |
Beacon V. | 77.90286116S | 160.59456361E | 0.5 | |
Beacon V. | 77.89881815S | 160.58747311E | 0.5 | |
Beacon V. | 77.89552281S | 160.58025009E | 0.5 | |
Beacon V. | 77.89235939S | 160.57461745E | 0.5 | |
Beacon V. | 77.89052702S | 160.57097208E | 0.5 | |
Beacon V. | 77.88660337S | 160.56343926E | 0.5 | |
Beacon V. | 77.88344541S | 160.5584449E | 1.5 | |
Beacon V. | 77.8864333S | 160.55063331E | 0.5 | |
Beacon V. | 77.88421663S | 160.54304995E | 0.5 | |
Beacon V. | 77.84823127S | 160.60356494E | 3.5 | |
Victoria V. | 77.37824773S | 162.21840204E | 1.5 | |
Victoria V. | - | - | 5 | |
Beacon V. | - | - | 25 | |
Kennar V. | - | - | 5 | |
Wright V. | - | - | 5 | |
Specimen type | Soil, rocks | |||
Quantity (kg) | 68.1 kg |
Disturbance to ice-free areas
Location (coordinates if available) | Hart Ash | 77.49694956S | 162.37238330E |
Hart Ash | 77.49596251S | 162.37243778E | |
Hart Ash | 77.49624859S | 162.37364142E | |
Hart Ash | 77.49582731S | 162.37311353E | |
Beacon V. | 77.84823127S | 160.60356494E | |
Victoria V. | 77.37824773S | 162.21840204E | |
Nature of disturbance | Soil pit (one each site) | ||
Approximate area of disturbance (m 2) | 12 m 2 (12 / 6 sites = 2 m 2 each site) | ||
Evidence of previous site use | no |