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Victoria University Antarctic Research Expedition Science and Logistics Reports 1964-65: VUWAE 9

REPORT ON THE NINTH VICTORIA UNIVERSITY OF WELLINGTON ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION 1964-65. SUPPLENENTARY ROPORT BY PROFESSOR R. H. CLARK

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REPORT ON THE NINTH VICTORIA UNIVERSITY OF WELLINGTON ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION 1964-65.

SUPPLENENTARY ROPORT BY PROFESSOR R. H. CLARK

REPORT ON THE NINTH VICTORIA UNIVERSITY OF WELLINGTON ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION 1964-65. SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT BY PROFESSOR R. H. CLARK

Since the report was written, communications have been received from Professor H.B. Foll in Harvard. Some fossil cohinoid fragments found by VUWAE 9 on Black Island in concretions on a high moraine (p.6 of the report) have been identified by Professor Fell as Lower Niocene warn water forms which lived in a shelf environment where the winter temperature of the ocean surface was no colder than 15°C. This information seems to have startling implications as it shows that the temperature as recent as 40 million years ago of seas covering some part of Antarctica were as warm as present day waters off North Auckland.

Earlier expeditions, VUWAE's 2 and 3, collected dolerites which showed that the South Pole at a still earlier period was near the 55th parallel (not far from Hacquarie Island) - these two results have important paleogeographical implications.

I would like to draw to Council's attention the very considerable services which the Lender, Mr. W. Probble, has given to the Antarctic work of this University. Mr Prebble is a Geology research student completing his N.Sc. thesis. He has spent the last three successive summers in Antarctica. He was a member of VUWAE 6 which explored the Darwin Glacier region in 1962/3. In 1963/4 he led the very successful VUWAE 8 expedition which worked on the solar heated lakes in McMurdo oasis, and last summer led VUWAE 9. His leadership has been first class and the expeditions have proceeded smoothly and successfully under his control. Mr. Prebble's leadership of the expedition enabled senior staff members (in VUWAE 8, Professors Wellman and Wilson; in VUWAE 9, Professor Bradley, Dr Vella and Dr Zimmerman) to act as scientific leaders and to be relieved of logistic and safety cares. I hope Council will agree with me that Mr Prebble's services have been most commendable.

VUWAE 9 is the 9th successful expedition counted in Antarctica from this University. The history of our Antarctica research goes back to 1958, and a further expedition is proposed for next summer. To date 32 scientific papers written by members of the expeditions have been published and a number are in press. If any member of Council would care to have copies of any of these papers they may be obtained from the & Geology Department.

R.H. Clark

Convener, Antarctic Research Committee