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VUWAE 17A - PART 3

Adams and Cole arrived in Antarctica on January 8 and were joined by Kyle who had returned from Mt. Erebus on January 6. All were accommodated in the USARP hotel at McMurdo Station for the duration of the Dry Valley Drilling Project (DVDP). Prior to the commencement of drilling on January 21, the Earth Science Laboratory at McMurdo Station was set up as the headquarters for DVDP, Logging procedures were discussed and the geology of the drill site and of Hut Point Peninsula were examined.

On January 13 Adams, Cole, Kyle and Dr. Sam Treves (U.S. Site Geologist, DVDP) in a half day helo close support examined the geology of six localities on the flanks of Mt. Erebus.

Cole returned to N.Z. on January 19.

Adams, Blackwood plus 2 NZARP members examined the geology at Rainbow Ridge, Brown Peninsula from January 21 - 26. On the afternoon of January 21 camp was established near Lake Auger after a 30 minute helicopter flight from Scott Base. Excellent weather allowed the completion of field work in the first two days and showed the rocks of the ridge to form a sequence of older basalt - trachyte - basalt - younger trachyte. Two further days were spent in a traverse across Brown Peninsula to observe the nature of erratics in the extensive moraines. Scheduled liftout on January 25 was cancelled in the morning and a helicopter that arrived in the afternoon did not make contact with the party in the field. Liftout was effected on the morning of January 26.

With the commencement of drilling on January 21, Kyle and U.S. geologist Treves were responsible for logging and describing the core from the two holes drilled near McMurdo Station. Adams was invaluable as an assistant and spent much time preparing thin sections of core samples.

On February 4 Kyle, Treves plus U.S. geologist Stuckless spent 5 hours on the summit crater of Mt. Erebus. They were fortunate in witnessing a rare eruption of Mt. Erebus.

Drilling of DVDP hole 2 ceased on February 20 and Adams and Kyle returned to U.Z. on February 23.