Maximum Wind Velocities.

Below Bull Pass and on the south side of the valley just east of Lake Vanda are two places in Wright Valley that appear to be subject to extremely high westerly winds. Pebbles up to 2 inches in length have been transported for as much as 0.5 km from their source outcrop. In an attempt to find how strong these winds are and how often they blow, a set of primitive maximum velocity indicators were set up on the Lake Vanda Peninsula in 1964. The indicators consisted of a series of tins of different squatness filled with sand and set up on flat rock surface. In December 1966 it was found that the beer cans had been blown over by westerly winds and that the squatter tins had not. At some time in the last few years there must have been a gale very much stronger than any I have experienced. I would estimate a velocity of about 100 knots and suggest that an experiment should be made in a wind tunnel or at an airport to obtain a more accurate value, as it will be important to know what is to be expected if a hut is to be built in the valley.