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GRANITE HARBOUR SEDIMENT STUDIES (K042)
Narrative:
Macpherson arrived at Scott Base 22 August and worked within the CIROS programme until 19 November. During the period at Scott Base, all field equipment was assembled and transported to Butter Point utilising CIROS cargo trains. Thanks to Eric Saxby, field equipment had already been allocated thus saving considerable time.
The first trip from Butter Point to Granite Harbour was from 24 September to 27 September. This was attempted in temperatures of around −35°C with constant 10-20 knot southerlies. Macpherson, Barrett and Wright departed Butter Point 24 September, after spending two days preparing the snowtric toboggans to run without carburettor fouling and icing at Butter Point. The copper fuel line broke on SM039 on the tank and the party was forced to camp for the night off the Debenham Glacier. After spending three hours the following morning getting the two machines running (including preheating the carburettors and diaphragm pumps using a makeshift alcohol burner), the party continued to Cape Roberts where the vehicles were checked over. Ice thickness/crack width measurements were observed off Cape Roberts. A triple sediment trap was deployed in mid Harbour on 26 September and the party returned to Butter Point on 27 September in extremely cold conditions. SM045 was only able to be driven in first gear due to recurring gearbox problems which were said to have been corrected at Scott Base prior to field work.
From 28 September to 21 October, Macpherson worked with CIROS personnel from Butter Point. A trip to Granite Harbour was planned for 6 to 10 October, but makeshift repairs to the gearbox of SM045 which eventually proved futile and a broken steering shaft, made it necessary to replace that vehicle with another from Scott Base.
Simon Vincent arrived Scott Base on 7 October and spent several days organising field equipment for K043 and assisting K076 with survival courses, before travelling to Butter Point on 17 October.
Macpherson, Vincent and Ashby departed Butter Point 21 October in conjunction with K191 and K052 who were travelling by Snowtrac. K052 were dropped off at Spike Cape and this party continued to Cape Roberts later that day, experiencing only minor problems with vehicles.
On October 22, the party including K191, initiated the offshore Survey Network (CIROS) utilising two Snotric toboggans. Four sites were surveyed over a 45 km circuit SE of Cape Roberts. Mechanical problems experienced are detailed in vehicle appendices.
23 October was lost due to poor weather and the complete party travelled to Cuff Cape (the grounding line of the Mackay Glacier) on 24 October using the Snowtrac of K191. The two easternmost poles of the Mackay Glacier network were resurveyed that day and the remaining poles above the grounding line resurveyed the following day. The party returned to Cape Roberts on 26 October and on to Butter Point the following day.
On 31 October, Vincent, Manson, Belgrave and Haanen travelled to Cape Roberts with SM039 and SM046. (Macpherson was fully engaged with CIROS). The party spent 1 November completing the second CIROS offshore survey, suffering a broken steering shaft on SM039 10 km from Cape Roberts, necessitating their return to Cape Roberts with the vehicles hitched in tandem. Vincent stripped SM039 on 2 November and then assisted K191 with a topographic survey of Cape Roberts. Macpherson and Wright spent 3 November assisting Sierra 216 in the Granite Harbour area and were able to drop replacement steering shaft and fuel to Cape Roberts. K191 departed Cape Roberts for Tripp Bay whilst Vincent and Haanen returned to Butter Point experiencing major variator problems on SM039 and having to tow all gear (2 sledges) behind SM047.
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Pillans arrived Scott Base 4 November and was immediately sent to Butter Point where he underwent survival training by Vincent.
Vincent returned to Scott Base on 7 November with SM039 where he engineered a solid steering shaft and swapped SM039 for SM047, returning to Butter Point 9 November.
Macpherson, Vincent and Cooper (CIROS driller) departed Butter Point 11 November and travelled to Cape Roberts without any major mechanical problems. However, upon setting out to deploy sediment traps the following day, the duplex drive chain on SM046 broke and jammed the gearbox, chipping teeth from the drive sprocket in the process.
A set of sediment traps was installed in Avalanche Bay on 13 November and the following day, a further set was installed in Central Harbour. Spare parts for the gearbox arrived on 14 November and SM046 was repaired that day. The party returned to Butter Point the following day, in conjunction with K191 and K052, experiencing only minor mechanical problems. Vincent again returned to Scott Base on 16 November to effect repairs to broken machinery and to engineer a new set of sea ice keels for sledges (as described in Pyne, 1983). Macpherson joined him on 17 November whilst Pillans spent those days effecting repairs to the trailer and sledges.
Macpherson, Vincent and Pillans departed Butter Point in the company of K191 and travelled to Cape Roberts on 19 November, experiencing no mechanical breakdowns but SM046 was losing a lot of gearbox oil. The intention for the following day was to survey a transect along the Mackay Glacier tongue. However, this was abandoned as a result of low cloud and the day was spent at Cape Roberts preparing oceanographic equipment and replacing oil seals and drive shaft on SM046.
On 21 November, the combined parties travelled to Cuff Cape and began a survey of a transect line along the Mackay Glacier Tongue. However, travel proved impossible as a result of the badly crevassed nature of the tongue and the transect was abandoned in the interest of personal safety. The parties returned to Cape Roberts and spent the following day organising equipment and finishing repairs to toboggans.
Vincent and Belgrave completed offshore surveying on 23 November, allowing Macpherson, Pillans and Manson to begin oceanographic work in central Granite Harbour. An attempt to retrieve the earliest deployed sediment trap was not successful.
USARP event S216 arrived at Cape Roberts on 24 November, the day K191 departed for Scott Base. Pillans returned to Scott Base utilising S216 helo. The following three days were spent supporting S216 and beginning oceanographic work at sites close to Cape Roberts. S216 departed Cape Roberts on 27 November with Pillans returning to Granite Harbour on that date.
The period from 28 November to 10 December was spent at oceanographic sites within Granite Harbour. Vehicle breakdowns are listed in the Vehicle Summary. Apart from two nights at Cuff Cape (29 and 30 November), the work was executed during day trips from Cape Roberts. Belgrave arrived by helo on 5 December and was assisted by Vincent and Pillans in erecting a survey beacon on Mt Marston.
Vincent and Belgrave spent a 1/2 day on 7 December concluding the CIROS offshore surveying allowing Belgrave to depart for Scott Base by helo on 10 December. Macpherson, Pillans and Vincent returned to Butter Point on 10 December, experiencing major mechanical breakdown of SM046, 9 km from Butter Point. The vehicle was subsequently towed to Butter Point.
11 December was poor weather and was spent organising gear for retro to Scott Base by helo.
Macpherson, Vincent and Pillans returned to Scott Base by helo, with under-slung load on 12 December. Macpherson and Pillans depart for New Zealand on 14 December. Vincent assists K043 from that date on.
References
Pyne, Alex R. 1984. Victoria University of Wellington Antarctic Expedition 28. Immediate Report, 1983-84.
Vehicle Summary (refer Table 11):
| 1. | Both allocated vehicles (SM039 and SM045) required approximately 1 day each of workshop time to become operational at beginning of season. These vehicles were then used occasionally to support CIROS sorties to the tip of the dirty ice and proved totally useless if allowed to stop and cool in the conditions experienced at that time of year. Grizzlys were operational at this time but were "not available" for this work. |
| 2. | The following listed breakdowns resulted in approximately 65 hours work (mostly for 2 people). This time was over and above that spent on regular maintenance (approximately 1 hour/day for 1 person). Therefore, a total of approximately 170 man hours were spent on vehicle repairs/maintenance. The quality of the science suffered as a result. |
| 3. | K042 also used these vehicles to support K052; K181; K191 and S216. Breakdowns flagged thus "*" in the following table occurred during work carried out for CIROS and not for K042. |
| 4. | The allocated vehicles were old and possibly past their expected working life. SM039 was seven seasons old. SM045, 046 and 047 were four seasons old. |
| 5. | Mileage covered was as follows: |
| SM039 | 625 km |
| SM045 | 280 km |
| SM046 | 1375 km |
| SM047 | 1075 km |
| 3355 km |
| 6. | Vehicles were left at Butter Point for retro to Scott Base at the OIC's convenience. The engine on SM046 stopped 9 km from Butter Point at the end of the programme. The engine was burning considerable oil, but still contained oil at the time of breakdown. Apart from the engine on SM046, they were both performing well and would be fine for local use from Scott Base. They are not suitable for extended field seasons. |
| 7. | At Winfly, SM045 was found to have a slipping gear change mechanism, the result of worn selector forks for which there was no spares held at Scott Base. The machine was overhauled at Scott Base prior to being assigned to K042 but was eventually returned to Scott Base because of this recurring gearbox problem. |
Field Equipment:
Tents: All tents allocated to K042 this season were in a good state of repair and gave no problems. The "New Horizon Dome" again proved Very successul in all conditions encountered and is pleasant to live in due to its increased light transmitting capabilities.
Sledges: Tamworth sledges were again used this summer and cracked runners replaced on the oldest mid season. At this stage we interchanged several parts of sledges and fitted two new runners. These sledges are primarily used on the sea ice, and permanent keels were set in the new runners. This proved very successful in stopping "fishtailing" and does not weaken the runner at all as no wood is removed. They are a vast improvement on the traditional "snow keels" for sea ice work.
| Foodboxes | 4 (without perishables) Antarctic Division |
| Canned fruit | 12 boysenberries |
| Flour | 2 bags wholemeal |
| Breadmaking ingredients - assorted | |
| Water filtering equipment | |
| Kerosene | 16 gallons |
| DFA | 132 gallons |
| Isopropyl alcohol (VUW) | 1 gallon |
| Mogas | 12 gallons |
| Synarctic oil | 1/4 gallon |
| Depthline (VUW) | 400 m on winder |
| Ice tongs (VUW) | 2 pair |
| Beacon boards (VUW) | 6 sets |
In addition, basic utensils (VUW) have been left, as have emergency first aid, etc.
Garbage Disposal:
All garbage was returned either to the CIROS camp at Butter Point or to Scott Base. Human waste was returned to CIROS camp where it was deposited in the latrines.
Communications:
Two 24 volt compak radios were supplied for K042. They functioned well except in the early season when fully charged batteries became flat after two days travel (no use) at temperatures of approximately −35°C. Other minor problems were sticking handsets and blown fuses. No replacement fuses were included in the sets. Fortunately, we were able to use K191 radios until we could be resupplied.
Two Tait hand-held VHF transceivers were also allocated to K042 for early season work and surveying. These proved very successful and much more versatile than the RCA sets in use at CIROS. A report has been supplied to G. Varcoe on these Tait radios in November 1984.
Recommendations:
| 1. | The stocking of Antarctic Division food boxes needs reviewing. An event would have to be parsimonious with many items for one box to last the stated "20 days". Alternatively, many items are oversupplied, e.g. it is now possible to purchase sugar in 500 gm packs, an adequate quantity for 20 man days; this quantity would be one sixth of that presently supplied. |
| 2. | For field events not involved in the Dry Valley region, the choice of fresh/frozen meat and vegetables instead of "dehy" should be available. Sea ice events have fewer weight restrictions and could easily utilise frozen foods. This would be a cheaper alternative for Antarctic Division. |
| 3. | P.V.C. groundsheets would be advantageous for parties camping for prolonged periods on sea ice, as bedding would be isolated from the damp. |
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Table 11. Vehicle maintenance summary - K042.