Immediate Report of Victoria University Of Wellington Antarctic Expedition 1987-88: VUWAE 32
Introduction
Introduction
This programme involved a five-person party working from the fast ice in the southwestern Ross Sea. Sea floor samples were taken along eight shore-normal transects from Blue Glacier to Tripp Bay and at Cape Armitage (Figure 1). The transects represent a range of coastal types (exposed to embayed) with a variety of substrates, including bedrock, gravel, sand, mud and sponge mat.
We travelled on the fast sea ice by D-3 tractor pulling three Cantago sledges and used a Grizzly toboggan for bathymetry surveys and route finding. The first sledge was set up as a sea ice drilling platform, with hydrographic winch, drill and drill mast, grab, fuel and tools. The second sledge carried the NZ-1 wannigan, which is fitted with bunks, table, desk and small kitchen. This was used as a laboratory for mixing preservative for the sediment samples, as a dry lab for the IBM PC, used for programming and interrogating the S4 current meter, and as a kitchen and working area. The third sledge carried the remaining cargo, such as tents, personal baggage, the Grizzly when not in use, further fuel and miscellaneous cargo. A VUW ski trailer for use with the Grizzly was towed last.
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