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Immediate report of Victoria University of Wellington Antarctic Expedition 1989-90: VUWAE 34

THE HYDROLOGY, GLACIOLOGY, AND SEDIMENT TRANSPORT PROCESSES OF THE MIERS VALLEY (K046)

page 46

THE HYDROLOGY, GLACIOLOGY, AND SEDIMENT TRANSPORT PROCESSES OF THE MIERS VALLEY (K046)

Aims

During the 1989-90 season, work concentrated on four projects looking at various aspects of climatically controlled processes operating in the Miers Valley. These projects were:
1.Continuation of the monitoring of stream flow and various climatic parameters which may be controlling its timing and volume.
2.Monitoring, and attempting to quantify, the fluvial sediment transport processes.
3.An attempt to quantify the albedo of the various surficial materials (including glacier and lake ice, and water) and to relate this to the distinctive "patterned" ground found throughout the valley.
4.Measurement of changes in the Miers and Adams glaciers and testing the practicality of using "terrestrial" photogrammetric techniques to monitor changes in the terminal faces of the glaciers.
It is hoped that the data collected during the past two field seasons will permit:
1.The evaluation of the seasonal variability of glacier behaviour and surface water hydrology.
2.An improved understanding of the energy and mass balances of the glacier-river-lake system in the Miers Valley, which typifies such systems in the Dry Valleys region of Antarctica.
3.The development of a water balance for the Miers Valley hydrologic system.
4.The quantification of sediment sources, the relative importance of sediment transporting media, and how these vary both spatially and temporally.
5.Quantification of the albedo (reflective) properties of the various surficial materials found throughout the valley.

Although some of these areas of study have been attempted in other areas of Antarctica (e.g., the Wright Valley) these studies have tended to be inconclusive because of the intensity of sampling and the complexity of the systems investigated. In the present study these problems were overcome with the use of electronic data logging and by studying the Miers Valley which has fewer inputs than previous study areas.

Planning

This was the second season of this particular programme and, as to be expected, few problems were experienced with the planning and execution of the event. There still appears to be problems in getting the Earth Science Working Party to accept the significance and relevance of hydrological research in the Antarctic. This problem is unlikely to be overcome until someone with a working and research background in hydrology is appointed to the committee.

The Antarctic Division staff, as always, did their job expertly and supported the project in every way possible, ft certainly helps, however, if at least some of the event personnel have had previous Antarctic experience as this assists greatly in "getting away" from Scott Base. The situation with regard to aerial photographic coverage of the Miers needs to be improved. Currently there are no photographs of this area available in New Zealand. An historical, as well as contempary, coverage would have been most useful in planning our event and extending the time series of changes in the Miers and Adams glaciers.

page 47

Tekapo is a very valuable introduction for all new members of the NZARP programme and saves considerable time once on the "Ice" even for "old hands". I believe that the cost of Tekapo is justified in terms of the efficiency of the overall programme, however, I also see a reluctance, indeed difficulty, in Universities and other bodies in funding the "full cost" of Tekapo. I do strongly believe that it is in the interests of the NZARP programme for Antarctic Division to continue to fund the bulk of this training course if at all possible. At Tekapo the identification of the new seasons Base personnel ("Blue Spot") as well as their Scott Base position and tasks would be most helpful as these persons change each year. It is important that all Field personnel are able to put a "face" to a job.

Being essentially a "re-run" of last years programme from a logistics viewpoint the briefing at Tekapo was very straight-forward and essentially a formality.

Cargo

This year we only sent two large wooden boxes south prior to the departure of event personnel. No problems were experienced and all the equipment was at Scott Base and in good order when we arrived. Five boxes were returned to New Zealand at the end of the season and once again no problems were experienced with all the gear arriving home in good order.

Preparation for the field

Preparations for the field went remarkably smoothly with the event personnel arriving at Scott Base on the scheduled date. We were made to feel most welcome on arrival at the ice runway even though the Base was in a state of chaos because of the filming of "Its in the bag". All event cargo had already arrived and was waiting in the cargo areas. All the requested field gear was available at Scott Base except for the Pionjar hammer which was in the Wright Valley. This, however, was returned before our scheduled departure date and in time for some much needed servicing. Once serviced it worked well for the week that we needed to use it.

Survival training went without a hitch and the two new event personnel got a lot out of the course; including having a lot of fun. The fact that Jack McConchie only had to attend for a day as part of the refresher course allowed him to prepare the rest of the gear for departure to the Miers. This allowed the event to get into the field a day early and because of problems with helo support early in the season this paid major dividends. The instructors were well organised and co-ordinated as well as being friendly and helpful.

The support of all the Scott Base staff, particularly the Operations Manager (Don Hammond), the Field Storeman (Doug Henderson), and Storeman (John Lee) greatly eased the process of preparing to depart Scott Base. The previous experience of the event leader also allowed us to get into the field ahead of schedule. At the time we were the only event to achieve this feat!

David Winchester's arrival during the Christmas - New Year break, while fine in concept, meant that he suffered considerable delays because of the demands of the "festive" season. While frustrating this did not jeopardise the programme in any way.

Field transport

This event was largely self sufficient except for helicopter support. Without a doubt this was the best season (out of four) I have had with respect to helo operations. None of the "usual" delays and frustrations were experienced and instead we had instances of helos arriving "early". When the Kiwi helo was flying during the early part of the season things were extremely efficient and I believe the high morale of field parties in part reflected this reliable service.

Event Diary

Nov 13 We finally lifted off at 1127, landing on the Ice Runway at 1715. Scott Base was in turmoil as they were about to film the "Its in the Bag" show. It was supposed to have been filmed the previous night. Once the filming started the whole base shut down.
Nov 14 Heather and Richard go out to survival school. Jack starts to organise gear.page 48
Nov 15 Jack joins Heather and Richard at survival school.
Nov 16 More time spent packing up gear.
Nov 17 Fly out to Miers, leaving Scott Base at 2100. Second flight arrives in the Miers at approximately 0100 on the 18th.
Nov 18 Set up camp and go for a look at the Adams and Miers weirs.
Nov 19 Emptied some of the wind traps and found "patterned ground" sites below the lake for the albedo study.
Nov 20 Installed thermistors in the glacier and at the two sites below the lake. Set up survey stations for the Miers Glacier. Put the waratahs in Lake Salina and Lake Miers for the staff plates. Dug out the Lower Miers weir.
Nov 21 Resurveyed the Miers Glacier.
Nov 22 Resurveyed the Adams Glacier.
Nov 23 Fixed the toilet. Mounted the staff plates in the Lakes. Emptied the wind traps.
Nov 24 Learning exercise on the EDM. Measured the sand in the delta. Restored the thermistor site near the Miers hut. Surveyed the staff plates. The transducer covers were finished.
Nov 25 Installed the Foxboro stage recorders and transducers at the Adams and the Miers weirs. Put in the transducer at the Lower Miers weir. Restored the two thermistor sites below the lake - the marble and volcanic sites.
Nov 26 Measured the sand in the delta.
Nov 27 Installed the Miers climate station.
Nov 28 Installed the Lower Miers data logger.
Nov 29 Installed the Adams climate station, and wired up the data logger at the Miers. The flow of the Adams reached the lake.
Nov 30 Spent the day visiting the Garwood.
Dec 1 Zenith promotional photos were taken at the bottom of the lake and at the Adams weir. Changed the Foxboro charts.
Dec 2 Set up the albedometer. Changed a couple of computer programs. Straightened the mast on the Adams climate station.
Dec 3 Climbed the peak known as "The Heart". Did a stream gauging in both the Adams and the Miers streams. Checked the albedometer, and the Lower Miers weir. Checked the data loggers at the Adams and the Miers, and took bearings of the wind vanes at the climate stations.
Dec 4 Checked on the Miers and the Adams climate stations. Measured the ablation surfaces found on Lake Miers. Jack left at 1700 for Scott Base and then New Zealand. Fixed the Foxboro at the Miers weir.
Dec 5 Richard determined 10 sampling sites (A-J) along the Miers. Installed the freezer box. Heather worked out a timetable and programme for the patterned ground research. Jack McConchie waiting to fly to New Zealand.
Dec 6 Put the albedometer onto the lake. Richard measured velocity profiles in the Miers stream. Heather measured a "polygon" at the volcanic site. Richard fixed up a divergent channel of the Adams. Jack McConchie leaves for New Zealand.page 49
Dec 7 Undertook gaugings, velocity profiles, and samples of the Miers stream at the 10 sites. Current meter leads broke.
Dec 8 Took sediment samples at the first five sites along the Miers. Changed the Foxboro charts and collected data from the data loggers. Filtered the samples taken during the day.
Dec 9 Measured two of the polygons at the marble site. Measured the width of the cracks of the polygon which Heather had measured 6/12/89. Set up markers on either side of the gauging line to determine the bed and water slopes.
Dec 10 Took the albedometer off the lake and went to the volcanic site to measure another two polygons. Installed the albedometer at the marble site.
Dec 11 Did gaugings, sampling and velocity profiles at sites A, B, E, F, G, and H on the Miers stream.
Dec 12 Helo arrived 1000 with a resupply. Snowed all afternoon - no work achieved.
Dec 13 Gauged sites J, I, C and D. Visited by Gary De Rose and Brian Freeman. Sampled across site E for 7.5 minutes. Filtered samples.
Dec 14 Measured a polygon at the marble site. Moved the albedometer to the volcanic site.
Dec 15 Measured three polygons in the Adams moraines. Changed the Foxboro charts. Packed to go to the Garwood.
Dec 16 Did not go to the Garwood, as Gary and Brian had not been helicoptered out because of low cloud. Took photos of Richard's sample sites during a low flow. Put a few screws in the Foxboro housing. Measured the volume of sand in the swales.
Dec 17 Sampled etc, at sites A, B, C, D and E.
Dec 18 Moved the albedometer from the volcanic site to the Miers Glacier. Took samples from the site outside the hut. Sent an Antgram to Jack requesting new current meter leads.
Dec 19 Went to the Garwood. Did stream gaugings in the afternoon.
Dec 20 Did a second series of stream gaugings in the morning. Walked back to the Miers Valley by lunch time. Recovered data from the data loggers. Water was flowing over the top of the Miers weir, and beginning to scour the back of the weir.
Dec 21 Did a gauging of the Adams during a high flow. Gauged various sites along the Miers. Visited by Garth Varcoe, Duncan Webb, Malcolm MacFarlane etc. K061 moved into the lower Miers. Visited by K061, but missed making contact by 5 minutes.
Dec 22 Retrieved the albedometer from the glacier, and set it up at the site close to the hut. Changed the Foxboro charts. The water had scoured around the edge of the Miers weir. Sand bagged all night long to retain the integrity of the weir.
Dec 23 Sketched the glacier snouts every two hours over a 24 hour period. Sand bagged and back filled the weir until 1000. Santa visited at 1230. In the evening, continued to sand bag until midnight.
Dec 24 A quiet Christmas Eve.
Dec 25 Christmas Day. K061 joined us in the evening for Christmas dinner. Spoke to K047 in the early hours of the next morning as they were working the "night shift".page 50
Dec 26 Recovered data from the albedometer by the hut, then shifted the albedometer to the marble site. Did patterned ground work at the volcanic site. Collected data from the dataloggers at all three sites. Saw a skua for the first time.
Dec 27 Sampling at sites A and B. Three hours doing each site, including across the bed sampling.
Dec 28 Sampling at sites C and D. Three hours doing each site, including across the bed sampling.
Dec 29 Analysed three polygons at the sandy site; a swale up near the Miers flume. Changed the Foxboro charts at the Miers and Adams. David arrives at Scott Base from Christchurch.
Dec 30 Moved the albedometer from the marble site to the volcanic site. Analysed another polygon at the volcanic site. The Adams was up quite a long way, up to 0.426 m. Gauged it at this height.
Dec 31 The Last Day of the decade. Sampling at sites G, H and I. Three hours doing each site, including across the bed sampling.
1990
1 Jan The First Day of the 1990s. Collected data from Lower Miers datalogger and reattached transducer to the weir. It had come adrift and was sitting in the "v" notch of the weir. Collected data from the Adams and Miers dataloggers.
Jan 2 Collected samples of material in the cracks at the marble, volcanic, moraine, and sandy sites. Analysed another polygon at the volcanic site.
Jan 3 Collected albedometer from the volcanic site and moved it to the Lake Water site. Sampling at sites F and J. David goes out to Survival School. At 1600 David departs Scott Base for Miers Valley. On the way the helo stops at K061 with a resupply and picks up Simon and Rob to take them to the Catacomb Hills.
Jan 4 Heather and Richard took fifteen minute samples at each of the Miers sites. David did the first inventory of the Adams and Miers glaciers.
Jan 5 Richard and Heather sampled the rising and falling stage at Site E from 0600 until 1830. David set out photogrammetric survey lines, and established suitable base line lengths for the photo centres. Changed the Foxboro charts.
Jan 6 Heather and Richard installed thermistors in the sandy site. Looked at cross sections of cracks and photographed the moraine site. David established photo-survey control stations.
Jan 7 Richard and Heather moved the albedometer from the Lake to the sandy site. Remeasured the depth to the permafrost at the marble and volcanic sites. Recovered the data from the Lower Miers, Miers and Adams data loggers. Did a stream gauging of the Lower Miers. David did a detailed survey from all the photo stations.
Jan 8 Richard and Heather went to the Garwood and undertook a series of stream gaugings. David undertook the first photography of the Miers glacier snout.
Jan 9 Heather and Richard returned from the Garwood after doing a couple more gaugings. Problems with the cables of the current meter. David completed the photo survey of the Miers at 2 am, thus able to maximise the best lighting conditions.
Jan 10 Stream bed and water-slope survey of the Miers stream. Went down and visited K061, as it was their last night in the Miers.page 51
Jan 11 Moved the albedometer from the sandy site to the moraine site. Re-surveyed the last water-slope survey lines to link with the benchmark BMM21. Michael Kopp and Josie McNee arrived in the middle of the afternoon. Heather collected samples from the "sandy type" ridges that had appeared on some of the patterns.
Jan 12 Tried to sample at Site D, but there was insufficient flow because of the lack of sun. Measured some ripples in the sand. Resurveyed a couple of the positions of the stream sites, to determine the height of the prism. Changed the Foxboro charts. Pat Sole and Joe Gary arrived from the Marshall valley just on midnight after a 4.15 hour walk.
Jan 13 Snowed all day. Josie and Michael left at 1000. Pat and Joe left at 1300. Gary De Rose and Stu Thome called in mid afternoon. Recovered data from the three data loggers.
Jan 14 Determined the "levels" of the patterned ground at the volcanic and marble sites. Checked the level and location of the Lower Miers weir to record the distortion. Did a stream gauging of the Lower Miers.
Jan 15 Recreation day - photographing. The Lake Miers Swim Club invested a further three members.
Jan 16 Richard and Heather sampled sediment over a rising and falling stage at Site E. David did the final intersection survey of the Miers glacier control. Moved all the survey marks and equipment to the Adams.
Jan 17 Surveyed the levels of patterned ground at the sandy and moraine sites. David laid out the photogrammetric survey line for the Adams glacier.
Jan 18 Surveyed and measured the ablation poles on the Adams glacier.
Jan 19 Heather and Richard took the albedometer down to the marble site. David did the photo-survey of the west side of the Adams glacier snout. This was completed at 0030. Recovered data from the three data loggers and did a further stream gauging of the Lower Miers.
Jan 20 Surveyed and measured the ablation poles on the Miers glacier.
Jan 21 Richard and Heather did a gauging at Site E, and measured channel slope. Tested the interference caused by the sampler with potassium permanganate: Retrieved the wind traps, and emptied three. David laid out the base line survey of the East side of the Adams glacier. The EDM was found to continue to operate in fight snow.
Jan 22 Wellington Anniversary Day. To celebrate the anniversary it was decided to go down to the beach for the day. Unfortunately not the best of days. Richard goes up to the high peak on the northern side of the valley on the way back.
Jan 23 Shifted the albedometer from the marble to the volcanic site. Visited by an American science party. Took down the Adams climate station and shifted everything except the weir back to the hut. Photo-survey of the east ridge of Adams glacier snout. Control survey completed 0015.
Jan 24 All equipment removed from the Miers site, bar the flume. Ancient surveyor saved from embarrassment by young maiden.
Jan 25 Lower Miers equipment moved back to the hut. All photo-survey marks removed and equipment moved to hut. All survey control stations punched and plugged.
Jan 26 Beautiful day so Richard went up Mt Lama for some photos of the valley. Heather went to get photos of her sites and collect samples from various sites for her mapping work. Removed the albedometer from the volcanic site and packed it away. Measured the sand on the delta. David photographed the survey and photogrammetric equipment as a record.page 52
Jan 27 Packed up some of the gear. Surveyed the location and level of the Lake Salina gauging staff. New survey station established on the Salina Moraines as ideal sighting purposes. True north established by local sun time. Panorama of skyline peaks established from bearings at Station P.
Jan 28 More gear packed and as much gear as possible moved to the helo pad. "Uncontrolled" photos taken of Miers and Adams glacier fronts for photogrammetric accuracy assessment. Closer photography of extended western section. Long focal-length (150 mm) photography of Adams glacier.
Jan 29 First helo arrives 0920 for return to Scott Base. At Scott Base the boxes for return on the ship were prepared. All NZARP gear returned.
Jan 30 Waiting to leave.
Jan 31 More waiting.
Feb 1 More waiting.
Feb 2 Still more waiting.
Feb 3 David Winchester and Heather Campbell left for New Zealand.
Feb 4 Richard Hawke still waiting.
Feb 5 Richard Hawke departs for New Zealand.
page 53

Weather

Metrological Data
Date Time Wind Direction Wind Mean Speed (knots) Max Gust Temperature (degrees C)
NOV
18 1800 W 8 −3.7
19 0900 E 5 10 −4.5
1800 E 5 −5.5
20 0900 E 2 −5.5
1800 E 6 −6.5
21 0800 O 0 −7.0
1800 NE 3 −4.5
22 0800 E 4 −3.0
2200 NE 3 −1.5
23 1000 W 5 8 −0.0
2000 W 3 −1.0
24 0800 NE 2 −5.5
1800 E 12 25 −3.5
25 0800 O 0 −5.0
1800 O 0 −3.0
26 0800 E 3 −6.5
2030 O 0 −5.0
27 0800 E 7 −0.5
1800 E 10 14 −1.0
28 0800 E 18 35 0.0
1800 SW 5 12 0.0
29 0930 E 5 6.5
1800 N 10 1.0
30 0800 E 10 12 0.5
1700 E 8 11 2.0
DEC
01 0800 E 4 8 0.5
1800 E 10 18 −1.0
02 0800 O 0 0 −3.0
1800 O 0 0 0.5
03 0830 O 0 4.0
1800 NE 4 3.5
04 0830 E 0 6.0
2100 E 3 7 3.5
05 0800 SW 8 4.5
1800 SE 8 14 5.0
06 0815 E 7 5.0
1800 NE 4 8 3.0
07 0800 E 5 2.0
1830 NE 2 1.0
08 0800 E 4 1.5
1800 NE 2 3.0
09 0800 E 2 2.0
1800 E 4 3.0
10 0800 E 1 2 2.5
1800 E 6 8 3.0
11 0800 O 0 2.0
1800 NE 4 2.0page 54
12 0800 E 0 2 1.0
1800 E 8 10 −0.5
13 0800 O 0 1.5
1930 NE 7 1.0
14 0810 E 5 −1.0
1800 E 5 −1.0
15 0800 E 5 −3.0
1800 E 5 −1.5
16 0800 E 5 7 −4.5
1830 NE 5 7 −2.5
17 0800 E 3 5 −0.5
1800 E 5 8 1.5
18 0800 E 4 −1.0
1800 E 7 −0.5
19 0800 E 7 −1.5
(AT GARWOOD)
20 1900 E 7 2.0
21 0800 E 3 5 0.5
1845 E 5 7 2.0
22 0800 E 4 2.0
1800 E 6 2.0
23 1000 E 3 5 3.0
1800 E 7 9 2.0
24 1200 E 6 7 −4.0
2200 E 6 9 −3.5
25 1200 E 4 0.5
1800 E 4 7 1.0
26 0900 E 4 3.0
1900 E 6 2.5
27 0800 E 6 8 0.5
1800 E 6 8 0.0
28 0800 E 4 6 0.5
1800 E 6 8 2.5
29 0800 E 5 7 0.0
1800 W 5 7 2.5
30 0800 NE 5 6 1.5
1800 E 6 3.5
31 0800 E 7 12 2.0
1800 E 3 5 −0.5
Jan 1990
01 0800 E 5 −2.5
1800 E 5 −0.5
02 0800 E 5 −2.0
1800 NE 7 12 0.5
03 0800 E 5 −0.5
1800 E 5 7 1.5
04 0800 E 5 1.0
1800 W 7 9 3.5
05 0600 W 7 9 1.0
1930 E 5 3.0
06 0800 NE 2 3 0.0
1800 E 6 7 1.0
07 0800 E 3 −2.0
1800 E 4 1.0page 55
08 0800 E 4 −3.0
2000 E 1 1.0
09 0600 NE 2 4 0.0
1800 NE 5 7 2.0
10 0800 E 3 0.5
1800 E 6 7 1.0
11 0800 E 4 0.0
1800 E 4 9 −1.0
12 0800 E 4 −4.5
1800 E 4 6 1.5
13 0800 E 2 −3.0
1800 E 4 7 −2.0
14 0800 O 0 −0.5
1845 O 0 1.5
15 0800 E 2 −1.0
1800 E 8 9 2.0
16 0800 E 4 −1.0
1900 E 6 1.0
17 0800 E 4 −1.0
1800 O 0 0.0
18 0800 E 4 1.5
1800 E 4 5 0.0
19 0800 0 0 1.0
1800 E 3 5 4.0
20 0800 E 5 1.0
1800 E 3 1.0
21 0800 E 2 0.0
1800 E 0 3 0.0
22 0800 E 5 6 −0.5
1800 E 3 −1.0
23 0800 E 2 4 −2.0
1800 E 6 −0.5
24 0800 E 0 −1.0
1800 E 1 2 1.0
25 0800 E 5 6 −5.0
1800 E 4 7 −5.0
26 0800 E 3 −2.5
1900 W 6 −1.0
27 0800 NW 2 5 −1.5
1800 E 6 0.0
28 0800 E 3 5 −1.5
1800 E 7 1.0

Accidents

Only one accident occurred during the season and this was of a minor nature. Returning to the Miers hut after working in the Miers stream Richard Hawks burnt the backs of both his hands on the steam from a billy. His hands were both wet and cold and obviously he did not feel the "heat" of the steam. Luckily a helicopter was expected the next day bringing a visitor, and one of the Base staff was going to use the spare seat. It was therefore possible for Wendy Strid (the summer medic) to visit our camp and bring extra medical supplies.

For two weeks Richard's hands had to be bandaged. While this was a big limitation on what he could do he was still able to write. The work programme was therefore able to be maintained. There was an early suggestion that Richard should go back to McMurdo for treatment but this idea was dismissed once Wendy had seen the injury and it became obvious that we could still function as an independent unit.

page 56

Field Equipment

All the field equipment issued to our event functioned extremely well. The clothing was excellent, particularly the windproof hate which made working in windy conditions considerably less onerous. The only problem experienced during the past season was the same as the previous season. The Sorrel boots with the "white plastic" soles (as opposed to the "black rubber" soles) soon wore down. These soles were not up to Dry Valley conditions and soon split causing leaks and consequently wet feet. While this was largely a question of comfort in the Miers, considerable risks are inherent in having wet feet in the Antarctic.

The food was excellent with plenty of variety. The major difficulties are now the bulk, given all the "freshies", and keeping frozen supplies from thawing. The large pit dug into the permafrost beside the hut to act as a fridge last season was lined with ply and covered with a piece of polystyrene. This worked well especially when the "box" was filled with ice to keep the temperature low.

Crampons in general are not suited for use on Sorrel boots because of their flexible soles. The screws tended to work loose rapidly and several of the "bars" broke under the strain of walking on "hard" glacial ice. I would suggest that "Locktite" be made available at Scott Base so that, after adjustment for size, the screws can be "glued" in place. In some conditions the loss of screws would seriously compromise safely.

Radio Communications

During the season we had access to both Codan SSB and Tait VHF radio sets for communications with Scott Base. The positioning of a repeater on Brown Peninsula allowed the Tait VHF sets to be used effectively from "inside" the Miers Hut and on only one occasion was the Codan HF set required to reach Scott Base from the Miers. Communications were extremely good and a high gain aerial was not required. At no time were communications missed because of "technology" failure.

It was still not possible, even with the repeater, to use the VHF sets from the Garwood and so the Codan was required on our visits to this "outpost". The Codan was used to maintain contact with other field parties and to keep in touch with what was going on in the New Zealand field programme. Because of this, the batteries required changing 4 or 5 times over the duration of the event.

The solar panels were not used as we had a generator and using a "multibox" it was possible to charge the batteries while doing other work. The generator was essential to operate the computer for data collation and down-loading of material to and from the dataloggers. It was also needed for recharging the EDM batteries which only lasted one days survey operations.

The Coms Operators this season provided an excellent service and an efficient link to Scott Base. They seemed to take an interest in what we were doing and were always willing to have a chat or read out some news. With only two persons in the Miers for much of the season they provided a much appreciated link to the "outside".

Miers Refuge Hut

The Miers refuge hut was found to be in good condition on our arrival and certainly made our stay considerably more comfortable than having to rely solely on tentage. The hut was used mainly as a laboratory for operating the PC although it was also used for cooking, eating, and recreation. The hut in general is poorly ventilated, however, with only two persons (three at the most) last season this did not lead to major problems. In the past severe condensation problems have been experienced while cooking. The Miers Hut is well sited for work anywhere in the valley.

More of the "old" food found in the Hut in 1988-89 was returned to Scott Base for dumping. This accumulated food has lead to a storage problems during recent seasons as field parties in the past have left their surplus supplies behind when shifting camp. None of the food found in the hut was used and the hut contains a good supply of fuel, cooking utensils, and a minimum of ten days food.

The provision of a field toilet made life considerably more comfortable, particularly on windy days. This toilet is "wired down" on the lee side of a low moraine ridge approximately 100 m page 57 from the hut. No pollution will occur as all waste is "captured" and returned to Scott Base for disposal.

The Miers refuge box, which is on a high moraine mound 100 m from the hut, was still sealed and was therefore not checked and no inventory was carried out. A couple of coats of paint were applied at the end of the season to make it more visible.

Environmental Impact

Garbage Disposal

All rubbish from the expedition was sorted into "Burnable" and "Non Burnable" bags and back-loaded to Scott Base. When old campsites and other "rubbish" was found throughout the valley this was treated in the same manner and back-loaded to Scott Base.

Waste water was disposed of in a "sludge pit" system located on a high sandy knoll to minimise risk of pollution to the rivers and lakes. The "sludge pit" was dug out at the end of the season and back-loaded to Scott Base. In the future a "sludge pit" container would be more environmentally suitable to trap food scraps and fatty liquids. Once frozen these could be returned to Scott Base for disposal.

Human waste from the field toilet was double bagged and returned to Scott Base for further disposal.