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Victoria University Antarctic Research Expedition Science and Logistics Reports 1993-94: VUWAE 38

Vibracorer Programme

Vibracorer Programme

The main part of the programme to recover sea floor cores was not achieved due to the loss of the vibracorer in Granite Harbour. Annex 1 to this report describes in detail the loss of the device, including testing in New Zealand and at Scott base and the loss in Granite harbour on its first deployment.

The operation of sophisticated oceanographic programmes from the sea ice away from Scott Base such as the vibracorer operation is difficult because large equipment operated through the sea ice is also exposed to surface weather conditions. Significantly greater logistic resources would be required to operate this equipment under cover to avoid the weather at on the ice and this is not considered practical at present when all equipment must be transported from and returned to Scott Base each season. We then have a very limited period to operate from the sea ice starting from about 20-25 November when air temperatures have usually warmed up sufficiently and ending 5-7 December when sea ice travel with heavy plant normally must be completed because of the sea ice deterioration at some places along the coastal return route to Scott Base. The ice conditions in the Granite Harbour area however usually remain workable for a least another 7-10 days.

For future successful sea ice operations such as the vibracorer programme we need to maximise the working period. We could expect up to 25 days (20 Nov. to 15 Dec.) working in the area if NZAP logistic resources allowed prepositioning of some equipment in Granite Harbour and winter storage of plant and some equipment at Cape Roberts at the end of the work period.