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Victoria University Antarctic Research Expedition Science and Logistics Reports 1979-80: VUWAE 24
Transport of Core (DBW)
Transport of Core (DBW)
Forty-one boxes of core were transported from the drillsite to Scott Base by U.S. Navy Helicopters, Power Wagon and octago sledge pulled behind by a D4 crawler tractor.
Although some core damage has occurred, mainly in the larger size HQ and NQ cores, this is attributed to drying out of the core, rather than damage due to transport. No difference in core preservation was observed between the different modes of transport.
The first 2 1/2 metres of core recovered, considered to be from a frozen layer deteriorated rapidly. No deterioration in the consolidated material occurred.
Storage and processing at Scott Base:
| (1) | Wooden blocks labelled with corresponding sub-bottom depths and core number were placed in the core box; |
| (2) | Smear slide samples were taken and the detailed core description completed; |
| (3) | Each core box was photographed in colour and black and white; |
| (4) | Core was then sampled and stored (in an unfrozen state). |
Transport to New Zealand:
Core boxes were packed into a wooden cargon which was consigned from Scott Base about the 5th of December.
It was despatched from Christchurch on the 7th December, by rail to Wellington where it arrived on the 21st December. The cargon was picked up by carrier and arrived at the Geology Department on 28th January.
Core condition:
Little physical damage to the core occurred during transport back to New Zealand although a fair amount of relative movement of core pieces occurred within individual boxes.
A preliminary investigation by Dr Ann Bell (Botany Department, VUW] showed the presence of Hyphomycete fungi in four of the forty-four boxes, growing on core labels (gummed paper) wooden blocks and in some cases on the core.
Fungi growing on the core labels was either Penicillium sp or Paecilomyces while an Actinomycete, possible a Streptomyces sp, with very fine hyphae and chains of cauidia was growing on the core. Neither organisms could be mistaken for pollen grains.