Four separate projects involving nine people were approved by the Ross Dependency Research Committee for the 1982-83 field season:

Erebus Studies

Dr. Dibble was to continue his survey of seismic activity on Erebus volcano as part of an international programme. Transmission of data from sensors in the summit area ceased in July and an important task was to get transmission started again.

McMurdo Sediment Studies

This project was planned in two parts - (1) an operation on the sea ice to recover cores and survey the Mackay Glacier Tongue in Granite Harbour, followed by a seismic survey for sub-seafloor structure in the southwest corner of the Sound, and (2) a shipboard programme of bottom sampling and bathymetry.

Although most work was directed toward understanding modern sedimentation, an important part, and especially the seismic work, was to provide more information on drill sites proposed for 1984 and 1985 as part of the CIROS project.

Beacon Studies

An extensive field programme around the head of the Dry Valleys was planned for Mr. Walker, who is working on the character of the river system that existed in Victoria Land during Triassic times. Because of the importance of climatic information a more detailed study of Triassic soils and vegetation was proposed.

Bedrock Studies

A limited field programme was proposed for Dr. Korsch, recently appointed lecturer in structural geology, to introduce him to the basement rocks of the Dry Valley region, and to tackle the origin of rocks and structures on Shapeless Mountain, a volcanic-sedimentary complex.

The areas studied by VUWAE personnel are shown in Figure 1.