Victoria University Antarctic Research Expedition Science and Logistics Reports 1982-83: VUWAE 27

APPENDIX II - ITINERARIES

Erebus Studies and IMESS (K4):

24 November	Otway, Currie and Bell fly to Fang.
29 November	Otway, Currie and Bell fly to summit hut.
3 December	Dibble and Paintin ready to fly to Fang.
9 December	Otway, Currie and Bell ready to descend.
17 December	US/Japan/NZ parties fly to Fang; Otway et al. descend.
18 December	McIntosh, Berg and Gamble arrive at Fang by Skidoo.
19 December	McIntosh, Berg and Gamble visit summit hut by Skidoo.
21 December	US/Japan/NZ parties fly to summit hut.
22-26 December	US/Japan/NZ parties working at summit.
27 December	US/Japan party descend to McMurdo.
4 January	Dibble, Paint and Bell descend to Scott Base.
8 January	Paintin returns to NZ.
11 January	Dibble, Bell and T.V. crew to summit and return.
12 January	Dibble returns to NZ.

McMurdo Sediment Studies (K5) - PART I. Sea ice programme.

October 11	Pyne, McLeod to Scott Base from Christchurch.
October 12-30	Preparations for the field at Scott Base. Included: refitting and repair of Wannigan, checking and testing of mechanical equipment including winch and toboggans, testing tide gauge, drawing field equipment, arranging for explosives from McMurdo and survival course.
October 21	Pyne, McLeod (K5); Tinnely and Hawke (K26 - surveyors) - Helo reconnaissance of sea ice route to Granite Harbour, aerial photography of Mackay Glacier tongue and erection of beacons in New Harbour.
October 23	Macpherson, Paintin to Scott Base from Christchurch.
October 31	Left Scott Base for Butter Point at 2130 hours.
November 1	Arrived at Butter Point 0830 hrs. Trip by D4 took 11 hours. Fuel and seismic equipment cached at Butter Pt for mid-November return.
November 2	Toboggan reconnaissance of seismic area east of Butter Pt. Tinnely to Butter Pt by helo from Vanda.
November 3	Bulldozed east-west seismic line and erected sea ice movement beacons.
November 4	Left Butter Pt and camped south of Spike Cape in late evening. (8.5 hours travelling). Tinnely, Macpherson surveying sea ice beacons enroute.
November 5	Moved from Spike Cape to Cape Roberts.
November 6-8	Bulldozing and surveying Cape Roberts seismic line until stopped by ice crack 3km due east of Cape Roberts. Set up tide gauge.
November 8	Moved from Cape Roberts to Mackay Glacier tongue.page 58
November 9-17	Work at Granite Harbour. Included: Movement survey of the Mackay Glacier tongue, seafloor sampling near the tongue, current monitoring, establishing seafloor sediment traps.
November 12	Hawke (K26 surveyor) joins K5 by helo. Damaged parts for snotric and winch returned to Scott Base for repair. Snotric 039 airlifted from Victoria Lower Glacier to K5 and 036 returned to Scott. K26 (surveyors) depart for Cape Roberts by snotrac.
November 15	Helo drop of winch parts and mail while working at the "ice crack" sample site, core taken the following day.
November 17	Seafloor core taken at the Glacier snout enroute to Cape Roberts.
November 18	Cape Roberts to Butter Pt seismic line (15.5 hours). Resurveyed Cape Roberts ice crack enroute.
November 19-20	Processes core taken on November 17. Flagged part of seismic line while awaiting Dibble's arrival.
November 21	Dibble arrives by sea ice transport.
November 22-28	Seismic work off Butter Pt.
November 27	K26 (surveyors) from K5.
November 28	Left late evening for Dailey Islands (8 hours).
November 29	K5 joined by Geophysics seismic party K7.
November 29-December 2	Seismic work at Dailey Islands.
November 30	Resupply seismic explosives by Helo.
December 3	Dibble, Paintin and K7 return to Scott Base. Pyne, Macpherson, McLeod move with D4, etc. to Blue Glacier snout.
December 4	Rest day.
December 5	Seafloor core taken 200m from the Blue Glacier snout.
December 6	Scott Base mechanics arrive with a new engine for snotric 039.
December 7	Processing Blue Glacier core. Mechanics return to Scott Base and K5 party move to Cape Chocolate. Bathymetry traverse enroute.
December 8	Bathymetry measurements Cape Chocolate-Dailey Islands.page 59
December 9	Coring attempt unsuccessful off Dailey Islands; move to McMurdo Ice Shelf tip. Bathymetry measurements enroute and at Dailey Islands seismic shot points.
December 10	Return to Scott Base.
December 11	Preparing toboggans for the last sea ice monitoring at Butter Pt and surveying at Dailey Islands.
December 12	Macpherson, McLeod by toboggan to Explorers Cove (New Harbour) to pick up K26 (surveyors).
December 12-16	Surveying at Butter Pt and Dailey Islands (poor weather conditions). Pyne at Scott cleaning and returning equipment, preparing equipment and samples for return to NZ and for use on GLACIER Cruise IV.
	Set explosion for K11 (ice runway monitoring).
December 16	Macpherson, McLeod, K26 surveyors return to Scott Base.
December 16-18	Preparation of sampling equipment finished and bathymetry off Scott Base completed.
December 18	Pyne, Macpherson awaiting flight to Christchurch.
December 26	Pyne, Macpherson to Christchurch.

Seismic work schedule

Date	Weather	Work
Nov.
18		Pyne and party arrive at New Harbour.
19-20		Pyne and party bulldozing seismic lines.
21	Marginal	Dibble arrives with seismographs.
22	Marginal	Complete laying out line B.
23	Fine	Record sites 1 and 2 on line B: 4 spreads, 9 shots.
24	Calm	Record sites 3,4,5,6 on line B: 8 spreads 13 shots.
25	Windy	Lay out line A.
26	Windy	Record site 1 on line A: 2 spreads, 3 shots.
27	Mild	Record site 2,3,4 on line A: 6 spreads, 11 shots.
28	Fine	Record site 7 & 1 (repeat) on line B: 4 spreads, 10 shots.
		Shift to Dailey Is overnight. Tinnely brought his snotrac out for us.
29	Mild	Lay out lines A and B. Stern's party arrive.
30	fine	Record sites 1 and 2 on line A: 4 spreads, 9 shots.page 60
December
1	Fine	Record sites 3,4,5,6 on line A: 8 spreads, 19 shots.
2	Fine	Record sites 1,2,3,4 on line B: 7 spreads, 18 shots.
3	Fine	Dibble and Paintin return to Scott Base with seismographs.
		TOTALS 39 spreads, 92 shots.

The schedule shows that although progress was nearly twice as fast with 2 parties rather than one, both survey procedures were efficient, and not critically dependent on the weather. Good records could be obtained with small shots even in blowing snow conditions.

McMurdo Sediment Studies (KS) - PART II. Shipboard programme.

February 4	Barrett, Macpherson, Pyne to Scott Base.
February 5-7	Built shelving in University Store in hangar and relocated VUWAE equipment there.
February 6 Meeting with Eric Chiang and USARP biologists to co-ordinate science on Cruise IV, now February 12-20.
February 8-11	Preparation of detailed cruise plan for K5 and of equipment (corer, grab, sampling gear) to go on board.
February 12-15	First part of cruise (McMurdo-Lewis Bay-Station 8-McMurdo).
February 16-19	Second part of cruise (McMurdo-Dailey islands-Granite Harbour-McMurdo).
February 20-21	Recovery at Scott Base. Macpherson to NZ on 21.
February 22	Barrett, Pyne to NZ.

Beacon Studies (K6A):

October 27	Walker, Gabites. Hosted NZ to Scott Base.
October 28-November 1	Field preparation and survival course.
November 2	Walker, Gabites. Hosted Scott Base to Mt Bastion via Marble Point. Stay to November 29.
November 23	Hosted, Mt Bastion to Shapeless Mt to join Event 6B.
November 29	Walker, Gabites, Mt Bastion to Portal Mt. Stay to December 16.page 61
December 16	Walker, Gabites, Portal Mt to Shapeless Mt via Scott Base. Stay to December 27. Join Event 6B.
December 27	Walker, Gabites, Hosted, Shapeless Mt to Allan Hills via Marble Pt. Stay to January 5.
January 5	Walker, Gabites, Hosted, Allan Hills to Scott Base.
January 14	Walker, Gabites, Hosted, Scott Base to NZ.

Composition of time Event 6A:

	Work days	Tent days	Helo wait days	Days at Scott Base
Mt Bastion	20	6	1	15
Portal Mt	7	8	2	-
Shapeless Mt	3	6	2	-
Allan Hills	8	1	-	-
TOTAL:	38	21	5	15
Total days in Antarctica	...	79

Bedrock Studies (K6B):

November 14	Korsch, Napp from Christchurch to Scott Base.
November 15-16	Survival course, then preparation of field gear at Scott Base.
November 17	Korsch, Napp by helo to Wannigan in Miers Valley.
November 18-19	Basement reconnaissance field work on ridge between Miers Valley and Marshall Valley.
November 20-21	Windy weather, 3 hours work each day.
November 22	Helo delay due to weather conditions.
November 23	Work in morning. Korsch, Napp by helo to Shapeless Mountain. Hosted transferred via helo from K6A at Mt Bastion to K6B at Shapeless Mountain. Reconnaissance climb to summit of Shapless Mountain in evening.
November 24-25	Reconnaissance field work on Shapeless Mountain.
November 26	Snow and blowing snow. Tent day.
November 27	Gusting winds and blowing snow. Tent day.page 62
November 28	Windy. Worked half a day.
November 29-December 2	Good weather for working.
December 3	Snowing all day. Worked half a day.
December 4	Very windy. Worked half a day.
December 5	Beautiful night for working after wind ceased.
December 6-8	Very windy. Three tent days. "North Face" dome tent flattened by gale force gusts on December 7.
December 9	Work day.
December 10	Waited at camp all day for possible visit by HRH Prince Edward. At 2100 his helo arrived but unable to land because of gusting wind conditions.
December 11	Gale force winds. Tent day.
December 12	Work day.
December 13-16	Winds gusting to gale force. Four tent days. During lull in wind in afternoon of December 16 Walker and Gabites arrived by helo from Portal Mountain via Scott Base.
December 17	Work day.
December 18	Helo delay.
December 19	Work day until weather turned foul. Dome tent flattened in gale.
December 20	Korsch and Napp returned to Scott Base. Walker, Gabites and Hosted remained at Shapeless Mountain.
December 20-January 2	Cleaned field equipment, packed samples for freighting to NZ, waited for plane to Christchurch from McMurdo.
January 3	Arrive Christchurch.