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

Narrative:

Narrative:

Field preparation at Scott Base.

Pyne and McLeod arrived at Scott Base on October 11 to find that the seafloor sampling Wannigan had already been removed from its cantago sledge. The cantago sledge was required to move Vanda rebuilding materials to Marble Pt prior to its use by K5. This gave us the opportunity to properly repair the runners of the Wannigan which had been badly damaged by forklift during a previous season. Two new runners were bolted through the floor and wall plates, and the wall access holes patched afterwards. This work took Pyne and MacLeod two complete days and was one of many unanticipated jobs.

The Wannigan and sledge were again modified to suit new equipment and procedures. The winch required a new fastening system on the sledge, and enlarged wire access hole and new observation hole in the side of the Wannigan. This season we intended to sleep in tents while using the Wannigan to operate the coring, seismic and lab equipment and for water melting and cooking. The "range hood" was shifted from the side to the end of the Wannigan near the Colman heater and a new primus bench was built and installed underneath.

We were very pleased to find most of our cargo at Scott Base upon our arrival. The toboggans allocated to K5 arrived from Christchurch on October 16 together with our new winch. The next phase of our work programme which involved the testing and use of this equipment, included calibrating a special high accuracy "Halda twinmaster" odometer for the toboggan. The calibration was done over a one kilometre straight section of the ice runway access road which was considered an ideal surface. On this surface the odometer repeatedly measured within 5m of the taped one kilometre.

The tide gauge was set up off Scott Base for 13 days for testing prior to our departure to the field. The instrument worked well for five days until ice crystals which grew on the steel wire going to the seafloor froze the wire to the bottom of the DFA filled pipe and prevented accurate measurement. The wire line was later substituted for monofilament line which did not suffer the same freezing problem.

An ice reconnaissance flight by helo was arranged for October 21 (afternoon) for Pyne, McLeod (K5) and the two K26 surveyors. The helo flew to Butter Pt, mapping ice conditions enroute and circling Trig Herb to check that the drum beacon erected the previous season had survived the winter winds. On landing at the Butter Pt hut two further drum beacons stored from the previous season were filled with sea ice then underslung to Mt Coleman and Hjorth Hill where they were erected. This completed the beacon erection programme in the New Harbour area started late the previous season. While on Hjorth Hill the helo left to refuel at Marble Pt and returned as we completed the erection of that beacon.

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Sea ice conditions were mapped along the coast from Cape Bernacchi to Cape Roberts. At Granite Harbour aerial photography of the Mackay Glacier tongue was attempted. Due to timing and altitude miscalculations the photographs did not provide the 40-60% overlap anticipated but gave good coverage. These photographs became invaluable in the field to help locate our sampling sites and lay out the movement monitoring poles. We were grateful that the Scott Base Information Officer found time to process and print the film and hope that an official system to rapidly process scientific photography at Scott Base be available in future years. After checking a surveying point at Cape Roberts the helo returned to McMurdo.

The sea ice reconnaissance gave extremely good information enabling us to decide on a route to Granite Harbour and for setting out the Butter Pt. seismic lines. Regretfully if more time were available it would have been well spent checking the extent of the ice crack off Cape Roberts.

A total of 18 days were spent at Scott Base preparing for the field. This period could have been shortened by a day or two if Macpherson and Paintain had not been required to sit exams in Antarctica as we felt obliged to let them use the evenings for study.

The drawing of explosives from the McMurdo magazine delayed us a further day. Late in the evening of October 31 after receiving the explosives we finally left Scott Base for Butter Pt., only 3 days behind schedule.