Victoria University Antarctic Research Expedition Science and Logistics Reports 1990-91: VUWAE 35

7) EVENT DIARY

7) EVENT DIARY

Nov 28	Amot and Francis to Christchurch.
Nov 29	Woolfe to Christchurch.
Nov 30	Aircraft delay.page break
Dec 1	Aircraft delay, Francis and Woolfe collect wood samples near Arthurs Pass.
Dec 2	Arnot, Francis and Woolfe to Scott Base.
Dec 3	Event briefing and field preparation.
Dec 4	Preparation for field, Francis on Survival School.
Dec 5	Amot and Woolfe to Survival School.
Dec 6	Amot and Woolfe to Allan Hills, accompanied by P. Harding (Base Engineer).
	Apple Hut moved from C. Roberts to Allan Hills by helo.
Dec 7	Francis to Allan Hills, Harding returns to Scott Base. Local geology and recce in late afternoon.
Dec 8	Party leaves for short recce of Feistmantel Valley before lunch, but becomes so excited by the discovery of a possible Jurassic tillite that lunch is cancelled.
Dec 9	Party measures paleocurrent and describes tree stumps and logs in Wce western side of Feistmantle Valley.
Dec 10	Paleocurrent measuring and section description in Pond Valley.
Dec 11	Fine, freshening southerlies. Party visits Feather Bay, easy travel across blue ice in Manhaul Bay. Logs and tree stumps along with silicified peat rafts discovered in Feather Conglomerate.
Dec 12	Fresh southerlies, Amot and Francis locate and describe Permian tree stumps and logs on Wce platform just east of camp. Woolfe measures ripple and bar orientations in Pond Valley.page break
Dec 13	Fine and calm, party examines Mawson Formation west of Feistmantel Valley, documenting evidence for a Jurassic glacial event. Comms with Scott Base fade out during Tx.
Dec 14	No comms with Scott Base this morning. Freshening southerlies, party to Roscollyn Tor, via ridge to the north of Trudge Valley and Windwhistle Peak. Strong winds make sample collection and description impossible, party returns to camp late evening.
Dec 15	Strong southerlies with blowing snow on the peaks forces an office day. The Apple really proves its worth, enabling the party to work in comfort on what otherwise would have been a pit day. Weather clearing late afternoon, Francis examines trees in Wce, Arnot and Woolfe measure paleocurrents close to camp.
Dec 16	Cloudy and calm, strong southerlies by late afternoon. Arnot and Francis examine paleosols in first embayment north along eastern arm ("Paleosol Valley"). Woolfe maps Trudge Valley and eastern ridge of Watters Pk.
Dec 17	Fresh southerlies, party revisits Mawson exposures west of Fiestmatel Valley to
collect samples, including plants. Late evening, Amot and Woolfe recce Watters Peak.
Dec 18	Calm at first! Party works on paleosols in Feather exposures south of Trudge Valley.
Dec 19	Mostly light winds, passing snow showers. Arnot measures sections, Francis investigates trees and Mawson Formation and Woolfe looks at paleocurrents, all in Fiestmatel Valley.
Dec 20	Fine and sunny, cold fresh southerlies. Party splits up to thrash the trees, ripples page break and sections in Fiestmatel Valley some more.
Dec 21	Fine, light winds. Francis lake sediments and trees, arnot section measuring,
Woolfe paleocurrents.
Dec 22	Light winds, mostly cloudy, snow flurries. Amot to Trudge Valley, Francis to Fiestmantle, Woolfe to Jacquie.
Dec 23	Light winds, mostly cloudy, snow flurries. Amot continues section measuring, Francis to Jacquie, Woolfe to Pond Valley.
Dec 24	Fine and calm. Francis to Watters Peak and work around Camp. Amot and Woolfe complete mapping circuit of both the western and eastern arms.
Dec 25	Fine light winds. Rest day.
Dec 26	Mostly fine with light winds, team to examine wcf split eastern side of Pond Valley.
Dec 27	Fine, cold southerlies. Amot plots up section data at camp, Francis works between camp and Pond Valley, Woolfe to Paleosol Valley returning via Hidden Ponds.
Dec 28	Fine, fresh southerlies with blowing snow on ridges, brief northerly change late in the day brings light snow. Local geology.
Dec 29	Fine, fresh southerlies easing, Amot and Francis to Roscollyn Tor, Woolfe drafts map text.
Dec 30	Fine fresh southerlies becoming strong. Amot and Woolfe to Trudge Valley, section and paleocurrent measuring. Francis paleobotany between camp and page break Westend Platform.
Dec 31	Northerlies developing, mostly cloudy intermittent light snow. Party maps south arm as far south as Alex.
Jan 1	Fine, light southerlies. Arnot to Fiestmantle Valley, Francis local geology, Woolfe to Trudge Valley.
Jan 2	Fine, cold southerlies. Party to Feather Bay. Barrett and Smith to Scott Base after a boomerang earlier in the day.
Jan 3	Mostly cloudy light winds, Arnot to Pond Valley, Francis and Woolfe to Fiestmantle. Barrett and Smith survival training.
Jan 4	Mostly cloudy and calm, passing heavy snow showers, snow lying. An office day due to lack of exposure. Barrett and Smith finalise their preparations for the field.
Jan 5	Mostly calm with scattered cloud. Hourly met obs from 0630 NZST (about 0200 Allan Hills time!). Barrett and Smith arrive Allan Hills by Helo. Party reviews local geology.
Jan 6	Fine, southerlies fresh at times, Arnot and Woolfe to Fiestmantle Valley and then Baldrick. Barrett, Francis and Smith examine trees on wce platform east of camp.
Jan 7	High level could, southerly strong at times. Arnot to Hidden Valley, Barrett and Smith to Pond Valley, Francis to Fiestmantle, Woolfe works on wcc.
Jan 8	Strong to gale southerlies, blowing snow on ridges. Mostly an office day, team visits lower Fiestmantle Valley in afternoon.
Jan 9	Fine, strong southerlies easing. Arnot and Woolfe take opportunity flight to page break Baldrick and return leaving total station on site, establish ground marks at Camp, Lisa and Jacquie, then return on foot to Baldrick and survey in local control. Barrett and Smith to Trudge Valley, Francis hunting Vertebraira.
Jan 10	Fine and calm, late afternoon cloud. Arnot and Woolfe surveying, Barrett and Smith to Trudge Valley, Francis to Westend Platform.
Jan 11	Fine southerlies becoming strong. Arnot and Woolfe surveying, Barrett and Smith to Pond Valley, Francis to Westend Platform.
Jan 12	Strong southerlies, Arnot to eastern end of Trudge Valley, rest of team work locally.
Jan 13	Fine, fresh southerlies, Amot samples coal for DSIR Geology and Geophysics, Barrett and Smith to Pond Valley, Francis local geology, Woolfe to Wee Saddle.
Jan 14	Cloudy with light winds, light snow later. Amot and Woolfe to western end of Trudge Valley, Barrett and Smith to Pond Valley, Francis local geology.
Jan 15	Cloudy passing snow showers, mostly light easterlies. Amot, Francis and Woolfe survey western Fiestmantle Valley, mission abandoned before lunch due to poor visibility. Amot and Woolfe to Hidden Valleys, Barrett and Smith to wcl, Francis works at camp.
Jan 16	Mostly cloudy with light winds, Amot to Hidden Valleys and Jacquie, Barrett and Smith work on wcl, Francis western Fiestmantle, Woolfe local geology.
Jan 17	Fine and calm. Amot to eastern Trudge Valley, Barrett and Smith to Westend Platform, Francis local geology, Woolfe to Balance Peak, Roscollyn Tor and Scythian Nunatak.page break
Jan 18	Fine with light winds, Arnot and Francis pack samples, Barrett local mapping, Smith to Pond Valley, Woolfe to Pond Valley then Ship Cone.
Jan 19	Fine at first cloudy and light snow later. Party to Westend Platform and vicinity. Smith to ridge south of Baldrick.
Jan 20	Light winds, passing snow flurries, Arnot, Francis and Woolfe start breaking camp, finish packing samples and stage loads at helo pad. Barrett and Smith local geology.
Jan 21	Fine light winds. Party returns to Scott Base leaving all non-essential cargo at Marble Point.
Jan 22	Preparing for departure, Smith to CHCH.
Jan 23	Arnot, Barrett, Francis and Woolfe return to CHCH.

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