1. Aims of this Project

The dynamic climate system of Victoria Valley is created by the interacting influences of the Dry Valleys, the East Antarctic Ice Sheet and the Ross Sea. The sensitive balance and strong contrasts in this system means even subtle shifts in the regional annual temperature, sea ice extent, snow cover etc. significantly alter the local weather pattern. As such, a climate record of the Victoria Valley provides an ideal opportunity to study rapid, high frequency climatic variations.

During season 1999/2000 several shallow (30m) firn cores have been recovered from Victoria Lower and Baldwin Glacier. Their chemical and isotopic signals display the dynamics of the Victoria Valley, confirming the value of a long paleoclimate record from Victoria Lower Glacier (VLG). A 240m core from VLG is expected to provide a continuous data set of 10,000 years climate history, and will be recovered during season 2001/2002.

To fully explore the paleoclimatic significance of the ice cores, the Lower Victoria glacial system and the local climatic pattern have to be understood. For this bedrock topography and interior structures of VLG have been mapped, snow pits at VLG, Baldwin Glacier and Wilson Piedmont Glacier investigated and sampled, and current mass balance measured. A weather station, dust traps and ablation stakes haven been installed at VLG for the duration of eight weeks (Event Map).

In order to extent our record beyond 10,000 years, ice at the western snout of VLG (VIC2), has been investigated and sampled to determine its likely Pleistocene age.

Due to re-organisation of PICO (Polar Ice Coring Office, now Ice Core Drilling Services), the original plan of this season 'Holocene Glacial Ice - a Continuous Paleothermometer' has been altered, with the deep drilling (~240m) at VLG postponed until season 2001/2002. Instead we introduce some of the modules planned for our third field season; 'Ancient Ice Deposits - Windows into the Past'. The remaining project outline has been followed as proposed.

2. Planing

i)	With the application process The application procedure is very well organised resulting in a smooth process.
ii)	With Antarctica New Zealand staff Antarctica New Zealand staff appeared very helpful and competent page 3
iii)	Provision of maps and aerial photographs No maps or aerial photographs have been requested
iv)	To Pre-season Information The information received was valuable and timely.
v)	To Medicals, documentation and flights to Antarctica It was well organised.

3. Cargo

All the cargo handling, including transport to and from Scott Base and storage at Scott Base and Christchurch, has been carried out with great care and professionalism.

Our cargo included ground penetrating radar, GPS, a weather station, snow sampling tools, a repair kit for the drilling system, mass balance measurement device, general equipment for ice core handling and laboratory items for the work at Crary Laboratory.

4. Personnel

Nancy Bertler, Principle Investigator Antarctic Research Centre Victoria University Prof. Peter Barrett, Scientific Supervisor Antarctic Research Centre Victoria University Matthew Watson, GPR Expert University of Auckland Victoria University and GroundSearch Ltd Bridget Ayling, Field Assistant Victoria University of Wellington Jordy Hendrikx, Field Assistant Victoria University of Wellington Dr. Hamish McGowan, Climatologist Victoria University of Wellington Mr. Kevin Nicholas, Field Guide Scott Base Staff

5. Preparations for the field

6. Field Transport

i)

Aircraft Operations Date Point of Departure Destination Personnel moved General Comments 30 Oct 00 Dunlop Island Victoria Lower Glacier Bertler Watson Nicholas weight 8,504 lb, 8 sling load shuttles with A-Star 09 Nov 00 Scott Base Victoria Lower Glacier Ayling Hendrikx no incidents, weight ~ 800 lb, with 212 09 Nov 00 Victoria Lower Glacier Scott Base Watson Nicholas no incidents, weight ~ 2600 lb, 2 shuttles with 212 20 Nov 00 Victoria Lower Glacier Scott Base Ayling transferred to Scott Base for medical reasons, weight 300 lb, with 212 27 Nov 00 Scott Base Victoria Lower Glacier Ayling no incidents, weight 300 lb, with 212page 5 29 Nov 00 Victoria Lower Glacier Cape Roberts none cargo only, sling double load of 1 skidoo and nansen sledge, weight 1,040 lb, with A-Star 02 Dec 00 Scott Base Victoria Lower Glacier McGowan no incidents, weight 300 lb, with A-Star 02 Dec 00 Victoria Lower Glacier Baldwin Glacier Bertler Ayling Hendrikx McGowan 3 shuttles, weight 3200 lb, with A-Star 09 Dec 00 Baldwin Glacier Wilson Piedmont Glacier Bertler Ayling Hendrikx McGowan via Victoria Lower Glacier, no incidents, 2.5 shuttles, weight 4030 lb, (including the equipment left at Victoria), with 212 09 Dec 00 Wilson Piedmont Glacier Scott Base McGowan no incidents, weight 500 lb, with 212 14 Dec 00 Wilson Piedmont Glacier Scott Base Bertler Ayling Hendrikx no incidents, weight 4000 lb, 2 shuttles with 212 18 Dec 00 Scott Base Victoria Lower Glacier Bertler pick-up of climate station, no incidents, weight 400 lb, with 212

7. Event Diary

Date of Movement	Personnel moved	Destinations	Personnel at site, working tasks, and general comments
21 Oct 00	Bertler Watson	Arrival at Scott Base	Bertler, Watson and Nicholas crevasse extraction training preparation of the science gear set up on skidoo and sledge
29 Oct 00	Bertler Watson Nicholas Leitch Brice	Dunlop Island (by Huggland)	Bertler, Watson, Nicholas, Brice, Leitch preparation of the sling loads for transfer to Victoria Lower Glacier
30 Oct 00	Bertler Watson Nicholas	Victoria Lower Glacier	Bertler, Watson, Nicholas camp set up at VIC 1 GPS base station set up climate station set up GPR/GPS survey of the glacier (a total of approximately 30km lines have been measured) page 6
09 Nov 00	Watson* Nicholas* Ayling Hendrikx	Victoria Lower Glacier/Scott Base*	Bertler, Ayling, Hendrikx emergency camp set-up at VIC2 sampling two snow profiles at VIC 1 and VIC 2 (see location map) recovery of ice cores from seven locations (see location map) including Pleistocene ice GPS survey of all sampling sites glacial mass balance measurement ablation measurements set-up of dust traps
20 Nov 00	Ayling	Scott Base	transferred to Scott Base for medical reasons
27 Nov 00	Ayling	Victoria Lower Glacier	return to field camp
02 Dec 00	Bertler Ayling Hendrikx McGowan	Baldwin Glacier	Bertler, Ayling, Hendrikx, McGowan sampling of snow profile set-up of dust traps set-up of radiation measurement device for albedo values and radiant heat transfer within the snow pack sampling of dust reference material detailed hourly weather observation GPS survey of glacier topography
09 Dec 00	Bertler Ayling Hendrikx McGowan*	Wilson Piedmont Glacier/*Scott Base	Bertler, Ayling, Hendrikx camp set-up sampling of snow profile recovery of ice core GPS survey of glacier topography detailed weather observation
14 Dec 00	Bertler Ayling Hendrikx	Scott Base	Ayling, Hendrikx leaving for Chch on 19 Dec 00 Bertler work at Crary Lab, McMurdo on ice and snow samples leaving for Chch on 02 Jan 01

8. Event Map

Event Map

9. Weather

A weather station had been installed at Victoria Lower Glacier, S77°19.810′/ E162°31.991′

Air Temperature

Relative Humidity

Solar Radiation

Wind Speed

Snow Pack Temperature

10. Accidents, incidents or hazards

There have been no accidents, incidents or hazards.

11. Field Equipment

12. Radio Communication

13. Scott Base and Arrival Heights Laboratory Facilities

The summer laboratory has been used to test our science gear and was adequate.

14. Refuge and Research Hut

NA

15. Environmental Impact

i)	Event Diary: Victoria Lower Glacier Location S 77° 19.810′/ E 162°31.991′ Dates: 30 Oct to 02 Dec 2000 Total days: 33 Maximum number of people at site: 3 Total person-days spent at site: 92 Main activity undertaken: GPR, GPS, snow profile sampling and ice coring Baldwin Glacier Location S 77° 19.836′ / E 162°32.019′ Dates: 02 Dec to 09 Dec 2000 Total days: 7 Maximum number of people at site: 4 Total person-days spent at site: 28 Main activity undertaken: snow profile sampling, GPS, radiation measurements page 11 Wilson Piedmont Glacier Location S 77° 16.000′ / E 163°15.000′ Dates: 09 Dec to 14 Dec 2000 Total days: 6 Maximum number of people at site: 3 Total person-days spent at site: 18 Main activity undertaken: snow profile sampling, ice coring, and GPS survey
ii)	Protected areas N.A.
iii)	Interference with terrestrial, freshwater or marine plants or animals N.A.
iv)	Collection of geological material A total amount of 900 lbs of ice has been sampled Victoria Lower Glacier: ~ 400lbs Baldwin Glacier: ~ 100lbs Wilson Piedmont Glacier ~ 400lbs
v)	Chemicals taken to the field 0.5 Itr of Methanol have been taken into the field. The liquid has been handled with great care, no incident occurred.
vi)	Use of explosives N.A
vii)	Importation to Antarctica N.A.
viii)	Equipment left in the field Two mass balance systems (in form of 25m of wire and two 2.40m metal rods), which had been installed during season 1999/2000 have been visited and re-measured. An additional device has been installed at VIC 2 (see location map). Once further mass balance measurements are not required, as much as possible will be removed from the device.

Fig. 1 Mass balance device

16. Historic Sites

NA

17. Management of Science in the Ross Dependency

The support from Scott Base was very helpful and highly appreciated.

18. Antarctic Geographic Place Names

NA