bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A critical review of design and use of field tent shelters in polar regions
Authors: Yan Xiaoying Winston , England Marijane E. , Kuivinen Karl C. , Potter James J. , Krug Nathan S.
Published: October 2009

Polar research teams often spend extended periods of time away from base stations, living and working in remote field camps of portable tents. This article reports results of a survey study conducted in 1996 of polar researchers from the United States. The study was about the design and use of portable field tents being deployed in polar areas with regard to safety, health, and well-being from the user's perspective. Preliminary analysis indicates that there existed a number of areas in design and use of the shelters that contributed to concerns of safety, health, and well-being among a considerable number of tent users. The article concludes with suggestions for designing and manufacturing portable field tents.
Adélie penguin colonies in eastern Prydz Bay: ‘biological indicators’ of exploration history and political change
Authors: Norman F.I.
Published: October 2009

Temporally and spatially increasing information on the distribution of Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) breeding sites is used as an index of various national activities in eastern Prydz Bay, East Antarctica. Recorded instances of such sites are used to indicate both exploration and enhanced local knowledge. While Norwegians discovered the area (1935), and revisited it (1937), reports of penguins were minimal. The 1938 Ellsworth expedition added few details and the potential of Operation Highjump (1947) photographs to delimit breeding sites was never realised. Observations by Australian expeditioners from the mid-1950s onwards, supplemented to some extent by those from the Soviet Union, increased information substantially. When Davis station was established (January 1957), at least five breeding sites were known around eastern Prydz Bay. By 1973 this had increased to 23 or 24 sites, mostly north of the Sørsdal Glacier, which had apparently acted as a barrier to land-based exploration. Data available to 1980 showed 20 sites in the Vestfold Hills, added two in the Rauer Group, and omitted some recorded earlier. Ground surveys of the Vestfold Hills (November 1973) increased known sites slightly, discounted erroneous records, and massively increased numbers of individual colonies. In 1981 an air survey recognised 24 sites in the Vestfold Hills and increased those known to 47. In approximately the same period, official Soviet records showed perhaps four sites in the Vestfold Hills and another in the Rauer Group. Early reports provided poor estimates of breeding population sizes — totals of some 130,000 (or 174,200) pairs in the Vestfold Hills in 1973 are compared with perhaps 196,600 in 1981, with another 129,000 pairs to the south. By 1983 locations of breeding sites in the Vestfold Hills were well established, and this was achieved in southern Prydz Bay following publication of 1981 survey results.

Progression of information regarding breeding sites in eastern Prydz Bay was slow. Initial Australian activities were slight following acceptance of its Antarctic Territory (1933). However, a Soviet Antarctic whaling fleet, uncertainty regarding American and Soviet intentions, and the imminent International Geophysical Year increased Australian interest. A station was established, local search areas expanded, and enhanced details regarding penguin breeding sites and colonies followed. Data reviews and surveys followed increasing international interest in southern ecosystems. Improved knowledge regarding the species' local populations reflected changing political agendas. Indeed, ‘knowledge’ itself gave early support to territorial claims. Participation in international surveys became an acceptable scientific endeavour, anticipated under Treaty agreements and promoted by associated organisations. In such fora, surveys and monitoring are expected, although not necessarily furthering the strength of existing claims.
The UN and Antarctica, 1999: the continuation of consensus
Authors: Beck Peter J.
Published: October 2009

In 1999 the United Nations, acting in accordance with the 1996 resolution A51/56, discussed the ‘Question of Antarctica’ again. The UN, having taken up the topic on an annual basis in 1983, is currently placing it upon the First Committee's agenda every three years. The next reference will be in 2002. In 1999 the UN First Committee discussions, guided by a report produced by the UN Secretary-General (UNSG) updating members on recent Antarctic developments, indicated that disagreements still remain about the management of Antarctica. Meanwhile, members adopted another consensus resolution, A54/45, which largely replicated the wording of its 1996 predecessor, most notably in requesting the UNSG to produce another report to guide the next UN discussion scheduled for 2002. Earlier in 1999, the Lima Declaration, adopted by the Antarctic Treaty Parties in May, highlighted the view that the ATS, although linking up increasingly with UN organisations like the United Nations Environment Program, continues to offer the way forward for Antarctica in the twenty-first century.
William Robertson's account of Benjamin Leigh Smith's second expedition to Franz Josef Land in Eira
Authors: Cromack Tim , Riffenburgh Beau
Published: October 2009

Following his return from participating in Benjamin Leigh Smith's expedition that wintered at Cape Flora, Northbrook Island, Franz Josef Land, in 1881–82, William Robertson, the chief engineer on the barque Eira, wrote a brief account of the expedition. Robertson's manuscript emphasises the hunting of walrus prior to reaching Franz Josef Land, the sinking of the ship, the enforced wintering, and the successful retreat of the party by open boat to Novaya Zemlya. The original of the manuscript reproduced here, which is one of only a few first-person accounts known to exist, is held by Robertson's descendants. It has not previously been published.
Antarctica in the Australian imagination
Authors: Leane Elizabeth , Pfennigwerth Stephanie
Published: October 2009

Antarctica and Australia share a geographical marginality, a commonality that has produced and continues to reinforce historical and political ties between the two continents. Given this close relationship, surprisingly few fulllength novels set in or concerned with the Antarctic have been produced by Australian authors. Until 1990, two latenineteenth- century Utopias, and two novels by Thomas Keneally, were (to our knowledge) the sole representatives of this category. The last decade, however, has seen an upsurge of interest in Antarctica, and a corresponding increase in fictional response. Keneally's novels are ‘literary,’ but these more recent novels cover the gamut of popular genres: science fiction, action-thriller, and romance. Furthermore, they indicate a change in the perception of Antarctica and its place within international relations. Whereas Keneally is primarily concerned with the psychology of the explorer from the ‘Heroic Age,’ these younger Australian writers are interested in contemporary political, social, and environmental issues surrounding the continent. Literary critics have hitherto said little about textual representations of Antarctica; this paper opens a space for analysis of ‘Antarctic fiction,’ and explores the changing nature of Australian-Antarctic relations as represented by Australian writers.
Klarius Mikkelsen's landing site: some further notes on the 1935 Norwegian visit to the Vestfold Hills, East Antarctica
Authors: Norman F.I. , Gibson J.A.E. , Jones R.T. , Burgess J.S.
Published: October 2009

Further details regarding the landing made by Klarius Mikkelsen in the Tryne Islands, Vestfold Hills, East Antarctica, are given, being derived mainly from newspaper accounts made by Leif S0rsdal. All involved in the landing on 20 February 1935 have been identified, details of material left in the depot under the raised flag are given, and more extended information relating to the voyage to and from the site and the area generally are presented. Some comparison is made between Sørsdal's accounts and others. While the national importance of the landing was commented on, only S0rsdal apparently realised (but did not state) the insular nature of the site. Recent observations at the site suggest that its location is 68°22′38.22″S, 78°24′50.10″E, rather than that previously stated; bracing of the flagpole itself has been modified at some stage since its erection. Finally, some discussion is made regarding on-going questions relating to the accepted time on board ship, and possible consequences of errors.
The history of Granite House and the western geological party of Scott's Terra Nova expedition
Authors: Schroeter B. , Green T.G.A. , Seppelt R.D.
Published: October 2009

In summer 1911—1912, during Robert Falcon Scott's Terra Nova expedition (1910–1913) a field party of four men led by the geologist Griffith Taylor surveyed the coast and hinterland of Victoria Land, Antarctica. During their stay at Cape Geology (77°00'S, 162°35'E), Granite Harbour, the members of the ‘western geological party’ built Granite House, a rock shelter used as a kitchen. The field party finished its work in the Granite Harbour region in the second week of January 1912, but heavy sea ice prevented Terra Nova from reaching the prearranged meeting point at the entrance to the bay. Faced with the possibility of being trapped for the winter, the party left Granite Harbour and travelled overland back toward the winter quarters on Ross Island. One month later the party was picked up by Terra Nova and was returned safely to Cape Evans. During an expedition to Granite Harbour in January-February 1992, the authors discovered an 80-year-old note left by the field party in a cigarette tin in the vicinity of Granite House. Dated 14 January 1912, the note was written by Taylor to Lieutenant H.L.L. Pennell, the skipper of Terra Nova, to let him know that the party had left for Cape Roberts. Granite House is a significant relic of the ‘heroic era’ and merits protection.
The first International Polar Year, 1882–83
Authors: Baker F. W. G.
Published: October 2009

Karl Weyprecht has left an unforgettable record of polar exploration, but has himself tended to be forgotten. His fame rests not so much with his work in the Arctic, which included the discovery of Zemlya Frantsa-Iosifa, but on the series of international scientific programmes which he initiated in 1875 with the first International Polar Year (IPY), 1882–83. International scientific programmes can be traced back to 1751, when observations of the parallaxes of the Moon, Mars and Venus were made at six stations in the Northern Hemisphere and at one in the Southern. The most recent, the World Climate Research Programme, organized jointly by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU), began in 1980.
The development of cargo submarines for polar use
Authors: McLaren Alfred S.
Published: October 2009

The United States and Canada, like other northern industrial nations, are under considerable economic pressures to develop their indigenous resources of oil and natural gas. Incentives for exploration and development are provided by increases in the price of fuels on world markets and political instability in the Middle East, the major alternative source of supply. The Arab oil embargo of 1973–74 quadrupled prices per barrel from US$3.00 to US$12.00 in less than a year; since then the price on world markets has trebled and remains unstable. Searches for new sources of energy in the far north have led firstly to the discovery of major shore-based fields (for example those centred on Prudhoe Bay), and the extension of old ones (Norman Wells), and more recently to important developments off-shore. Many new sites are now being explored, and to date over two billion dollars have been spent by the US and Canada, to find and develop Arctic offshore wells. As yet not a cent has been earned in return, largely because there are at present no means of delivering the petroleum from offshore sites—no safe and reliable system of transportation equivalent to the pipelines from shore-based sites. Industry and government are considering alternatives, but no full-scale construction or procurement programmes have yet been launched.
Tourists in Antarctica: numbers and trends
Authors: Enzenbacher Debra J.
Published: October 2009

Approximately 39 000 tourists have visited Antarctica since 1957; numbers peryearare provided. Abrief history of sea and airborne tourism in Antarctica reveals past and current trends. The formation of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators and its role in the self-regulated tourism industry in Antarctica are considered, together with the implications of recently-promulgated Antarctic Treaty Recommendation XVI-13. The number of tourists visiting Antarctica is shown to exceed the combined number of scientists and support personnel from all National Antarctic Programs. It is concluded that the ATS provides a suitable framework within which to develop measures to protect Antarctica from tourist activity. However, regulations developed must be based on hard data on the size and impact of the industry to be effectively implemented.
American sealers, the United States Navy, and the Falklands 1830–32
Authors: Gough Barry M.
Published: October 2009

By the early 1830s, American sealers expected free access to the waters and harbours of the Falkland Islands, an active rule over which had not been recognized by the United States. The US government, in the form of President Andrew Jackson and the State Department, adhered to a policy of freedom of the seas, and therefore backed the rights of American sealers to unrestricted access in the South Atlantic. After three sealing ships were impounded by the Argentinian authorities in the Falklands in 1831, the US Navy sloop Lexington, under the command of Captain Silas Duncan, destroyed the island group's capital at Puerto Soledad, and, with it, the Argentine military defences. The State Department informed the Argentine govermcnt that it had no claims, historic or actual, to the Falklands. The American policy of not recognizing the Argentine claims, which continued for half a century, did not interfere with British designs. In 1832–33 the British government issued orders for the Admiralty to send a warship to re-establish British control of the Falklands.
Arctic meteorological operations and counter-operations during world War II
Authors: Selinger Franz , Glen Alexander
Published: October 2009

By autumn 1940 the first round of fighting in World War II was over. In northern Europe, German forces occupied Poland, Norway and Denmark. Both sides recognized that further operations demanded naval and air superiority in northern waters. Germany needed free access to the Atlantic Ocean through the North Sea; Britain had to prevent that access, which threatened the lifeline to the United States. More than ever before, it became essential for both sides to have meteorological information from the northern Atlantic Ocean area. Germany's need was especially acute, for the routes for her shipping from ports in Scandinavia traversed enemy-patrolled waters, where foul weather was essential for evasion.
The Crimean War in the Arctic
Authors: Stone Ian R.
Published: October 2009

Few wars have a more misleading name than the Crimean War. Far from being a local conflict, fought in the Black Sea peninsula from which the name derives, hostilities took place in many different areas of the globe. Major military operations, largely between Turks (siding with Britain and France) and Russians, occurred in the Balkans and the Caucasus, and a considerable naval effort was made by the British and French to prosecute the war against Russia in the Baltic and Black seas, and also in the Far East and the Pacific (Stephan 1969). The war even reached North America; elements of the Royal Navy reconnoitred Russian settlements in Alaska in 1855 (Tyrrell 1856, 2: 355).
Reindeer and caribou Rangifer tarandus in the wild and under pastoralism
Authors: Paine Robert
Published: October 2009

Reindeer and caribou, respectively Old World and New World forms of Rangifer tarandus, live in large groups in the boreal forest and on the Arctic tundra. Many stocks of reindeer are herded by pastoralists. This article reviews the ecology, breeding biology and herding behaviour of both forms, as revealed by recent field studies. It identifies breeding synchrony, dominance and leadership as important aspects of their social organization, mediated by a system of signals that keep the herds together, and discusses the significance of pastoral practices that maintain herd organization and make reindeer herding possible.
The United Nations and Antarctica 1993: continuing controversy about the UN's role in Antarctica
Authors: Beck Peter J.
Published: October 2009

The eleventh successive annual United Nations discussion on the ‘Question of Antarctica’ took place at the close of 1993. In November the UN First Committee, guided by two reports from the UN Secretary-General, adopted a further resolution, which was adopted in December by the General Assembly as resolution A48/80. As usual, UN members, although displaying evidence of a wider international recognition of the regime's merits, proved critical of the Antarctic Treaty System. By contrast, Antarctic Treaty Parties (ATPs) remained reluctant to allow the UN the type of role in Antarctica advocated by their critics. ATPs, following the course adopted in 1985, still refused either to participate in the UN discussions or to vote. As a result, it proved impossible yet again to secure a consensus about either the ‘Question of Antarctica’ in general or the UN's role in Antarctica in particular. One significant advance in 1993 concerned the end of demands advanced since 1985 for South Africa's exclusion from Antarctic meetings, a change prompted by the dismantlement of the apartheid regime. The ‘Question of Antarctica’ is scheduled to be placed on the UN agenda in 1994.
A comparative review of condylobasal lengths and other craniometric characters in 30 species of pinniped
Authors: Cruwys E. , Friday A.E.
Published: October 2009

The condylobasal length (CBL) of skulls from 999 sexually mature seal, sealion, and fur seals of 30 different species was measured. Additional data gathered from previous studies were also included to give an indication of variation within each species, particularly where there is a wide geographical dispersion. Where possible, means and ranges of CBL were given separately for each sex, so that the degree of sexual dimorphism could be assessed. Previous studies have indicated that CBL continues to increase after sexual maturity has been reached. In order to assess this, three species (Mirounga leonina, Otaria byronia (flavescens), andHalichoerus grypus) that contained individuals of known age were included in the study. Other craniometric characters are often expressed as a percentage of CBL when assessing taxonomic relationships. Some of these characters were reassessed using the new data.
Morphology and infraciliature of some soil ciliates (Protozoa, Ciliophora) from continental Antarctica, with notes on the morphogenesis of Sterkiella histriomuscorum
Authors: Petz Wolfgang , Foissner Wilhelm
Published: October 2009

The morphology of seven soil ciliate species from continental Antarctica was investigated using live observation and protargol impregnation. Observations on two populations of Protospathidium serpens corroborate the view that this species usually has a single, more-or-less nodular, macronucleus distinguishing it from P. muscicola, which possesses 10–30 nodules. The Antarctic specimens of Protospathidium terricola differ inconspicuously from the type population in that they are slightly larger, have fewer ciliary rows (17 vs 21), and the fragments of the circumoral kinety are less distinctly separated from each other. Spathidium seppelti nov. spec, resembles 5. bavariense, but has 100–200 macronuclear nodules and a conical depression in the dorsal third of the oral bulge. Odontochlamys wisconsinensis nov. comb, (basionym: Chilodonella wisconsinensis Kahl, 1931) has four right field kineties and an oral basket consisting of 14 rods; the dorsal brush is near the anterior margin and usually consists of four cilia. The Antarctic population of Pseudochilodonopsis mutabilis possesses a regular dorsal hump and only 12–14 (about 15 in Austrian type population) phary ngeal rods. Oxytricha opisthomuscorum has six dorsal kineties with long cilia and a buccal cirrus near the anterior end of the paroral membrane. The Antarctic specimens of Sterkiella histriomuscorum have fïve transverse cirri. Their morphogenesis differs slightly from that of a population having four transverse cirri in that the daughter's anlagen are more distinctly separated and some temporal sequences are different.
The influence of soil microstructure on hydraulic properties of hydrocarbon-contaminated freezing ground
Authors: White T.L. , Williams P.J.
Published: October 2009

The significance of the thermodynamic relations of ice and water within the paniculate and porous soil medium has been widely demonstrated in recent decades. The existence of unfrozen water along with ice at temperatures below 0°C, because of capillary and mineral surface forces, is responsible for the specific thermal, mechanical, and hydraulic properties of soils exposed to seasonal or perennial freezing. The introduction of a hydrocarbon contaminant into this dynamic porous medium has significant consequences for the thermodynamics of the unfrozen water–ice interactions. Techniques recently developed have allowed examination of microstructures of soils exposed to freezing. It has been shown that freeze–thaw cycles produce complex changes in particle aggregation and pore space distribution, which in turn affect soil water energy. An examination of the microstructure of a hydrocarbon-contaminated, frostaffected soil revealed differences in morphology from that of similar but uncontaminated samples. These differences are in turn responsible for differences in hydraulic conductivity between uncontaminated and contaminated freezing soils.
Factors affecting spreadability and transportation of oil in regions of frozen ground
Authors: Chuvilin E.M. , Naletova N.S. , Miklyaeva E.C. , Kozlova E.V. , Instanes A.
Published: October 2009

The physical behaviour of oil interacting with soils subjected to seasonal frost or permafrost was investigated. An experimental programme was carried out to investigate the transportation and spreading of oil on a frozen surface, and transportation and accumulation of oil into freezing or frozen soils. The results show that spreading of oil at the surface at air temperatures below freezing depends on oil composition, soil temperature, and the type of mineral surface. It was observed that an ice surface has the least spreading and the greatest wetting angle of the surfaces studied. The oil penetration into frozen soils depends on soil and oil composition and temperature conditions. It was observed, as expected, that oil accumulation in frozen soils decreases with increasing ice content in the pores. However, penetration of oil components is observed even in completely ice-saturated soils. Freezing of oil-saturated soils causes a redistribution of the oil components. In sandy soils, the oil concentrates in a thawed zone in front of the freezing front; in clay soils, the oil can accumulate in the frozen zone under certain temperature conditions. A summary of the influence of various factors affecting oil behaviour in frozen and freezing soils is presented based on the experimental data and published data from other authors.
William Speirs Bruce: Scottish nationalist and polar explorer
Authors: Speak Peter
Published: October 2009

William Speirs Bruce (1867–1921) had two consuming passions throughout almost the whole of his life: Scottish nationalism and polar science. His early life in London and Edinburgh is seen as a prelude to polar oceanographic exploration, culminating in the success of the Scotia Antarctic expedition, 1902–04. His later life was frustrated by the limited achievements of the Scottish Spitsbergen Syndicate (which was founded to exploit the mineral resources of Svalbard), by a perceived prejudice against him in government and professional societies in London, and by the lack of support for his Scottish Oceanographical Laboratory.
Wettertrupp Haudegen: the last German Arctic weather station of World War II. Part 1
Authors: Barr William
Published: October 2009

During World War II the German Navy, trying to compensate for the loss of meteorological data from stations in Greenland, Iceland and other areas of the northwestern Atlantic Ocean, established automatic weather stations, weather ships and manned weather stations in a zone stretching from Labrador to Zemlya Frantsa-Iosifa. In summer 1944 one of the last of the manned stations (code-named Haudegen) was established on Svalbard at Wordiebukta, Rijpfjorden, Nordaustlandet. A party of 11, led by geographer Dr Wilhelm Dege, collected and transmitted weather data from 14 September 1944 to 5 September 1945; the party also explored and mapped the ice-free corridor extending south across Nordaustlandet to the head of Wahlenbergfjorden and much of the north coast from Kapp Loven east to Finn Malmgrenfjorden. After the German surrender in May 1945 the men of Haudegen found themselves apparently forgotten by Allied authorities in Norway, and began preparing for a second winter. They surrendered ultimately to the captain of the Norwegian sealer Blaasel on 4 September 1945, and were thus the last members of the German armed forces to surrender at the end of World War II.
Research and management of polar bearsUrsus maritimus
Authors: Stirling Ian
Published: October 2009

Through the 1950s and 1960s there was a marked increase in recorded numbers of polar bears being killed for their hides, giving rise to world-wide concern that the species might be endangered. At a meeting in Fairbanks, Alaska 1965, representatives of circumpolar arctic nations discussed conservation of polar bears and concluded that international coordination of research and management efforts was essential. Subsequent meetings of scientists engaged in polar bear research were organized every two years by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, facilitating exchanges of views and cooperation; as a result, in 1973 the International Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears and their Habitats was signed in Oslo, Norway. This paper describes some of the research and management undertaken in the years leading up to the agreement, and initiatives that are continuing because of it.
Living Alone Under Polar Conditions
Authors: Courtauld A.
Published: October 2009

More than a year has passed since the incidents occurred which are the subject of this article. During that time much of the detail has faded from my memory, the impressions have become blurred, and the ideas which then formed themselves in my mind are now forgotten. Yet it may be that a few notes on that time spent on the Greenland ice-cap will be of some use to travellers who, in the future, may be faced with a similar problem. If, by these notes, I can do something to dispel the strange ideas of danger and risk in leaving a man in such a situation, I shall feel justified. There are many men, trappers and the like, who live by themselves for most of the year. An accident is very rare among these men, nor are their minds usually deranged.
Sir Raymond Priestley: an appreciation
Authors: Wright Charles
Published: October 2009

There are many young people in New Zealand, in Australia, here in Canada, and especially those who knew him in Cambridge, in Birmingham, and in his home town of Tewkesbury, who will mourn the passing of Sir Raymond Priestley as friend and counsellor. I think it is fitting that I should write my tribute to his sterling qualities, since I have known him for 64 long years as a friend, as a collaborator and, for 60 years, as a relation by marriage with Edith Mary Priestley, one of his sisters.
Captain W. J. Jackson of Baffin Island
Authors: White Gavin
Published: October 2009

There have been many great men in the history of the Canadian eastern Arctic, and it must be admitted from the start that Jackson was not one of them. He was a minor figure, but in the early years of this century he exerted an influence in the region out of proportion to his own importance. It may be that he did nobody any good, and it is true that nobody had any good to say of him. What Jackson did was to promote his own fantasies until solider men fell under his spell, and these men then took actions that ended disastrously. But, when surveying the career of Captain Jackson, one may depart from the usual opinion that he was a rogue and a liar. He was unstable—unstable to, and probably beyond, the point of insanity—and he deserves more sympathy than he received from his contemporaries.
Tractor Operations on the Second Byrd Antarctic Expedition
Authors: Demas E. J.
Published: October 2009

On the Byrd Antarctic Expedition II a third mode of transportation was added to the existing means of dogs and aircraft—the use of tractors. Previous attempts had been made to use motor transport, first on Shackleton's Expedition in 1908, Scott's in 1910, and on the Byrd Antarctic Expedition in 1928–30. Shackleton had taken a regular motor car, which was of use on the hard bay ice, for handling supplies, but it proved inadequate for the softer surface of the barrier. Scott used special tractors, but they were not a success.
Sledge Dogs on Amundsen's South Polar Journey
Authors: Hanssen Captain Helmer
Published: October 2009

When I was asked by the Editor of The Polar Record to write a short note about sledge dogs, I did so, sensible of the appropriateness of the request, in that the year 1936 marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of Roald Amundsen's journey to the South Pole.

A sledge dog seems, to have been made by nature for travelling in snow and ice, like the camel for the desert, the horse for the open land and the goat for the mountain. He sleeps comfortably in all kinds of weather, without shelter other than the snow; and when hungry, will eat any kind of food, as he needs must in barren countries, where food is scarce. I have known dogs enjoy a meal of bamboo sticks.
“Hints to Travellers”, Volume II
Authors: A.S.
Published: October 2009

In the 1938 edition of Hints to Travellers, vol. ii, the editor has produced a handbook on travel rather than a collection of hints, and the general standard is now more comparable with vol. i. The work is the result of the editor's tireless energy and passion for details, combined with a selection of opinions from those who have travelled and explored in most of the relatively unknown parts of the world.
The Place-names of Svalbard
Authors: Roberts Brian
Published: October 2009

In the following notes an attempt has been made to summarise the main facts which anyone dealing with the literature and cartography of Svalbard would require to know in order to give a correct rendering of the place-names and to understand the changes in form which have taken place. The writer wishes to express his grateful thanks to Professor A. Sommerfelt for much assistance in connection with the linguistic aspects of the subject, and to Dr Anders K. Orvin, of the Norsk Polarinstitutt, Oslo, who kindly checked the whole manuscript.
Design for a Sledge-Wheel
Authors: Harland W. B.
Published: October 2009

The wheel was constructed as shown in the accompanying sketch. It was made from a bicycle wheel and a thin sheet of iron 4 in. wide. The bolts fixing this tread on to the rim projected so as to grip the ice. An ordinary cyclometer was attached to the axle so as to “tick over” by contact with a projection on the spoke.
The Use of Fuel in Polar Sledge Travel
Authors: Bertram Colin
Published: October 2009

“Either spirits of wine, or some fatty substance, such as stearine of coco-nut oil, tallow or blubber” is the fuel described by McClintock as used on his sledge journeys of the last century. Since those days both the type of fuel and its precise method of use have gradually changed with increasing knowledge and experience. In the present instance it is intended to discuss the use of fuel only in so far as it concerns the unsupported sledge party which must attempt to remain as long in the field as is possible on the supplies that it can carry from the beginning. In such circumstances it has always been obvious that the aim must be to reduce the ration of food and fuel to the absolute minimum of weight. The most efficient fuel is clearly that which provides on combustion the greatest amount of heat per unit weight, though some compromise must be made between the greatest “efficiency” in this sense and questions of safety and convenience. For many years this compromise has resulted in the general use of pressure stoves (such as the Primus) burning liquid paraffin. There is still, however, controversy as to the precise method of use by the sledge party of the small amount of fuel that is carried.
Thermal Insulation in Polar Huts
Authors: Crowden G. P.
Published: October 2009

It is one of the characteristics of the human body in health that an even warmth is maintained in its tissues and organs irrespective of the external environment. Whether an individual is undergoing active muscular exercise or is resting, body temperature as measured by the mouth is relatively constant, varying slightly in either direction from the temperature of 98.4° F. The maintenance of such a thermostatic control of body temperature depends on a balance between the heat produced within the body and the heat lost to its external environment by radiation to the surroundings, convection and conduction to the air, and the evaporation of moisture in the sweat from the surface of the skin, and to a lesser extent of water from the lungs.
The postal history of the Antarctic, 1904–49
Authors: Bagshawe Richard W. , Goldup John
Published: October 2009

The philatelic effusion of a desolate region is due to various causes—frequently political, often financial, sometimes philatelic, but rarely postal. It is therefore hardly surprising that the Antarctic should have produced a variety of material for the philatelist. Post offices have been established by governments in support of claims and counter-claims, by expeditions to help finance themselves, and even by individuals eager to obtain souvenirs; postal facilities have also been provided for men engaged in whaling and scientific work; in addition, there are many stamps which depict antarctic motifs suitable for inclusion in an antarctic “subject” collection. Selectively collected, philatelic material in these categories is of great interest and offers abundant variety and range.
Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition, 1948–50
Authors: Law Phillip G.
Published: October 2009

In a recent issue of the Polar Record an account was given of the establishment by the Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition of research stations at Heard Island and Macquarie Island. These stations have now been in continuous operation for nearly three years, and the purpose of the following account is to summarize the progress made during this period.
Sound Effects in Polar Conditions
Authors: Roberts Brian
Published: October 2009

The impressive and all-pervading quietness following a fall of snow is a commonplace experience, though, so far as the writer is aware, only one set of measurements of the sound absorption of snow has been published. A cold spell in December 1938 provided a suitable opportunity to make such measurements in the reverberating chamber of the National Physical Laboratory at Teddington.
The supposed discovery of South Georgia by Amerigo Vespucci
Authors: Christie E. W. H.
Published: October 2009

There have been few more controversial figures in the history of exploration than Amerigo Vespucci, and it is therefore necessary to be extremely cautious in deciding whether he did, or did not, discover the island of South Georgia in the year 1501. Humboldt and Mill believed that he might have done so, but thought that, on the whole, his most likely landfall was southern Patagonia or Tierra del Fuego. Matthews, who devoted considerable attention to working out distances and directions, came to the conclusion that Vespucci very probably arrived at South Georgia after leaving the coast of Brazil and sailing south-westwards, while the Australian map of Antarctica, published in Canberra in 1939, and the Antarctic Pilot (London, second edition, 1948) have respectively described this achievement as a probability and as a possibility.
The selection of cooling fluids for internal combustion engines operating at low temperatures
Authors: Sellers E. S.
Published: October 2009

Internal combustion engines, in common with all heat engines, derive their capacity for work from a cycle of operations which comprises the supply of heat at a high temperature followed by the rejection of heat at a much lower temperature. The difference between the two quantities of heat represents the maximum amount of energy which can be converted into useful work. In the familiar piston-type internal combustion engine, the heat supply is maintained by burning a suitable fuel in air, and heat is rejected largely in the exhaust gases. With heat engines in general, it is true that the higher the temperature of the heat supply, the greater the efficiency of the engine. There are, however, limitations to the temperature at which an engine can operate. These are imposed by the properties of the materials used in its construction, and by the necessity of maintaining satisfactory lubrication in all circumstances.
Family allowances in the Canadian Arctic
Authors: Robertson Elizabeth Chant
Published: October 2009

Family allowances for all Canadian children under 16 years of age were instituted in 1944. The amount per child varies from $5.00 to $8.00 per month, according to the age of the child and the number of children in the family. In the well-settled parts of the Dominion, the allowances are paid by cheque each month to the mother of the family. In isolated areas, such as the Arctic, the allowances are paid “in kind”; in other words, the family are allowed to purchase goods from their usual trader up to the amount to which they are entitled. In the Canadian Eastern Arctic nearly all trading posts are maintained by the Hudson's Bay Company. In order to report the number of Eskimo children in the families, registrars and sub-registrars are appointed in the various areas. In localities where detachments of Royal Canadian Mounted Police are posted, a police officer acts as the registrar. In other localities the trader or traders act as sub-registrars. The Eskimo families notify one or other of these officials as soon as possible after a new baby is born, that is, when they next visit the trading post or settlement.
Seal-marking methods
Authors: Laws R. M.
Published: October 2009

For many years, in the course of fisheries investigations, large numbers of fish have been marked by means of numbered metal tags. Other marking methods, such as dyeing, branding and clipping of fins, have all been tried but found to be either unsuitable, or difficult of application, or less satisfactory in some way. Since 1924 the Discovery Committee has marked some thousands of whales. For this purpose it has been found convenient to use stainless steel tubes which are fired into the blubber and remain firmly embedded until the whale is captured and dismembered by the whalers. Whale marking is in fact limited to this method, because these immense animals cannot be caught and later released. In the case of seals it is unlikely that marks shot into the blubber would prove successful because their skin and blubber is thinner than that of whales and, as seals haul out on land and ice at intervals, the mark would soon be torn out.
Archaeological investigations in Alaska since 1939
Authors: Larsen Helge
Published: October 2009

In almost any branch of science, periods of slow and steady progress or stagnation alternate with periods of rapid development caused by new discoveries or inventions, by the introduction of new methods, or by other accelerating factors. Eskimo archaeology is no exception to this rule and, even if only thirty years have passed since archaeologists first began to search for Eskimo relics, it is already possible to distinguish four periods of development, separated by short interludes of relatively little activity. Of these four periods only the last two fall within the scope of this article, but since the understanding of recent developments in Eskimo archaeology presupposes a knowledge of previous work in that field it is necessary to summarize what was accomplished in the first two periods.
Ice bridges
Authors: Carson P. J.
Published: October 2009

The ice bridges described in this article are constructed annually to replace the ferries which operate during the summer on the Yukon, Pelly and Stewart rivers in Yukon Territory. These river crossings are on the Mayo Road connecting Dawson City and Mayo with the Alaska Highway. The traffic on the road consists largely of heavy trucks carrying mining ores from the United Keno Hill, and other mines.
Air survey of the Falkland Islands Dependencies, 1955–56
Authors: Mott P. G.
Published: October 2009

In 1955 Hunting Aerosurveys Ltd. were awarded a contract by the Colonial Office to carry out a survey of Graham Land and the South Shetland Islands. The survey was to be made by means of air photography and ground control. The base for the operation was at Port Foster, Deception Island, where an ice-free anchorage for flying boats could be expected during the summer months. The survey is to be continued in 1956–57.
Crevasse rescue
Authors: Walton E. W. K.
Published: October 2009

In August 1946 John Tonkin, navigator at the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey station on Stonington Island in Marguerite Bay, Graham Land, was leading a team of dogs half a mile from the station. As the path was a well-trodden one he was not wearing skis. Four other men were in the party. He was walking close in front of the lead dog when suddenly he disappeared down a hidden crevasse. Fortunately it was a very narrow one and he stuck about 40 ft. down, jammed by the thickness of his body, and with his legs hanging free. Other men were called from the station and came to his rescue with rope, but no pulley block. First, ropes with loops on their ends were lowered, and Tonkin managed to put his arms through the loops, and so acquire some feeling of security. The narrowness of the crevasse meant that a rescuer had to be lowered spread-eagled with his weight taken in loops of rope clove-hitched around the instep. It also prevented the free use of an ice axe, and the process of chipping Tonkin free was carried out slowly with the ferrule and spike sawn off the end of an ice axe. Two hours after the accident Tonkin was hauled to the surface by means of the original ropes looped round his arms. The strain of his weight on the ropes damaged the nerves of his arms, and a partial paralysis resulted for several months.
The sector principle in law and practice
Authors: Svarlien Oscar
Published: October 2009

Though the history of polar exploration stretches over many centuries, it is only in very recent (or one might say contemporary) times that a serious interest has been shown on the part of states in the advancement of territorial claims in these perpetually frozen regions of the earth. Reasons for this new development are not difficult to find, and may, very largely, be explained in terms of economic and strategic considerations. The rapidly growing population of the world;† the pressing desire everywhere for a higher standard of living; the technological advancement in transportation and communication; new geographic conceptions, and a modern strategy of military operations are all factors which help to clarify this phenomenon. As a result of these and many other recent developments, which we shall not attempt to catalogue here, it is not unreasonable to assume that the polar regions will in the future become more rather than less important in world affairs.
Transport, equipment and stores used during Operation “Hazen”, 1957–59
Authors: Hattersley-Smith G. , Lotz J. R.
Published: October 2009

Operation “Hazen” was an IGY expedition, organized by the Canadian Defence Research Board to carry out scientific studies in the Lake Hazen area of northern Ellesmere Island, from April 1957 to August 1959. From April to August 1957, a party of six carried out glaciological, glacial-meteorological, seismic, and survey studies on Gilman Glacier, and two geologists worked out from Hazen Camp, the main station on Lake Hazen. From August 1957 to April 1958, a party of four meteorologists wintered at the base camp. The third phase, from April to August 1958, involved a continuation of the 1957 studies on Gilman Glacier, an extension of these studies to the ice cap to the north of Lake Hazen, and a co-ordinated study of the Lake Hazen basin and of other parts of northern Ellesmere Island. The latter included meteorological, geological, limnological, geomorphological, botanical, zoological and archaeological work by twelve members of the expedition stationed at the base camp. In the summer of 1959, a limited programme of glaciological, meteorological and botanical research was conducted by a small party on Gilman Glacier. During the spring and autumn re-supply operations, the expedition received support and co-operation from the Royal Canadian Air Force, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Navy, the United States Air Force, and (for a week in 1958) from a “Supercub” aircraft flown by Dr Terris Moore of Waterville, Maine.
The influence of man on the floras and faunas of southern islands
Authors: Holdgate M. W. , Wace N. M.
Published: October 2009

Most of the world's tropical and sub-tropical oceanic islands were settled by man, and their floras and faunas modified by his activities, some centuries before the development of any scientific interest in them. The original vegetation and fauna of islands like Ascension, the Azores, Bermuda, St Helena or Mauritius cannot now be described with any degree of certainty, while the native communities of many others have been markedly changed. Consequently the few remaining undisturbed oceanic islands are of great scientific importance, and many of these lie in the southern temperate and sub-Antarctic zones.
Chronological list of Antarctic expeditions
Authors: Roberts Brian
Published: October 2009

This list was first published in the second edition of the Antarctic Pilot (London, Hydrographie Department, 1948, p. 6–25). Since that time it has been possible to make a large number of important corrections and additions. A check-list of this kind has been found necessary for classifying original log books, published narratives and other documents connected with the expeditions. It is hoped that it will also prove of value to those engaged in Antarctic research who may wish to check which expeditions have visited any particular area.