bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Captain Hall and the so-called Survivors of the Franklin Expedition
Authors: Cyriax Richard J.
Published: October 2009

When Sir Leopold McClintock returned from King William Land in 1859, he stated that none of Sir John Franklin's officers and men could still be living, and the principal Arctic authorities entirely agreed with him. Nevertheless, a dissentient voice was raised in the United States by Captain Charles Francis Hall. Convinced that survivors might still be found, he undertook two Arctic expeditions in search of them. His first expedition, to Frobisher Bay (1860–62), yielded no relevant information, and need not be described. On the other hand, his second expedition, which lasted five years (1864–69), was not in vain. He spent the first winter near Wager River, and the other four winters at Repulse Bay, and made many journeys from his winter quarters. The stories told him by Eskimos convinced him at first that his long-cherished belief was founded on fact, and he informed his friends in the United States that survivors of the Franklin expedition might still be alive. Not until he himself had visited King William Land in 1869 did he realise that he had been too sanguine.
Administrative Divisions of the Soviet Arctic and Sub-Arctic
Authors: Roberts Brian
Published: October 2009

The following notes and accompanying map have resulted from an attempt to devise a regional classification for the Institute's increasing collection of reports, maps and other documentary material dealing with northern Russia. Changes in the position and function of administrative boundaries present a special cartographic problem when they are of such bewildering frequency, for the dynamism inherent in the Soviet administrative structure since its inception in 1917 has not yet shown any signs of diminishing. While much of the available material can conveniently be classified under the headings of the major administrative regions existing at any particular date, the writer must admit that he is still not much nearer to a satisfactory solution of the original problem which prompted the inquiry.
The Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey, 1943–46
Authors: Wordie J. M.
Published: October 2009

The Falkland Islands Dependencies are divided into two main groups; the one consisting of South Georgia with its important whaling stations together with the South Orkneys and the South Sandwich Islands, and the other of the South Shetlands and the Graham Land peninsula. Coats Land and other large land areas in the Antarctic continent itself are also included. The Dependencies were the first part of Antarctica to be brought under British control, and are defined in Letters Patent of 1908 and 1917.
The Antarctic Voyage of the Hopeful and Rose, 1833
Authors: Gould R. T.
Published: October 2009

The following short account of this little-known voyage is mainly based on some letters from Messrs Enderby to the Admiralty, which are now in the Public Record Office (IN letters to Secretary, 1/4308).

Immediately on Biscoe's return from his Antarctic circumnavigation (January 1833) his employers, Messrs Enderby Bros., planned a voyage which should follow up his discoveries. On the previous voyage, however, the cutter Lively, Biscoe's consort, had been wrecked at the Falklands, and while the loss was partly covered by insurance it had been sufficiently heavy for her owners to look round for financial assistance in the new enterprise.
Snow drifting and the use of snow fences
Authors: Pugh H. Li. D. , Price W. I. J.
Published: October 2009

In regions periodically subjected to falls of snow, major obstacles to the movement of men and vehicles are caused rather by the formation of drifts than by the uniform deposition of snow. Even in countries where snow-fall is not heavy, drifting can occasionally cause a breakdown of transport over a large area. Drifts form when snow-bearing winds meet obstacles which cause eddies in the wind stream and a local reduction in wind speed. The snow is deposited out of the wind stream into these regions of comparative calm, and the process continues for as long as an obstacle is effective in reducing wind speed.
The war in arctic Europe, 1941–45
Authors: Blyth J. D. M.
Published: October 2009

The following article does not describe the winter war which followed the Soviet attack upon Finland in 1939, nor the campaign brought about by the German invasion of Norway in 1940. It deals with the military operations in arctic Europe which followed the German attack upon the U.S.S.R. in 1941, ending with the German capitulation in 1945. During the greater part of this period Finland was a co-belligerent of Germany against the U.S.S.R. In 1944, however, Finland was obliged to capitulate to the U.S.S.R. and then, by the terms of the capitulation, to turn upon the Germans and help the Russians to drive them from Finnish soil. The description of the military operations is based largely upon German accounts. Unfortunately no Soviet source of information is available.
Some letters of William Scoresby junior
Authors: Fraser F. C.
Published: October 2009

A bound volume of letters in the library of the British Museum (Natural History) contains eight letters written by William Scoresby junior between 1809 and 1819. The earliest letter is addressed to Sir Joseph Banks, but, being probably only part of the communication, is unsigned. The remainder, all signed, are addressed to Everard Home.
Joseph René Bellot, 1826–53
Authors: Woodward F. J.
Published: October 2009

On the right bank of the Thames, outside Greenwich Hospital, stands an obelisk of red granite bearing the single word “BELLOT”. For those (and they must be the vast majority) to whom this means nothing, a bronze tablet at the back provides a little more light:

To the intrepid young/BELLOT,/Of the French Navy,/Who, in the endeavour to rescue/Franklin,/Shared the fate and the glory of that/Illustrious navigator./(From his British admirers.)/1853.
Historical notes on Heard and McDonald Islands
Authors: Roberts Brian
Published: October 2009

The discovery of Heard Island (lat. 53°; 10′ S., long. 73°; 35′ E.) has usually been attributed to Capt. John J. Heard of the American barque Oriental, who sighted the island on 25 November 1853 during a voyage from Boston to Melbourne. The relevant passage from Captain Heard's log book has been published by the American Geographical Society. He did not get nearer than twenty miles and mentions only one island, which can definitely be identified with Heard. Satisfactory evidence, however, has been found which shows that Heard Island was first sighted by the British sealer Peter Kemp, Master of the brig Magnet, on 27 November 1833. Kemp's discovery apparently remained unpublished, and his journal has been lost. The only surviving evidence of his voyage is a track chart preserved in the Hydrographic Department of the Admiralty.
Local cold acclimatization in man
Authors: Mackworth N. H.
Published: October 2009

Increased complexity in organisms narrows the range of body temperature within which effective function is found. The organism responds to this problem by developing both internal and external mechanisms for keeping a steady body temperature independent of the environment. However, there comes a point at which these protective devices break down; the study of the response to arctic conditions involves the study of these three aspects, namely, external protection, internal changes, and the nature of the failure to resist the cold. Bodily functions fail, as does the protective mechanism, from the outside inwards, the vital functions naturally being the last to fail. Recent advances in engineering, particularly developments in aviation, have tended to draw attention to the fact that the limits to arctic activities are usually set by the extent to which man can adapt himself rather than his machines. The adjustments made by people living in very cold regions include a whole number of changes in behaviour which can be grouped under the general heading of the techniques of arctic living. Such changes in behaviour are obviously of the first importance for success and survival, especially when directed to the provision of a satisfactory private climate by the use of special clothing and shelter. Adjustments of a rather different kind from these can also be found in human beings attempting to adapt to arctic surroundings, and it is these other changes in human beings that are being considered here—the physiological and psychological changes that help men to meet the challenge of a cold environment.
Richard Sherratt's chart of the South Shetland Islands, 1821
Authors: Sherratt R.
Published: October 2009

[1214] Since the discovery of these distant and desolate islands, manyaccounts have been published respecting them. But from what source soever the information has been derived, they all concur in describing them as barren, uninhabited, and in every respect dreary.

It was our good fortune to be possessed of all the leading facts which related to them long before their existence was announced to the public; but at the particular desire of our correspondent, who was in the first vessel that ever touched on these inhospitable shores, we omitted giving it publicity until several weeks had elapsed; and it was not until some reports had found their way into the world, that our embargo was taken off. This circumstance enabled the conductor of a weekly journal to announce the existence of these distant lands to the public, just before the day of publication with us arrived. Of this incident he has readily availed himself; [1215] and in a recent number, has claimed the exclusive honour of having furnished the first public notice of this discovery.
The War in Svalbard, 1939–45
Authors: Elbo J. G.
Published: October 2009

Upon the outbreak of war in Europe in 1939 there were three coal mines in full production in Svalbard: the Norwegian Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani Aktieselskap at Longyearbyen, and two Russian Arktikugol mines, at Barentsburg and Grumantbyen. In addition the Russians had begun to develop Pyramiden, an old Swedish claim sold to the Russian company Russky-Grumant in 1926 and taken over by Arktikugol when that company was founded in 1931: Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani A/S was investigating and repairing the old Swedish mine at Sveagruva bought from Svenska Stenkols Aktiebolaget in 1934: and another Norwegian company, Norske Kulfelter A/S, was engaged in trial workings at Moskushamn on the east side of Adventfjorden. In all, the population of Svalbard numbered some 2500 miners, and a small number of wireless operators, meteorological observers, and trappers.W. Marlow was Sysselmann.
Sledging rations of the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey, 1948–50
Authors: Fuchs V. E.
Published: October 2009

During the last two decades the sledging ration used by British antarctic expedition has gradually been standardized and recent minor variations have had little effect on total calorie value. It may therefore be useful to record both the ration and the rationing system adopted by members of the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey at Stonington Island, Graham Land, during the sledging seasons of 1948–50. The ration was in a direct line of descent from that used by the British Graham Land Expedition in 1934–37, and has been evolved for the use of dbg-sledge parties travelling long distances without air support or mechanical vehicles. It provides a balanced diet which has been found to keep a man in good health, as judged by body weight and ability to maintain continuous physical effort for long periods. It may be consumed at varying rates, but the party at Stonington Island always used it at the rate recorded below—27½ oz. per day. Although theration was satisfactory a general feeling of hunger made it necessary to maintain a personal mental discipline in eating neither more nor less than the allotted quantities of each item each day.
Norwegian-British-Swedish Antarctic Expedition, 1949–52
Authors: Robin G. De Q.
Published: October 2009

After loading stores at Göteborg and Oslo, the expedition sailed from London on 23 November 1949 in the chartered Norwegian sealing vessel Norsel, G. Jakobsen, master. After calling at Cape Town, where P. G. Law of the Australian Department of External Affairs and J. A. King of the Union Weather Bureau of South Africa joined the vessel as observers, the Norsel headed south on 27 December to meet the Norwegian whaling factory Thorshovdi, which was carrying an advanced party of five men, with sixty dogs and some heavy equipment. An unexpectedly wide detour had to be made across the South Atlantic as the Thorshevdi was at that time in the Scotia Sea.
Air operations of the Norwegian-British-Swedish Antarctic Expedition in 1952
Authors: von Essen Kapten Reinhold
Published: October 2009

On 1 November 1951 Norsel sailed from Göteborg on her third voyage to Maudheim; this time to evacuate the expedition. On board were the personnel and two aircraft of a Swedish Air Force unit. Air reconnaissance had been carried out in the expedition's first season by a British R.A.F. Flight. In the second season a Norwegian commercial flying unit had done some photography, and in the final season it was the turn of the Swedes to provide these services. In preparation for this the writer, who commanded the unit, had accompanied Norsel on her second voyage, and had thus been able to study the area, and discuss plans with members of the expedition.
Insurance against ice risks at Sea
Authors: Armstrong Terence
Published: October 2009

Normal insurance of hulls is not valid when vessels sail into certain waters where additional risks are incurred. These areas are exactly defined in a document produced by the Institute of London Underwriters known as the Institute Warranties, reproduced as Appendix 1. If a ship is required to sail in any of these waters, for instance Hudson Bay, or the Baltic Sea in winter time, suspension of the Warranty must be obtained from the underwriters by payment of additional premium to cover the additional risks involved. The nature of these risks is not specified, but clearly ice is a principal one in these two areas, and in some of the other areas.
New light on the antarctic voyage of the Hopeful and Rose, 1833
Authors: Maling D. H.
Published: October 2009

Knowledge of this unsuccessful voyage is somewhat fragmentary, and most of the narrative has been pieced together from correspondence which passed between Messrs Enderby Brothers and the Admiralty. Former writers1 believed that John Biscoe, originally nominated to command the expedition, sailed from London in the Hopeful. It has also been supposed that Biscoe resigned his command when the ships reached the Falkland Islands.
The Amery Ice Shelf and its hinterland
Authors: Mellor Malcolm , McKinnon Graeme
Published: October 2009

During the thirty years since the Amery Ice Shelf was first sighted there has been a steady accumulation of information, first on the ice shelf itself and later on the interesting mountains and glacier systems which lie to its south. The ice shelf occupies the head of a large embayment consisting of Prydz Bay and Mackenzie Bay, which deeply indents the coastline of the Antarctic mainland near the borders of MacRobertson Land and Princess Elizabeth Land. An associated valley runs south from the bay, between the Prince Charles Mountains and the Mawson Escarpment, and it is occupied by one of the world's largest valley glaciers, the Lambert Glacier. (In fact, recent findings by Soviet parties suggest that the Lambert Glacier is considerably longer than the Beardmore Glacier.) The exploration, survey and subsequent mapping of the ice shelf, and the mountains and glaciers of its hinterland, by Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions in recent years has been a major contribution to Antarctic geography.
United States research at drifting stations in the Arctic Ocean
Authors: Cottell Irene Browne
Published: October 2009

Project “Ice Skate” was initiated in 1957 to establish and support the United States drifting research stations in the Arctic Ocean, “Alpha”, and “Bravo” and later the “Alpha” replacement, “Charlie”. The purpose of the project was to provide facilities for research in geophysical phenomena as prescribed in the Arctic Ocean Study Program formulated by the United States National Committee for the International Geophysical Year, and continued under the International Geophysical Co-operation Program.
Antarctica, one continent or two?
Authors: Thiel Edward
Published: October 2009

In outline, the Antarctic continent crudely resembles a pear. It is indented on two sides by arms of the ocean, the Ross and Weddell Seas. These indentations are even greater than an outline map would suggest, for the seas extend far toward the interior of the continent beneath the world's two largest floating ice shelves, bearing the names of their respective discoverers, the English sea captain, Ross, and the German explorer, Filchner.
Polish activities in Vestspitsbergen, 1956–1960
Authors: Birkenmajer Krzysztof
Published: October 2009

Polish expeditions to Vestspitsbergen between 1956 and 1960 were organized in connexion with the Third IGY and its continuation. The main area chosen for scientific investigations was Hornsund, Vestspitsbergen, in which, at Isbjørnhamna, the main station was built (lat. 77° N., long. 15° 30′ E.). The areas covered by investigations were mainly southern and central parts of Wedel Jarlsberg Land and Torell Land, to the north of Hornsund, and the northern part of Sørkapp Land, to the south of Hornsund. Brief investigations were also carried out to the south of Van Keulenfjorden, in north-west Torell Land, and along the western, southern and eastern coasts of Sørkapp Land.
Check list of the sub-Antarctic and Antarctic vascular flora
Authors: Greene S. W. , Greene D. M.
Published: October 2009

While studying the distribution, within Antarctic regions, of the vascular plants now known from South Georgia, numerous discrepancies were found between the accounts of various authors. The present paper is an attempt to clarify the situation, and has been compiled from the most recent known papers dealing with the flora of each area. Only taxa reported as native have been included in the “Check List” but species reported as aliens have been listed in the section headed “Notes on floras”.
Restoration of the Scott and Shackleton huts on Ross Island, 1960–61
Authors: Quartermain L. B.
Published: October 2009

New Zealanders interested in Antarctic exploration have for some years been concerned about the condition of the old huts in McMurdo Sound, built and occupied by the expeditions of the “heroic age”, and during the past two or three years sporadic attempts have been made to tidy up Shackleton's hut at Cape Royds and Scott's hut at Cape Evans. Working parties from H.M.N.Z.S. Endeavour and men from “Scott Base” have done urgent repair work and a certain amount of cleaning up, but it was evident that a more extensive project, properly organized and supervised, was necessary if the huts were to be made readily accessible to interested visitors and restored to a condition more in keeping with their historical interest.
Year-round SCUBA diving in the Antarctic
Authors: Peckham Verne
Published: October 2009

The use of SCUBA diving techniques in the study of sublittoral fauna has been shown to be valuable in temperate and tropical waters, and many workers are presently using underwater photography and systematic sampling techniques to gain a more complete picture of plant and animal life in the sea. The use of these techniques in Antarctica in recent years has made possible sampling of previously unexplored areas.
Ice atlases
Authors: Armstrong Terence
Published: October 2009

The increasing importance of the polar regions, and in particular the increasing use of polar waters by shipping, has led to publication in recent years of a number of ice atlases. These compilations attempt to summarize in cartographic form existing knowledge of the seasonal distribution of floating ice (mainly sea ice, but icebergs also are important in certain areas). The atlases seek to present a summary which is based on the greatest possible number of observations within a given period, and from which deductions may be drawn as to the future. They are therefore not to be confused with ice charts of another sort, which show only actual situations at particular times—although the two sorts may be used to complement each other. A summary of the currently available atlases and their characteristics may be helpful.
Mapping the Falkland Islands Dependencies and British Antarctic Territory, 1956–64
Authors: McHugo M. Barbara
Published: October 2009

Introduction

In May 1956, an article in this Journal described the mapping of the Falkland Islands Dependencies up to that date (Leay, 1956). In March 1962, that part of the Dependencies lying south of 60° S was re-named British Antarctic Territory. This is an account of the maps of both the Dependencies and the Territory that have been published by the Directorate of Overseas Surveys* since 1956 and of the methods that have been used in their production.
‘SAFE’: a satellite for emergencies
Authors: Wolff H. S.
Published: October 2009

Whenever man is shipwrecked and takes to a lifeboat or a raft, crashes in an aircraft, or gets into trouble mountaineering or on an expedition, he requires help and rescue. Before any action can be taken by potential rescuers it must be known that a disaster has taken place. At present such knowledge is often acquired in a negative manner, by non-arrival at an expected destination or loss of communication contact. Even if positive information is received by a distress message, the exact location of the incident is often in doubt. Extensive air searches are then required before a rescuer can be guided to the spot.
Biological oceanography in the Antarctic: Eltanin cruises 4 to 13
Authors: Geiger Stephen R.
Published: October 2009

This report is intended to supplement the more general reports on the activities of the United States in the Antarctic which have appeared in the Polar Record, Vol 12, No 79, 1965, p 439–52 and earlier issues, and in BioScience, Vol 15, No 4, 1965.
A review of Antarctic whaling
Authors: Brown S. G.
Published: October 2009

Since the early nineteen-twenties whaling in the Antarctic has dominated the world's whaling industry. In recent years, however, there have been increasing signs that the Antarctic industry is approaching an important crisis. There is no doubt that too many whaling expeditions are pursuing too few whales. This article attempts to review the present position of the industry, first dealing very briefly with the biology of the commercially important whales and the history of whaling generally and then discussing the development of Antarctic whaling and the events which have led to the present situation.
Parasitological problems in high northern latitudes, with particular reference to Canada
Authors: Cameron T. W. M. , Choquette L. P. E.
Published: October 2009

Disease in the Canadian Arctic has, until quite recently, been of minor concern to the world. The Eskimo and northern Indian lived in a climate which was antagonistic to contact diseases and very little attention was paid to indigenous infections. During the past decade, more and more white men have gone to the Arctic to survey and mine its abundant natural resources, and to work on such projects as the DEW Line. This influx of personnel introduced bacteria and European viruses to a native population which had no resistance or immunity to the diseases of civilization, and consequently even such mild viruses as those producing colds have caused serious illnesses and mild epidemics; the introduction of tuberculosis has had tragic results.
Applications of modern technology in an Arctic environment
Authors: Cooper P. F.
Published: October 2009

In northern Canada, the provision of the amenities that twentieth-century technology has made available to everyday life is complicated by several factors. Chief among these are the severity of the climate and the fact that the population is small and scattered, which often means that the expense of such an amenity is considerably greater than it is in the southern part of the country.
Architecture and town planning in the north
Authors: Erskine Ralph
Published: October 2009

When considering the problems of building in the north to talk of an architecture of climate would be to tell only half of the story. It is people in the climate, the cities and the landscape, in families or crowds that count. Ordinary people, not architects, people who sometimes are born in the north and know it and love it or hate it, other people who are moving from more populous areas to small isolated communities in the wilderness, and must be given the amenities they previously enjoyed.
Hovercraft trials in the Mackenzie River delta, 1966
Authors: Cooper P. F. , Storr J. W.
Published: October 2009

Hovercraft, or air-cushion vehicles, have been proposed several times as a means of polar transport (Mellor, 1963; Fuchs, 1964, 1966; Law, 1965; Cooper, 1965). They ride on a cushion of low pressure air which eliminates friction between the craft and the ground surface, the air being contained by flexible skirts and peripheral jets to give a substantial obstacle clearance. Their low bearing pressure (of the order of 0·01 kg/cm2) makes them potentially suitable for over-snow use. They can travel equally well over ice, snow, and water and thus can give year-round service on Arctic rivers and seas. There is no need for costly facilities such as docks or airstrips at terminals. Finally, the hard structure clearance provided by the flexible skirts should enable the vehicle to cross areas of rough sea ice or pressure ridges without a route being prepared.
Tagging Elephant Seals for life-history studies
Authors: Dickinson A. B.
Published: October 2009

South Georgia has been the site of a controlled commercial sealing industry since 1909. The Southern Elephant Seal (Mirounga leonina) is killed for the oil obtained from the processing of the skin and subcutaneous fat, in a manner similar to the processing of whale blubber.

The island is divided into four sealing divisions, each with an annual catch quota which is subject to revision if necessary at the completion of each season, depending on information obtained from the average age of the catch, and an annual population census. There are also reserve areas, in which commercial killing is prohibited and which provide controls for comparison between commercially exploited herds and those which are undisturbed. The latter begin to breed an earlier age, reach their peak breeding period earlier and bear a smaller ratio of cow to bull calves than the former. The total kill permissible over the last decade has remained at 6000 adult bull seals over 3·5 m in length. At present, the catch quotas in each division are as follows:
The growth of the North Atlantic Ocean by the spreading of its floor
Authors: Friend P. F.
Published: October 2009

Argument about whether or not continental drift has occurred has been continuous and inconclusive since drift was first advocated fifty years ago by scientists from a number of different disciplines. Recently, evidence has accumulated to establish beyond reasonable doubt that this drift has indeed occurred. In this paper I discuss some features of the drift, particularly those concerning the northern Atlantic Ocean. The investigations of geologists should now be turned from the question of whether drift has occurred, to the manner in which it has occurred.
Distant early warning systems in the North American Arctic
Authors: Chasen Robert E.
Published: October 2009

The Distant Early Warning System (DEWLine) is a network of radar and communications stations stretching for some 3600 miles along the 69th parallel from Cape Lisburne, Alaska, to Cape Dyer, Baffin Island, and continuing across Davis Strait and the Greenland ice sheet to the east coast of Greenland. Thence it maintains communication with the North Atlantic Radio System from Keflavfk, Iceland, to Fylingdales Moor, England. The DEWDrop system, a tropospheric scatter communications system links Cape Dyer with the Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile Station at Thule, Greenland and another connects Thule with the DEWLine station FOX, on Foxe Basin. DEWLine stations are supervised and controlled by the US Air Force, by agreement with the Canadian and Danish Governments.
Comparison of permafrost conditions in Canada and the USSR
Authors: Brown R. J. E.
Published: October 2009

Canada and the USSR together possess most of the territory in the Northern Hemisphere underlain by permafrost or perennially frozen ground. As about one half of the land area of each country is affected, the permafrost region of the Soviet Union is 2½ times larger than that of Canada. Outside mountainous regions, permafrost extends southward in Canada to the southern tip of James Bay at lat 51° N (Brown, in press). Permafrost extends farther south in eastern Asia, however, and occurs in Outer Mongolia and Manchuria to about lat 47° N Fig 1) (Baranov, 1959; Nekrasov, 1962).
Labour in northern USSR
Authors: Armstrong Terence
Published: October 2009

One of the biggest problems facing those who seek to exploit the natural riches of the north is the attraction and retention of a labour force. This problem is sometimes more intractable even than those posed more directly by the remoteness of the locality and the harshness of the environment. No easy or simple solution has been found, but it may be of interest to record some of the recent steps taken by the Soviet Government towards its solution.
The new building of the Scott Polar Research Institute
Authors: Bicknell Peter
Published: October 2009

As architects for the extensions of the Scott Polar Research Institute in Lensfield Road, Cambridge, we have been asked to supply a description of the building.

The original Institute building, which was opened in November 1934, was designed by Sir Herbert Baker, R. A. It contained a museum on the ground floor, a library on the first floor, a picture gallery above and a few offices or research rooms. It is a small formal classical block, designed in a carefully detailed Georgian manner, and built of attractive warm buff-coloured facing bricks with limestone dressings and a brown tiled roof.
Beauchêne Island
Authors: Strange I. J.
Published: October 2009

Beauchêne Island was visited by HMS Protector on 22 December 1962, when the coastline was delineated by radar, and vertical photographs taken from a helicopter. A party landed by boat on the east coast, near to the southern end of the island, and walked about much of the coastline but failed to penetrate far into the tussock grass covering the interior. On this occasion no trained naturalist was in the party, but on two later visits by Protector, on 2 December 1963 and 6 December 1964, the author was fortunate in being present and in landing.
Trading Navigation in the Kara Sea
Authors: Wiese W.
Published: October 2009

As early as the beginning of the sixteenth century the route by sea to the mouth of the River Ob was well known to Russian traders; though in those days they avoided the passage round the Yamal Peninsula by dragging their small vessels over the rivers and lakes of the Peninsula, as far as Ob Bay. In the first half of the seventeenth century, however, trading navigation to Ob Bay was brought to a standstill by an interdict placed on it, in 1619, by an Ukase of the Muscovite Government.
Population aspects of Weddell Seal harvesting at McMurdo Sound, Antarctica
Authors: Stirling Ian
Published: October 2009

The preservation and conservation of living resources was one of the original stated objectives of the Antarctic Treaty, 1959. The harvesting of animals near bases for food, especially Weddell SealsLeptonychotes weddellireceived particular attention at the Fourth Meeting of SCAR, 1960(Polar Record,1961) and several regulations were suggested including: a permit required before killing, records to be kept of animals killed, and use of alternative food where possible. Annex D, Section (b)i states “… Without detailed biological research it is impossible to assess the permissible annual crop which the various [Weddell] seal colonies would stand, but it is certain that this figure is being seriously exceeded in many areas.”
The domestication of the Musk-ox
Authors: Wilkinson Paul F.
Published: October 2009

And he gave it for his opinion, that whoever could make two ears of corn or two blades of grass to grow upon a spot of ground where only one would grow before, would deserve better of mankind, and do more essential service to his country than the whole race of politicians put together. (The King of Brobdingnag, in Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift, 1726.)
Environmental control in the Arctic
Authors: McLorg T. W.
Published: October 2009

In the time-scale of human history we have only just realized that air has substance and predictable properties. In the last 50 years, this realization has enabled man almost to overcome distance by means of aircraft. In the next 50 years, we can almost overcome the vagaries of weather by placing an airsupported membrane between ourselves and the elements. The theory involved is simple; the problems lie in its application and in finding suitable materials for the membrane. However, just as the development of the aircraft industry fostered the production of aluminium, so the development of air structures will doubtless encourage the manufacture of translucent and reflective plastic membranes.
Polar ice sheets: a review
Authors: Robin G. de Q.
Published: October 2009

At the present time, only Antarctica and Greenland carry ice sheets comparable with the ice sheets that covered vast areas of the Northern Hemisphere as recently as 20 000 years ago. At the time of maximum glaciation, some 300 000 years ago, the volume of ice on earth was three times what it is today, and it covered the northern parts of continents all around the Arctic Ocean. In North America, ice stretched south as far as Kansas; in Europe, it extended down ot the River Thames and the Sudety mountains and covered much of Siberia. Even now, the Antarctic ice sheet covers an area of 12 million km2 and in places reaches depths of more than 4 km. The smaller Greenland ice sheet has an area of 1.8 million km2 and exceeds 3 km in depth.
Law for special environments: ice islands and questions raised by the T-3 case
Authors: Wilkes Daniel
Published: October 2009

On 10 May 1971, a federal jury in Alexandria, Virginia, found Mario Escamilla not guilty of second-degree murder on the high seas in the death of another American, Bennie Lightsy. The same jury convicted Escamilla of a lesser offence, involuntary manslaughter on the high seas, and he was sentenced to three years in the custody of the United States Attorney-General, a provision that permits probation after as little as 60 days. In fact, Escamilla has been free on bail pending the hearing of an appeal, brief for which will have been filed by 17 October 1971 to be argued before the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in late 1971 or early 1972.
The Canadian Eskimo today
Authors: Rowley Graham
Published: October 2009

There has been no time since the end of the Second World War when it could not have been said that the Canadian Eskimos were at a critical point in their history. The north has become a part of the world as a whole, and the Eskimos, caught in the course of world events, have become subject to changes that affect every aspect of their lives. This is inevitable, and all concerned recognize it as an inescapable fact. Some writers have simplified the current situation among the Canadian Eskimos as a struggle between the old and the new. They have pointed to the privation that was so often an unavoidable accompaniment to primitive life and have argued that there can be no return to such conditions. This approach does not lead anywhere, for nobody has seriously suggested a return to the primitive. It is true that the Eskimos may not be any happier now than they were in former times; in outward appearance they seem in fact to be markedly less happy. A return to the old days might therefore be appealing, but nobody, and least of all the Eskimos themselves, considers it to be either possible or desirable. To suggest the contrary is to set up snowmen only in order to knock them down.
Chronological list of expeditions and historical events in northern Canada. VIII 1853–80
Authors: Cooke Alan , Holland Clive
Published: October 2009

The Franklin Search continues through this instalment of our list, the main search culminating in the discovery by M'Clintock's expedition of the record that told of the Franklin expedition's success in finding a North-west Passage, of Franklin's death, and of the abandonment of his ships. Later, C. F. Hall and Frederick Schwatka discovered more bones and relics, which, however, added little to the bare outline of that tragic drama.
Flowers, insects, and pollination ecology in the Canadian high Arctic
Authors: Kevan Peter G.
Published: October 2009

The following report is based on work done in conjunction with the Canadian “Operation Hazen-Tanquary” at Hazen Camp (81° 49'N, 71° 18'W), Ellesmere Island, NWT, in the summers of 1966, 1967, and 1968. Hazen Camp offers an excellent high Arctic site because of the extensive facilities available and because the botany and entomology are comparatively well known and some insect-flower relationships there have already been considered. Furthermore, the Lake Hazen trough, sheltered by mountain ranges to the north, enjoys less cloudy and more benign summers than most high Arctic localities. These factors contribute to the support of a biota that is relatively rich for the high Arctic, even though the ecosystem is considerably simpler than in the low Arctic. There are only about 75 species of Dicotyledoneae and about 250 species of Arthropoda to consider, which makes it possible for one man to investigate such a broad ecological problem as insect-flower relations.
Native-induced secondary plant succession in the Mackenzie River delta, Northwest Territories, Canada
Authors: Gill Don
Published: October 2009

Plants introduced by man play a very minor role in the flora of the Mackenzie River, delta and are primarily restricted to centres of habitation such as Inuvik, Aklavik, and Reindeer Station (Map 1) (Cody, 1965; Gill, 1971). Within the delta itself, however, a number of introduced species are recurringly present on one geomorphic position, the point bar, which forms the convex section of a meander bend in flood plains and deltas (Fig 1). The Mackenzie delta supports a northerly extension of the boreal forest, and most of the higher levees are occupied by trees, particularly White SprucePicea glauca. Point bars are constructed of coarser alluvium than other delta landforms, thus they have a drier and warmer soil environment than other locations (Gill, 1972a); vegetation response to this locally ameliorated environment has been such that virtually every point bar in the Mackenzie delta is occupied by a discrete plant community dominated by Balsam PoplarPopulus balsamifera(Gill, 1972b). The poplar stands are surprisingly well developed for such a northerly latitude, 68°45′N (Fig 2).
Notes on a General Purpose Boat for use in Polar Regions
Authors: Ryder R. E. D.
Published: October 2009

Few will dispute the fact that some type of boat for work in polar regions is an important requirement for all who live or travel there. As a corollary I think that few will agree about the exact type required. The reason for this is that the various regions of both Arctic and Antarctic differ widely, and it would be a mistake to suppose that the same set of conditions applies to all the coasts of the polar regions. With a view to provoking interest in this very absorbing subject, the following article describes a boat which was built in the Antarctic by the British Graham Land Expedition and was designed with the knowledge we had of that coast. Whether or not this boat would be suitable in other areas is better decided by those who may have a more varied knowledge of the Arctic and Antarctic foreshores and of travelling across sea ice.
Giant icebergs in the Weddell Sea, 1967–68
Authors: Swithinbank Charles
Published: October 2009

Two giant icebergs are moving westwards along the coast of Antarctica in the Weddell Sea. They were conspicuous throughout the 1967–68 season in ESSA-3 satellite photographs supplied by the United States National Environmental Satellite Center to the British Antarctic Survey. The two icebergs were first unmistakeably seen during orbit No 4699 on 11 October 1967 and last clearly seen before the winter during orbit No 6408 on 24 February 1968. The leading iceberg, which is roughly 45 km by 100 km, was last seen moving out to sea westwards from a position about 100 km north of Halley Bay station. The second, some 70 km by 100 km, was parallel with Riiser-Larsen Ice Front in long 21°W, and separated from it by only a few kilometres of open water. Although there were periods of weeks in which there was no movement, presumably owing to the grounding of the icebergs on shoals, both moved some 500 km along the coast in four months.
Oil and natural gas in north-west Siberia
Authors: Armstrong Terence
Published: October 2009

In the five years or so since earlier articles on this subject appeared in the Polar Record, much has occurred. The present note, based on Soviet press and radio reports, 1963–68, aims to summarize the most important developments since that time in the region of the west Siberian plain. Administratively, the area under consideration falls largely within Tyumenskaya Oblast'.
Morphology of the Eurasian Arctic basin
Authors: Johnson G. Leonard
Published: October 2009

The shape of the sea floor of the Arctic Basin is slowly being revealed by ice island programmes, icebreakers working the peripheral edges, under-ice nuclear submarine explorations and isolated ice landings by aircraft (Ostenso, 1962). The topographical features of the North American side of the Arctic have been studied by numerous investigators (Kutschale, 1966; DeLeeuw, 1967; Vogt and Ostenso, 1968), and are well documented. The Eurasian portion of the Arctic Basin is, however, less well known.
Adaptive innovation among recent Eskimo immigrants in the eastern Arctic Canada
Authors: Freeman Milton M. R.
Published: October 2009

Within the past half century the Canadian Government and the Hudson's Bay Company have established a number of settlements in the Canadian Arctic with Eskimo families drawn from different areas. These include the settlements on Southampton Island and at Great Whale River, Resolute Bay and Grise Fiord. Although these families have been living close to each other for years they maintain distinct sub-cultural differences in dialect and customs. Some cultural exchange has undoubtedly occurred but very real forces presumably exist within the factions that prevent any general exchange that would obscure their distinct collective identities.
The Canadian Northern Insect Survey, 1947–57
Authors: Freeman T. N.
Published: October 2009

The study of the insects of northern Canada has in the past depended mainly on a very small number of collections obtained by the early explorers, by a few individuals concerned with mapping and other scientific investigations, and by missionaries. The work of Kirby (1837), the reports of the Canadian Arctic Expedition (Hewitt, 1922) and the Fifth Thule Expedition (Henriksen, 1937), and a few short papers represent the main contributions of many years.

Organized entomological research in northern Canada began in 1947 as a joint project of the Defence Research Board of the Canada Department of National Defence, and the Divisions of Entomology, Botany and Plant Pathology of the Canada Department of Agriculture. The research programme was divided into three major phases:
The Operation of a survey motor boat in Antarctic waters, 1956–58
Authors: Wynne-Edwards C. J. C.
Published: October 2009

During the Antarctic summer seasons of 1956–57 and 1957–58, a British Royal Naval Hydrographic Survey Unit operated off the coast of west Graham Land. Working sometimes from stations of the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey, and sometimes from camp sites, an area of coastline from Port Lockroy southwards to Ferin Head was systematically examined, triangulated and charted.

The mobility of this small unit depended on one all-important factor, the constant availability of a specially converted 29 ft. motor boat, which acted as both transport and home.
Lauge Koch's expeditions to east Greenland, 1926 to 1958
Authors: Cowie J. W.
Published: October 2009

The early exploration of east Greenland between lats. 70° N. and 82° N. was the work of several nations, and Danish, Swedish, German and British expeditions all played their parts in it. In the last three decades, however, although other groups have made valuable contributions, the expeditions under the leadership of Lauge Koch have been of paramount importance by virtue of the large numbers of scientists involved, the range of the studies, and, in particular, the continuity of effort. This continuity has enabled an unusual degree of foresight and planning to be applied to the operations. Even in these more favoured circumstances, however, “greater results might possibly have been obtained if the means had been ensured beforehand, so that the work could have been planned for a longer period of years at a time”. It has been the policy to concentrate on geological survey as the basic scientific inquiry in this uninhabited, almost virgin, territory. This emphasis on geology has, in turn, stressed the need for detailed geographical information, and stimulated topographical survey to produce an adequate coverage of medium-scale maps for a large part of the region. Other fields have not been overlooked, and biologists—studying the fauna and flora of both land and sea—meteorologists, glaciologists, hydrographers, and archaeologists have been included in the parties.
Recipes for an Antarctic cook
Authors: Cutland Gerald T.
Published: October 2009

The meat of young shags, seals and penguins makes excellent eating but, in the natural state, it is rather too highly flavoured to be palatable. It should therefore be washed thoroughly and hung in the fresh air for a few days, or in the case of shags for a couple of weeks, before cooking. It is further improved by blanching; this consists of putting the meat in cold water, bringing the water to the boil, then removing the meat and washing it.

Remove all blubber before cooking. Always use beef suet in cooking these meats.
Several aspects of animal embryo cryopreservation: anti-freeze protein (AFP) as a potential cryoprotectant
Authors: Makarevich A. V. , Kubovičová E. , Popelková M. , Fabian D. , Čikoš Š. , Pivko J. , Chrenek P.
Published: October 2009

With the development of embryo technologies, such asin vitrofertilization, cloning and transgenesis, cryopreservation of mammalian gametes and embryos has acquired a particular interest. Despite a certain success, various cryopreservation techniques often cause significant morphological and biochemical alterations, which lead to the disruption of cell organelles, cytoskeleton damages, cell death and loss of embryo viability. Ultrastructural studies confirm high sensitivity of the cell membrane and organelle membrane to freezing and thawing. It was found that many substances with low molecular weights have a protective action against cold-induced damage. In this concern, an anti-freeze protein (AFP) and anti-freeze glycoproteins (AFGPs), which occur at extremely high concentrations in fish that live in Arctic waters and protect them against freezing, may be of potential interest for cryostorage of animal embryos at ultra-low temperatures. This mini-review briefly describes several models of AFP/AFGP action to preserve cells against chilling-induced damages and indicates several ways to improve post-thaw developmental potential of the embryo.