bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The United Nations and Antarctica, 1992: still searching for that elusive convergence of view
Authors: Beck Peter J. 
Published: October 2009

ABSTRACTThe tenth successive annual UN session on the ‘Question of Antarctica’ took place at the close of 1992. The UN First Committee considered the topic during the week following the close of the Seventeenth Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting held at Venice. The passage of yet another resolution critical of the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) suggested that little had changed as compared to previous sessions. However, during 1992, UN reports and discussions displayed evidence of a growing acknowledgement of a range of ‘positive’ developments on the part of the ATS, most notably the benefits accruing from the Protocol on Environmental Protection's designation of Antarctica as ‘a natural reserve, devoted to peace and science’ in which mining is prohibited. Significantly, both critics and the German spokesman for the Antarctic Treaty parties (ATPs) — individual ATPs still refused to participate in either the UN discussions or vote because of their belief that the UN has no meaningful role to play in the affairs of a region subject to a valid international legal regime—expressed satisfaction with the concerted approach towards Antarctica embodied in Agenda 21 of the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), which met at Rio de Janeiro in June 1992. As a result, ATPs agreed to ensure that research products were freely available to the international community. In December 1992 the adoption of UN resolution A47/57 reaffirmed the continuing divide between ATPs and other members of the international community regarding the management of Antarctica, even if the UNCED–type formula offers one route back to consensus when the UN takes up the topic again at the close of 1993.
Protected areas review: McMurdo Sound, Ross Sea
Authors: Harris Colin M. 
Published: October 2009

AbstractAs a result of new provisions in the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty a number of countries are reviewing the management plans for protected areas in Antarctica. The United States and New Zealand have initiated a review of the 15 existing sites in the Ross Sea region, using an independent party, the International Centre for Antarctic Information and Research, to facilitate and coordinate the process. Management provisions are being revised to comply with the Protocol, and improved maps for the sites are being prepared using Geographical Information Systems. Visits in 1993/94 gathered field information, and thus far two sites have had new plans drafted: these are proceeding through the international review process. Input and comment is invited from interested parties with experience in these areas.
Protected nature areas in the Russian Arctic
Authors: Volkov A.E. , de Korte J. 
Published: October 2009

ABSTRACTThe protected nature area system in Russia is well developed in general, although not as well in the Arctic. On 1 January 1994 the total area of all types of Arctic reserves covered about 19.7 million ha, comprising about 10.2% of the area of the Russian Arctic. There are five categories of protected nature areas: strict nature reserwes (zapovedniki), national nature parks (natsional'nyye parki), nature monuments (pamyatniki prirody), special purpose reserves (zakazniki), and nature-ethnic parks (prirodno-etnicheskiye parki). The system of the zapovednik is unique. The oldest strict nature reserve in the Arctic is Kandalakshskiy (1939). Other major nature reserves include Ostrov Vrangelya (created in 1976), Taymyrskiy (1979), Ust-Lenskiy (1985), and Bol'shoy Arkticheskiy (1993). The first nature-ethnic park in the Arctic, Beringiya, was established in 1993. Because of the unstable economic and political situation in Russia, the nature protection system has a difficult time. Furthermore, the legal structure that defines the purpose of and responsibility for these areas is sometimes not completely clear, and a great deal is dependent on presidential decrees that, through time, have limited validity. The cooperation of Russian, western European, and North American scientists who study birds breeding in the Russian Arctic and migration patterns to temperate regions could give major support to the nature re-serves in the Russian Arctic.
Linking tourism and art in Canada's eastern Arctic: the case of Cape Dorset
Authors: Milne S. , Ward S. , Wenzel G. 
Published: October 2009

ABSTRACTThe Inuit of Canada's eastern Arctic are increasingly turning to tourism as a source of much-needed income and employment. The government of the Northwest Territories, in conjunction with local communities, is attempting to develop a ‘sustainable’ form of tourism in the region, with an emphasis on maximizing local economic linkages while minimizing negative socio-cultural and environmental impacts. One key strategy for increasing the ‘downstream’ benefits of visitor expenditure has been an attempt to forge better links between tourism and the region's arts sector. This paper examines some of the key issues and problems that face the implementation of such a strategy in the Baffin Island hamlet of Cape Dorset. It commences with a profile of the community, its arts sector, and its nascent tourism industry. It then presents findings from a household/business survey designed to gauge resident attitudes towards tourism and provide information on the links that exist between the industry and the arts sector. The data reveal that while residents are supportive of further tourism development there is considerable disagreement among different interest groups about the amount of interaction that should occur between tourism and the local arts sector. In conclusion, the paper outlines some approaches that may allow the linkages between these two important components of the local economy to be strengthened.
The incidence of scurvy in sixteenth- and seventeenth- century voyages to the Canadian Arctic
Authors: Davidson Robert 
Published: October 2009

ABSTRACTScurvy was a long-recognised problem amongst sailors, the cure and prevention ofwhich is sometimes incorrectly accredited to James Lind in the mid-eighteenth century. However, the therapeutic value of many antiscorbutic foods was discovered long before Lind's treatise on the scurvy was published in 1753, and problems with the deficiency continued well into the twentieth century. Through an examination of early Arctic exploration (1585–1632), the incidence and practical knowledge of this much-feared condition are analyzed. During this half century, knowledge of scurvy was far from complete, as is revealed in the journals of a number of voyages that set out in search of the Northwest Passage. From the careful reading of these journals many questions about the incidence of scurvy in the early exploration of the Canadian Arctic can be addressed.
Historical observations of Prince Gustav Ice Shelf
Authors: Cooper A.P.R. 
Published: October 2009

AbstractPrince Gustav Ice Shelf, situated between James Ross Island and Trinity Peninsula at the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, West Antarctica, has retreated rapidly between 1989 and 1995. This paper re-examines historical accounts of the area and plots the position of the ice shelf at various times, from 1843 onwards. These results show that an episode of rapid retreat between 1957 and 1959 preceded the recent rapid retreat, and that the ice shelf has been retreating for most of the period since 1843. The mechanisms underlying the two periods of rapid retreat are considered.
Guidelines for people approaching breeding groups of Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae)
Authors: Giese Melissa 
Published: October 2009

AbstractIncreases in the number of people travelling to Antarctica has led to more frequent interactions between people and Antarctic wildlife, yet the effects of visitation on the animals has received limited scientific assessment. This study conducted experiments to measure the responses of incubating Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) to controlled human approaches to determine which approach distances and approach styles caused the least disturbance to the birds. Three minimum approach distances were tested: 30, 15, and 5 m. Approaching penguins to 30 m had no measurable effect on either their behaviour or heart rate, while approaching as close as 15 m significantly elevated their heart rates above resting, undisturbed levels even though there was no behavioural indication of this response. Approaching penguins to 5 m significantly interrupted the penguins' incubation behaviour, with the potential to cause egg-cooling. Approaches to 5 m elevated heart rates above those measured when birds were undisturbed, approached to either 15 or 30 m, or exposed to ‘natural’ disturbances (that is, other penguins or south polar skuas, Catheracta maccormicki). The study also identified certain Adelie penguin behaviours that may be indicative of disturbance in response to human visitation. People visiting breeding penguins could learn to identify these behaviours, so they can monitor and modify any effects of their visit.
Klarius Mikkelsen's 1935 landing in the Vestfold Hills, East Antarctica: some fiction and some facts
Authors: Norman F. I. , Gibson J. A. E. , Burgess J. S. 
Published: October 2009

AbstractExploratory activities of Norwegians, particularly those directed by Lars Christensen, off eastern Antarctica are discussed briefly in relation to contemporary Antarctic investigations and politics. The interests of Norway there and Christensen's role in establishing an understanding of the local coastline are indicated. Particular attention is paid to the landing made by Klarius Mikkelsen in the Vestfold Hills, East Antarctica, on 20 February 1935. Note is taken of the site's recent re-discovery, and the symbolic role of the landing in the national aspirations of Norway, Britain, and Australia is discussed. Mikkelsen operated under commercial and scientific interests promoted by Christensen, and his landing was, at least in published material, seen as an extension of them. However, there is a suggestion that not only had a new Norwegian land been discovered, and a landing made, but that a claim to it was at least considered. Such a claim was not appropriate given previous agreements between Norway and Britain. The site's location and environs are discussed, as are subsequent flights over it and visits made there by Australian expeditioners. The ambiguity associated with claims that Caroline Mikkelsen was the first woman to land on the Antarctic mainland is also examined. Since Mikkelsen's site was on an island within the Tryne Group, to the north of Davis station, if a mainland location is required to establish such an event, then an alternative (Scullin Monolith) is proposed; however, on this occasion four women were involved, but who was first ashore remains uncertain.
Remote sensing of oil spills on frozen ground
Authors: Rees W. G. 
Published: October 2009

AbstractRemote-sensing methods, using electromagnetic radiation detected by airborne and spaceborne instruments, have the potential to revolutionise the investigation of oil contamination in high latitudes. Spaceborne monitoring, in particular, offers many advantages, including: obtaining data from relatively inaccessible areas; day and night, all-weather observations; regular monitoring opportunities; spatial resolution of 20 m or better; and areal coverage of 30,000 square kilometres or more. Calibrated, spatially registered data can be readily integrated into geographic information systems for evaluation and prediction of spill behaviour. However, very little investigation of this potential has yet been undertaken. This paper reviews the possibilities for monitoring soil characteristics, including thermal regime, the presence of contamination, and long-term consequences of spills, for topography, hydrology, and vegetation cover.
Modification of silt microstructure by hydrocarbon contamination in freezing ground
Authors: White T. L. , Coutard J.-P. 
Published: October 2009

AbstractThe thermodynamic conditions within the active layer overlaying perennially frozen ground and in ground subjected to seasonal frost are such that there is continuing translocation of water and ice and the displacement of soil particles. The introduction of an immiscible hydrocarbon contaminant (Arctic diesel fuel) into this dynamic porous medium results in microstructural changes that take place as a function of both cryogenic processes and contaminant concentration. Micromorphological and scanning electron microscope observations combined with image analysis revealed evidence of reorganisation of silt microfabric and changes to intra-particle porosity. The degree of interaggregate porosity increased as a function of increasing concentration of the hydrocarbon contaminant. Intra-particle porosity within individual soil aggregates was observed to decrease as a function of increasing contaminant concentration.
Arctic environmental cooperation in transition
Authors: Scrivener David 
Published: October 2009

AbstractThe period from September 1996 to September 1998 represented a transition phase in the process of circumpolar Arctic cooperation on environmental protection, which had begun in 1991 with the establishment of the Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy and had been broadened with the agreement by the eight Arctic governments to create an Arctic Council. The genesis of the Arctic Council had been protracted due to diverging perspectives on various aspects of its functional scope, organisational structure, and funding and on issues of representation. This article discusses the extent to which the conflicts that had dogged the Council's genesis were resolved during its subsequent ‘post-natal’ period preparing for the Council's first ministerial-level meeting in Iqaluit in September 1998.
Tethered to an iceberg: United States policy toward the Antarctic, 1939–1949
Authors: Moore Jason Kendall 
Published: October 2009

AbstractUS policy toward the Antarctic between 1939 and 1949 reflected the inability of the Department of State and other government personnel to agree on the region's relevance to national security. Washington's intent to gain worldwide prestige by promoting a harmonious settlement of the dispute over sovereignty claims complicated the international situation to an extent that necessitated a shift to the status quo moratorium proposed by Chile. The United States finally attempted to rally support for this alternative that, in turn, complicated how to exclude the USSR. Although the risk of Soviet encroachment seriously concerned US officials, it posed less immediate dangers than letting conflict escalate between Britain, Chile, and Argentina.
The paranormal Arctic: Lady Franklin, Sophia Cracroft, and Captain and ‘Little Weesy’ Coppin
Authors: Lloyd-Jones Ralph 
Published: October 2009

AbstractAlthough Jane Franklin has acquired a well-deserved reputation for stoicism and perseverance in the search for her missing husband (a central theme of nineteenth-century polar exploration), there remains evidence that she was prepared to resort to the surprising measure of the use of spirit mediums. The suggestion that she, or any Arctic explorers on the spot, had heeded such methods, led to a bitter public debate in the 1890s, involving survivors of the search for Franklin. Not only is it a particularly strange and absorbing story, but there also emerges evidence that Lady Franklin's papers may have been deliberately censored in order to preserve her credibility.
A search for cultural and contextual identity in contemporary Arctic architecture
Authors: Zrudlo Leo 
Published: October 2009

AbstractThis paper describes a two-decade search for a means of giving cultural and/or contextual identity to contemporary architecture in Arctic Québec. Although the search took place in Arctic Québec and for the Inuit of that area, it is proposed that the process and the examples could be useful for the Arctic in general. The notion of global uniformity in architecture is presented and the possible disappearance of the identity of any small cultural group and its consequences are considered. The lack of visual indicators in contemporary Arctic architecture is discussed, and it is suggested that the buildings were not designed for the Inuit people or for a very harsh climate in an unusual physical environment. A few examples of buildings from the early 1970s to more recent times, which display some hint of cultural or contextual sensitivity, are discussed. Definitions for culture and context from various architects, theorists, critics, and organisations are given. An analytical framework that correlates Arctic cultural and contextual sources with three different perceptual levels of expression to be integrated into a design at various levels of architectural representation is set out. A research project on culturally appropriate Inuit housing and several architectural design studios on a variety of building types are then delineated, giving a brief account of their genesis as well as a discussion of their cultural/contextual sources of inspiration, the perceptual level of expression, and the level of architectural representation.
Evolution of the coping strategies in an isolated group in an Antarctic base
Authors: Barbarito Marta , Baldanza Simona , Peri Antonio 
Published: October 2009

AbstractThe Antarctic environment is well known for its hostility (cold, isolation, and confinement). The effects of the Antarctic experience on human health are controversial, as some studies emphasise negative (‘pathogenic’) and others positive (‘salutogenic’) effects. In the process of human adaptation to extreme environments, the cognitive and behavioural strategies — defined as coping — that individuals use are a basic component.This study investigated the use and the changes of coping strategies in nine Antarctic wintering-over expeditioners by administering the COPE questionnaire three times during the year. The results showed a composite use of the coping strategies in the group. The ways of coping, focusing on problem solving and developing personal maturity, were judged to be those most used over the period. Some variations connected with the specific environment were noticed. There was an increase in self-distancing from problems, disengaging from the socio-operational environment, procrastinating, and emotional levelling, particularly in mid-winter. This lethargic, apathetic attitude, which is called ‘freezing,’ may represent a defence against useless energy expenditure and may reduce stress response. This ‘immobilisation’ strategy, well reflected in the symptoms of the ‘winter-over syndrome,’ appears to be adaptive in an environment where the control an individual can exert is highly limited. The results seem to support the salutogenic effects of the winter-over experience.
Management and remediation of contaminated sites at Casey Station, Antarctica
Authors: Snape Ian , Riddle Martin J. , Stark Jonathan S. , Cole Coleen M. , King Catherine K. , Duquesne Sabine , Gore Damian B. 
Published: October 2009

AbstractThe Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty requires that past and present work sites be cleaned up unless removal would result in greater adverse environmental impact than leaving the contaminant in its existing location. In the early 1990s Australia began the documentation of contaminated sites associated with its research stations, which resulted in an extensive record of contamination at abandoned stations and waste-disposal sites. Currently the technical capability to remediate these sites does not exist because of environmental challenges that are unique to the cold regions. Investigations indicate that clean-up operations in the past have proceeded without adequate precautions and without effective monitoring. To address these problems, three research priorities have been identified to assist meeting international and national obligations to clean up these sites. They are: understanding contaminant mobilisation processes; development of ecological risk assessment for use in monitoring and setting priorities; and development of clean-up and remediation procedures. This study provides sufficient information to guide the completion of a clean-up at Casey Station and to indicate how other similar sites should be managed. The next stage is to develop the theory into an operational plan to include detailed protocols for clean-up, monitoring, site remediation, and management of the waste stream from site to final repository. To achieve this, the Australian Antarctic Division has established a contaminated sites taskforce to facilitate the transition from research and development of techniques to implementation of suitable clean-up options.
A survey of Eskimo sites from Mesters Vig to Kuhn Ø, northeast Greenland
Authors: David Robert G. 
Published: October 2009

ABSTRACTIn 1946 P.V. Glob published a gazetteer of Eskimo settlement sites in northeast Greenland, and this remains the most comprehensive list to date. Between 1990 and 1994, four expeditions visited a variety of locations between 72 and 75°N and recorded a significant number of new sites. In addition, some of the sites recorded by Glob were revisited, and revisions to his descriptions have been found to be necessary. This article draws attention to the limited archaeological survey work of recent years in the northeast fjords, and reviews the nomenclature used by previous authorities in describing the sites and structures of the region, in particular the so-called ‘mosaics’ or ‘children's playthings.’ It then goes on to offer revisions of some of Glob's descriptions (using Glob's numerical system), and concludes by listing and briefly describing the features of the sites recently discovered.
The settlement of disputes under the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty
Authors: Wilder Martijn 
Published: October 2009

ABSTRACTSince the Antarctic Treaty came into operation, Antarctic affairs have been characterised by international cooperation. The major issues of potential conflict, namely sovereignty, military activity, and mining, have now been largely removed. As a result, the remaining disagreements between parties have been resolved through consultation and negotiation. No dispute has ever found its way to judicial settlement, with most disagreements usually resolved at an early stage through ATCMs. While there is no reason to suspect that the use of consultation and negotiation will not continue, with the introduction of far more comprehensive measures for the protection of the Antarctic environment, combined with the significant increase in activity in and around the continent, there is a greater likelihood of situations occurring that clearly breach these principles or give rise to a dispute. In addition, where extensive damage to the environment has already occurred, negotiation may be limited, so that the other mechanisms for settling disputes must be instituted. The dispute procedures of the Protocol, taken almost entirely from CRAMRA, represent the most comprehensive system for the peaceful settlement of disputes arising in any Antarctic instrument to date. However, clear problems such as remedies, enforcement, and uncertainties with respect to standing and liability remain. Until these problems are resolved, all aspects of all disputes cannot be covered, and comprehensive protection of the Antarctic environment specified in the Protocol will remain an objective, not a reality.