Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-23
What Admiral Byrd Has Done
In His Antarctic Explorations

perature and humidity at various levels.
These data were obtained on the polar
and other exploration flights and prom
ise to be Of much value.
Surveying.
The aerial survey is a new feature of
polar exploration and has been found
of great value. The single overlapping
photographs of which the survey map is
composed have been found to be Of
great value already-they were valuable
to the geological party on the Southern
trip-and many Of them are also beau
tiful pictures Of the mountains. They
show pressure and the movement of the
ice as could nothing else, and their
study will well repay the glaciologist and
help to elucidate some Of the problems
connected with the movement OF the
Barrier.
The aerial mapping was begun on the
flight to the Rockefeller Mountains last
year, when q continuous pictorial map
of them was obtained and also an out
line Of the Barrier for about so miles
east Of the Bay of Whales. Since then
this coastal survey has been extended
so that 1t includes about 400 miles of
coast from Discovery Inlet to the north
ern end Of the new mountain range to
the northeast. This survey was made
the face of the icy wall Is shown with
all its indentations and irregularities in
height.
On the polar flight the aerial sur
vey was made on one side Of the route
going out and on the other returning,
so that 1t gives complete picture Of
the territory seen from the plane. The
mountains Of the plateau on either side
Of the route are shown In this group,
This is perhaps the longest single map
ping job ever done, about 1900 miles
being covered.
A large part of the coast line was
mapped on the eastern flight, on which
the mountains which rim the eastern
side OF the Ross Sea were discovered.
The photographs of this country and
the shelf ice and inland water pools
and pressure ridges are most interesting.
An aerial survey was made on the
, flight to Discovery Inlet and southwark
over the Ross Barrier. The Bay of
Whales was also mapped completely,
including the heavily crevaSsed and
broken area to the east and west as
the foot of the bay, which, under care
full study, should reveal any Of the
causes for the formation Of this In
dentation.
In addition to the aerial survey of
the bay, careful survey on the sur
face has been made from East and
West Capes to the bottom Of the bay,
so that in later years it will be possible
to determine just what changes have
taken place in the formation Of this
curious indentation in the Barrier.
In all, about 1900 pictures have been
mace on these exploration flights, CIV
ing complete record Of the territory
seen.
SIedging.
There have been two major sledeing
journeys as well as several shorter ones
and tremendous amount Of freight
sledging. Last year $50 tons of ma
terial were freighted from the ship New
York to the base and 440 tons from
the Barrier cache, where the Boiling
was unloaded, to the base, or q total of
Sos tons Of material drawn by dogs CT
sleds. An average Of seven tons q day
was hauled during these operations and
the heaviest loads were more than a
ton. The loads averaged 100 pounds
per day per load for each dog. and the
for each dog. There were 10 teams at
work during the unloading, using an
average Of rs dogs per day. The mileage
during these operations, IL one team
had been used, was ~, 300. The east
ern and depot laying trips last season
covered 225 miles more.
This year the supporting party trav-
eled $50 miles and the geological party,
including q preliminary trip of 400
miles, travelled 1900 miles, & total OF
1850 miles. In addition there has been
lot OF minor sledging, including haul
ing IN OF seals and surveying and
sounding trips.
Soundings.
A number of soundings have been
made near camp, none Of which re-
vealed the presence Of land very near
the surface. A sounding In front Of
Little America gave o depth Of about
1900 feet. Soundings In the crevasses
to the southwest gave q depth OF 1900
feet and some to the south and east
gave between 900 and 900 feet.
There has been lot of miscellaneous
work in which the collection Of natural
history specimens has been an impor-
tant part as well as observations Of the
life of the seals, whales and penguiris
in the bay, seS
lcopyriEht. 1880. b. he NAN xarr rsmsa.