Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-23
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principally handled with the New York
Times radio station VIVID in New York.
A good portion was also handled be-
tween the various expedition contin-
gents at New Zealand, the ships with
airplanes and the trail parties. Through
the courtesy Of the New Zealand gov
eminent the Little America station was
able to communicate with the ships
while they were in port at Dunedin.
The naval communications system ham
died Navy oflcial Government messages
through Samoa, and radio amateurs not
only In the United States but in many
other parts of the world were Of as
sistance in tests and in the handling
Of personal messages.
Most Of the radio communications
have been carried on various assigned
frequencies from up to 18 megacycles
Il megacycle equals 1000 kilocycles),
corresponding to wave lengths from II
to so meters. Communication condi-
tons with the Northern Hemisphere at
least have been best during our Sum-
mer season when conditions are most
nearly uniform at both ends of the
circuit, whereas during our long Winter
night absence Of the suns rays seems
to play havoc with the heaviside layer
so essential for short wave communica-
ton, and Summertime static intertereS
with reception of signals up North. Yet
by continuous trial Of various wave
lengths and careful observation OF in
coming signals, daily contact was main
tanned with VIVID with the exception Of
only a few days during the entire year.
The station has frequently been in
direct communication with Bergen,
Norway, and recently on several oc-
casionS exchanged radio signals with
the worlds most Northern radio station,
RPX, of the Russian polar meteoro-
logical party wintering on Franz josef
land.
Short waves have given reliable COM
munication with our airplanes and trail
parties. Two-way communication was
established on one flight between a
plane and New York. The plane sets
were also constructed to provide long
wave communication with the base over
short distances and a directional radio
beacon of the airwayS type was con-
structed at the base as well as a radio
compass. This was done to meet sudden
weather changes. Communication was
maintained with the plane while 1t was
over the South Pole.
The so-called skip distance zones of
the short waves have been verified and
studied, One most valuable scientific
radio work has been the study and exact
measurement of the local heaviside
layer at the various seasons, which has
thrown much light on the communica-
ton conditions experienced here. In
general the heaviside layer here appears
to resemble conditions experienced on
Winter days in the United States, but
during the period of darkness the con-
centrated layer seems to break up and
drift apart with a multiplicity Of thin
layers at widely different heights. Rec
ordS obtained at sunrise during Spring
further substantiate existing theories of
the formation of the dense rejecting
layer by the suns rays.
MeteOrOlogy.
The meteorological work Of the ex-
petition includes both surface and up
per air Investigations. Surface observa-
tons similar to those maintained at a
first-order meteorological station in
the States have been made during the
entire period since the expedition left
Dunedin. These observations consist of
q systematic record of barometric pres
sure, temperature humidity, wind direc-
ton and velocity, cloudiness and pre-
cipitation, together with visibility and
other optical phenomena such as aurora
halos, mirages, etc. For the most part
the observational work has been carried
on nourly Dotn oay ana night.
Investigations of the upper air were
made by means Of kites and pilot ball
looms. Approximately 400 pilot balloon
observations have been made for oh
tanning the wind direction and velocity
at various attitudes. The soundings
have been carried on continuously since
January is. 1929, when the station was
established at Little America. Many Of
these soundings reached attitudes of
more than $4,000 feet.
The unbroken series Of observations
Is considered q most valuable contribu-
ton to Antarctic meteorology mas
much as the observations throw con-
siderable light upon the atmospheric
circulation in the high Southern lati-
tudes. The Soundings we're also OF great
value for current use in selecting q con-
dition suitable for making exploration
flights. The upper air movement was
found to be the only criterion which
gave any indication as to the weather
to be expected in the immediate future
MeteoroKaph records were obtained
by means Of kites or airplanes ON 30
days during the last three Tnontna..