Evening star., 1947-11-02
By Thomos R. Henry

I n SIOup Vi SCiClleloto WILL NC 'oA'N
ed by helicopter this winter in
Burgers Oasis in the Antarctic
The 3OO-square- mile ice-free area
with 10 or more open water lakes is
situated on the Knox coast of the
Antarctic Continent, about l,00C
miles west of Little America. The
/ hop will be made from a Navy ice
breaker.
Another ice-breaker will attempt
| to reach the continental shores
through the hitherto impossible
pack-ice of the Bellingshausen Sea
Survey parties will be landed or
coasts where no human being evel
has landed before.
The same ship is expected to at
tempt to penetrate the supposedly
unbreakable ice of the Franklin D
Roosevelt Sea. The ice-walled bay
of open water covers more than l.
900 square miles. 1t was discovered
last winter by flyers OF the Navy
Antarctic expedition.
Two Icebreakers Included.
This winters expedition will con-
sist of two ice-breakers-the newly
commissioned Ediste, commanded
by Comdr. E. C. Folger, and the
Burton Island, a veteran OF last
years expedition, commanded by
Comdr. E. A. Mcdonald. In charge
of the entire expedition will be
Comdr. G. L. Ketchum, who COM
manded the Burton Island when it
evacuated 200 men from Little
America through the rapidly closing
ice of the Ross Sea late last Febru-
ary.
Since it's discovery by 1t. Comdr.
&c. E. Bunger last January. the
"oasis," largest ice-free area south
of the Antarctic Circle, has been
the subject of much dispute. 1t Is
about 20 miles inland, and was re-
ported to have an elevation OF about
200 feet. 1t is entirely cut off from
the sea.
Found to Be Salty.
Subsequent analysis has shown
the water to be sea water diluted
about one-third." This indicates
that the area is actually a shallow
salt water creek with protruding
heaps of rock, precisely at sea level.
Whatever it's actual status, it Is
cut off from the open sea which
rings most of the Antarctic CONT
nent by a great wall of grounded
icebergs. These appear to have been
packed close together after breaking
off the great continental ice sheet.
Ordinarily they would drift north
ward into the Pacific or Indian
oceans and disintegrate. In this
case apparently the bergs became
stranded as soon as they hit the
water and have been piling up for
decades or centuries.
Photographs show no water pas
sage through them. 1t will be i'm
possible to attack them with an
ice-breaker, Comdr. Ketchum says.
Geologist Is Included.
Among the five or six scientists
who will be carried in by helicopter
will be DR.. G. F. APPEL, geologist of
Syracuse University, and DR.. David
Mutt, biologist of Dartmouth College.
DR.. APPEL will attempt to settle the
question of the origin of the oasis
and to discover whether subterra-
mean heat sources are responsible
for the absence of ice. DR.. Mutt will
make complete collections of algae,
the microscopic plants which color
the lakes red, green and blue.
The party will set up a temporary
camp and probably will remain at
least a week in the area. Several
lake beaches were described as ex-
cellent camp sites.
The major objective will be to
complete the work of the previous
expedition by establishing ground
positions through astromical obser-
vations. From these ground control
points, photographs taken from the
air last winter can be plotted.
To Follow Old Route.
One icebreaker will follow the
course of last winters eastern group
along Bellingshausen and Roosevelt
Sea coasts between the Ross Sea
and the Palmer Peninsula. Another
will follow the course of the western
group south of New Zealand and
Australia from the Balleny Islands
along the coasts of Wilkes and
Enderby Lands.
Landing parties will be put ashore
at points to be designated by the
photographic office, which is send
ing two teams of specialists. One
will be headed by 1t. John Roscoe
of the Marine Corps, chief topog-
rapher of last winters expedition.
Landing parties will be headed by
Marine Capt. Vernon Boyd, Antarc-
tic veteran who commanded the only
long tractor trek across the Ross
Sea last winter.
Malcolm Davis, curator of birds
Of the National Geological Park, will
accompany the icebreaker Ediste in