Evening star., 1952-06-09
British Will Explore 70
Ancient Arctic Runqe
Peuks, 400 Million Years Old,
Buried in Greenland Ice
By Thomos R. Henry

bUOtIbOS N.
An ice-entombed 400-million-year-
old mountain range will be studied this
summer by a combined British Navy
scientific expedition.
This expedition. described in an
nouncements as the most pretentious
government-sponsored expedition under
taken by the British since the Antarctic
explorations Of nearly half a century
ago, plans to concentrate its investiga-
tions in the desolated. large. unknown
wastes Of Queen Louise Land. This
is in North Greenland at about
latitude n north. 1t is separated by
two great glaciers from the East
Greenland coast and forms part Of
the North Greenland icecap. It is
distinguished from the rest Of the ice
cap by rocky hills, known as "nunataks,"
which project above the ice and beyond
doubt are the crests of long buried
mountains.
This range. according to DR.. r. A.
Hamilton chief scientist of the expedi-
ton, is almost certainly part of the
"Caledonian fold" representing an in
tensive period of mountain building
which occurred only few million years
after the beginning of life on earth. 1t
is also represented by the highlands OF
Scotland and the mountains Of Spitz-
bergen and Franz Josef Land. Through
out the milleniums. DR.. Hamilton be-
lieves, the Greenland section never has
been completely ice-covered.
BY Recently Discovered Lake.
The expedition will set up its base
lob oil iv1 thA
ter of Queen Louise Land. This lake
thaws considerably during the summer.
It was discovered last summer by q
reconnaissance party for the expedition.
Special studies will be made Of the
geology of these entombed mountains.
There is some evidence that some Of
them may be of volcanic origin. This
can be determined from the kind OF
rocks collected from the tops OF the
nunataks.
The major long-term objective Of tho
expedition, however. will be to make
comprehensive survey Of the North
Greenland icecap. This is believed to
be distinct in structure, origin and age
from the much better known icecap
which covers the southern half OF the
worlds largest island.
The study will be carried out by
sledge parties equipped with apparatus
by which the depth Of the ice can be de-
termined at many points by the echoes
of shock waves. In this way it is hoped
to get a picture of the contour OF ths
land under the ice, including the alti-
tudes Of the buried mountains.
Another objective will be to determine
the rate at which the icecap is building
I'D or, as is possibly the case, decreas-
ing. It is the source Of series OF gl-
gantic glaciers which empty into the
sea. Broken fragments of these glaciers
become many of the icebergs OF the
North Atlantic. Every year millions OF
tons of ice are lost to the North Green
land cap in this way. At the same time
millions of tons are added by the pre-
cipitation which falls in the form OF
snow. The balance between the two IS
unknown.
Hot Days on the Ice.
A certain amount also is lost by melt
ing. There actually are hot summer
days on the ice. Special instruments
will be carried to measure the depth to
which the suns heat penetrates the ice.
Still another objective will be to make
as complete as possible Typographical
surveys of Queen Louise Land and to tie
these in with surveys already completed
of Germania Land, which fronts the
ocean on the east. 1t is separated from
Queen Louise Land by two great glaciers.
It is planned to carry out as much OF
this work as possible during the nrSt
summer. The schedule now calls Tor
two summers, but the second years work
depends on the finances available.
The surveys will be tied in as much as
nossible with those made by Paul Vic
tors French expedition which has
worked further south on the icecap.
A major objective will be to train
service personnel to cope with Arctic
conditions.