Evening star., 1954-04-16
Antarctic Expedition
To Be History's Biggest
Three Stations to Observe
Polar Region Weather
By Thomos R. Henry

Polar Region Weather
BY Thomos R. Henry
Plans now are being formed here for
what may be the biggest Antarctic ex-
pedition in history.
They involve setting up three observ-
atorieS for weather and magnetic OBJ
servations-one at the South Pole it
self where man has stepped only twice
in history.
Another station would be set up near
the Bay of Whales, headquarters OF
Admiral Richard E. Byrd's four expedi-
tions and the starting point from which
the Norwegian diScoverer of the South
Pole, Raoul Amundsen. set out on his
momentous journey.
Still another would be established at
approximately 12O west longitude and
80 south latitude, which would place it
somewhere in the foothills of the Rookie
feller Mountains east of the Ross Sea
in about the center of Marie Byrd
Land. This is the area over which the
United States is believed to have the
best territorial claim. although it
AS'cI HAS UccH dSScrIeu.
Other Nations Participate.
All this is part of our country's pro-
gram for participation in the interna-
tional geophySical year Of 1857 in which
most OF the countries Of the world will
participate with their own programs, all
of which will be co-ordinated through
an international committee. Other OBJ
servations will be made at the British.
Argentine, Chilean, French and Aus
tralian stations already being main
tanned on the fringes of the Antarctic
continent and on islands in the north
ern Antarctic Ocean.
1t will be necessary for the American
South Pole and Marie Byrd Land expe-
ditionS to enter the southern ice pack
sometime in the late fall or early VIM
ter of 1856, the Antarctic summer, in
order to become established before the
onset of the Six-month-long night,
according to the National Research
Council spokesman. The feasibility Of
the plans now is being explored in all
directions and will be discussed at a
symposium at the annual meetings Of
the National Academy of Sciences here
late this month.
Bleak wilderness.
The South Pole station will be ap-
proximately TOO miles from the Bay Of
Whales. the nearest point to which sup
plies can be brought by water. Beyond
lies an almost impenetrable wilderness
of some of the worlds highest noun
talns, the Queen Mauds. traversed by
winding. steep, deeply crevassed gla-
ciers. Still beyond for the greater part
of the way to the pole stretches fea-
tureless plateau of ice swept almost
constantly by terrible blizzards. 1t has
been traversed twice. by Mr.. Amundsen
and by the British explorer, Capt. Rob-
ert F. Scott, but Capt. Scott and his
companions perished on the way back.
Admiral Byrd has flown over the pole
several times, but the feasibility OF
landings and takc-offs still is to be
investigated. as well as that of keeping
the station supplied by air. The sci-
ertists stationed there would be sub
jected to some OF the hardest conditions
known to man, with winter tempera-
lures sinking as low as 80 degrees be-
low zero and winds which may reach
speeds of 100 miles an hour
The lately demonstrated feasibility
of landing at the North Pole. on ice in
the middle, of an ocean, greatly en-
courages the planners Of South Pole
landings. The surface of the plateau at
the pole, so far as can be judged from
air photographs, seems reasonably
smooth. The continent itself has been
reached successfully by three American
expeditions in the past 10 years-that
of Admiral Byrd in the winter Of 1876
AT, of Comdr. Finn Rome. who spent
a winter at the base of the Palmer
Peninsula in 1948. and by the ice
breaker Burton Island. which explored
the so-called Antarctic oasis west OF
the Ross Sea in the summer OF l948.
The largest of all American expedl-
tions, planned for 1949-'50. was can
celled with the outbreak Of the Ko-
rean war.
Stress on Weather.
A wide variety of observations is
proposed at all three stations. but
greatest stress will be laid on weather.
The South Pole itself, actually in the
substratosphere because of the great
altitude of the Antarctic continent.
now is recognized as the breeding place
of a great deal of the weather Of the
Southern Hemisphere.
From it hurricane winds constantly
sweep over the mountains and north
ward over the Antarctic Ocean. 1t 10
the center of an enormous high pres
sure area, Of much more significance
for weather prediction in lands south
of the equator than is Greenland to
the Northern Hemisphere.
From it there have been no weather
observations whatever, except quite
cursory ones made by Capt. Scott and
Mr. Amundsen. The Marie Byrd land
station will lie directly in the path OF
the northward sweeping winds after
they have gotten across the relatively
low Rockefeller Mountains. 1t now Is
recognized that weather OF Southern
and Northern Hemispheres is quite
closely integrated, and what happens at
the South Pole today may be related to
what happens in Kansas a week or two
hence.
Other observations proposed are OF
the intensity of cosmic radiation, the
rain of particles constantly lombard
ing the earth from outer space. which
varies in both composition and in
tensity in high attitudes, and of the
brilliant aurora australis, the southern
counterpart of the northern lights.
Presumably. although plans still are
in an early formative stage. the major
part in setting up the stations will be