Researchers discover remote expedition depot in Antarctica
23 May 2011
Members of a combined University of Canterbury and University of Waikato research team in Antarctica has discovered a small depot left behind by members of Admiral Byrd's Second Antarctic Expedition from 1933 to 1935.
Professor Bryan Storey with one of the crampons found in Antarctica.
Members of a combined University of Canterbury and University of Waikato research team in Antarctica has discovered a small depot left behind by members of Admiral Byrd's Second Antarctic Expedition from 1933 to 1935.
Professor Bryan Storey (Gateway Antarctica) travelled to Antarctica as part of the New Zealand Terrestrial Antarctic Biocomplexity Survey. The team was investigating the links between the biodiversity of the remote landscapes and the physical factors that control the distribution of plants and animals in such remote locations.
"It's a very exciting discovery to make in such a remote place. You don't often find any traces of previous expeditions as items get covered in snow or blown away."
The depot was located on a small rocky promontory near Durham Point close to the mouth of the Scott Glacier less than 300 miles from the South Pole. The depot contained three crampons and a set of extendable wooden survey poles. Two of the crampons were stamped with the initials QAB referring to Quin A Blackburn, the remaining crampon was engraved RR and belonged to Richard Russell. A second crampon (also engraved RR) was found on its own about 100 metres away from the depot and very near the ice edge. One of the survey poles had the name Cox burned onto the surface.
The crampons were in remarkable condition considering that they have sat there for nearly 80 years, said Professor Storey.
"The straps have disintegrated but the buckles remained. However, there was no rust due to the dry windblown environment."
The team left the main depot intact. However, the single crampon (located near the ice edge) was removed and returned to New Zealand were it will be donated to the Canterbury Museum. Quin Blackburn was the leader of a geological party from Byrd's second expedition to
Antarctica which investigated the geology of the neighbouring Queen Maud Mountains and sledged the length of the Scott Glacier onto the Polar Plateau. Richard Russell was a member of the geological party and Cox was the carpenter on Byrd's Expedition. Blackburn and Russell were joined by a third party member (Stuart Paine), each with a dog team, where they sledged across the Ross Ice Shelf from Admiral Byrd's Antarctic base (Little America II) and ascended the Scott Glacier to the polar plateau.
Richard Byrd was an American Admiral and explorer. He is credited with adding a larger region to the map of Antarctica than any other explorer. Byrd's second expedition (1933-35) added considerably to scientific and geographic knowledge about Antarctica, and pioneered the successful use of tractors.
Members of the New Zealand Terrestrial Antarctic Biocomplexity Survey were led by the University of Waikato and supported by Antarctica New Zealand. Team members with Professor Storey included Leo Sancho (University of Madrid), Hugh Morgan (University of Waikato), Jason Watson (Antarctica New Zealand) and field leader Ian Hogg (University of Waikato).
When looking at the biodiversity plants and animals in such remote locations they found in one location, aptly named Garden Spur, more than 20 species of mosses and lichens.
"These trips add to our knowledge of the plants and animals that are able to survive in such an extreme environment. It is really amazing what lives there. We are also interested in what controls the distribution of the plants and animals and also what impact climate change may have on the ecosystem."
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