Report of the Summer Party of the 16th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition in 1974-1975

P(論文)

The icebreaker FUJI, under the command of Captain Mamoru MORITA with a crew of 181, left Tokyo on November 25, 1974 on a mission of transportation of members and cargos of the 16th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition. The expedition consisting of 40 members was led by Dr. Takao HOSHIAI. Ten of the 40 men, 7 scientists and 3 technicians, constituted the summer party led by the author as a deputy leader. Dr. HOSHIAI also led the wintering party of 16 scientists and 14 technicians. In addition to the expedition personnel, three observers joined the summer party. Dr. Tetsuo TOMIYAMA, former chancellor of the Tokyo University of Fisheries and councilor for the National Institute of Polar Research, made inspection on summer activities, as an observer sent from the Promoting Headquarters of the Antarctic Research. Mr. Yuki KOBAYASHI, technician from the Ship Research Institute of Ministry of Transport, participated in the 16th JARE to make research on the navigation of the FUJI for the development of an icebreaker as a trading vessel. Mr. Tadaaki WATANABE, ranger of the Nature Conservation Bureau of Environment Agency, also joined the expedition to collect basic information on wildlife in the Antarctic region so as to consider the administrative measures for wildlife conservation in Antarctica. The present report outlines scientific and logistic activities of the 16th JARE during the austral summer season, between the departure from Fremantle, Australia on December 16, 1974 and the arrival at Cape Town, South Africa on March 7, 1975. The scientific programme of the 16th JARE was made by the Specialists Committee of National Institute of Polar Research as a part of the long-term annual plans. The programme comprised many items in various disciplines as listed in Table 1, and emphasis was laid on environmental sciences such as biology, medical science, chemistry, and on earth sciences. During the summer season several field surveys were schemed in areas around Liitzow-Holm Bay, and stations for oceanographic observation were scheduled along the course of the FUJI from Fremantle via Syowa Station to Gape Town. A new all-sky camera, an automatic developper, an ionosonde, an echo-sounder for submarine stratigraphy, an aero-camera, a continuous analyser for atmospheric NO-Nox, etc. were added to the observation facilities of Syowa Station. The station was also replenished with a KC-20 and a SM-15-S oversnow vehicles, two Yamaha snow mobiles, a TCM STD-25 tractor shovel, materials of a hut for transmitter, etc. Transported cargos amounted to 470 tons, of which 345 tons were fuel and lubricating oil. The itinerary of the FUJI was determined to be almost the same as that of the previous navigation. When the plan for the summer operation in the Antarctic was being discussed at Tokyo, the U. S. Antarctic Research Program suddenly requested the FUJI to escort the drilling ship GLOMAR CHALLENGER during drilling at the edge of the continental shelf off the Liiser-Larsen Peninsula. The operation plan of the 16th JARE was adjusted to satisfy the request as far as possible. Unfortunately, the FUJI and the GLOMAR CHALLENGER could not agree on the period of drilling. The FUJI left Fremantle for Antarctica on December 16, 1974 and sailed southward along longitudes between 110° and 95° East. On December 27 she encountered the first pack ice off the Amery Ice Shelf at 63°54'S and 67°45' E, and two days later she made a thrust into the pack ice zone at 65°23. 7' S and 44°35'E. Pack ice was so heavily concentrated (7/10～10/10) that it took four extra days before the ship reached the edge of the fast ice area. It seems that weak blizzard of December 25 and 26 made pack close and snow accumulation on floe during the blizzard prevented ice from melting. The first flight of a Sikorsky-69A helicopter to Syowa Station was made on January 4, 1975 from the point 36 nautical miles north-north-west of Syowa Station. The FUJI started air transportation on a full scale from January 6, trying to approach to the station by charging at fast ice. But the ice was so hard to break that the FUJI was forced to conduct air transportation from the position about 28 nautical miles north-north-west of the station. The weather was fairly fine untill the end of January, and 470 tons of cargos were transported smoothly by air before January 29. Construction work was started on January 4. A pre-fabricated transmitter hut of 72m^2 in area was built within 16 days by hand only, because ice melting prevented a crane truck from getting near the site. Reconstruction of ,a dark-room, exchange of a refrigerating machine, exchange of engines of generators, etc. were performed as prearranged. Thus the 16th wintering members took charge of all scientific and logistic routine works at Syowa Station on February 1, relieving the 15th wintering members. On the other hand, field surveys during the summer season were conducted in parallel with transportation and construction wo ...