Log Entry No 20 - 25th Jan 08. (Discoverer)

FROM THE CAPTAINS CABIN

We’ve now picked up the mountain and geological parties from the Reclus Peninsula, and have re-configured for the next phase. We’ve abandoned the new Geological Group (Conor, Meryon, Clem, Martin & Geordie) in Paradise Harbour, whilst the new mountain team (Rob H, Rob D, Chris & Jamie) are making a high speed snow tour across Anvers Island. Meanwhile the rest of us are having a happy time sailing around Wiencke Island, prior to picking up both groups on the 26th. We then plan to sail back to the Falkland Islands, spending a day on Deception Island en route. Subject to a favourable forecast, we should reach the Falklands on or about the 3rd February.

My name is mud. We’ve just emptied the first of our 5 tanks of diesel, and some bright spark has noticed that we haven’t run the heater in order “to save diesel”. Sorry fellas!

Here’s the news from the front:

All the best,
Andy Mills

FROM THE GEOLOGICAL PARTY

Having spent time analysing the geological samples from the previous BAAE expeditions, I jumped at the chance to join this in order to develop my theories further. I am particularly interested in the location and type of both the volcanic and sedimentary rocks. The former give us an idea of when and how the Antarctic Peninsula was formed, whilst the latter (some 300 million years old) have already yielded startling results: they contain unexpected material that could only have only been formed by the pressures realised in an intercontinental collision. If I can find suitable samples during this expedition, I might be able to say what collided with Antarctica (or Gondwanaland) and when. I hope this work will increase our knowledge of environmental change and of plate tectonics.

AND SO:

Having gone ashore at the Reclus Peninsula via a landing in Bancroft Bay, the geological team (Dick Pattison, Richard Apppleby and I) set about the task of surveying the interior of this important area. Two other rope parties also landed to carry out snow coring work and potentially to mount a bid to reach Mt. Johnston and along the way. All three ropes moved to a camp below Harris Peak on the first day, with an ascent of the 1002m mountain the following morning in fine weather. We then parted company and returned to our camp to begin our geological work. BAAE 01-02 had carried out some sampling work in the interior of the Reclus Peninsula, producing some tantalising glimpses of its geological structure; but more work was required. So by visiting various sites we determined that the interior is largely composed of rocks from the Antarctic Peninsula Volcanic Group, intruded by numerous mafic dykes (a type of magma injected into the earth’s crust).

Examining volcanic rocks.

After the surveying the interior of the peninsula, which involved travelling the length of the Reclus from Harris Peak to Jaques Peaks, we began to concentrate on the coastal sections, visiting the sites by inflatable boat. This phase involved searching for outcrops of an enigmatic group of sedimentary rocks. The Trinity Peninsula Group rocks, sampled by BAAE 2001-2002, are a suite of rocks out-of-place. The minerals that make up these rocks were eroded from a mountain belt (a magmatic arc much like the Antarctic Peninsula today) of Permian age…..no such belt can be found in this part of Antarctica….one of our Gondwanian arcs is missing? It is hoped that new samples of these rocks from the least well studied areas of the Danco Coast will help shed light on this problem and provide new insights into the tectonic evolution of the Antarctic Peninsula. The sedimentary rocks proved fairly elusive on the Reclus Peninsula but some outcrops were found and many more granites were sampled.

Surveying the coast.

After a few productive days, we have been able to develop the geological map of the area further. Our search for good quality samples of the Trinity Peninsula Group will next take us to Paradise Harbour - and the search for more evidence.

Dr Conor Ryan

Dr Conor Ryan’s geological work has been partly funded by fieldwork grants from the Geological Society of London and the Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland.

FROM THE MOUNTAIN MEN

All was going too well. After our slick evening accent of Mt. Johnston, a murky sky greeted the team in the morning. Johnston’s twin peaks now hidden in cloud and the views across Charlotte Bay shielded in mist.

Above the ice field.

The ‘fun’ objective now complete, thoughts switched to snow core sampling. We move back toward the cached equipment across the sastrugi, our tracks from the day before barely visible. Using avalanche probes we searched for a suitable spot to deploy the monster snow drill. Suitable spot identified, we set up camp and started the coring process.

James and Chris wrestled with the drill while Rob D donned his white jacket and turned his tent into the ‘Snow-lab’, numbered sample tubes littering the floor. Six hours later, the final 10m sample was extracted and all members of the team were numb with cold. The cloud had sunk lower, immersing the site, hoar frost was almost visibly growing out of tents, skis and pulks. Frozen snot decorated moustaches.

The lack of visibility prevented a move and the team bedded down, checking at intervals for a lift in the cloud. Frustration came to a peak mid-afternoon and we decided to move slowly to camp 6, relying heavily on handheld GPS (maps are very poor) to retrace our route through the crevasse fields. We hoped that the loss in altitude would help us break free from the cloud base. Not so, and progress was agonisingly slow.

Camp was set up just below our previous Camp 3 at a site more suited to the snow drill. The idea was to get a mid-level altitude sample before we dropped back down to the glacier. Sampling should have been fairly slick, with the practise of the first sample we were optimistic that it could be done in 4-5 hrs. All was going well when at 7m the drill got stuck. Much swearing and straining later the drill remained stuck. There was only one thing for it – dig! 6 men and 12 hours later the mountain had a new crevasse! At 5m our open cast snow mining managed to free the drill. Tired, we skiied down to meet the Geo party at the coast.

We hate glaciology.

This should have been a beautiful ski, the snow conditions were perfect, the cloud was lifting, the home run… In reality skiing downhill with a pulk tied to two other people is carnage at the best of times – tripping over ropes, being pulled over by the ridiculous man in front, pushed over by a pulk, pulled backwards by the loathsome man behind.

We set up camp with Geo team, tended our blistered feet and enjoyed a whisky (diluted with snow collected from the peak of Mt. Johnston). A leisurely morning completed a third and final snow sample, ready for our pick up by Discoverer.

Another for the penguin admirers.

Sam Kirby-French