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Maal"t/Mei, 1966. A TARKTIESE BULLET! Bladsy 7
L I FE AND ACTIVI TIES AT THE S.A. ANT ARCTIC BASE
APRIL , 1966
By S. Kavanagh, Leader SANAE VII
The position of the base is 70 degrees 18 minutes south latitude, and 2 degrees 21 minutes west longitude.
It is situated on an ice shelf, which is 900 to 1,000 feet thick, and 15 kilometers (10 miles) from the ice cliffs.
The ice cliffs form the seaward edge of the ice shelf which is so characteristic of Antarctica. All rour.d is only ice. The nearest rock outcrops are over a hundred kilometers to the south in the direction of the Geographical south pole.
The present base was built in 1962 by the third expedition led by Marten du Preez. Though it was then constructed on the surface of the snow. it has sunk and been covered by snow from the frequent blizzards, so that access to the quarters is now gained by vertical shafts over twenty feet in depth.
Although we have had problems with uneven settling of buildings, the base is still in a good condition. The present expedition is South Africa's biggest expedition to the Antarctic so far and has fifteen members: a leader, a medical doctor, two diesel mechanics, radio technician, radio operator, three meteorologists, three upper air physicists. a geomagnetist and two geologists.
By April the research programme was in full swing, after the whims and fancies of the various apparatus have been mastered. Although not functioning perfectly yet, their peculiarities are known and we know where to allow for errors. The men have settled to a solid pro- gramme of work. Scientific data are collected daily (and nightly) most of which will ultimately be processed in South Africa and thereafter find their way to many parts of the world. Already in our short stay here scientific data transmitted amounts to over 50,000 groups, mostly of meteorological significance.
To each machine and piece of apparatus an apt nickname, sometimes not very flattering, has been
given, the name implying the amount of trouble we initially had with the particular item. Beast and Jezebel are some of the mildest.
By April the sun hardly appears above the horizon, and within the next month it will disappear altogether for two months. But this winter night is compensated for by two months continuous sunshine in summer.
The temperature has already reached low levels of near 50 degrees C.
The monotony of the icy plains is relieved by mirages of icebergs which slo;vly float past beyond the horizon.
These mirages appear of course upside down. To the south occasionally on a bright day we see the upside down mirages of the rocky outcrops. The sun is often ringed by the most complete halo's. Refraction distorts the shape and size of the moon into grotesque shapes and sizes, sometimes quite alarming when it seems to be right on top of you.
Enough stores are in the base to enable us to live for months without going outside. But still we regularly go outside to do meteorological observations and to watch the impressive stars, moon and auroras.
All are busy. Besides being busy with the research programmes, every member of the expedition has to do his share of the house work, help to fill the snow smelter to keep us regularly in fresh water supply. Floors are scrubbed regularly to get rid of the dirt which falls down through the shafts. Diesoline drums are to be excavated from under the snow.
Mostly life runs smoothly, only upset at the most inopportune moments by the unpredictable behaviour of apparatus. Some items just cannot get accustomed to the low temperatures.
REENBOOG IN DIE NAG
GOUGH-EILAND
n Doodgewone reenboog het onlangs ons bier op Gough-eiland sprakeloos laat staan, want dit het in die nag verskyn. Om ongeveer tienuur in die nag het 'n perfekte reenboog deur die lug gespan en sy twee pote op die aarde laat rus. Daar was geen kleurband nie.
Die boog was net egalig dofgeel. Hierdie soort verskyn- sel word, net soos deur die son in die dag, deur die maan in die nag veroorsaak wanneer dit reenerig is.
'n Paar dae later het ons vroeg in die more weer die
seldsame groen flits (green flash) in die ooste gesien.
Net toe die son oor die horison wou verskyn het helder groen flitse agter die horison uit geflonker en vinnig na gee! en rooi verkleur.
Ongewone sonaktiwiteit in Maart was verantwoor- delik vir die ontvangs van 'n dik stroom geomagnetiese waarskuwings in daardie maand. Die geomagnetiese aktiwiteit was so erg dat radio-ontvangs 'n paar keer uitgedoof was.
