GEOGRAPHIC NAMES OF ANTARCTICA 



vey of King George Island. At Base H, Signy Is- 

 land, three men operated weather station, studied 

 elephant seals, and made survey of Signy and a 

 part of Coronation Island. 



1948-49. Argentine expedition. 

 Leader: Unknown. Ships: Pampa, Sanavir on and 

 Chaco. 



Summary: Sponsored by Comision Nacional del 

 Antartico and Ministry of Marine. Wintering par- 

 ties at Melchior Islands, Deception Island, and 

 Laurie Island were relieved. Further work pre- 

 vented by unfavorable ice conditions. 



1948^9. Chilean expedition. 

 Leader: Leopoldo Fontaine. Ships: Covandonga, 

 Maipo and Lautaro. 



Summary: Sponsored by Chilean government. 

 Severe ice conditions prevented a proposed estab- 

 lishment of a base at Marguerite Bay. Bases at 

 Discovery Bay on Greenwich Island, and Cape 

 Legoupil on Palmer Peninsula were relieved and 

 winter parties stationed. 



1948-53. French Antarctic Expedition. 

 Leader: Andre F. Liotard, Michel Barre and Mario 

 Marret. 



Ships: Commandant Charcot and Tottan. 

 Summary: Sponsored by Expeditions Polaires 

 Frangaises, a government organization. Left Ho- 

 bart on February 4, 1949, but spent 23 days in 

 vain attempt to break through 40 miles of pack 

 ice off Adelie Coast. Commandant Charcot then 

 retired to Belleny Islands, landing on Sabrina 

 Islet March 7. Meteorological and hydrographic 

 studies were made and a survey carried out. Re- 

 turned to France via Macquarie Island and Aus- 

 tralia. Left Hobart on second attempt December 

 21, 1949. Reached Cape Decouverte, Adelie Coast, 

 on January 18, 1950. Base established at Cape 

 Margerie on January 20. Ship laid depots at Cape 

 Jules and Cape Denison before returning home. 

 Studies at "Port Martin" base included meteor- 

 ology, cosmic rays, seismology, hydrography and 

 zoology. A sledging program was carried on along 

 the coastal margin to the borders of Adelie Coast. 

 Astronomical control was obtained along the east- 

 tern half of the coast for use in identifying United 

 States Navy Operation High jump aerial photo- 

 graphs which were later used in compiling maps 

 of this coast. Biological studies made at newly 

 discovered emperor penguin rookery at southern 

 end of Geologie Archipelago. Liotard's party was 

 relieved by a 14 man party under Michel Barre 

 in January 1951. Reconnaissance of the coast was 

 made from Commandant Charcot and a depot laid 

 in Geologie Archipelago to assist additional bio- 

 logical and topographic studies in the area. Mag- 

 netic and astronomical observations were made 

 at Cape Denison. Journey to South Magnetic Pole 



thwarted by tractor failure, but glacial and seis- 

 mic studies were successful on later journey about 

 200 miles south from the base. Sledge party trav- 

 ersed to Cape Pepin area. Fire destroyed main 

 buildings of "Port Martin" base in January 1952 

 at the time the relief ship Tottan called. A seven 

 man party under Mario Marret established another 

 base in the Geologie Archipelago and made an in- 

 tensive study of the nearby Emperor penquin 

 rookery. Astronomical control and survey work 

 completed along the western end of Adelie Coast. 

 Party evacuated in January 1953 by the Tottan. 



1949-52. Norwegian - British - Swedish Antarctic 

 Expedition. 



Leader: Capt. John Giaever. Ship: Norsel. 

 Summary : Sponsored by Norsk Polarinstitutt, gov- 

 ernment grants from Norway, United Kingdom 

 and Sweden, Norske Geografiske Selskab, Royal 

 Geographical Society, and Svenska Sallskapet for 

 Anthropologi och Geografi. The Norsel left Lon- 

 don on November 23, 1949 for rendezvous with the 

 floating factory Thorsh0vdi near the South Sand- 

 wich Islands, January 13, 1950; sledge dogs and 

 three "weasels" transshipped. Air reconnaissance 

 from February 1 to 3 led to landing in a small 

 bay about 40 miles northeast of Cape Norvegia. 

 On February 10, "Maudheim," the base, was estab- 

 lished on the ice shelf about two miles south of 

 the bay in 71°02'S., 10°55'W. During next few 

 days an air reconnaissance unit of five men and 

 two planes made numerous flights, sketching and 

 photographing the coast. The air unit and planes 

 returned north in the Norsel on February 20, leav- 

 ing a winter party of 15 men. The scientific pro- 

 gram was divided with Norwegians chiefly respon- 

 sible for topography and meteorology, British for 

 geology and Swedes for glaciology and aerial pho- 

 tography. Subsidiary base for scientific work was 

 set up about 185 miles south of the main base at 

 an elevation of about 5,000 feet, in 72°16'S., 

 3°49'W., from which a party under Schytt made a 

 reconnaissance of the area in October and Novem- 

 ber 1950. The Norsel returned to Maudheim on 

 January 6, 1951, left three additional men and took 

 back one of the 1950-51 group, departing on Janu- 

 ary 30. The wintering party was reduced to 14 by 

 the accidental death of three members. Air op- 

 erations during this visit of the Norsel were held to 

 a minimum by foul weather and damage to one of 

 the two airplanes. The expedition was evacuated 

 on January 15, 1952 by the Norsel, which had ar- 

 rived on December 22, 1951. During the two field 

 seasons the extensive scientific program included 

 studies of ice, ice movement, snow accumulation, 

 an ice-cap thickness profile to about 74°20'S. on 

 the Greenwich meridian, geologic examination of 

 all mountains and larger nunataks north of 

 73°50'S. between 2°00'E., and 12°00'W., triangula- 



34 



