Several large icebergs and light brash of one-tenth coverage were observed. 

 Shortly thereafter, three-foot ice of seven-tenths concentration was 

 entered; these conditions prevailed to the vicinity of Peter I Island. 

 Four-tenths coverage of brash, block, and small floes with scattered bergs 

 surrounded the island. Prom Just south of the island to about 70 e 30*S, 

 9^*W, ice conditions worsened, changing from predominantly brash and 

 block to a high concentration of small and medium floes. These floes 

 contained ice of seven- foot thickness. From here and proceeding westward 

 to the rendezvous point, ice conditions improved. Although concentrations 

 ranged from five- to seven-tenths, there was a marked reduction in per- 

 centage of small and medium floes. 



GLACIER first observed ice at 69°^3'S, 130«l6'W, on 13 February 

 (Inset, Fig. 23). In contrast to the ice encountered by BURTON ISLAND 

 in the Bellingshausen Sea, the ice observed by GLACIER in the Amundsen 

 Sea was thin and rotten, presenting little difficulty to the ship's move- 

 ment. A few bergs were noticed along the track. Concentrations varied 

 up to eight- tenths . 



The two ships rendezvoused 15 February and proceeded southward to the 

 Thurston Peninsula, passing through ice of five- to eight-tenths concen- 

 tration, about five-foot thick, with a snow cover in excess of one foot. 

 Upon arrival 15 February, the ships followed a shore lead, about three 

 miles wide, eastward along the coast. Ice along the lead was predomi- 

 nantly one- to two-tenths with intermittent patches of five- to eight- 

 tenths coverage. Very thick fast ice prevented further eastward passage. 

 This ice was several years old and very heavily hummocked. The concen- 

 tration was nine-tenths to total coverage, and individual floes were 

 sometimes several miles across and over ten- foot thick. Helicopter 

 reconnaissance revealed a shore lead to the southeast off Eights Coast; 

 however, the ice pack to the north appeared to be virtually impassable. 



After conducting survey operations in the Thurston Peninsula area, 

 the ships proceeded northward from the vicinity of Williams Island about 

 25 February. Progress was slowed by soft ice of nine-tenths coverage 

 and temporarily stopped by ice under pressure. On 26 and 27 February, 

 the ships headed in an easterly direction, making little progress owing 

 to heavy concentrations of pressure-ridged ice and poor visibility. On 

 27 February, GLACIER and BURTON ISLAND parted company at about 71 °S, 

 100 ^J, in relatively open water and proceeded toward Peter I Island, 

 maintaining distances of five and ten miles from the edge of the ice 

 pack, respectively. GLACIER encountered intermittent patches of ice 

 to the vicinity of Peter I Island, while enroute to Palmer Peninsula. 

 BURTON ISLAND passed through mostly open water and reported the last 

 observed ice at 69 °S. 



3. Palmer Peninsula Area 



On 1 March, GLACIER again entered ice off Anvers Island along the 



*5 



