What's happening in exploration
Steven Spielberg: This would make a great movie!A book that I had read decades ago called Mawson’s Will, by Lennard Bickel, which was out of print for years, was recently republished by Steerforth Press. It is a story that is not well known outside of Australia; and that – plus a few connecting threads – is what prompts me to write this month’s column. My thanks to Martin Purvins and AusGEO News for their help in its preparation. In 1909, Ernest Shackleton came within 97 mi of being the first man to reach the South Geographic Pole. While Shackelton sledded south, Douglas Mawson and two companions raised the British flag over the magnetic anomaly called the South Magnetic Pole. They had walked – dragging their sleds – over 1,200 mi without animal support. For Mawson, it was valuable training. During the 1900 to 1911 period, the race for the South Geographic Pole was in full swing and eagerly followed by the press. The two principal contenders would use radically different methods: Britain’s Robert F. Scott would pit machines and ponies against the dogs and sleds of Norway’s Roald Amundsen. Amundsen won. Scott and his party would die in their attempt for a place in the record books. It was, however, a quest of little scientific value. While Amundsen and Scott raced for the geographic pole, Mawson mounted a less sensational scientific expedition to explore 2,000 mi of Antarctic coast south of Australia, about which little was known. It would also prove to be one of the most treacherous and foreboding places on earth, and the site of an extraordinary story of endurance and survival. Named the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, it is one of the greatest polar scientific expeditions because of the detailed science done in magnetism, geology, biology and meteorology. As bad luck would have it, they had chosen to explore at what is arguably the windiest place on Earth. After landing 18 men at Cape Denison, a permanent base camp was built. That winter, wind gusts often exceeded 100 mph, sometimes 200 mph. Average wind speed was 60 mph, and one day it averaged 90 mph! Calm days were rare, and just being outside without crampons could be deadly. When the brief Antarctic summer arrived, several parties headed out in various directions to do scientific work. Mawson headed east with Xavier Mertz and Belgrave Ninnis. Over 300 mi out, Ninnis fell into a seemingly bottomless crevasse. His sled, dogs, the tent and most of the food disappeared with him. The return trip is legendary. To survive, they would have to overcome starvation, poisoning, blizzards and numerous falls into hidden crevasses. Who lived, and how, I will leave for the reader to discover. Mertz and Ninnis have been in the news lately, or at least the glaciers named after them. During his expedition, Mawson estimated that the Ninnis glacial tongue extended about 85 mi into the sea. Most of that is now gone, and a massive 25-mi-wide chunk broke off last year and is now in the process of subdividing / calving. Conversely, the nearby Mertz glacial tongue has been growing and now juts 60 mi into the sea – twice the size that Mawson found it. The reason(s) for these opposite behaviors are not known, global warming notwithstanding. Mawson was a geologist. His explorations contributed more geographical knowledge of Antarctica than any other explorer of his time. Another geologist, Martin Purvins, is currently working at Mawson Station, a modern science station located about 3,000 mi west of the Cape Denison. Purvins is on a year sabbatical from his a job as a consulting wellsite geologist with Oxford Geological Consultants, based in Adelaide, South Australia. About four years ago, the Australians began a project to restore the original camp at Cape Denison. Now a permanent station, Purvins will operate the geophysical observatory and monitor the weather for the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. Although the primary geophysical work is measuring the Earth’s magnetic field, other work at Mawson Station involves space physics, biology and monitoring seismic events from earthquakes and nuclear testing. To get the one-year assignment, it helps to be handy at a variety of tasks. Purvins is also Deputy Search & Rescue Team Leader, a member of the Fire Team, a sea-ice and tide-gauge monitor, and runs the Clean Air Lab. He is also a member of the Home Brew Team for Mawson Station beer. Not sold anywhere, you’ll have to go to Antarctica if you want to sample a pint.
Why would anyone want to spend six months to a year in Antarctica? Purvins comments, "Most people are either jealous or think I’m crazy. There are few people in between. It is unique, the last wilderness, and I feel very privileged to go." Although being away from one’s family for so long is hard, modern communications help. (Mawson’s fiancée had to wait two years, so if Hollywood ever does get around to making the movie, the story has the obligatory love interest.) Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE) and AGSO helped fund and equip Purvins for his year-long stay. About 25 people will spend this winter at the station, but the population there doubles during the summer. If you want more information, or to see a live camera
shot of the station (it’s totally dark at present); or if you want information on how to volunteer your
time or money, go to: www.antdiv.gov.au/stations/mawson. There you will find history, photos, links and
contact information to ANARE, the humanities program and all the various scientific programs.
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