Activities of the Wintering Party of the 43rd Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition, 2002-2003

Abstract

The wintering party of the 43rd Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE), consisting of 40 personnel, carried out observation programs from February 1st, 2002 to January 31st, 2003. As the first year under the VIth five-year JARE programs, various projects and monitoring observations were conducted, as well as routine observation programs. One of the new observations at Syowa Station was continual launching of various sondes as the first stage to clarify the ozone depression in the stratospheric environment. In the inland plateau, Dome Fuji Camp was reopened for the following winter to conduct the deep ice coring project. Field activities were also carried out under stable sea ice conditions around the Ongul Islands during the wintering season. A blizzard in the middle of September brought much snow over the roofs of the station buildings, resulting in much work to be recoued. However, snow cover caused by the blizzard contributed to the stability of sea ice during the coming summer season. The biggest accident during the winter was that an over snow vehicle, SM100, got stuck in a crevasse on the ice sheet coast near Syowa Station in late December.