Activities of the summer party of the 41st Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition in 1999-200

Abstract

The summer activities of the 41st Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE-41) in 1999-2000 are reported. JARE-41 consisted of forty members of the wintering party and twenty members of the summer party. The summer party was accompanied by other four persons : an Environmental Agency officer, a journalist, a graduate student and a foreign exchange scientist from Belgium. JARE-41 left Tokyo on 14 November, 1999 by the Antarctic research vessel Shirase, and arrived at Fremantle, Western Australia on 28 November. The ship reached the pack ice edge near Lutzow-Holm Bay on 17 December and anchored at Syowa Station on 24 December. The unloading of 1117t of cargo by helicopters and surface vehicles was completed by January 14,2000. Then the ship loaded 195t of waste from Syowa Station between January 2 and February 14. After the completion of construction and field work in the Syowa Station area, the JARE-41 summer party and JARE-40 wintering party left Syowa Station on board the Shirase on February 15. The members of the summer party and JARE-40 wintering party returned to Narita via Sydney on March 27. The Shirase returned to Tokyo on April 12. The following scientific activities were carried out during summer operations of JARE-41 : a) geophysical and geodetic surveys along the inland traverse route to Mizuho Station, b) biological, glaciological, geophysical and oceanographic observations and geodetic surveys in the Syowa Station area, c) geodesic surveys around ice-free areas along the Soya Coast, using Pilatus Porter aircraft, d) geophysical and biological surveys in the Amundsen Bay region, e) meteorological, marine biological, oceanographic, atmospheric and geomagnetic observations and gravity measurements on board the Shirase.