Activities of the summer party of the 25th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition in 1983-1984

Abstract

The 25th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE-25) consisted of 36 wintering members and 11 summer members. The summer party was accompanied by one observer from JARE headquarters, one foreign exchange scientist from the U.S.A., 2 press observers, 3 TV crews, and 5 ship engineers. The icebreaker "Shirase" left Tokyo on November 14,1983 as her first voyage to Antarctica and arrived at the pack ice edge near Lutzow-Holm Bay on December 14. On December 18 she encountered a heavy hummock ice zone at the mouth of Lutzow-Holm Bay. She managed to break through it and succeeded to anchor at Syowa Station. She off loaded 774 tons of cargo there. Logistic operations such as construction of a new power house, the new power system in it and observation facilities progressed on the planned schedule and "Shirase" left there on February 1,1984 for Breid Bay to support geological field survey at Sor Rondane Mountains and to conduct oceanographic survey. "Shirase" stayed in Breid Bay and adjacent waters from February 3 to February 23. Thereafter she changed her destination to Cape Town, South Africa, to carry a patient. She arrived in Cape Town on March 3 and left there March 4 for Tokyo via Port Louis, Mauritius and Singapore. Wintering members of JARE-24 and some observers left the ship at Port Louis. Along her cruise track she conducted oceanographic observations as planned.