8 December 2006 - The Australian
Government Antarctic Division’s Aurora Australis
will depart Hobart today with 115 expeditioners,
including key ice shelf research scientists preparing
their for their summer schedule.
The Minister for the Environment
and Heritage, Senator Ian Campbell, said that
ice shelf research at an area known as the ‘loose
tooth’ on the Amery Ice Shelf, was vital to understanding
the rifting process of ice shelves that leads
to the calving, or birth, of icebergs.
“Knowing how the rifting process
works will help scientists get a better understanding
of the interplay between climatic, glaciological
and oceanic processes”, Senator Campbell said.
“The ‘loose tooth’ region is
an area of around 900 km2 which began rifting
across the Amery ice shelf over a decade ago.
These rifts have been opening up and moving steadily
at around four to eight metres a day.
“The rifting of icebergs from
Antarctic ice shelves is not unusual, however,
a major calving event has not occurred on the
Amery Ice Shelf since 1962-63.
“Researchers this season will
use Global Positioning System (GPS) units and
seismometers to measure movement of the rift and
‘listen’ to the cracking and snapping of the rift
system.”
Heading the ‘loose tooth’ project
is Professor Richard Coleman from the University
of Tasmania who said that measurements taken would
help better understand the mechanics of ice shelf
rifting and assist in providing answers as to
the prime forces responsible for the process.
“The long-term collaborative
project between the Antarctic Climate Ecosystems
Cooperative Research Centre (ACE CRC), the University
of Tasmania and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography
in California has attracted Australian Government
support, to date, of around $4.5million,” Senator
Campbell said.
This voyage will also deliver
the last major infrastructure for the Wilkins
runway in readiness for flights to Antarctica
next summer under the Australian Government’s
Antarctic Air Service programme.
“Among the facilities being
taken south is a transit building. The shelter
looks like a normal shipping container but it
can transform into a building triple its original
size by flipping out the sides.”
Senator Campbell thanked the
hard-working, eight-member construction team at
the runway site over the past season. The addition
of the new facilities will be a dramatic improvement
on their current spartan conditions where they
have had to carve chunks of ice and melt it for
water.
Rob Broadfield
Antarctic Air Service brings
Antarctica closer
11 December 2006 - The Australian
Government today announced the acquisition of
an Airbus A319 for use on the $46.3 million Australian
Government Antarctic Air Service.
The Minister for the Environment
and Heritage, Senator Ian Campbell, said the announcement
marked an exciting step forward for Australia’s
research and exploration effort in Antarctica.
The air service is expected
to commence flights between Australia and Antarctica
in early 2007.
“The Airbus will help secure
Australia’s position as a world leader in Antarctic
capabilities and research,” Senator Campbell said.
“It will modernise our support
for Australia’s Antarctic programme and allow
researchers to travel between the two continents
much quicker and more safely.
“It will reduce the time it
takes to travel from Australia to Wilkins runway
in Antarctica from 10 days to four hours.
“At the moment, researchers,
scientists, technicians and field staff spend
their time couped up on a ship. The new Airbus
will mean expeditioners can get there quickly
and spend more time on the ice for research.”
Senator Campbell said ships
would continue to be used for marine science,
transporting some passengers and re-supplying
stations.
“We estimate 10 to 20 flights
of the Air Service will be conducted each summer
once the system is fully operational,” Senator
Campbell said.
“The intercontinental capability
of the A319 will complement the current fleet
of Antarctic-based helicopters and CASA 212s which
now fly personnel to field locations and between
Australia’s stations with Antarctica.
“The A319 is scheduled to make
its delivery flight to Australia in late January
2007 with its inaugural flight to the new Wilkins
runway expected in early February 2007. The air
service is expected to be fully operational for
the 2007-08 Antarctic season.”
The A319 will be leased and
operated by Skytraders Pty Ltd of Sydney. The
initial lease period for the Airbus A319 will
be for five years beginning in late January 2007.
Construction of a snow-capped
ice runway began in December 2005 and will continue
during the 2006/07 summer season.
Rob Broadfield
