Antarctic marine research in winter: the Winter Weddell Sea Project 1986

• Published in: Polar Record
• Main Author: Hempel, G.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1988
• Subjects: General Earth and Planetary Sciences; Ecology; Geography, Planning and Development; Antarctic; Weddell Sea; Austral; Dronning Maud Land; Weddell; Antarc*; Antarctica; Polar Record; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247400022336; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0032247400022336

Abstract From austral autumn to spring 1986 the West German research ship RV Polarstern made three consecutive cruises to Antarctica in 1986; of these the second and third (27 June–14 December) made up the Winter Weddell Sea Projet, the first detailed winter survey of the pack ice, oceanography and biota of the offshore and eastern coastal Weddell Sea south to 76°S. This article briefly describes the ship and outlines the scientific programme, which involved 137 scientists and technicians from 12 German and 16 non-German institutions. In the cruise of 27 June–17 September research was centred on physical and chemical investigations of the structure and dynamics of water, ice and lower atmosphere, including growth and movement of the icefield. The ship penetrated almost to the coast of Dronning Maud Land, failing, however, to find the Weddell Polynya which had appeared on satellite imagery in 1976–78. The cruise of 28 September–14 December added biological investigations to the programme; crossing the main body of pack ice to investigate the eastern coastal polynya, the biology of sea ice, plankton, fish and bottom fauna, and the breeding and feeding of seals and penguins were investigated. Use was made of a field station established on the mainland ice cliff. Helicopters extended the range of the work on both cruises.