Activities of the Summer Party of the 40th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition in 1998-1999

• Main Author: Kazuyuki Shiraishi
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: National Institute of Polar Research 2001
• Subjects: Geography (General); G1-922; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Syowa Station; Prydz Bay; Dome Fuji; Dome Fuji Station; Amundsen Bay; Antarc*; aurora australis; Icebreaker
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.15094/00009153; https://doaj.org/article/9433d2e0a6dc4497bba74a4f7459e7e0

The fortieth Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE-40) consisted of forty members of the wintering party and twenty members of the summer party with three visiting scientists (one from the United States of America and two from Australia), two graduate students and an environmental officer. JARE-40 left Tokyo on 14 November 1998 by the icebreaker Shirase, and entered the Antarctic Treaty area (south of 60-degree South in latitude) on 9th December via Fremantle, Western Australia. At Fremantle, JARE-40 received the news of an emergency of Australian Research Ship "Aurora Australis" and was ordered to rescue her. After the successful rescue operation between 12 and 17 December, Shirase arrived at Amundsen Bay, where helicopter operation was carried out for geological investigations. On 28 December the Shirase arrived at Syowa Station and unloaded 954 tons of cargo and fuel by mid-January 1999. Because weather in this season was extremely bad, transportation and construction works were very difficult. In addition, due to damage to one of helicopters by strong wind in the first week of January, the helicopter operation at Amundsen Bay had to be canceled. From 19 to 25 January, the Shirase left Syowa Station to pick the field party up at Amundsen Bay. Biological, geodesic and geophysical field investigations and atmospheric sampling with large balloons were carried out in the Lutzow-Holm Bay region between 26 December and 18 January, and between 25 January and 17 February. An oversnow traverse to and from Dome Fuji Station was carried out from 27 December to 12 February. The JARE-40 summer party and JARE-39 wintering party on board the Shirase left Syowa Station on 22 February. On the return voyage, the Shirase called at Prydz Bay and some members visited the Chinese Zhongshang and Russian Progress Stations. Oceanographic and marine biological observations, geomagnetism and others were carried out during the voyage of the Shirase from Tokyo to Sydney. The JARE personnel returned to Tokyo by air from Sydney on ...