Cambridge Survey of Central Vestspitsbergen

Abstract

The map of Central Vestspitsbergen (i: 125,000) recently published by the Royal Geographical Socie y,r aro e out of a series of expeditions organized for a variety of geological studies at Cambridge. Our first post-war expedition in 1949 was described in this Journal (118, 3 (1952) 309-31), and the map accompanying that paper was based on a triangulation which was begun then, and to which various pub? lished and unpublished surveys have since been added. In this way the first mediumscale (1:125,000) map of much of the heart of west Spitsbergen was compiled. Since 1925 (according to the Treaty of Paris 1920) Svalbard has been administered by Norway, whose Norsk Polarinstitutt and predecessor (Norges Svalbard og IshavsUndersokelser) in Oslo has been responsible, amongst other things, for its topo? graphical survey. Svalbard is the administrative area which includes Bear Island and some other islands in addition to the main archipelago of Spitsbergen, of which Vestspitsbergen is the largest island. An excellent series of maps on a scale of 1:100,000 covering the whole of Svalbard in about fifty sheets had been planned (Polar Rec. 8, 54 (1956) 273-6), but it was already clear in 1949 that priority would be given by the Norwegians to the southern and western coastal areas (which had already been surveyed in some detail), and that no new maps of the north-east sector of Vest? spitsbergen would be available for many years to come (see Fig. 1). It was therefore decided to continue topographical survey in so far as it was necessary for the geolo? gical work, and indeed as will appear below the two went hand in hand. Most data available in 1949 had already been plotted on our 1952 map, hence when the survey was extended northwards and eastwards, the territory traversed was little known. A number of journeys had been recorded on small-scale maps, and these were used by us primarily to plan sledge routes and to relate accepted place-names to their original features. Even so, a number of important topographical features and relationships were not distinguishable on any existing maps. On the other hand, most of the area was covered in some way by the oblique air photos taken by B. Luncke, mainly in 1936 and 1938, on Norsk Polarinstitutt expedi? tions (Reports 1937 ancl I945)These were invaluable first for reconnaissance, then for adding detail when we had established some ground control. We gratefully acknowledge their use. Much of our own survey was by geological parties using artillery director (a simple theodolite for rapid use) or compass, the local triangulations yielding a large number of points which were filled in by sketching mainly from ground photos. The pieces could not have been fitted together, however, without the rigorous triangulation carried out by Masson-Smith during five field seasons, and a large part of the central area was contoured photogrammetrically by him. The coordinates of the principal points were computed according to the official projection of the Norsk Polarinstitutt, and we are indebted to Dr. Orvin, in particular, for providing details of this as well as coordinates of earlier Norwegian stations. With such a framework established, the map grew piecemeal, being plotted on large Ethulon sheets from which prints were taken for distribution to each new party work? ing in the area. In return some new data, or even independent local surveys, were