James Cook's scientific programme in the Southern Ocean, 1772–75

Abstract

Until long after all other regions of the world had been explored and populated by man, the high latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere remained unknownand inviolate. Although a great southern continent had been postulated by theancient Greeks, and its existence firmly believed in during the 16th century and by some 18th century geographers, no real evidence for its presence had been forthcoming. However, the great voyages of discovery by James Cook in Endeavour, 1768–71 and Resolution, 1772–75 laid that belief to rest. During his second voyage Cook circumnavigated the globe in high latitudes and made three crossings of the Antarctic Circle but failed to find the supposed continental land mass. Cook came to the conclusion that if a continent existed in still higher latitudes, as we know that it does, it would be perpetually frozen. Nevertheless, the scientific aims of the voyage were achieved. Considerable light was shed on the atmospheric and oceanographic phenomena of the region, based on factual data collected by the, scientists on board Resolution, and Adventure which accompanied it for partof the timeduring 1772–73.