Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition Research Articles

Activities of the fifth wintering party at Asuka Station by the 32nd Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition in 1991

Activities of the fifth wintering party at Asuka Station by the 32nd Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition in 1991

Observation of the upper atmosphere physics at Asuka Station by the 30th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition in 1989

Observation of the upper atmosphere physics at Asuka Station by the 30th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition in 1989

Wind and temperature regime in Mizuho Plateau, East Antarctica

Abstract Wind and temperature are the most important factors in describing the climate on an Antarctic plateau. Japanese Antarctic Research Expeditions have conducted a series of oversnow traverses in Mizuho Plateau, East Antarctica. Data have been collected on the annual mean temperatures, which are inferred From 10 m depth snow temperatures, and on the prevailing wind directions, which are inferred from the snow surface reliefs. The data from the ground-based observations have been combined with remotely sensed data both from satellites and airplanes. Annually averaged NOAA channel 5 brightness temperatures correlate well with the 10 m snow temperatures. The synthesized prevailing windfield shows a clear distinction between the katabatic wind system and that of the synoptic disturbances. Confluence zones are also identified but their presence seems only intermittent. A slight but significant climate difference has been observed between ridges and troughs of the plateau due to the difference in katabatic...

Psychological Change in the Wintering Members of the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition

Psychological Change in the Wintering Members of the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition

Cold Pressor Test on the Wintering Members of the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition

Cold Pressor Test on the Wintering Members of the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition

Activities of the summer party of the 30th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition in 1988-1989

Activities of the summer party of the 30th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition in 1988-1989

Activities of the wintering party of the 24th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition in 1983-1984

Activities of the wintering party of the 24th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition in 1983-1984

Meteorological observations at Syowa Station in 1988 by the 29th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition

Meteorological observations at Syowa Station in 1988 by the 29th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition

Report on meteorological research observations by the 29th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition in 1988

Report on meteorological research observations by the 29th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition in 1988

Meteorological observation at Syowa Station in 1986 by the 27th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition

Meteorological observation at Syowa Station in 1986 by the 27th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition

Activities of the summer party of the 28th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition in 1986-1987

Activities of the summer party of the 28th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition in 1986-1987

Meteorological observations at Syowa Station in 1985 by the 26th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition

Meteorological observations at Syowa Station in 1985 by the 26th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition

Outline of the earth science programs at Asuka Station by the 28th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition in 1987

Outline of the earth science programs at Asuka Station by the 28th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition in 1987

南極の崩壊と海面上昇

Rapid deterioration of the West Antarctic ice sheet has been warned, whereas the East Antarctica has been considered rather stable. The Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition, however, revealed that the ice sheet thickness is decreasing at a rate of 0.5 to 0.7m/year in the Shirase drainage. Ice core analyses indicated that the thinning started at ca. 1, 000 years B. P. at around Mizuho Station, which is located about 250km upstream from the coast in the Mizuho Plateau. It is considered that the thinning of the ice sheet should have contributed to the eustatic sea-level rise by about 0.1 m in the last 1, 500 years. A possible trigger and a mechanism of the thinning are hypothesized, and the sea-level rise caused by the deterioration of the West and the East Antarctica is discussed in relation with the cli - matic warming.

Design,Construction and Maintenance of Facilities for Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition

In this paper, I introduced the design concept of cold region's facilities as an example of buildings designed for Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition. On the design process, careful concern on amenities of isolated wintering life and mental condition of crew are very important. I think,the Antarctic shall be a suitable educational field for the training of crew in the space development projects. Many simulation works will be possible the Antarctic for space development projects.

Meteorological observations at Syowa Station in 1984 by the 25th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition

Meteorological observations at Syowa Station in 1984 by the 25th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition

The significance and the problems of wind generator development in Antarctica experimented by the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition

The significance and the problems of wind generator development in Antarctica experimented by the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition

The Variation in the Ice Sheet of Mizuho Plateau, East Antarctica (Abstract)

The Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE) has conducted glaciological studies on Mizuho Plateau since 1981. We have already reported that the ice sheet flowing from Mizuho Plateau into Shirase Glacier is thinning at a rate of about 70 cm/year and that the profile of the distribution of basal shear stress is similar to that of surging glaciers.A 5 year glaciological programme on Mizuho Plateau and in east Queen Maud Land is now being carried out and we have obtained the following new results:(1) The ice sheet in the down-stream region (where ice elevation is lower than about 2400 m) is thinning, based on measurements of horizontal and vertical flow velocity, strain-rate, the slope of the ice surface, the accumulation rate and densification of snow.(2) δ18O analysis of deep ice cores obtained at Mizuho Station (2240 m a.s.l.) and point G2 (1730 m a.s.l.) shows that δ18O increased about 200 years ago at Mizuho Station and about 400 years ago at point G2. If we can assume that the increase in δ18O is caused by the thinning of the ice sheet, then this result means that this thinning propagates to up-stream areas.(3) Radio-echo-sounding measurements on Mizuho Plateau show that the ice base in the down-stream region is wet. This supports the result described in (1), since the basal sliding due to a wet base causes ice-sheet thinning, as proposed in our previous studies.In summary, a possible explanation of ice-sheet variation on Mizuho Plateau is as follows: the thinning of the ice sheet, caused by the basal sliding due to basal ice melting, started at Shirase Glacier and has been propagating up-stream to reach its present position. A simple calculation, using flow velocities, shows that the thinning started at Shirase Glacier about 1500–2000 years ago.

A preliminary report on some limnological investigations of lakes in the vicinity of Syowa Station by Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition in 1981 and 1985

A preliminary report on some limnological investigations of lakes in the vicinity of Syowa Station by Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition in 1981 and 1985

Glaciological and Chemical Characteristics of an Antarctic Inland Plateau (Abstract)

A glaciological research project in east Queen Maud Land, Antarctica, has been carried out by the Japanese Antarctic Research Expeditions between 1982 and 1986 (JARE-23 – JARE-27).In this paper, we deal with the area traversed by JARE-25 and JARE-26, a representative inland plateau in Antarctica. In 1984, a team from JARE-25 extended a route from Mizuho Station (MS) to an advanced camp (AC; 74°12′S, 34°59′E; 3200 m a.s.l.) and returned to MS via the Yamato Mountains region. In the following year, 1985, a team from JARE-26 reached the summit (77°22′S, 39°37′Έ; 3810 m a.s.l.) of an ice dome on the plateau behind AC and continued to Asuka camp, north of Sør-Rondane Mountains. Investigations were carried out along the routes as follows:Geomorphological observations: the altitude along the routes was measured, together with the depth of the bedrock, which was obtained by radio echo-sounding. The shape of the dome and the position of ice divides were revealed. Gravity soundings were also carried out along the routes.Depositional and erosional environments of the snow surface: the net accumulation rate was obtained along the routes by the stake method. Sastrugi orientations were recorded in order to gain information on the prevailing wind. At several points, vertical profiles of snow stratigraphy and snow hardness were obtained, together with snow temperatures at 10 m depth. The glaciological characteristics of the plateau are described with reference to these results.Snow chemistry: the values of the electro-conductivity and pH of melted snow along the routes were obtained, and the results show high conductivity and low pH values around the dome region. Quantitative studies on the chemical composition of the samples are continuing.Ice coring: at the dome camp (DC; 77°00′S, 35°00′E; 3760 m a.s.l.), coring was carried out to a depth of 40 m. In the samples, we have been studying the vertical distribution of δ18O and the products of nuclear fission, in order to determine the accumulation rate and the atmospheric environment.On the basis of the results described above, the relationship between meteorological and glaciological conditions in the inland plateau are discussed.