The Antarctic Today: A Mid-Century Survey by the New Zealand Antarctic Society, edited by Frank A. Simpson. 389 pages, 45 illustrations, diagrams, a folding map and index. Wellington: A. H. and A. W. Reed, in conjunction with the New Zealand Antarctic Society, 1952. Price, 47/6.

Here is a book about polar exploration that, with the exception of a couple of chapters at the end, is as cold and impersonal as the great antarctic continent itself. The Antarctic Today consists mainly of a series of thumbnail sketches—some large thumbs, however—of the history of the Antarctic and the development of Antarctica’s commercial ability, which so far has been confined to the bloody but lucrative slaughtering of seals and whales. Many of the chapters were written by New Zealanders and reflect somewhat the fastidiousness one senses in that country as well as in its people. Southern New Zealand lies on the fringe of the cold antarctic waters from which substantial wealth has come, but its northern end is definitely sub-tropical. The conditions in New Zealand are exemplified by the foreword which states, “New Zealand has a strong tradition of interest in Antarctica, but inevitably our agricultural economy and preoccupation with urban development have caused anything outside the three-mile limit seaward to be regarded as at best a luxury and at worst a nuisance … If Government action or lack of it is a reflection of the general attitude of the people it is clear that too many New Zealanders have been unaware of what is going on in the Antarctic and why.” The Antarctic Today might be a remedy.

In 1923 the British claims in Antarctica were divided into the Australian Antarctic Territory, which takes in about 115° of longitude, from 45° to 160° E. with the exception of a sliver, Adelie Land, ceded to the French; the Falkland Islands Dependencies; and New Zealand’s Ross Dependency. In all, this is about 225° of peripheral longitude of Antarctica and, although this great area has since 1923 been “administered” by the countries mentioned, no sacred British sovereignty is acknowledged by other countries of the world and, according to the policy maintained by the United States, Antarctica is politically, as well as physically, still without a master.

In the first paragraph of Chapter One, “Introducing the Antarctic,” the size and length of the coastline of the continent are given, then come statements as speculative as many others found in the chapters on glaciers and glacialogy, geology, and sea and air navigation. It is stated, “The greatest elevation of the surface of the Ice Cap occurs close to the South Pole …” but as yet less than half of the continental area has been seen by man and, for all we know, super alpine ranges may be found in the area enclosed by longitudes 1° to 150° E., and south of Latitude 72°, and in distances ranging north and south from 700 to 1400 miles.

It is also stated, “In winter the surface of the Southern Ocean freezes and a belt of pack ice up to 30 feet thick and from 100 to 1000 miles wide surrounds the continent from April to December.” In fact, while some fragmentary efforts to skirt the edge of the ice pack in winter have been made, there has been no overall observation of the pack ice during the winter season, and as for pack ice up to 30 feet thick, it might as well be said that window panes on edge and three feet long constitute a mass of glass three feet thick.

At the beginning of Chapter Two, the author has chosen to quote the following lines from Milton:

Beyond this flood a frozen continent Lies dark and wilde, beat with perpetual storms, etc.

Delighted as I am with poetic expression, the fact is that a frozen continent “deep in snow and ice” glitters in the sunlight, sometimes 24 hours a day and for days on end, and even the moonbeams and auroral light reflected from the snow and ice inhibit, relatively, such Stygian darkness as is found in the jungle areas of the tropics. If we hope to bring the vast area of Antarctica into the province of man’s economic potential, it is time that we turned to facets other than those presented solely by the histrionic adventures in early polar exploration.

Notwithstanding the above, the chapters “Antarctic Glaciers and Glaciology” and “the Geology of the Antarctic” contain a wealth of information and some well-educated guesses, sufficient indeed to stimulate the desires of all those to whom tumbling glaciers, beacon sandstone, and towering horsts are hallowed.

In Chapter Two the snowy surface and its isostacy are described and the huge continental glaciers and great glacier arms which debouch from it, as well as large floating ice tongues. Although the greatest ice mass in the world today is about eight times more extensive than that of Greenland, we are left in considerable doubt as to the thickness of the ice cover. There is some evidence that in places it was more than 1000 feet thicker than it is today. Movement of the ice mass is obvious, in some spots at the rate of 100 feet per annum, in others at greater speed.

An interesting phenomenon mentioned is the apparent quite recent emergence, geologically speaking, of certain mountains from the continental ice sheet, with apparent amelioration of climate to allow the formation of lakes. The question as to whether the ice sheet will wax or wane in the future is of great importance to the world, but it seems unlikely that the waning will be so rapid and independent of the atmospheric content as to raise the oceans 50 feet and involve the submergence of all wharves, docks, and warehouses throughout the world.

Actual study of the geology of the Antarctic, an area estimated at between 5,000,000 and 5,058,356 square miles, is as yet hardly begun; even half of the 14,000 mile coastline has not yet been in any way explored. Furthermore, while there is only a very small fraction of the surface of Antarctica free of snow and ice, much of that surface is almost vertical and exposed because it is too steep for even the softest falling snow to cuddle. References to mineral deposits are considerable, mainly in respect to coal, but eminent geologists theorize that parts of the Antarctic may carry appreciable amounts of uranium, monazite, gold, iron, and manganese, as well as petroleum. Reading of the chapter “Geology of the Antarctic” might well direct future prospectors to the proper locale for a claim and at least brings one to a realization that Antarctica is no mysterious cold bed, but a normal continent whose past history is closely comparable to that of other continents.

In the chapter “The Seas Between,” the author delineates a division of interest. He says, “A physicist, looking for explanations of the temperature and physical property of the sea water in deep ocean basins, for instance, may be influenced by such considerations in contouring a ridge either as disconnected parts separated by channels, or as a continuous barrier. A biologist, on the other hand, thinks of submarine ridges as avenues of dispersal for animals. A geologist looks for continuation in submerged portions of the earth’s crust of structures which he has studied on land and contours accordingly.” Also in that chapter and the one on marine biology, mention is made of a great many interesting things such as foraminifera, the spectacular flush of phytoplankton, the abundant diatomaceous and globigerina ooze, the negligible quantity of dinoflagella, and glauconitic and radiolarian sediments, but there is nothing in these chapters that will stir memories of pitons and crampons.

The chapters, “Whales and Whaling in the Southern Ocean” and “Seals of the South Ocean,” contain some revealing paragraphs such as “… additional protection against loss of heat is provided by (the whale’s) bulk.” This is a matter probably well known to whales since, it is stated, young blue whales put on weight at the rate of 200 pounds a day and finally, when fully grown, equal the bulk of 2560 men. And, “Sperm whales are polygamous; they spit, or rather spout sideways and have tremendous powers of endurance, sometimes diving to a depth of 3000 feet and staying down for as long as 45 minutes. One wonders if that might be the only means of escape from the family squabbles. The non-polygamous whales, as a rule, stay down for only a very few minutes.” The growth of whales, however, is nothing to that of seals. A baby Weddell Seal, weighing 60 pounds at birth, doubles its weight in a fortnight, all this by drinking milk and eating shrimps, products evidently not to be included in a weight-reducing diet.

The description of Antarctic birds is fascinating, notwithstanding the author’s reluctance to “anthropomorphicize” his descriptions. Yet he, too, nostalgically recounts, “… the indescribable beauty of a Snow Petrel winging silently along a maze of leads in pack ice—and the recurring routine of the penguin nesting season with all its evidence of vigorous life adapted to survival in a land where man has yet only experimental tenure.”

“Sea and Air Navigation” evidently is written from a sea-dog’s point of view and, although the author states correctly that the exposed portion of icebergs varies considerably, his estimate that “there is generally about six to eight times as much below the surface as above” is not corroborated by estimates made by others referred to in other parts of the book or by his own reference on a later page.

In the discussion of the use of aircraft in the antarctic, together with reference to several epic long-distance flights such as that made by Hollick-Kenyon, piloting and navigating for Lincoln Ellsworth, and Finn Ronne, navigating along the coast of the Weddell Sea, there are these statements, “there can be no doubt that the main use of aircraft in the Antarctic is for short-distance reconnaissances from a ship or a fixed place” and “it cannot be too strongly emphasized that where an airplane is carried, its sole justification is its value as an adjunct in the navigation of the ship.” In this writer’s opinion, it will not be long before long-range aircraft operating from either aircraft carriers or more stable bases will be busy criss-crossing the length and breadth of the Antarctic Continent in an effort to grid-map the entire area.

In The Antarctic Today, meteorology is far too lightly dealt with, but in future treatments it will perhaps be otherwise when ionisphere research, which is well referred to in the book, and which is rapidly revealing dependable means for radio or other communication, paves the way for more substantial economic use of the secrets of the weather.

It is in Part Seven and Chapters Seventeen and Eighteen that the casual reader will find human interest at its best, but as admirably stated in the Foreword, “A volume made up of personal narrative and summarized history was first proposed and may yet be prepared, for tradition is a strong bond of enduring value; but the needs for the moment seem to call for something different as a first venture.” The “something different” in The Antarctic Today is a most praiseworthy example of encyclopedic effort, and every participant in its compilation is certain of hearty thanks both from all who have found interest in the Great White South as well as those who will discover interest in it in the future.

Hubert Wilkins

We are much indebted to Sir Hubert Wilkins for writing this review despite the pressure of last-minute details before departure on a U. S. Army research mission to the tropics.—Editor.