In 1911 the Northern Party of Robert Falcon Scott's British Antarctic expedition (1910–1913), built a wooden hut at Cape Adare, a locality notorious for gusting, high-velocity winds. During the expedition, the hut suffered superficial damage from 18 storms estimated at force 11–12 on the Beaufort scale. Since then, storms during the intervening 84 years have virtually destroyed the hut. This paper outlines the wind and storm events recorded at Cape Adare and suggests that the topography of the Adare Peninsula forces the strong southeast wind to change to an eastsoutheast wind only on meeting high ground. By the time it reaches Ridley Beach, it assumes the character of a highvelocity katabatic wind. It is suggested that at Cape Adare topographically reinforced winds are largely responsible for the destruction of the historic hut. The reasons for this and a possible history of hut destruction is given.

Glacial Crooked Lake was an ice-dammed impoundment in Vestfold Hills, East Antarctica, that had a volume of (250 ± 45) × 10 m. The impoundment is inferred to have existed during deglaciation following the Late Holocene Chelnok Advance of Sørsdal Glacier. The dam released water incrementally, allowing the formation of four major series of shorelines with a maximum height of 24 m above the current lake level of 22 m asl. Water from Glacial Crooked Lake overflowed into Watts Lake downstream, allowing saltwater there to mix, dilute, and be transported to the sea via Ellis Rapids. In this way water in Watts Lake became fresh, and alluvial fans consisting of cobbles and boulders formed below Crooked Lake and Ellis Rapids.

The South African state has never made a formal claim to the Antarctic continent. In the inter-war period, the South African government prepared a number of memorandums and discussion papers on the subject of a ‘South African sector in the Antarctic.’ This paper not only critically interprets those government papers, but, more importantly, assesses the reasons why South Africa never made a formal claim. It is suggested that relations with Britain and the Empire, as well as the activities of Norway and the United States, were crucial determining factors. Finally, the implications for later South African involvement in the South Atlantic and the Antarctic Treaty System are briefly considered.

Breeding activity of pairs of south polar skuas (Catharacta maccormicki) in the eastern Larsemann Hills, Princess Elizabeth Land, East Antarctica, was recorded in five of six austral summers between 1988 and 1994. More detailed observations of breeding success were made in the 1989/90 and 1993/94 summers. Although relatively few skuas nest in the study area, data suggest that there was inter-annual variation in numbers and locations of territories and chicks fledged. This variation is discussed in relation to increased human activities in the area (development of a summer base and more permanent stations) and to an enhanced access to human-derived foods. It is concluded that there has been some human impact on this species in the Larsemann Hills.

The former whaling stations at Grytviken, Husvik Harbour, and Stromness Harbour on South Georgia were surveyed during two expeditions by a Norwegian party investigating industrial archaeology. This paper decribes the survey methods, which included photographic documentation, measurements, and mapping. Maps of the entire stations were made from photogrammetric and theodolite surveys. Detailed plans of the individual buildings were made, with each room being identified and measured. A detailed photographic survey was also undertaken. The paper then presents the main results of the analysis of the survey so far, and suggests some possibilities for utilizing the results in future research. It also describes an ongoing project on the construction of a CD-ROM on the history of Husvik Harbour, of which the survey data are an important part.