A claim that there are substantial discrepancies between direct observations of the Antarctic sea-ice edge and the implicit sea-ice edge derived from whaling records is rebutted. The claimeddiscrepancies are shown to arise largely from comparing the two types of information from different dates. A date-corrected comparison shows generally good agreement between the southernmost limit of whaling and the most comprehensive of the early monthly ice charts of Antarctica. The remaining apparent discrepancies are accounted for either by very limited data or the complex nature of the ice edge in the region of the Weddell ice tongue. Correlation of the southernmost limits of whaling with direct observations of the ice edge provides the most powerful calibration of the relationship between them

The different designs of sledges and dog harnesses, the methods of hitching used by the various peoples of the Arctic regions in the eighteenth century, and the influences they had on each other, are investigated. The development of dog sledging reflects not only the migrations of herding tribes of the steppe into southern Siberia — which progressively pushed some peoples farther and farther northeast — but the relationship between peoples whose culture was nomadic or more settled, whose way of life depended on reindeer herding or not, or who had earlier or later contact with the Russians or other Europeans. The Europeans in North America, it is argued, learned dog sledging from the Eskimos and taught it to the Indians. The Russians appear to have discovered dog sledging in Siberia, where their influence ultimately overcame many of the techniques of the native peoples. The Eskimos are found to have had the most-developed harnessing methods during the eighteenth century, and to have been the prevailing influence where they met with other sledging peoples.

The earliest winter scientific station established in the Antarctic was in 1883 as part of the first International Polar Year (IPY) programme. Subsequently, to the IPY of 2007–2009, scientific stations have been deployed on 139 sites (103 on the Antarctic continent, 36 on the peri-Antarctic islands), by 24 countries for a cumulative total of 2666 winters to that of 2008. This paper summarises the winter dates, locations, and national status of all stations in the region. It thus includes all winter stations of the three IPYs and those of the International Geophysical Year (1957–1958). The positions of 120 of these winter stations are south of 60°S, the boundary of the Antarctic Treaty of 1959 (although many of them predate the Treaty).

The Qajuuttap Sermia glacier system north of Johan Dahl Land, on the southern slope of the Greenland ice sheet (the inland ice), has shown continuous advancing behaviour from approximately 1940 until approximately 2000. This contrasts with neighbouring sectors of the inland ice to the west and southeast, where the ice sheet has shown a more ‘normal’ trend of recession and thinning of the margin since about 1850–1890, and that has continued throughout the last half of the 20th century. The Qajuuttap Sermia glacier system has also attracted interest for its hydropower potential, and detailed investigations were carried out in 1977–1983. This article summarises the fluctuations of the Qajuuttap Sermia glacier system, and documents the demonstrable advance of the individual glaciers of the system from the early 1940s until the early years of the present millennium. The cause of the advance seems likely to be related to variations in precipitation over the southernmost parts of the inland ice, with the highlands north of Johan Dahl Land directly influencing the passage of low pressure systems moving both northwards along the west coast and northeastwards along the east coast of Greenland.

Arctic mining has a bad reputation because the extractive industry is often responsible for a suite of environmental problems. Yet, few studies explore the gap between untouched tundra and messy megaproject from a historical perspective. Our paper focuses on Advent City as a case study of the emergence of coal mining in Svalbard (Norway) coupled with the onset of mining-related environmental change. After short but intensive human activity (1904–1908), the ecosystem had a century to respond, and we observe a lasting impact on the flora in particular. With interdisciplinary contributions from historical archaeology, archaeozoology, archaeobotany and botany, supplemented by stable isotope analysis, we examine 1) which human activities initially asserted pressure on the Arctic environment, 2) whether the miners at Advent City were “eco-conscious,” for example whether they showed concern for the environment and 3) how the local ecosystem reacted after mine closure and site abandonment. Among the remains of typical mining infrastructure, we prioritised localities that revealed the subtleties of long-term anthropogenic impact. Significant pressure resulted from landscape modifications, the import of non-native animals and plants, hunting and fowling, and the indiscriminate disposal of waste material. Where it was possible to identify individual inhabitants, these shared an economic attitude of waste not, want not, but they did not hold the environment in high regard. Ground clearances, animal dung and waste dumps continue to have an effect after a hundred years. The anthropogenic interference with the fell field led to habitat creation, especially for vascular plants. The vegetation cover and biodiversity were high, but we recorded no exotic or threatened plant species. Impacted localities generally showed a reduction of the natural patchiness of plant communities, and highly eutrophic conditions were unsuitable for liverworts and lichens. Supplementary isotopic analysis of animal bones added data to the marine reservoir offset in Svalbard underlining the far-reaching potential of our multi-proxy approach. We conclude that although damaging human–environment interactions formerly took place at Advent City, these were limited and primarily left the visual impact of the ruins. The fell field is such a dynamic area that the subtle anthropogenic effects on the local tundra may soon be lost. The fauna and flora may not recover to what they were before the miners arrived, but they will continue to respond to new post-industrial circumstances.

Effective remediation of petroleum-contaminated soils in the Arctic is becoming increasingly important as the magnitude of environmental risks becomes better defined. Unfortunately, some of the solutions implemented in southern Canada are too costly to use in the Arctic. However, effective remediation is still necessary. Consequently, traditional techniques are employed, such as excavation and landfarming, which are disruptive to the immediate soils, permafrost, and the surrounding habitat. These remedial methods, however, are becoming unacceptable to First Nations people in some Canadian Arctic communities. This paper describes preliminary results from an in-situ biodegradation study of petroleum-contaminated soils. This technique has the potential to provide an easily applied effective solution to the problem of devising a low cost and uncontroversial method of remediation. Based on bench-scale laboratory feasibility studies, it has been determined that the zone of contaminated soil at the Whitehorse Airport is suitable for in-situ bioremediation application.

This paper traces the Soviet responses to initiatives of international scientific institutions for collaborative research in the Antarctic dating from the International Geophysical Year (IGY) through to the formation of the Special Committee for Antarctic Research (SCAR) and the extension of the IGY for a year during the International Geophysical Cooperation. It demonstrates the consistently positive attitudes of the USSR to these initiatives and the steps that were taken at the national level to enable it to continue international collaboration. Other countries with interests in the Antarctic conjectured whether the Soviets had a long term strategy for continuing their presence in the South Polar region. The evidence suggests that from the day the Soviets set foot on the Antarctic continent, they had no intention of leaving.

Age and growth of blue antimora Antimora rostrata were examined for the first time in the waters of Kerguelen and Crozet Islands (southern Indian Ocean, sub-Antarctic). The longline catches were represented by fish ranging from 39 to 72 cm in total length with weights between 400 and 3310 g, aged 16– 41 years. A minimum age of 16 years was observed in a fish 39 cm long, while a maximum age of 41 years was recorded for an individual of 70 cm in length and 3310 g in weight. The age classes with the greatest numbers were represented by fish aged 34 years (9%), 28 years (9%) and 29 years (8%), which together accounted for 26% of the total catch. The blue antimora in the southern Indian Ocean shows similar growth rates to those of individual fish from the Ross, Lazarev and Weddell Seas and southeastern Greenland, which may indicate the population unity of the species within the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic waters or similar habitat conditions in these areas.

In 1850 Lady Franklin sent out the first of her private expeditions in search of her husband and the crews of HMS Erebus and Terror, lost in the islands of the Canadian Arctic. The expedition sailed in Prince Albert, a vessel Lady Franklin acquired for the purpose. Its aim was to winter in Prince Regent Inlet and explore the area to the west, using two separate boat parties. These parties were to be under Commander Charles Codrington Forsyth, RN, the captain of the ship, and William Parker Snow. After passage to Prince Regent Inlet, Forsyth turned back because he was prevented from penetrating the inlet further than Fury Beach by what was regarded as unbreachable ice. Prince Albert then passed near Cape Riley, where Snow obtained information concerning relics that had been found by another expedition and that indicated that Franklin had wintered in that vicinity. News of this and further relics were brought back to Britain by Forsyth. The return caused much disappointment to Lady Franklin. She determined to send Prince Albert out again with a different commander. Snow wished to have that post, but it was allocated to William Kennedy.

This study is an analysis of the events surrounding the expedition, with reference to the light they throw on the personalities involved. It is suggested that the main reason for the failure was that the preparation was mismanaged. No efforts were made to secure the appointment of people who had sufficient similarity of interests or background to be an effective team. Forsyth found the situation on board such that he decided to conclude the voyage as soon as a reasonable excuse for returning presented itself.

The Thule region in north Greenland formerly supported a population of musk-oxen (Ovibos moschatus). Radiocarbon dating of bones of this mammal collected on the terrain surface and from archaeological sites has yielded late Holocene ages, indicating that the species was a late immigrant to this part of Greenland. The species may have arrived at a time when the area was uninhabited, and it had at least a thousand years to spread south, before the Late Dorset people arrived. The heavy glaciation of Melville Bugt in the late Holocene was probably the main reason that the musk-ox did not disperse south to west Greenland. The population of musk-ox in the region may have peaked during the Medieval Warm Period, and the species survived during the occupation of the region by the Late Dorset people. The size of the population may have declined during the beginning of the Little Ice Age, and musk-ox was probably exterminated from the region shortly after the arrival of the mobile Thule people.

Since the late 1970s, theorists in the field of international relations have increasingly used the concept ‘international regime’ in their attempts to give content to the idea of international governance. The concept was adopted from international lawyers, and this has led to some confusion when analysts apply terminology differently. Analysis of Antarctic politics is no exception. This article seeks to illustrate how the theory of international regimes can be applied to the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS). The focus is on the events of the 1980s, during which international awareness (or perception) of a global environmental crisis severely tested the robustness of ‘the Antarctic regime’ (that is, the ATS). Three approaches to regime formation and change or transformation are considered in an attempt to explain the rejection of the Convention for the Regulation of Antarctic Mineral Resource Activities and the acceptance of the 1991 Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty. The three approaches employed are game theory, functional theories, and cognitive explanations. The evolution of a new epistemic consensus on the value and the future of the Antarctic crystallises, signifying a key role on the part of natural scientists and environmental non-governmental organisations. It is concluded that the ATS as a whole can today be described as an international environmental regime.

The Byrranga Mountains (Gory Byrranga) are the most northern mountainous massif of the Taymyr Peninsula (Poluostrov Taymyr) in the Russian Arctic. Although studies of them began in 1736, they are one of the least studied areas of the Arctic. The region has no population, is remote, and has difficult access. As a result, the mountainous tundra ecosystems are preserved practically in a pristine state. The mountains are composed of siltstones and intrusive rocks of neutral composition; vast areas along all the mountain chain are occupied by exposed limestone. Rivers flow in deep intermontane depressions while lakes are found mainly in faults. The climate is an extremely severe continental type. Microclimatic areas provide some relief and support a rich and diverse flora. There have been 391 species and subspecies of vascular plants recorded, but no reliable data on the number of species of mosses and lichens are available. Relict thickets of tall willows are found in protected valleys of piedmont brooks, whereas relict alder-tree thickets occur on warm slopes. The mountain fauna includes nine mammal and 56 bird species. Intermontane depressions serve as corridors for seasonal migrations of wild reindeer that usually spend summers in the southern piedmont areas. Northern piedmonts and wide intermontane depressions are places where herds of musk-ox, introduced in the 1970s, concentrate. The bird fauna of relict willow thickets is highly specific and the fish fauna is quite diverse (16 species), but some species in Taymyr Lake (Ozero Taymyr) have been overexploited. This paper provides the first detailed biogeographical description of the Byrranga Mountains in English.

The Xlth Antarctic Treaty Special Consultative Meeting in Viña del Mar, Chile (19 November to 6 December 1990) aired the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties' views on conservation, following the collapse of support for the minerals convention. Almost simultaneously at the United Nations Assembly in New York, the eighth successive annual discussion on Antarctica included the usual critique of the Treaty System's political and legal framework. The conservationist emphasis apparent in 1989 continued in 1990, accompanied by an attack on Antarctic science. Particular emphasis was placed on adverse environmental impacts from the crowding together of scientific stations. Treaty parties countered with their long-standing opposition to UN interference in Treaty matters. Resolutions on Antarctica sought to exclude South Africa from ATS activities and to consider the establishment of a UN international research station. The 1990 discussions showed that the Treaty System at its 30th anniversary fails to enjoy universal support, and contributed to an emerging debate on the merits of Antarctic science.

The art, science and sport of conducting scientific traverses across the Antarctic continent has advanced so rapidly during the past decade that we are making considerable progress towards understanding the main characteristics of that continent and its ice mantle. Many reports of recent work are provisional, so some changes of detail in the following account may eventually prove necessary. Nevertheless, some major features are now well established, such as the great depth of the subglacial floor to the east of the Ross Sea, and the observations that show considerable sections of the rock of East Antarctica† to be above sea level. On the other hand, the past glaciological history of the continent and the state of the present mass balance of the ice sheet still need much more investigation before we can be satisfied with the answers. The continued activity in Antarctica should result in our knowledge of the continent advancing much further during the coming decade.

This note considers the practice of pointing the finger at the map. Using two recent examples from Australia and Norway involving outer continental shelf submissions, it considers why such a bodily gesture might actually be more than a mere gesture. With regard to the polar regions, it is a timely reminder that ceremonies of possession remain important and provides further opportunity to reflect on the embodied and gendered nature of these activities. Being seen is one thing and being cited is another.

To prevent boredom and restlessness during early Arctic and Antarctic over-wintering expeditions, leaders often encouraged ‘cultural’ activities, one of the most successful of which was the production of newspapers. Expedition members contributed poetry, short fiction, and literary criticism as well as scientific articles and accounts of their daily activities. These newspapers provide an important insight into the experiences and attitudes of the men who took part in the expeditions. In some cases, the newspaper would be published on the expedition's return, as a means of publicity, fund-raising, and memorialisation. The most famous example is the South Polar Times, the newspaper produced by Robert Falcon Scott's two expeditions. Other polar newspapers remain unpublished and unexamined. This article focuses on the Adelie Blizzard, the newspaper of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition of 1911–14, led by Douglas Mawson. Despite Mawson's efforts, the Adelie Blizzard was never published, and is rarely discussed in any detail in accounts of the expedition. The aim of this article is to address this neglect, by examining the genesis, production and attempted publication of the Adelie Blizzard.

The insect fauna of Heard Island were investigated on the ChallengerExpedition in 1875 (Kirby 1884); the Deutsche Sudpolar-Expedition in 1902 (VanHöffen 1912); and the Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition in 1951/52(Brown 1964; Gressitt and Temple 1970; Home 1984). With the addition of Lepidoptera in these last reports, six orders of insects were recognised as occurring on Heard Island, the others being Collembola, Coleoptera, Diptera, Siphonaptera, and Mallophaga. The present note reports the addition of a seventh order, Thysanoptera, to the fauna.

During the last two decades the sledging ration used by British antarctic expedition has gradually been standardized and recent minor variations have had little effect on total calorie value. It may therefore be useful to record both the ration and the rationing system adopted by members of the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey at Stonington Island, Graham Land, during the sledging seasons of 1948–50. The ration was in a direct line of descent from that used by the British Graham Land Expedition in 1934–37, and has been evolved for the use of dbg-sledge parties travelling long distances without air support or mechanical vehicles. It provides a balanced diet which has been found to keep a man in good health, as judged by body weight and ability to maintain continuous physical effort for long periods. It may be consumed at varying rates, but the party at Stonington Island always used it at the rate recorded below—27½ oz. per day. Although theration was satisfactory a general feeling of hunger made it necessary to maintain a personal mental discipline in eating neither more nor less than the allotted quantities of each item each day.