Staten Island (AGB 5) - Naval Cruise Book

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ROSS SEA EXPEDITION STATEN ISLAND departed McMurdo Sound 19 December to conduct a series of oceanographic tests iii the Ross Sea. Thirty one ocean stations were successfully completed by' 1 January- Seven Scielltists representing the physical, chemical, meteorological, biological, and geological branches ofoceanography, assisted by STATEN ISLAND personnel made the survey, the first such systematic survey to be com- pleted in Antarctic waters, Studies were made on the properties of sea water, such as temperature, salinity, oxygen, and inorganic phosphate content. Water and bottom sediment samples were taken to determine Organic Carbon Cdiitgnt, which will help to determine the marine life this particular region will support. It is interesting to note that marine life is abundant in Antarctic waters and ranges from the microscopic drifting plankton to the blue whales, which are the worlds largest mammals. Meteorologists studied the interaction between the sea and atmosphere, probing for facts concerning the origin of weather. A study of topography of the continental shelf and the character of its sediment may lead to valuable information on the structure of the continent. Streaming astern of STATEN ISLAND was a magnetomcter, an instrument measuring the earth's magnetic field, from which an interpretation of the underlying geologic structure of the ocean floor may be made. Having spent Christmas and New Year's day in tho Ross Sea, ST.-X'l'FlN ISL XND returned to New Zealand on 7 January, bringing back over 300 gallons of sea water samples, taken from i :trying depths down to 6000 feet, for the Study of Carbon 14 content by the Le Monte Geophysical Institute of Columbia University. ,,-, hw g r ,.t. Q47 . , wa.- . - M U . I A ,mtv - . .. 0 - Q --iq... :- A 1 K , ,,-,fi . W-A ......, .-.- A. 'ii 'X- W 'W .Q-if 3-ns- 9 -'lhgt ix 1 Spulling cliffs of white stand out, high, in beauty bold R , a y Mid young ice flees small and stout, die, her 5,5315 hold ,-. -equga,

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, 8 . lr' .a..... U! NEW ZEALAND After spending the weekend of 25-27 November at Melbourne, Australia, the Staten Island crossed the Tasman Sea, rounded the southem end of New Zealand, and arrived at Port Lyttelton on 3 Decem- ber. During this first stop at Lyttelton, the crew of Staten Island was kept busy loading aboard supplies to be taken to NAF Mclfiurdo fphoto, lower leftj. Lyttelton, the main seaport for Christchurch and for the Advance Headquarters of CS. Naval Support Force, Antarctica, is situated within a rim of vol- canic hills. The rugged beauty ofthe harbor later proved to be a welcome sight on rf-turn visits frort the Antarctic. .lfter working hours, rcany of the crew found tirif- to visit Christchurch and to Cf-0 the neighboricg C0-inlrjsiile fupper rightj. Cathedral 4l'iLlfxl'l' frniddlt- rizhti. if tie he-ir: of Chrif-1tf:hurr'h's business -li-Itrif-r., l f--'1r'-+- ri fzif-iiiir landmark and mf-r-tins around fur sailors :isifirf-. Kiwi.- formerl friends among thv- New If--ilsm-'l+-rs. 'vw' e w-.--rw rilvlf- tn visit mrirc- mitljying :ir--fb sm Smit? l'l'1. ?ll, :fi-'lu-iirig Mount Cool-: nnfl tht- niftgnifiw-nf Nrittf-rc XE:--. Thr- ship rc-visits'-fl tim- fllristf-lrurvl. :in--L Ffw- T H- in Jnnunry, for rf-fiuppli. :md r--liwifiorz fills-.u'f,1 W-r 'ir-t trip to the hYll.IlI'l'Ufl. lluriny rlpi- wi--ir, tu-.fi 'uf'-'--+si',-- Hlllfllfl pflrfil-s, f-milillnr' 'mil uf rf-H lr'--A bi ttf!-fzi, avr-- hr-ld nt the l'.5. Navi. ltnll-QI,---l Nl--H5 f'l-ii '1' ll'iri---.-mil -lirport, nnfl were lmth W-ry 4'fllHlv7LlPl . ll fhirrl stop :it Puri l.ytf.o-Item wpi-1 P117 -1i1-'wrt im T lprzl, four days uftvr nrrivril, when the 5l':lfl'li I+! mf! ww -1- -rd--r---l underway to tnkf- up nn iw---in -ftritifm tr nifv- il., for -.-.Q--ul..-r 0l7R0rVM.l0n. Thi' lnfiirrl-nllnn gfzilrii-fl '-L L-- 'i -'fl iw 1+-Ji-Y in tht- evacuation of the l'.9.5. lfflif-to .mil - --rtiy iff--rwfiril. gf 3 Ruseiinn ru-it-ntisr wlus new-il--il lp-'Vlilih-fl r's---livml HLl.9ntlOn. llt'!,ul'nifi1g frurr: this rwfs-au-uk fllilh, li--r' flTl'll participation in De-4-pfre-f-ze '61 -u'fiwiri+-+, the -Liv spf-nt three rlilys Visiting llvllingtlm, 'S--iw ff-'iirml's -'gipzf-il. flower righlj. q .

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RESCUE 81 DELIVERY Isolated Xntarctica communities like this United States-New Zealand scientific station at Cape Hallett, are completely staffed and sell' sustaining. Occasionally though. the going can get tough and assist- ance may be necessary. ST-NTEN ISLAND was called upon to evacuate a Seabee who had suffered a stroke. The big HR-S along with the ship's doctor accomplished the nfisaion in short order. Immediately :iftf-r the Helo settled down on deck the pfitif-nt was xxlileln-il away to the Ship'a sick irq for rw-et and treatment. VI ITIYN ISLXNIW arrived at Mclvlurdo S-wifi-l. irit:irt-tit-si, on 16 December. The iw- P-rv-:ilwr plow-ti hvr may through the thick ww in tlr-1 aouml until sho roavhod a point -eo -- wx nil'-Q from thi- IHS. Naval Air I -ivilxtj.. it this point the ship was an- .-Mir--tl ri- rlw- ivv :mtl -ill tons of supplies tml v'l':i,w ofl'hristxn:w pzicknges were off- lwifl-'1l. Il l'i4lillllll'l frutil lllt' .-Ill' Facility lir:w'.-- our ru flat- ahip in trrivtors and trucks f-v'-img' long! trfiinf of all-ds which wort- uf-ted to rrr1n4p'irt fha- vrtrgu tu thf' station. Thirty wi. uf r?'-- huge of Vhriatrnas packages were ff-r flw- hr lffudlity, the rf-st lining distri- hufell In tht- other ILS. stations in Antarc- tivri. ST X'l'l'fY ISI. NND also rfarrierl mail to 'iinirirlaor I'.F4. we llI'f'fll'Cf'l , the USS GLACIICII, '-.hir-F had prof-r-fic-d it to Mcrlliliirdo Sound. xx 4 xl,