Camped outHistoric photo shows aerial view of little-known IGY field campPosted March 30, 2012
The International Geophysical Year ![]() Photo Courtesy: Richard and Charlotte Koch/Antarctic Photo Library
U.S. Navy icebreaker U.S.S. STATEN ISLAND breaks a channel in McMurdo Sound in February 1959.
Lesser known are the small field camps and weather stations used by the U.S. Navy that were located along tractor traverse routes between the main facilities, such as Little Rockford, which is pictured above. The field camp (79°35'S-156°46'W) was established along the Little America V-Byrd tractor trail near the western edge of the Ross Ice Shelf during the 1958-59 summer. The following year it was relocated to the east edge of Marie Byrd Land (79°30'S-147°19'W), and its use was discontinued after the 1964-65 summer. It was named after Rockford, Ill., the hometown of Adm. George Dufek, who was in charge of Operation Deep Freeze, the military mission to support research in Antarctica. The photo, shot on Feb. 6, 1959, was provided by Charlotte Koch, wife of P2V Navy pilot Richard Koch, who served in Antarctica on two separate tours during the late 1950s. It and a number of other historic Antarctic photos Acknowledgements: Thanks to Bill Spindler (www.southpolestation.com |