Discovery and Exploration of Antarctica

Campbell Craddock

The continent of Antarctica, some 5,000 mi² in area, lies almost wholly within the Antarctic Circle. Some ancient philosophers and cartographers postulated the existence of a southern landmass, but the concept remained untested for centuries. In 1772-1775, Captain James Cook circumnavigated the continent and crossed the Antarctic Circle, but he sighted no land and concluded that the existence of a continent was unlikely. The first definite sightings of land by American, British, and Russian ships occurred in the Antarctic Peninsula region near 1820. In 1840, parts of the coast were mapped and landings were made by American, British, and French expeditions led, respectively, by Wilkes, Ross, and d'Urville. The first systematic geological field work was conducted by the Borchgrevink expedition in 1899-1900 near Cape Adare, south of New Zealand. During the first years of the present century, major expeditions were led by such men as Nordenskiold, Scott, Shackleton, Amundsen, and Mawson, culminating in the journeys to the South Pole by Amundsen and Scott during the 1911-1912 field season.

The U.S. has sent a number of expeditions to Antarctica during the last 60 years, beginning with the Byrd Expeditions of 1928-1930 and 1933-1935 when aircraft were used extensively and a flight was made to the South Pole. These expeditions were followed by the U.S. Antarctic Service Expedition in 1939-1941. After World War II, U.S. activities resumed with Operation Highjump in 1946-1947, followed the next year by Operation Windmill and the Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition. As late as 1955, most of Antarctica remained poorly known geologically. The International Geophysical Year (IGY) in 1957-1958 led to the building of 48 new stations in Antarctica by 12 nations and marked the beginning of the current period of sustained research. The international Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research and the U.S. Antarctic Research Program were founded in 1958 to encourage organized research in Antarctica after the IGY. Nearly all Antarctic outcrops are now accessible to U.S. geologists through a transport system of icebreaking ships, airplanes with skis, helicopters, and snowmobiles. Great advances in our understanding of the geologic history of Antarctica have occurred during the last three decades.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #91038©1987 AAPG Annual Convention, Los Angeles, California, June 7-10, 1987.