Desarrollo de la Antártica

Olav Orhet.'m I NORWEGIA."i ANTARCTIC RESEARCH, PAST AND PRESENT Peninsula in 1894, and Carten Borchgrevin!k, who led the first wintering partyat the continent in 1899. And of course Roald Amundsen, who attaÍned the Soutih Pole in December 1911. Whaling was also now becoming important in the still relatively poor economy of ¡Norway, and in many large districts the revenue from the whaling industry was the main source of income for several decades of t:his century. Sorne Norwegians settled and built up Antarctic activities in other countries, such as Captain Andresen in Chile. Nonvegtan Research in Antarctica The first major Norwegian research project in the Antarctic took place from 1927-31, when Consul Lars Christensen bought and out– fitted a small vessel, "Norvegia", and sent Iher on four seasons of scientific exploration. Duritlg these years Dronning Maud La,nd (Queen Maud ¡Land) was discovered and visited, by landing from aeroplane carried on the ship. and both. Peter 1 ey (Pe ter 1 Island) and Bouveteya (Bouvet Island) were investigated. The latter was visited during each of óhe four years. These expeditions did mostly geologic, marine biolo¡gic, oceanographíc and topographic work. The next major Norwegian research effort carne in 1949-52, wíth the mounting of the Norwegian-British-Swedish expedition whicil wintered for two years at Maudheim in Dronning Maud Land. This was in many ways the first of the modern expeditions. It intío– duced to Antarctíca scientific techniques which now are standard, and it led the way to the spirit of international cooperatíon that found its expression during IGY and with the establishment oí SCAR and t!he ll\ntarctic Treaty. This expedition was 3/4 financed by Norway and led and organized by Norsk Polarinstitutt (The Norwegian IPolar Research ¡Insti tu te) , but with equal number of participants from the three nations. Norway was also active during IGY. with an expedition that wintered for three years at Norway Station, whiah later became SANAE. This expedition was also organized and led by Nors'k Polarinstitutt, but this time wÍth Norwegian members only. After 1960 and until recently, Norway has only sent small summer expeditions to the Antarctic, in most years witJh logistic support by the U.S. Antarctic Research Pro¡gramme. Tthis wOl'k has included geologic, glaciologic, and topographic studies in various parts oí Dronning Maud Land and in the Ellsworth lMountains, glaciologic and meteorologic studies on the Antarctic ¡Plateau, and oceanographic 155