Desarrollo de la Antártica

TRANSPORT AND TOURISM IN ANTARCTIC DEVELOPMENT R. B. Thomson Superintendent, Antarctíc Division, Department of Sdentific and Industrial Re– search, Christchurch, New Zealand Early expIorers to Antarctica were faced with a tedious and hazar– dous voyage of many weeks, even months, to geL to the {rOlen alIld little kn'Ü'wn continent. Radio communication was as yet unknown, thus these men experienced total isolation often cut off {rom the outside world for years before someone came Ioüking flOr them. In these early times transportation within tibe Antarctic contÍnent was aIslO a sIow and hazardous task. Ponies, mules, dogs and men were used to hauI light sIedges over the difficult surfaces that stret– ched for hundreds of miles towards the interior of this inhospitable continent. Often, nature won over man turning 'him baek, sometí– mes destroying him in his tihirst for adventure and scientific know– ledge. During the early part of this century, sailing ships were repIaceu with steam powered vessels which were abIe tO' force their way through the ice more effectiveIy amI so reaeh tne continent in con– siderabIy Iess time. Explorers of tlhis time took strange looking ga– soline powered vehieles with them to transport mem over the icy wastelands. More often than not, however, the wheels and tracks sank into the soft snow and the men had to revert to their older methods for hauling !oupplies and equipment -dogs and themselves. But in the late 1920s a new machine appeared in the Antaretie, the aeroplane, and its suceess lead to the aeeeptanee and develop– ment of the aireraft in Iater years as the best method of transport particularly for the long distanees tü and within Antaretica. ¡Soon after World War n, many nations sent major expeditions to Antarctica and established bases there. Newer and more power– fuI ships were used supported by aircraft with yet another newcomer to the Antaretic scene, the helicopter. Specially built over-snow vehi– eles with wide tracks aislO appeared and were used with moderate 3uccess to transport expIorers to remote areas. The first coordinated onslaught of Antarctica by many nadons oeeurred during the 1. tG. Y. (1957). This new era of Antaretic ex– ploration brought with it many advances in transportation, quicker, safer and more versatile ships, arrcraft, and over-snow vehicles began