Antarctic Research Centre
| Parent institution | Robert McKay.[2]
Directors
HistoryIn December 1957, geology students Barrie McKelvey and Peter Webb along with biologist Ron Balham conducted an expedition to the then unexplored McMurdo Dry Valleys via the Royal New Zealand Navy Antarctic support ship HMNZS Endeavour. This expedition formed the basic for the annual Victoria University of Wellington Antarctic Expeditions, which continue to the present day. Since this first expedition, over 400 staff and students have travelled to the continent. The Antarctic Research Centre was established in 1972 as a part of the Department of Geology at Victoria University. The institutes first director was Professor Peter Barrett, who remained for 35 years before stepping down from the role in 2007.[4] The centre won the New Zealand Prime Minister's Science Prize in 2020. [5] ResearchResearch conducted at ARC focuses on glacial modeling.[1] Researchers from ARC have studied different factors that impact polar ice, including CO2 levels[6][7] and oscillations in the Earth's orbit.[8][9]
Antarctic ExpeditionsThe ARC conducts annual research explorations, known as the Victoria University of Wellington Antarctic Expeditions (VUWAE), into Antarctica. The first expedition, which explored the McMurdo Dry Valleys, was undertaken on December 30, 1957, by Peter Webb and Barrie McKelvey, two third-year geology students.[4][10] Since then, students and staff have made annual expeditions to conduct research in areas such as glacial history and climate change.[11] Expedition leaders have named a number of features in the area, including Ghent Ridge .
Researchers that have been involved in VUWAEs include Harold Wellman, who discovered the Alpine Fault.[12] Expedition reports have been digitised by the New Zealand Electronic Text Collection.[13] References
41°17′23.97″S 174°46′5.56″E / 41.2899917°S 174.7682111°E
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