The Norwegian–British–Swedish Antarctic Expedition (also known as NBSX or NBSAE) (1949–1952) was the first

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest cont ...

expedition involving an international team of

scientist A scientist is a person who conducts scientific research to advance knowledge in an area of the natural sciences. In classical antiquity, there was no real ancient analog of a modern scientist. Instead, philosophers engaged in the philosop ...

s. The team members came from

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic countries, Nordic c ...

and the British Commonwealth of Nations.

History

The Norwegian–British–Swedish Antarctic Expedition was the first expedition to Antarctica involving an international team of scientists. The expedition was led by

John Schjelderup Giæver John Schjelderup Giæver (31 December 1901 – 9 November 1970) was a Norwegian author and polar researcher. Jónsbú Station in NE Greenland was named after him. Personal life He was born in Tromsø in Troms, Norway. He was the son of la ...

, a Norwegian author and polar researcher. The expedition had the goal of establishing whether climatic fluctuations observed in the Arctic were also occurring in the Antarctic. A base known as Maudheim was established on the

Quar Ice Shelf Quar Ice Shelf is the ice shelf between Cape Norvegia and Sorasen Ridge along the coast of Queen Maud Land. Discovery and Naming It was mapped by the Norwegian-British-Swedish Antarctic Expedition (NBSAE) (1949–1952). The ice shelf was named a ...

along the coast of

Queen Maud Land Queen Maud Land ( no, Dronning Maud Land) is a roughly region of Antarctica claimed by Norway as a dependent territory. It borders the claimed British Antarctic Territory 20° west and the Australian Antarctic Territory 45° east. In addi ...

in February 1950. This expedition laid the groundwork for the following Australian expeditions to Antarctic from 1954 to the early 1960s.

Transportation

The expedition was transported aboard a 600-ton sealer named that was powered by a German

U-boat U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare ro ...

diesel engine. This ship was used in conjunction with a 24,000 ton

whaling Whaling is the process of hunting of whales for their usable products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that became increasingly important in the Industrial Revolution. It was practiced as an organized industr ...

factory ship A factory ship, also known as a fish processing vessel, is a large ocean-going vessel with extensive on-board facilities for processing and freezing caught fish or whales. Modern factory ships are automated and enlarged versions of the earlier wh ...

named ''Thorshovdi''. The larger ship was needed because the ''Norsel'' was too small to carry all the needed equipment and supplies for the Antarctic expedition. In addition to both ships, two light

Auster Auster Aircraft Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer from 1938 to 1961.Willis, issue 122, p.55 History The company began in 1938 at the Britannia Works, Thurmaston near Leicester, England, as Taylorcraft Aeroplanes (England) Limited, ma ...

aircraft intended for reconnaissance were included on the expedition. These were piloted by a five-man RAF team from Britain. The ''Norsel'' made three round-trips to the Antarctic, with subsequent visits accompanied by a Norwegian and a Swedish flying unit to assist with

aerial photography Aerial photography (or airborne imagery) is the taking of photographs from an aircraft or other airborne platforms. When taking motion pictures, it is also known as aerial videography. Platforms for aerial photography include fixed-wing airc ...

Conclusions

The information obtained from the expedition helped with the further study of

glaciology Glaciology (; ) is the scientific study of glaciers, or more generally ice and natural phenomena that involve ice. Glaciology is an interdisciplinary Earth science that integrates geophysics, geology, physical geography, geomorphology, c ...

meteorology Meteorology is a branch of the atmospheric sciences (which include atmospheric chemistry and physics) with a major focus on weather forecasting. The study of meteorology dates back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did no ...

, and

geology Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other Astronomical object, astronomical objects, the features or rock (geology), rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology ...

. It found that the world's "sea-level was principally controlled by the state of the Antarctic ice-sheet." It also improved the understanding of the impact of the Antarctic ice-sheets on the regulation of the world's climate. It also found evidence that suggest a portion of Antarctica (

Dronning Maud Land Queen Maud Land ( no, Dronning Maud Land) is a roughly region of Antarctica claimed by Norway as a dependent territory. It borders the claimed British Antarctic Territory 20° west and the Australian Antarctic Territory 45° east. In a ...

) was once joined to southern Africa. Further scientific studies have also found strong evidence that eastern Antarctica was adjacent to southern Africa until the late

Jurassic The Jurassic ( ) is a geologic period and stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately Mya. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of ...

period.

Personnel

* John Giaever Norwegian, leader of the wintering party * Valter Schytt Swedish, chief glaciologist, second-in-command * Gordon de Quetteville Robin Australian, geophysicist, third-in-command * Nils Jørgen Schumacher Norwegian, chief meteorologist * Gösta Liljequist Swedish, assistant meteorologist * Ernest Frederick Roots Canadian, chief geologist *

Alan Reece Alan Richard Reece (1927-2012) was the owner director of Pearson Engineering Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne. In 2012 his company won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation. Pearson Engineering developed a range of counter-mine rollers that a ...

British, assistant geologist * Charles Swithinbank British, assistant glaciologist * Nils Roer Norwegian, topographic surveyor * Ove Wilson Swedish, medical officer * Bertil Ekström Swedish, mechanical engineer * Egil Rogstad Norwegian, radio operator * Peter Melleby Norwegian, in charge of dogs * Schølberg Nilsen Norwegian, cook Additional members that joined at a later date: * Stig Hallgren * Leslie Quar * John Jelbart * John Snarby * Tom Stobart British, made the official film of the expedition.

References

External links

Norwegian-British-Swedish Antarctic Expedition, 1949-1952

{{DEFAULTSORT:Norwegian-British-Swedish Antarctic Expedition 1949 in science 1949 in Norway 1949 in Sweden 1949 in international relations Antarctic expeditions United Kingdom and the Antarctic 1949 in Antarctica 1950 in Antarctica 1951 in Antarctica 1952 in Antarctica Sweden and the Antarctic Norway and the Antarctic Norway–Sweden relations Sweden–United Kingdom relations Norway–United Kingdom relations Expeditions from Norway Expeditions from Sweden Expeditions from the United Kingdom