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National Geographic : 1947 Oct
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o National Geographic Society ,111 I\O(taclO I . A. a. . nutI Bare Rocks and Vivid Lakes Appear-Strange Oasis in a Desert of White THE most surprising discovery of the expedition was a so-called "oasis" just inside the Queen Mary Coast of Wilkes Land by a plane of the West ern Group. Blue and green lakes of open water were scattered among brown, barren rock hills in an area of at least 300 square miles which was entirely free of ice. One of these lakes was large enough to afford landing space for a seaplane. Its crew observed no sign of life except red, blue, and green algae, the microscopic plants which give the lakes their colors. Dipping their hands in the water, the ex plorers found its temperature "comfortable" much warmer than Antarctic ocean water. At the time the oasis was discovered there was considerable speculation as to whether it might not mean a gradual recession of the ice. which eventu ally would clear the greater part of the continent. As yet there is no positive explanation. Some underground source of heat may exist, although no evidence of volcanic or hot spring activity was noted. On the other hand, the phenomenon may be due to prevailing winds which keep an area free of snow and thus prevent ice formation. The bare rocks absorb much heat during the summer of per petual daylight, and the re-radiation of this heat may account for the relative warmth of the water. The area is only a few miles from open water, and its discoverers say it might afford a good land camp site for a future Antarctic expedition. From this coast the slope is gradual to the great Polar Plateau. A few days after this discovery was announced. a similar, but smaller, area was found by another exploring plane of the Western Group about 600 miles to the westward. Here. however, ice was beginning to form over the lakes at the start of the Antarctic autumn. Several other ice-free spots were located by the expedition's planes, but these were all much smaller. VIII
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