New Zealand soil and permafrost research Dr Megan Balks, Earth Sciences, University of Waikato, N.Z.

McCraw and Claridge First New Zealand soils work in Ross Sea Region Visited a number of areas – exploratory/descriptive work Soil Map of Taylor Valley (first presented to soils congress, Madison, 1960)

Campbell and Claridge Commenced 1964/65 Studied soils throughout the RSR Established weathering stage concept Shifted focus to human impacts on soils and permafrost in 1990s Published book in 1987 & over 70 papers, basis of NZ Ant soil database.

Recent/current work Paul Augustinus – GPR (high res. 3-D) to determine permafrost and stratigraphy on raised beaches (80 transects). Jan ’05 on delta at New Harbour. (Post glacial uplift, mechanisms of polygon development). Warren Dickenson – Past – Sirius Formation – geochem of waters and diagenic minerals. 3 yrs of Temp data from deep bore-hole at Table Mountain. ‘Jan 05 – resistivity to image ice bodies + drilling old ice and permafrost – Victoria and Beacon Valleys (with Ron Sletten). K123 (Aislabie, Balks, Paetzold, McLeod et al) – impacts of human activities on soils. Soil and permafrost mapping – LGP sites, Wright Valley. Nov. ’05 proposed boreholes with Mauro at Marble Point and Bull Pass., active layer monitoring

Latitudinal Gradient Programme AntarcticaNZ supported Interdisciplinary, international, collaboration goals of: –a. Understanding the complex ecosystems that exist along the Victoria Land coast; and –b. Determining the effects of environmental change on these ecosystems. Expressions of interest currently invited for Darwin Glacier area.