The Italian ITASE Expedition from D85 to M4 (East Antarctica)

Milan, 25-26 June 2002 / Dipartimento di Scienze Ambiente e Territorio (DISAT), Università di Milano Bicocca, P.zza della Scienza 1, 20126 Milano

As a part of ITASE project (International Trans-Antarctic Scientific Expedition; Mayewski & Goodwin, 1999), between November 2001 and January 2002, the Italian Programma
Nazionale di Ricerche in Antartide made a traverse through Adélie, George V, Oates and
northern Victoria Lands (Fig. l , Tab. 1).
The study aimed to better understand latitudinal and longitudinal gradients along one East-West (D66 - Talos Dome) and two North-South (D85 - D59 and GV7 - Talos Dome - M4) transects, while documenting climatic, atmospheric and surface conditions during the last 200-1000 years in the eastern and north-eastern portions of the Dome C drainage area and in northern Victoria Land.
During the 1998/1999 season members of the Italian Antarctic programme made the first
traverse from Terra Nova Bay to Dome C (Frezzotti & Flora, 2002). The traverse in the eastern Dome C drainage area took place between 20 November 1998 and 16 January 1999, and covered about 1300 km. The traverse team consisted of eight people: three mechanics and five scientists (four Italians and a French guest). During the 2000/2001 season 69 tons of supplies (fuel, food, snow box, etc.) for the 2001/2002 ITASE campaign were delivered from Cape Prud'homme on the forward legs of the transport traverses (IPEV-PNRA) between Dumont d'Urville and Dome C; the ITASE vehicles were delivered from Dome C to D85 on the return legs of the IPEV-PNRA traverses (Patrice Godon officer in charge of the traverse, personal communication).

Frezzotti M., Flora 0. & Urbini S. 1998 The Italian ITASE Expedition from Terra Nova Station to Talos Dome. Terra
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Mayewski P. A., & Goodwin I.D. 1999. Antarctic's role Pursued in Global Climate change, Eos Transactions, 80, 398-
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Antarctica and Greenland ice sheets. Geophysical Journal International, 139,645-656.