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UKHO and HMS Endurance Every year the UKHO provides HMS Endurance with Hydrographic Instructions (H.I.s) that provide the ship with areas that are required to be surveyed and or photographed by air. This year two members of staff from the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) joined HMS Endurance in the Falkland Islands on 7th February 2005. Steve Millard who is a surveyor and geodesist has provided advice and assistance with survey operations; and Richard Hembrow who works in the Imagery section at the UKHO has provided advice and assistance in the acquisition of photography which will be used in the production of nautical publications. Steve and Richard have now experienced the conditions under which Endurance has to perform and now have a greater understanding of the difficulties encountered by the personnel engaged in acquiring survey data and photography. The main survey task during this year’s deployment was at Ardley Cove on King George Island in the South Shetlands. This was completed successfully despite very poor weather conditions. The data obtained will now be sent to the UKHO where it will be used to produce more detailed nautical charts of the area. Other survey tasks included magnetic observations required by the British Geological Survey (BGS) who monitor the earth’s magnetic field. Before deployment Steve and a number of the ships surveyors had been trained by the BGS to make the observations. Magnetic observations were made at Sapper Hill in the Falkland Islands before Endurance headed south for Antarctica. The next set of observations were to be made by Steve; Lt “Spider” Webb (pictured left); and Lt Cdr George Tabeart (pictured right); at Potters Cove on King George Island but despite their stylish protective clothing high winds and driving rain prevented the observations being made. More success was had at the Argentinean Base on Deception Island where not only were successful magnetic observations made but Steve and the rest of the survey team we’re unexpectedly treated to the best steak lunch of the trip by the very hospitable Argentineans. The final survey task of the work period was more magnetic observations (pictured left) at the British Base of Rothera; a stunning location! Richards’ role on board was planning flying sorties for photography. This had to be done at short notice as and when a weather window became available. Photography is obtained by using a photogrammetric camera mounted vertically on the side of a Lynx helicopter. Vertical photography can be used for topographic mapping but the photography the Lynx obtains is used to map the coastline and the outline of low water rock, sandbanks and other drying features and to insert drying heights in the inter-tidal areas. It is also possible to obtain information below the waterline. Under average conditions it is certainly possible to identify and locate dangerous rocks (say with less than 10m of water over them). When the photography is successful it can justifiably be regarded as a quick, efficient and relatively cheap method of gathering data, compared with ground survey methods. This is of particular importance considering the area of Antarctica where little or no adequate large scale mapping exists. Photography is also used for oblique views for use in the compilation of Sailing Directions. Sailing Directions or Pilots amplify charted detail and contain information needed for safe navigation which is not available from Admiralty charts or other Hydrographic publications. Richard’s role has been to task the helicopters daily with desirable photographic views within their operational areas. This season Endurance has been particularly busy in the acquisition of oblique photography in the vicinity of the South Shetlands and the British Antarctic Station of Rothera. These photographs will eventually find their way into the Antarctic Pilot at the next new edition.
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