The Icefield Ranges Research Project, 1974

zyxwv zyxwv The Icefield Ranges Research Project, 1974 carried out simultaneously on the experimental subjects, and they are listedbelow. It is hopedfrom these studies,and from those of others, to develop better understanding of acute mountainsickness as well as of the Researchers are braving the Yukonever basic mechanisms of acclimatization to altiearlier in the season for the Icefield Ranges Research Project (IRRP). The fist group tude. There is a possibility that such studies arrived at the IRRP Kluane Lake base camp of healthy individuals exposed to an environ(61"N, 138'30W) on 15 April 1974 and the ment abnormally low in oxygenmayhave last group did not leave until 15 October. important implications for ill persons residing The winters of 1974 and 1975 mark the k t in an environment with normal oxygen conoccasion of the base camp being open year- tent. The long-term objective of HAPS may round for two consecutive years. This innova- therefore be described as the formulation of tion made possible as a result of the appoint- a unified theory of human response to lack ment ofMr. and Mrs.A. Williams as a of oxygen. resident camp-management team, is necessary In pursuit of this objective certain specific scientificallybecause certain meteorological tasks were establishedfor 1974: (1) to measure levelsof aldosterone, renin and cortisols in projects have to be conducted on atwelveblood and urine at frequent intervals during month basis, as discussed below. One hundred and four researchers and their the first seventy-two hours at 9,600 ft (2,900 assistants, representing nearly twenty univer- m) and 17,500 ft (5,300 m) respectively in sities,governmentagencies and institutions, order to acquire data supplementary to that made use of the IRRP facilities, and approxi- previouslyobtained for the fourth through mately 3,300 man-days of accommodation tenth days at high altitude; (2) to record the intake and output of sodium, potassium, and and subsistence were recorded. A number of improvements were made to water by each individual during his stay at the physicalfacilities;a new 24 ft X 12 ft high altitude; (3) to record multiplelead (7.3 m x 3.7 m) utility building is now under electro-encephalograms at frequent intervals construction, and two small trailer units have before and after high altitude is reached, and been installed by the group from the Univer- while ambient air and supplementary oxygen sity of British Columbia as additional labo- is being breathed, and after hyperventilation. the subjectsweregiven Dilantin ratory space for animal behavioural studies. Halfof The two ski-wheelequipped Helio Courier (which alters or stabilizescellmembranes aircraft of the Arctic Institute of North and thus may become important in the treatAmerica performed a total of 173 hours of ment of altitude illness) while the remainder project-support flying, and in addition twenty receivedaplacebo identical in appearance; hours of time of a Jet Ranger and a Hughes (4) to count circulating blood platelets before 400 helicopterwas chartered. Oneof the and during hypoxia in all subjects, including Institute's aircraft, whichwas on lease to scientists given Anturan (a medication which Trans North Turbo Air Limited and was preventsagglutination of these formed eleengaged in commercial and tourist operations, ments and thus may alter susceptibility to (5) to suffered aminoraccident during the field high altitude pulmonaryoedema); season. The largest aircraft ever to land at the measure changes in pulmonary function by to calibrate base camp, aCanadian Forces Hercules trans- the nitrogen-washout method; (9port, was usedin support of the High Altitude the degree of hypoxia by frequent measurement of arterial blood oxygen, carbon dioxide Physiology Studies programme. and pH; (7) to take retinal photographs of all persons at the high altitude laboratory; and High Altitude Physiology Studies(HAPS) to measure the number of formed elements The seventh yearof these studies was safely (8) completed under the direction of C. S. How- and the amount of protein and ketone bodies ton, M.D., of the University of Vermont in urine during hypoxia. In addition, the CollegeofMedicine. A larger and more researchers observed and attempted to allecomprehensive planof activities was however viate clinical manifestations of acute altitude illness when these appeared. Six of the eight attempted than in previous years. The HAPS programme is designed to in- tasks werecompleted in sevensubjects at vestigate systematically the changes in water both 9,600 ft (2,900 m) and at 17,500 ft and electrolyte distribution and in hormone (5,300 m)-additional to control studies at secretionwhichoccur during exposure of 2,600 ft (790 m) either in Edmonton or at human W i g s to conditions of lack of oxygen Kluane Lake and in eight further subjects at high altitudes. In pursuit of this overall at 9,600 ft only. More than 400 blood and objectiveanumber of differenttaskswere urine samples werebrought back for analysis. zyxwvu zyx zyxwvut zyxwv - , zy zyxwvuts zyxwvuts INSTITUTENEWS 83 AND NOTICES The success of a project such as this obviously depends a great deal upon the competence and compatibility of the people involved. In 1974, as a departure from previous practice, the support team were selected more for their interest in medicine and science than for their mountaineering experience,thoughobviously the latter was an important consideration. The scientists came from four different medical centres in Canada and the U.S., and the result was a gooddeal of cross-fertilization of ideas and the introduction of larger perspectives into the research efforts. There were, as well, more physicians present than in the past, and they were therefore able to add to the safety and to the instruction of medical students. The cooperation of the Canadian Forces was once again excellent and indispensable. From the Defence and Civii Institute of EnvironmentalMedicine (DCIEM) HAPS received several st&members, the loan of expensive and critically-importantequipment, and manysupplies. The fifteenvolunteers from the Canadian Forces whoserved as subjectswereoutstanding,beingwell-motivated and cooperative, and also active participants in all aspects of the programme. In continuation of the previous year's pilot project, an intensive five-day training course in ice and snow craft was given by an Alaskan climbing instructor. This was enthusiastically receivedby the volunteers. It is believed that the 1974 data will complete most of the salt, water, and hormone studies(thoughsome more may be done), so that the Project should move on to other less-exploredfields. The most promising Of theseincludemuscularphysiology during acclimatization to high altitude, and changes in, or modification of, the electro-encephalagram which provides at least an approximation of brain activity. Studies of blood platelets and pulmonary function have uncovered new, exciting, and possibly extremely important, evidence concerning the pathologic mechanism in high altitude pulmonary oedema. These will be continued in 1975. Under the Project consideration is being given to what may be a major expansion Of the programme on the basis of the very favourable experience with medical S t u d e n t s obtained in 1974. Because the interest Of the support team stimulated the entire party so much, in selecting it in future preference will be given to medical and biological science students so as to develop with them a series of informal seminars, discussions and projects involvingmads adjustment to various environments, includinghigh altitude. Glacier survey project In 1972 the Institute was awarded funds by the GlaciologyDivision, Department Of the Environment,Ottawa, to undertake an inventory of glaciers in the St. Elias Morntains. This work was continued during 1974 by Messrs, S. G. Collins and R.Ragle. Work on the glacierbasins of the DonjekRiver, Alsek River and Tatshenshini River was completed. To date more than 2,000 glacial features have beenmapped and recorded. They concern glacier size, location and description. The Project is scheduled for completion in 1976. An extensive bibliography of the St. Elias Mountains is in preparation also and now contains more than 1,100 entries. Climatological projects Under the dwection of the Camp Manager, Mr. A. Williams,and Mr. R. Lenton of AINA, Montreal, and as part of aproposedlongrange plan, two pilot climatological projects were initiated in 1974 on behalf of Environment Canada and Parks Canada. Standard and automatic stations wereestablished in the Kluane National Park adjacent to the Slims River and at the 9,000 ft (2,700 m) Divide Station. The year-round meteorological project at Kluane Lake Base was continued in associationwith the Atmosphaic Environment Service, Whitehorse, Y.T. zyxw zyxwvut zyxwvu zyx zyxwvut AINA projects '&e following additional major projects were supported, in part, by AINA Grants-inAid funds: Mount Logan Survey - Dr. G. Holdsworth, EnvironmentCanada Surging Glacier Research - Dr. G. K. C. Clarke and S. Collins,University of British Columbia Population Biology of Small Mammals in the Kluane NationalPark - Dr. C. I. Krebs, University of British Columbia Aspects of Caribou Biology fn the Vicinity of Kluane National Park - Dr. J. B. Theberge and S. Oosenbrug, Universityof Water- 100,Ontario , Operation Yukon 1974: Steele Creek Dr. W. A. Wood - AcILNOWLBWEMENTS The Arctic Institute gratefully acknOW1edges the financial suppolt received by IRRP from the American Geographical Society, Boy Scouts of America, Canadian Department ofIndian and Northern Affairs, Defence and Civil Institute of Environmental Medicine of Canada, the Explorers Club, the U.S. National Institutes of Health, and Parks Canada 84 zyxw zyx zyxwvutsr zyxwvut zyxwvuts INSTITUTE NEWS ANDNOTICES Important in-kind support was likewise received from the Canadian Forces, Atmospheric Environment Service, Whitehorse, Y.T., the Polar Continental Shelf Project, the Government of the Yukon Temtory, the Spilsbury and Tindall Co., and Trans North Turbo Air Limited. K.de la Barre A . Williams Arctic Institute of North America Library Services For eightyears,charges made to authors for reprints havechangedverylittle.Considerable increases in costshave now taken place,however. A simple token of these is the fact that what has up to nowbeen the cost to Arctic of reprints of 20 pages (the normal maximum length of articles) is now the cost of 8-page reprints. Asanecessaryconsequence of this, 100 free reprints will henceforward be available only in the case of papers not exceeding eight printed pages in length. The entitlement to free reprints is,however, nowbeingextended to authors submitting“short papers” (i.e.one’s 1250-2500 words in length). As these are not subject to the same exigencies of space plahning as are full-length papers and so, in general, can be published more quickly, it is hoped that more of them will be submittedto Arctic. zyxwvuts zyx The interlibrary loan service of the Institute’s library will be resumedwitheffect from 1 May. Any inconvenience caused to Members as a result of the unavoidable suspension of the facility is much regretted. Obituary Charges for Arctic Reprints Andrew Thomson, O.B.E. 0893-1974) The many friends and colleagues of Dr. Thornson, former Director of the Canadian Meteorological Service and a Fellow of the Arctic Institute since 1954, will be saddened to hear of his death on 17 October 1974 in Toronto. He was 81. Andrew Thomson was born nearOwen Sound, Ontario, on I8 May 1893. He graduated from the University of Toronto in 1915 in Honours Physics, and later earned a Master’sdegree from the sameinstitution. In 1958, he was awarded an honorary doctorate in science by McGill University. Following a lengthy period abroad, during whichtimeheworked with the Carnegi-e Institute in the United States, and in the South Pacific as director of the geophysical observatory at Apia in Western Samoa, Dr. Thompon returned to Canada in 1931. In January 1932, he was appointed head of the Physics Division of the Meteorological Service of Canada. Despite a reduced budget during the depression years,he was the prime organizer and promoter of Canadian participation in the second International Polar Year. He was alsoresponsible for the organization of a past-graduate course in meteorology at the University of Toronto, whichwasgiven in cooperation with the Meteorological Service of Canada. Shortly after the outbreak of the warin 1939, the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan wasconceived and Dr. Thomson became the main organizer and administrator of the extensivemeteorological programme that was required. For his contributions to the war effort, Dr. Thomson wasawarded the Order of the British Empire in 1948. Following the war, Dr. Thomsonundertook the reorganization of the Canadian MeteorologicalServiceon to apeace-time basis. He wasappointed Controller (later Director) of the MeteorologicalService in 1946.In this capacity, he planned and supervised the installation of the Joint (US.Canada) Arctic Weather Stations, and also promotedCanada’sactive participation in international meteorologicalaffairs. By the time he retired in 1959, Dr. Thomson had presided over a rapid and remarkable period of growth for meteorology in Canada, one during which there were marked advances in climatology, forecasting, research,instrument design, and training methods. Dr. Thomson was a Fellow of the Royal Societyof Canada and of the Institute of Physics of Great Britain. He was also VicePresident of the AmericanMeteorological of the Royal AstroSociety and member a nomicalSociety of Canada, of the Royal Canadian Institute and of the Washington Academy of ScienceJ. A pleasant, kindly man, Andrew Thomson was known for his quick mindand keen intelligence. A unique figure in Canadian meteorology for more than forty years, he was in many ways responsible for the stature the Meteorological Service has attained, both in governmentcirclesandin the public view. R. A . Miller zyx ?