Table Of ContentANTARCTIC PENINSULA & TIERRA DEL FUEGO
BALKEMA – Proceedings and Monographs in
Engineering, Water and Earth Sciences
Antarctic Peninsula &
Tierra del Fuego:
100 years of Swedish-Argentine scientific
cooperation at the end of the world
Edited by
Jorge Rabassa & María Laura Borla
Proceedings of “Otto Nordenskjöld’s Antarctic Expedition of 1901–1903
and Swedish Scientists in Patagonia: A Symposium”, held in Buenos Aires,
La Plata and Ushuaia, Argentina, March 2–7, 2003.
LONDON / LEIDEN / NEW YORK / PHILADELPHIA / SINGAPORE
Cover photo information:
“The Otto Nordenskjöld’s Expedition to Antarctic Peninsula, 1901–1903. The wintering party in
front of the hut on Snow Hill, Antarctica, 30th September 1902. From left to right: Bodman,
Jonassen, Nordenskjöld, Ekelöf, Åkerlund and Sobral. Photo: G. Bodman. From the book: Otto
Nordenskjöld & John Gunnar Andersson, et al., “Antarctica: or, Two Years amongst the Ice of the
South Pole” (London: Hurst & Blackett., 1905)”.
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Antarctic Peninsula and Tierra del Fuego : 100 years of Swedish-Argentine scientific cooperation
at the end of the world : proceedings of Otto Nordenskjöld’s Antarctic Expedition of 1901–1903
and Swedish scientists in Patagonia : a symposium held in Buenos Aires, La Plata, and Ushuaia,
Argentina, March 2–7, 2003 / edited by Jorge Rabassa & María Laura Borla.
p. cm.
ISBN-13: 978-0-415-41379-4 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Svenska sydpolar-expeditionen (1901–
1903)–Congresses. 2. Scientific expeditions–Antarctica–Congresses. 3. Antarctica–Discoveryand
exploration–Swedish–Congresses. 4. Antarctica–Discovery and exploration–Argentine–Congresses.
5. Nordenskjöld, Otto, 1869–1928–Travel–Antarctica–Congresses. I. Rabassa, Jorge II. Borla,
María Laura.
G850 1901.S84 A58 2006
919.8´9–dc22
2006028788
ISBN10: 0-415-41379-6 ISBN13: 978-0-415-41379-4
Contents
Preface vii
List of contributors xiii
Part 1 NaturalHistory 1
EDGARDO ROLLERI
The work of Nordic geologists in Argentina 3
JAN LUNDQVIST
Carl Caldenius and other links between the Nordenskjöld expedition and
recent Argentine–Swedish cooperation in Quaternary geology 25
CHRISTIAN HJORT, ÓLAFUR INGÓLFSSON AND
KENT LARSSON
Straddling the Drake Passage: A summary of Otto Nordenskjöld’s and
his geological co-worker’s achievements in Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego and
the Antarctic Peninsula 39
PER HOLMLUND ANDSTIG JONSSON
Swedish glaciological work around the Weddell Sea during the last century 43
MARCELO A. REGUERO ANDZULMA GASPARINI
Late Cretaceous–Early Tertiary marine and terrestrial vertebrates from
James Ross Basin, Antarctic Peninsula: A review 55
ROBERTO C. MENNI ANDLUIS O. LUCIFORA
An appraisal of the report by Einar Lönnberg (1905) on fishes collected by
the Swedish South Polar Expedition 77
INGIBJÖRG S. JÓNSDÓTTIR
Botany during the Swedish Antarctic expedition 1901–1903 83
SUSANA B. DIAZ, GUILLERMO A. DEFERRARI, PAULA
K. VIGLIAROLO, DON W. NELSON, M. CAROLINA CAMILIÓN AND
CLAUDIO E. BRUNAT
Ozone and UV-B irradiances over Antarctica in the last decades 95
OSCAR BIANCIOTTO, LUIS PINEDO, NEMESIO SAN ROMÁN,
ALICIA BLESSIO, EVA MARÍA KOCH ANDCÉSAR B. COSTA
Salt-marsh vegetation as biological indicator of increased solar UV-B
radiation consequence of ozone global depletion 109
MARCELA CIOCCALE ANDJORGE RABASSA
One hundred years ago: The Swedish Expedition to the South Pole
(October 16th, 1901, Göteborg-December 2nd, 1903, Buenos Aires).
Its scientific production and historical implications 119
vi Contents
Part 2 HumanSciences
NOEMÍ M. GIRBAL-BLACHA
Pioneers of scientific cooperation: About memory, oblivion and
representations of the past 133
AANT ELZINGA
South Polar imaginations and geopolitical realities – Contextualising
Otto Nordensjöld’s scientific internationalism and its limits 143
TORGNY NORDIN
Open horizons: A trek through Otto Nordenskjöld’s many landscapes 159
MONIKA SCHILLAT
Pemmican and penguin-breast, but no pie: Daily problems of Polar
explorers during the Heroic Age of Antarctic exploration 169
LISBETH LEWANDER
To remember and restore the Argentine rescuers of the Nordenskjöld
Expedition 1901–1903 179
ERNESTO L. PIANA, MYRIAN R. ALVAREZ ANDNADIA S. RÚA
Sea nomads of the Beagle Channel and surrounding areas 195
Preface
“... The bids started between Bödman and Ekelöf: the
“Antarctic” will come before November 20th or not; a
meal would be paid in the first harbor to be reached.
[November 1902]
(…) As days go by, and the season advances, many
hopes and illusions fall down, but new ones are
forged because the excitement increases.
[December 1902]
(…) Åkerlundh, who was one of those coming from
Seymour Island, told me: “An Argentine vessel has
come, the Captain has been in Stockholm and
Dr Nordenskjlöld says his name is Martín”. It was an
indescriptible moment I have felt but I cannot describe.
What I can say is that in such moment I was proud of
my homeland, I felt proud to be a partner of
those men aboard the “Uruguay”…
[November 8th, 1903]1
An international scientific symposium on the expedition led by Otto Nordenskjöld to
Antarctica in 1901 and the celebration of its centennial was held at the University of
Göteborg, Sweden, on May 10th to 13th, 2001. This meeting was sponsored jointly by the
University of Göteborg and the Royal Society of Arts and Sciences in Göteborg. All papers
and contributions presented in this symposium were published in the book titled
“Antarctic Challenges. Historical and current perspectives on Otto Nordenskjöld’s
Antarctic Expedition, 1901–1903”.2
Otto Nordenskjöld left the harbour of Göteborg on October 16th, 1901, in a vessel
named “Antarctic”, under the command of Captain Carl Larsen, heading to Buenos Aires,
Argentina, where they picked up a young Sub-Lieutenant of the Argentine Navy, José
María Sobral, under a general agreement of scientific and logistic cooperation between
Sweden and Argentina. Thus, the Navy AlférezSobral joined the expedition and became
the first Argentinian to step on Antarctic territories. When no news from the expedition
reached the outer world in more than one year, the authorities noticed something had hap-
pened to the “Antarctic”. Most likely, she had sunk. This possibility made the Government in
Buenos Aires decide to send a rescue ship, the “Uruguay” corvette, under the command of
Captain Julián Irizar, which successfully completed the task on December 2nd, 1903.
These facts inspired one of us (JR), who was participating at the Göteborg symposium
and during a lovely excursion to the Göteborg’s marine surrounding on board the
steamship “Bohuslän”, to propose the organization of a second symposium in Argentina,
as a symbol of continuing the Swedish-Argentine scientific cooperation.
After an unexpected delay due to one of the most serious political and economic crisis in
our country during 2001–2002, the symposium was finally held in Argentina between
viii Preface
March 2nd and March 7th, 2003. This meeting commemorated not only Nordenskjöld’s
expedition but Swedish-Argentine early scientific fieldwork in Patagonia and Antarctica, as
well asthe present status of our knowledge in the natural sciences in the Archipelago of
Tierra del Fuego, the Antarctic Peninsula and the sub-Antarctic seas.
The meeting was sponsored by the Swedish Programme for Social Science Research in
the Polar Regions Center for History of Science, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
(Stockholm, Sweden), the Swedish Embassy in Buenos Aires, the Museo de La Plata, the
Universidad Nacional de La Plata (La Plata) and the Laboratorio de Geología del Cuaternario,
CADIC-CONICET (Ushuaia, Argentina). The event was named “Otto Nordenskjöld’s
Antarctic Expedition of 1901–1903 and Swedish Scientists in Patagonia: A Symposium”and
the activities were developed in the cities of Buenos Aires, La Plata and Ushuaia (Tierra
del Fuego).
The Programme Committee was integrated by Urban Wråkberg (Royal Swedish
Academy of Sciences – Chairman), Jorge Rabassa (CADIC-CONICET, Ushuaia, – Vice
Chairman), Ólafur Ingólfsson (The University Courses on Svalbard, Norway) and Torgny
Nordin (Göteborg University).
The symposium was funded by the Swedish Institute, Stockholm, and the publication of
this book has been possible thanks to a grant by the Bergvall Foundation to Urban
Wråkberg.
A volume of “Abstracts with Programs”, including all papers and oral communications
was edited by Urban Wraakberg and Jorge Rabassa.
This was intended as a series of Swedish-Argentine workshops commemorating Otto
Nordenskjöld’s Antarctic expedition of 1901–1903 and early scientific fieldwork in
Patagonia. Historical reflections were presented as well as research overviews by scientists
active today.
The workshops were organized by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the
Laboratorio de Geología del Cuaternario, CADIC-CONICET, Ushuaia, in co-operation
with the Swedish Embassy in Buenos Aires, the Museo de La Plata, the Universidad
Nacional de La Plata, CONICET, the National Research Council of Argentina, the Armada
Argentina and the Instituto Browniano in Buenos Aires.
Logistic support provided by CADIC, the Austral Research Center of CONICET at
Ushuaia, Museo de La Plata, Armada Argentina Headquarters, and Area Naval Austral of the
Armada Argentina, is deeply acknowledged.
The meetings took place from March 2nd to 7th 2003 in the cities of Buenos Aires, La
Plata and Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina.
The program of activities developed on a very tight schedule. On March 2nd, early in
the morning, the Swedish participants were received in Ezeiza, Buenos Aires International
Airport and transferred to down-town Buenos Aires. In the afternoon, a visit to the
“Uruguay” Corvette, in Buenos Aires docks, an Argentine National Monument and a
museum itself was organized. The visit was guided by Real Admiral (R) Laurio H.
Destéfani, former commander of the ship and a distinguished historian and writer. Adm.
Destéfani offered a commemoration talk about Nordenskjöld’s Expedition and the life of
Alférez José María Sobral.
On March 3rd, the group was transferred by bus to the city of La Plata, capital of the
Province of Buenos Aires, located 60 km south of the Federal District. La Plata is a very
modern city, founded in 1882, based upon a geometrical design following a project by the
French architect and urbanist Pierre Benoit. The Museo de La Plata, in the Paseo del Bosque,
Preface ix
is one of the highlights of the city’s architecture. The Museo is one of the oldest and most
prestigious scientific institutions of Argentina, dedicated to the Natural Sciences and
Anthropology. It is an institute of the Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad
Nacional de La Plata. This Faculty offers today graduate and postgraduate degrees in Geology,
Geochemistry, Geophysics (in collaboration with the University’s Observatory), Biology,
Ecology, Paleontology, Anthropology and Archaeology. The present Natural Sciences
Doctoral Program dates back to 1946. The Museo was founded in 1877, even before the
city itself was founded, by Perito Francisco P. Moreno, a world-wide known naturalist, who
was a personal friend of Otto Nordenskjöld’s and many other Nordic scientists. It hosts very
fine collections in Vertebrate Paleontology and South American Archaeology, among other
materials. The building was designed by a Swedish architect, Mr. Aberg, in the late 1800’s.
In the morning, sessions were opened at the Museo Auditorium. A welcome address was
given by the University and Museum authorities. Then, opening remarks by Dr Urban
Wraakberg, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, and the Swedish Ambassador in Buenos
Aires, Madeleine Ströje-Wilkens, were presented to the audience.
Then, lectures by distinguished Museo invited scholars were offered. Emeritus
Professor Dr Edgardo O. Rolleri referred to “The work of Nordic geologists in Argentina”,
Professor Dr Roberto Menni did so on “Atlantic and Antarctic fishes described by Einar
Lönnberg from the collection of the Swedish South Polar Expedition”, Dr Marcelo Reguero
and Prof. Dr Zulma Gasparini lectured on “Vertebrate Paleontology of James Ross Basin,
Antarctica: 100 years later”, and finally, Prof. Dr Eduardo P. Tonni presented his talk on
“The Paleogene Antarctic Penguins”.
Afterwards, a visit to several of the Museo exhibition rooms was lead by its Director,
Dr Silvia Ametrano.
Before returning to Buenos Aires, the Cathedral was visited. Built in the late 1800’s, La
Plata Cathedral is the largest gothic cathedral outside Europe, and the world largest made
of mud bricks instead of stone, due to the peculiar geological characteristics of the Buenos
Aires Pampas, where the closest rock outcrops to La Plata are located 400 km to the
southwest, elsewhere covered by a thick loess mantle.
Finally, a press conference and reception was offered at the Swedish Embassy in Buenos
Aires.
On March 4th, the participants departed from Aeroparque Jorge Newbery (Buenos
Aires domestic airport) to Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego. Ushuaia, founded in 1884, is the cap-
ital of the Province of Tierra del Fuego, Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur. This is the
newest Argentine province, achieving its present provincial status as recently as 1991. The
permanent population of Ushuaia is currently about 50,000. It is the southernmost city in
the world, at almost lat. 55° S, approximately the latitude Malmö, in southernmost
Sweden. Thus, all of Sweden is located closer to the North Pole, than Ushuaia is relatively
to the South Pole. It is the gate to Antarctica and over 90% of the tourist and logistics ships
going to the Antarctic Peninsula depart from its harbor. It is also the only Argentine city
located on the “other” side of the Andean Cordillera, and the only large human settlement
on the Scotia Plate. The rest of Argentina is placed on the South American Plate. Both
plates are divided by the Magellan Fault, a large, first-order, structural lineation of our
planet, which is closely followed by E-W trending Lago Fagnano.
The Tierra del Fuego National Park was visited in the afternoon. The participants
walked in pristine Nothofagusforests in a formerly glaciated environment, including the
fjord-like morphology of the Beagle Channel and Lago Roca, and watched Subantarctic
