Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

An expedition to the fictional Pole of Cold on Eastern Amund Ringnes Island to search for, document and collect samples of large fossil bones said to have been seen there in 1908 but not reported.  (Lost Dinosaurs of the Pole of Cold.)

Outline
2008 will be the centenary of Dr. Frederick Cook’s unsuccessful attempt to reach the North Pole and his subsequent clandestine journey to Jules Verne’s Pole of Cold. We will search the vicinity of this forgotten pole for the fossilized bones of large animals said to have been seen there by Ahpellah, one of the two Greenlanders who travelled with Cook in 1908-1909. We will also look for a cairn and message left near this location by the lost German Arctic Expedition of 1929-30. The primary goal is to locate large vertebrate fossils on eastern Amund Ringnes Island. In theory, dinosaurs migrated to this area in vast herds each Spring to eat the lush vegetation that grew in the 24 hour daylight of the warm Cretaceous summer. Secondary goals are to examine the coastline for evidence of prior visits by Dr. Cook and the lost German Arctic Expedition, and to mark the location of the Pole of Cold. These goals are compatible and can be pursued concurrently. We will establish a camp close to the unnamed easternmost cape of Amund Ringnes Island. The ridges and valleys running north and south and the coastline to the west will be prospected for fossil bone. The geology is ideal for the preservation of dinosaur fossils, and there are extensive exposures of Cretaceous sandstone, laid down by a large braided river. Research suggests that this is the area where Ahpellah stumbled across what he referred to as the “bones of great animals, turned to stone”. He revealed this in a 1935 conversation with David Haig-Thomas, a British explorer. Haig-Tomas returned a few years later to try to find the fossils, but failed. The cape and adjacent area will also be examined for traces of the German Arctic Expedition lead by H. K. E. Krueger. The hill tops near the cape will be carefully examined for the message cairn that Dr. Krüger should have left there if he continued to follow his standard practice of leaving a message before crossing the sea ice. Ravines and hilltops on the coast to the north will be examined as far inland as time permits. Traces of this expedition were found recently on Axel Heiberg Island but no written record. The find proved that at least two of the three men made it past Amund Ringnes Island. There might be a burial site near the cape as well.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
No dinosaur fossils have ever been found in the most northerly islands of the Canadian High Arctic. Nothing could highlight the scope of climatic change like the discovery that dinosaurs once lived at what has been called the Pole of Cold. This area is now inhabited only by a few of the hardiest plants and animals, but once supported lush vegetation and herds of huge animals. Some the geological formations are only rock because they are largely cemented by ice. Climatic change could unalterably change the landscape; slope failure and changes in drainage could forever erase any trace of previous expeditions, lost or clandestine, and remove any chance of solving the mysteries associated with them.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
This preliminary field work requires no international collaboration. Discovery of polar dinosaur fossils will encourage international collaboration, as might the discovery of important new information related to the fate of the lost German expedition.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
Field work will take place in the Canadian Arctic Islands, on Amund Ringnes Island, north of the community of Resolute.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: 07/08 – 08/08            
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
Fixed wing transport aircraft with off strip landing capability, such as a De Havilland Twin Otter, will be required. It can be shared.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?
Own national polar operator
National agency

We will be applying to the Polar Continental Shelf Project for support.

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE

Is the project a short-term expansion (over the IPY 2007-2008 timeframe) of an existing plan, programme or initiative or is it a new autonomous proposal?


This is a new proposal, which may or may not be supported by Polar Shelf.

How will the project be organised and managed?
The expedition will be self-managed, with communications and logistics coordinated with Polar Shelf.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
Support has or will be requested from the Canadian Geographical Society and the National Geographical Society, both of which publish informative magazines. Papers will be written for scientific and polar journals. Details have not been arranged. A book and internet video are also possibilities.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
Areas searched will be documented with GPS data and photographs, which will be offered to the archives of the Scott Polar Research Institute and the Dr. Frederick A. Cook Society.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
Funding has been or will be requested from Polar Shelf, Canadian Geographic Society and National Geographical Society, to supplement private donations.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
We need two to three weeks in the field. Dr. Dale Russell of North Carolina State University and Dr. Philip Currie of the Royal Tyrell Museum in Alberta, Canada will be apprised of any dinosaur fossils found. Cultural material from previous expeditions will be reported to and delivered to the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre in Yellowknife, NWT.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Mr Randall Osczevski
Defence Research and Development Canada, Toronto
DRDC Toronto
1133 Sheppard Ave. W., PO Box 2000
M3M 3B9
Canada

Tel: 416 635-2056
Mobile: no
Fax: 416 635 2013
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation