Summary
The presence of water, snow and ice in abandoned Antarctic buildings can cause serious problems for their preservation. This is due to mechanical damage from the waters changing state and mass, as well as biological damage from the growth of mould and the corrosion of metals in wet conditions. An experiment at the abandoned Wilkes Station employs a wind-driven venturi system to draw air through a small hut in order to passively and slowly dry the interior over several years. The early results of the project show that ice removal is occurring. System modifications to exclude minor incursions of snow during blizzards could increase the drying rate.
Authors:Ambrose W. Godfrey I.
Publisher: ARC-Nucleart, CEA Grenoble
Published in: 1999
Category 3: Conference paper
Program area: Human Impacts Research
Ambrose W., Godfrey I.
(1999)
The Wilkes site hut-remediation project, Antarctica,
Proceedings of the 7th ICOM-CC Working Group on Wet Organic Archaeological Materials Conference
120-126;