Twentieth anniversary of Expéditions Polaires Fran?aises (missions Paul-Emile Victor)

摘要

Summarizes the activities of the EPF, founded by decision of the French Cabinet 27 Feb 1947 to carry out research in the earth and life sciences in polar regions. On its first expeditions, to Greenland in May and to Adelie Land, Antarctica in Nov 1948, the EPF introduced new techniques with motorized tractor convoys, air transport, parachutes and materials now in common use. EPF studies of the Greenland inland ice 1948-53 became international in collaboration with American Armed Forces 1952-58. In 1956 EPF assumed the technical and logistics organization and operational direction of the International Glaciological Expedition to Greenland (EGIG) at the request of the Snow and Ice Commission of the International Association for Scientific Hydrology: Austria, Denmark, France, Germany and Switzerland participated. Its operations, in 1957-60 and 1964-68, utilized several hundred men, air support, tracked vehicles, trailors on runners, sleds, etc. Its winter station, Jarl-Joset Station was constructed of prefabricated panels of a fiberglass-polyester composite material over a cellular core