First German Antarctica Expedition
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First German Antarctica Expedition (1901 – 1903), was an Antarctica expedition led by Arctic veteran and geology professor Erich von Drygalski in the ship Gauss.
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[edit] Voyage
Drygalski lead the first German South Pole expedition with the ship Gauss to explore the unknown area of Antarctica lying south of the Kerguelen Islands. The expedition started from Kiel in the summer of 1901.
[edit] Expedition
A small party of the expedition was also stationed on the Kerguelen Islands, while the main party proceeded further south. Erich von Drygalski paid a brief call to Heard Island and provided the first comprehensive scientific information on the island's geology, flora and fauna.
Despite being trapped by ice for nearly 14 months until February 1903, the expedition discovered new territory in Antarctica, the Kaiser Wilhelm II Land with the volcano Gaussberg.
Drygalski was the first to use a hot-air balloon in Antarctica.
[edit] Return
The expedition arrived back in Kiel in November 1903. Subsequently, Erich von Drygalski wrote the narrative of the expedition and edited the voluminous scientific data. Between 1905 and 1931, he published the 20 volumes and 2 atlases documenting the expedition.
[edit] See also
[edit] Further reading
Drygalski, E. (1991). The German South Polar Expedition, 1901-3. Erskine Press. ISBN 1-85297-031-6
