Antarctica, the sixth continent, was discovered more than 160 years ago.
Since then this large, mysterious continent of ice and penguins has
attracted world interest. Scientific expeditions from various countries
have begun to study the geographical and natural conditions of the icy
continent. Systematic and comprehensive inves- tigations in the
Antarctic started in the middle of our century. In 1956 the First Soviet
Antarctic Expedition headed to the coast of Antarctica. Their program
included studies of the atmosphere, hydrosphere and cryosphere. Thirty
years have since passed. Scientists have unveiled many secrets of
Antarctica: significant geophysical processes have been investigated,
and a large body of new information on the Antarctic weather, Southern
Ocean hydrology and Antarctic glaciers has been obtained. We can now
claim that the horizons of polar geo- physics, oceanology, and
particularly glaciology, have expanded. Scientific inves- tigators have
obtained new information about all Antarctic regions and thus have
created the opportunity to use the Antarctic in the interests of
mankind.