Saving the historic huts
In 1996, Professor Roberta Farrell was in Antarctica conducting field work. After a visit to Robert Scott Falcon’s Discovery Hut, she became curious about the conservation of this hut and others built by explorers in the early 20th century.
Inside Antarctica's historic huts
Scientists inside one of Antarctica's historic huts. The wooden huts have survived for over 100 years in Antarctica’s extreme environment, but they are still being damaged by UV light, wind, salt, and the growth of microorganisms such as moulds and soft-rot fungi.
When Roberta learned that no one had studied the causes of the deterioration of the huts and their contents, she asked the question, “How can you conserve when you don’t know the problems?” Roberta became involved with Antarctica New Zealand’s Event K021: Ecosystem functioning of terrestrial microorganisms.
What’s the problem?
The wooden huts have survived for well over 100 years in Antarctica’s extreme environment, but they were being damaged by UV light, wind, salt, and the growth of microorganisms such as moulds and soft-rot fungi.
Roberta is a biochemist and was part of an international research team. She worked with microbiologists, wood chemists, biochemists and molecular biologists to collect data to discover just how the microorganisms that were damaging the huts could survive the sub-zero Antarctic winters. For example, when temperatures rise above 0ºC, ice melt within the huts provided enough moisture for the fungi to grow and reproduce.
Roberta and her students from the University of Waikato and her colleagues from the Universities of Minnesota (USA) and Bath (UK) studied the processes of damage and decay and provided information about conservation treatment.
Visitors to the historic huts
The Antarctic Heritage Trust works to conserve the historic huts and artefacts in the Ross Sea region of Antarctica. The Trust was concerned that if too many people visited the huts, heat from their bodies and moisture from their breath would add to the problem. Roberta and the scientists recorded temperature and relative humidity in the huts before, during and after groups of visitors, and found that the visits had no effect on the hut environment.
Inside Cape Evans Hut
Inside Cape Evans Hut frost can be seen on the walls. Cape Evans is one of Antarctica's historic wooden huts. These huts have survived for over 100 years in Antarctica’s extreme environment, but they are still being damaged by UV light, wind, salt, and the growth of microorganisms such as moulds and soft-rot fungi.
During their research project, and the subject of the PhD thesis of Shona Duncan, Roberta and her colleagues took more than 1,000 samples from within the huts and isolated bacteria and fungi from 724 of them. These are stored in the University of Waikato Antarctic culture collection. The scientists tested some of the fungi from their samples at a range of temperatures (4ºC–25ºC) to determine in what conditions they would grow. They found that all the organisms grew even at 4ºC, and three species produced more new cells at 4ºC than at any other temperature – they were cold adapted and even produced different enzymes to digest the wood depending on the temperature.
The team also found that the historic Antarctic huts contain both introduced and endemic fungi. These organisms are well adapted to survive and reproduce in their harsh environment. Many of them cause decay in the timbers of the huts and in other items, such as boots and clothing, left by the early explorers. This poses a real challenge to people working to conserve the huts for the future.
The work continues
From 2013–2015, the Antarctic Heritage Trust completed a major conservation programme at Discovery Hut – the location that inspired Roberta’s original research. The contents were moved to Scott Base for safe keeping. The old building was repaired and weatherproofed to prevent ice crystals from forming inside, and snow from blowing in and covering the artefacts. The contents – more than 500 artefacts – were conserved and returned to the safer and drier hut conditions.
The Trust has completed similar projects to other historical buildings – along with regular maintenance and monitoring.
Conserving Antarctic artefacts
Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton were early 20th century explorers. Conservators with the Antarctic Heritage Trust look after their wooden huts and the artefacts that were left behind.
Select here to view video transcript, questions for discussion and copyright information.
Nature of Science
Scientists at Scott Base have spent decades looking after the early expedition huts. Early on, it was simply removing snow and ice from the buildings. As technology has progressed, so has the formal restoration work. Data capture of the buildings and artefacts now includes the use of highly sophisticated 3D laser and light scanning technologies.
Explore science data
Data fans and number crunchers can use science data collected by Roberta and Shona. Challenge your students to explain the relationship between temperature and relative humidity, indoors and out. Download the PDF file below of graphs and images from the team working to save Antarctica’s historic huts.
Related content and activity ideas
Antarctica continues to be a drawcard for adventure and science.
The Antarctic Heritage Trust is working to make the old buildings weathertight. Dampness is an issue whether in our homes or in historic huts. Discover why in the article Damp homes and health risks. Then explore the role of moisture in the activity Investigating dampness and mould growth.
We've additional information in the article Antarctica's historic huts.
Useful links
The Ross Sea Heritage Restoration Project includes an annual monitoring and maintenance programme developed by the Antarctic Heritage Trust, read about the 2019–2020 season here.
Read this 2024 paper Sustainable Conservation Solutions in a Hostile Environment: The Historic Huts of Antarctica from the Studies in Conservation journal. It highlights the Antarctic Heritage Trust’s major conservation programme, the Ross Sea Heritage Restoration Project (RSHRP) to conserve and protect the four surviving Ross Sea huts of the Heroic Era (1898–1917).
Read about Discovery Hut and when and how it was used in this Wikipedia article.
