Geochemical Research in the Antarctic, Past and Future

Since the IGY, geochemical investigations around Syowa Station and in the McMurdo Sound area have been conducted by Japanese geochemists in the fields of limnology, mineralogy, atmospheric chemistry and environmental science. The investigations have essentially aimed at clarifying the chemical characteristics of saline lakes, and at knowing the distribution and sources of evaporites around the lakes. This paper briefly reports the results of the investigations up to the present, and also proposes some future programs for the next 5 years