Search results
Captain Robert Falcon Scott CVO (6 June 1868 – c. 29 March 1912) was a British Royal Navy officer and explorer who led two expeditions to the Antarctic regions: the Discovery expedition of 1901–04 and the Terra Nova expedition of 1910–13.
Sep 7, 2024 · Learn about Robert Falcon Scott, the British naval officer and explorer who led the second expedition to reach the South Pole in 1912. Find out about his achievements, challenges, and tragic fate in this article from Britannica.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Ponies, Motor Tractors, and ‘Man-Hauling’
- Scurvy
- Changes of Plan
- Leaking Fuel Cans
- Weather
- GeneratedCaptionsTabForHeroSec
Scott’s cumbersome and complex transport plans were an underlying cause of the disaster. They involved a team of dogs, 19 Manchurian ponies, and three experimental (and expensive) motor sledges. Ponies are unsuited to Antarctica. They suffered in the cold weather, delaying the start of Scott’s journey. Worse still, many of the animals purchased wer...
Another major problem was the fact that Scott’s team’s rations were deficient in various nutrients, such as vitamin C. As my previous researchhas shown, this substance had not yet been discovered and Edwardian understandings of the disease were very different from today. Writer Roland Huntford arguesthat scurvy may have killed Scott and his compani...
On his journey south, Scott made decisions that caused further problems. He had originally planned to travel to the pole with three other men. At the last minute, he took an extra person – Bowers. This madethe tent cramped and increased the time it took to cook meals. It also caused logistical complications, as all the food supplies had been packed...
Antarctica is a desert. Almost all water on the continent is frozen. To get a drink, Scott and his companions had to melt ice and snow on their paraffin-burning stove. Fuel supplies were thus vital to keeping explorers hydrated. To reduce weight, the explorers left much of their fuel in cans in depots on their way to the pole, planning to pick thes...
Despite all these issues, some of Scott’s party may well have survived. One thing sealed their fate: the weather. As the climate scientist Susan Solomon has argued, the polar winter came early in 1912. The explorers experienced far colder temperatures than they were expecting. This made it harder to pull their sledge (as cold snow produces greater ...
Learn how bad decisions, bad luck, and a harsh winter contributed to the fatal expedition of Robert Falcon Scott and his companions in 1912. Explore the evidence and arguments about scurvy, nutrition, and the role of Roald Amundsen.
Learn about Robert Falcon Scott, who led the National Antarctic Expedition of 1901-1904 and died trying to reach the South Pole first. Find out how he planned, funded and faced the challenges of his journey, and what happened to his men and his diary.
Jan 18, 2012 · A century after British explorer Robert Scott reached the South Pole, "incredibly rich," rarely seen pictures give an inside look at the ill-fated expedition.
Jan 17, 2012 · Researchers, explorers and relatives have praised the contribution Captain Robert Falcon Scott made to science. The tributes come on the centenary of Scott's party reaching the South Pole.
Learn about the life and achievements of the British naval officer who led two Antarctic expeditions and died on his way back from the South Pole. Find out how he was beaten by Roald Amundsen, what he discovered about the continent and its wildlife, and how he was honoured after his death.
