Rodney Marks (astrophysicist)

  Rodney Marks (1968-2000) was an Australian astrophysicist who died from methanol poisoning while working in Antarctica.

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Life and death

Marks was born in Geelong, Australia and educated at the University of Melbourne, later obtaining a Ph.D. from the University of New South Wales.^[1][2]

Marks had wintered over at the South Pole station in 1997-1998, before being employed at the South Pole with the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, working on the Antarctic Submillimetre Telescope and Remote Observatory, a research project for the University of Chicago at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station.^[3] He was engaged to Sonja Wolter, who was overwintering as a maintenance specialist at the base in order to be with him.^[4] Scott-Amundsen Pole Station is run by the National Science Foundation, a United States government agency, although much work is subcontracted to Raytheon’s Polar Services.

On 11 May 2000 Rodney Marks became unwell while walking between the remote observatory and the base. He became increasingly sick over a 36-hour period, three times returning increasingly distressed to the station's doctor. Advice was sought by satellite, but Dr. Marks died on 12 May 2000 with his condition undiagnosed.^[5][6]

The National Science Foundation issued a statement saying that Rodney Marks had "apparently died of natural causes, but the specific cause of death ha[d] yet to be determined".^[1] The exact cause of Marks' death could not be determined until his body was removed from Amundsen-Scott Station and flown off the continent for autopsy.^[7]

Christchurch coroner's investigation

Marks' body was trapped for nearly six months over winter before it could be flown to Christchurch, New Zealand, the base for American activities in Antarctica, for autopsy. Once in New Zealand, a post mortem established that Dr. Marks had died from methanol poisoning.^[8] Both the United States and Australia agreed to a coroners inquest being held in New Zealand.^[9]

Jurisdiction issues in the Antarctic are complicated;^[10] most American operations within Antarctica — including the South Pole base, which is located north of the actual pole — are within the Ross Dependency territory claimed by New Zealand, from where supplies are dispatched. Without accepting New Zealand’s territorial claim, Americans have not questioned application of New Zealand law to their citizens operating in the Antarctic from Operation Deep Freeze's Christchurch base, while in accordance with the Antarctic treaty, New Zealand has not questioned the use of U.S. Marshals in relation to crimes involving only Americans in the Ross Dependency.^[11]

An investigation was undertaken by Detective Senior Sergeant (DSS) Grant Wormald, of the New Zealand Police, at the direction of Richard McElrea, the Christchurch coroner. A formal verdict has yet to be entered; a 2006 series of Coroners Court hearings and statements to the media raises questions from both the police and the Coroner’s Court if Dr. Marks poisoning was intentional. DSS Wormald said, "In my view it is most likely Dr Marks ingested the methanol unknowingly."^[12][13]

Dr. Marks had been a binge drinker, using alcohol to mask his Tourette syndrome. However DSS Wormald stated it was not credible to believe he had accidentally drunk the methanol, when he had ready access to a large supply of alcohol. Dr. Marks had recently entered a new relationship, had nearly completed important academic work and had no financial problems. He had promptly sought treatment for an illness that confused him, and there was no reason to suspect suicidal intent.^[14]

DSS Wormald indicated that Raytheon and the National Science Foundation had not been cooperative.^[13] DSS Wormald stated, regarding the NSF conclusion that Dr. Marks death was from natural causes: "We wanted the results of [the NSF] internal investigation and to get in contact with people who were there to ask them some questions," said Wormald. "They weren't prepared to tell us who was there "... "they have advised that no report exists. To be frank, I think there is more there; there must be",^[13] Wormald said. "I am not entirely satisfied that all relevant information and reports have been disclosed to the New Zealand police or the coroner".^[15]

Having obtained details of the 49 other people at the base at the time, DSS Wormald told a newspaper, "I suspect that there have been people who have thought twice about making contact with us on the basis of their future employment position".^[13] The US Department of Justice also failed to obtain answers from the two organisations, which appeared to have denied jurisdiction.^[13][15][16]

In December 2006 the Christchurch Coroner reconvened the investigation, the results of which were widely reported;^[13][14][16] the coroners hearing in Christchurch was then adjourned indefinitely.^[17] Dr Marks' father thanked the new Zealand police, who he said faced an "arduous task of dealing with people that quite obviously don't want to deal with them".^[14] The case received media attention as the "first South Pole murder",^[15] although there is no evidence that Marks died as the result of the act of another person.^[16] Seven years after the death, the case was again front page news in New Zealand, when documents obtained under America's Freedom of Information Act suggested "diplomatic heat was brought to bear on the NZ inquiry".^[9]

Memorial

Marks Mount, a 2600 metre high mountain in Worcester Range (78o47'S, 160o35'E) is named after Dr Marks. A plaque was erected at the base, and the site of the South pole in January 2001 is marked by a memorial to him, (the glacial ice covering the pole moves around 10 metres per year).^[6][18][19]

Notes

Further reading

• Glanz, James. "Scientist Dies At South Pole Research Site". New York Times. New York, N.Y.: May 17, 2000. p. A.15. Retrieved on 2007-12-07.