King George Island (South Shetland Islands)
King George Iceland ( German "King George Island " ) is 1150 km ², the largest island in the archipelago of the South Shetland Islands in Antarctica. The archipelago is located between the Southern Ocean and the Bransfield Strait. Argentina calls the island after his National Day, 25 May, Isla 25 de Mayo.
History
William Smith discovered the island on 16 October 1819 and took it for Britain in possession. His landing at Esther Harbor on the northwest tip of the island was also the first landing in Antarctica. Along with Edward Bransfield he returned a short time later back to the island and landed on 22 January at the King George Bay at the southern tip. Here, the island was named in honor of King George III. Bransfield and Smith created in the following years, a first rough map of the island.
On 25 December 1820, the British whaling ship Lady Troubridge was shipwrecked off the coast of the island. Meanwhile, Captain Richard Sherratt made to the rescue of another map of the island. 1821 had eleven whalers from the ship Lord Melville on Esther Harbor winter - the first overwintering in Antarctica. In the years 1876 and 1877 the team of the American whaler Florence had to spend the winter there, but it survived only the mate, who was rescued in 1877 by Francis Allyn.
In March 1874, the island was visited by Eduard Dallmann, and in December 1909 by Jean -Baptiste Charcot. The first accurate maps were made in the 1930s by the crew of the RRS Discovery II.
The first permanent research station was built by Great Britain in the years 1946 to 1957; it was closed in 1961. 1953 Argentina established the Jubany station.
Geography
King George Iceland is located about 120 kilometers off the coast of the Antarctic mainland. The island is 95 km long, up to 25 km wide and reaches a height of 655 Rose Peak meters above the sea. Three large bays in the south of the island shape the appearance, the King George Bay, Admiralty Bay and Maxwell Bay. About 90 % of the island is glaciated.
Research stations
In the ice-free areas of King George Iceland, mainly in the southwest of the island, there are a number of Antarctic research stations.
Are located on the Maxwell Bay to:
- The large open station ( Base Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva, formerly Base Teniente Rodolfo Marsh ) ( Chile). This station has a bank, post office, a souvenir shop, a school and a hospital. In the vicinity are a Chilean Air Force Base and the hotel Estrella Polar.
- The adjacent Bellingshausen Station (Russia).
- The Argentine Jubany station.
In addition, there are more stations of China, South Korea and Uruguay. Germany operates the station of Argentine Affiliate Dallmann Laboratory.
Are located on Admiralty Bay is
- The station Comandante Ferraz (Brazil),
- The Arctowski station ( Poland ), which can be visited by tourists.
- The United States Pieter J. Lenie operate the station near the Polish station.
The nine permanently manned stations have put together a winter crew of around 300
Signpost on the station Presidente Eduardo Frei
Russian Orthodox Church of the Bellingshausen station
Flora and Fauna
On King George Iceland, the two species are flowering plants in the Antarctic: The Antarctic Perlwurz ( Colobanthus quitensis ) and the Antarctic hairgrass ( Deschampsia antarctica). On the island also live several penguin and seal species like the Chinstrap Penguin, of the Southern elephant seal ( Mirounga leonina ) and Antarctic Fur Seal of (Arctocephalus gazella ).
Sources and links
- SCAR King George Iceland Working Group ( English)
- William James Mills: Exploring Polar Frontiers: A Historical Encyclopedia. ABC -CLIO, Santa Barbara 2003, ISBN 1576074234, p 353