Commonwealth Bay

Photo of Commonwealth Bay, which was during the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, was added.

The Commonwealth Bay (English Commonwealth Bay) is a 48 km wide bay in the Antarctic. It is located between Point Alden and Cape Gray. It was discovered in 1912 during the Australasian Antarctic Expedition under Douglas Mawson and was named after the Commonwealth of Australia. After the expedition leader, the base camp of the expedition was named, Mawson 's Huts at the top of the bay at Cape Denison.

Glacier winds

The bay was included in the Guinness Book of Records, as it is the windiest place on earth. With a maximum wind speed of up to 240 km / h and an average wind speed of 80 km / h

The glacier winds are among the katabatic winds, so it is a case of cold wind. About the glacier, the air cools down, compromising their density increases. With the warmer air over the sea it comes to the pressure compensating flow. The air flow is accelerated by the increasing slope of the surface of the ice at Cape Denison. In the summer there are times that are relatively quiet, while the winter storms can be very stable and long lasting, but they may start unexpectedly and end.

Despite the extreme weather conditions, the coast of the Commonwealth Bay is an important breeding area for Antarktiksturmvögel, Emperor and Adelie penguins.