Signy Island

Signy Iceland is a small sub-Antarctic island of South Orkneys. It lies opposite the larger Coronation Island, is 6.5 km long, less than 5 miles wide and rises up to 281 meters above the sea surface. The area is 19 km ². Much of the island is permanently covered with ice. In the summer there are large areas free, overgrown with moss and some grasses, and there are many freshwater pools and lakes.

History

The island appears on a list drawn up by James Weddell map from 1825, then still without a name. In the summer of 1912-13 the Norwegian whalers Paal explored under the command of Captain Petter Sørlle the island. Sørlle named the island after his wife, Signy Sørlle. 1920-21 Norwegian whaling company Tønsbergs Hvalfangeri A / S established a whaling station on Signy, which was used during the summer months of the late 1920s.

In 1947 the United Kingdom established here, the research station Signy station, initially mainly served as a meteorological station. Later it was expanded into one of the most important stages of biological research in the United Kingdom.

Flora and Fauna

The island consists mostly of metamorphic rocks. It is home to a variety of animal and plant life. On the island breed 17 different species of birds, here also is home to three species of seals. In addition to numerous algae and lichens are also two flowering plants: the Antarctic hairgrass ( Deschampsia antarctica) and Antarctic the Perlwurz ( Colobanthus quitensis ).