South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands#South Sandwich Islands
The South Sandwich Islands are a chain of islands in the subantarctic South Atlantic. The group has politically the British Overseas Territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is, however, also claimed by Argentina. The South Sandwich Islands do not fall because of its geographical location under the Antarctic Treaty and thus not under the status quo provision of Article 4 of the Treaty.
Geography
Overview
The South Sandwich Islands are located within the South Atlantic south-east of South Georgia. They extend as an island arc at the north-eastern and eastern edge of the sandwich plate, which pushes in the area of the island chain in the north- east and east of the South American plate, where the South Sandwich Trench is located. South of the island chain meets the first mentioned plate on the Antarctic Plate.
Almost all the South Sandwich Islands are of volcanic origin. Some are today active volcanoes, such as the active over several years volcano Mount Belinda ( 1370 m) on Montagu Iceland. Because of their location and the sub-Antarctic volcanic landscape, the islands are uninhabited. However, they are home to a large number of seabirds and seals colonies.
From 1976 to 1982 was on the Morrell Island, the permanently manned Argentine research station Corbeta Uruguay. At the same place was built in the summer station Teniente Esquivel of Argentina Refugio in January 1955 which had to be given up a year later because of a volcanic eruption. There and on Zavodovski Iceland today only automatic ( unmanned ) weather stations available.
About 65 kilometers northwest of Zavadovski is the underwater volcanic Protector Shoal, in position 55 ° 54 ' S, 28 ° 6' W - 55.9 - 28.1, with a least depth of 27 meters below sea level. The last eruption took place in 1962.
About 40 kilometers south-west of Morrell Island Vysokaya the bank is on position 59 ° 43 ' S, 27 ° 58' W 59.716666666667 27.966666666667 -.
The Islands
F1 map with all coordinates: OSM, Google and Bing The following table lists the South Sandwich Islands from north to south:
History
The three northernmost islands ( Traversayinseln ) were discovered in 1819 by Russian sailors Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen. Years before, in 1775, the British navigator James Cook had discovered the southern islands. The name of the entire island chain is due to the British Navy Admiral John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich (1718-1792). The addition of Southern was required because James Cook 1778 today Hawaii discovered the islands he was then also called Sandwich Islands.