King George Island (South Shetland Islands)

Island of the South Shetland Islands

For other uses, see King George Island.

King George Island

Map of King George Island

King George Island

Location in the South Shetland Islands

Show map of South Shetland Islands

King George Island

Location in Antarctica

Show map of Antarctica

Geography
Location| Antarctica
Coordinates| 62°02′S 58°21′W﻿ / ﻿62.033°S 58.350°W﻿ / -62.033; -58.350
Archipelago| South Shetland Islands
Area| 1,150 km2 (440 sq mi)
Length| 95 km (59 mi)
Width| 25 km (15.5 mi)
Administration
Administered under the Antarctic Treaty System
Demographics
Population| around 500[citation needed]

King George Island (Argentinian Spanish: Isla 25 de Mayo, Chilean Spanish: Isla Rey Jorge, Russian: Ватерло́о Vaterloo) is the largest of the South Shetland Islands, lying 120 km (75 miles) off the coast of Antarctica in the Southern Ocean. The island was named after King George III.

## Geography

[edit]

King George Island has three major bays, Maxwell Bay, Admiralty Bay, and King George Bay. Admiralty Bay contains three fjords, and is protected as an Antarctic Specially Managed Area under the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty.[1]

Admiralty Bay

The Fildes Peninsula, 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) long, forms the SW extremity of the island. It was named from association with nearby Fildes Strait by the UK-APC in 1960.

## History

[edit]

Chilean scientists claimed that Amerinds visited the area, citing stone artifacts recovered from bottom-sampling operations in Admiralty Bay;[2] however, the artifacts—two arrowheads—were later found to have been planted.[3][4]

The island was first claimed for Britain on 16 October 1819, formally annexed[5][6][7] by Britain as part of the Falkland Islands Dependencies in 1908, and now as part of the separate British Antarctic Territory. The Island was claimed by Chile in 1940, as part of the Chilean Antarctic Territory. It was also claimed by Argentina in 1943, now as part of Argentine Antarctica, called by the Argentines Isla Veinticinco de Mayo (25 May) in honour of their National Day. The US and Russia do not recognize any Antarctic claim, but have formally reserved their right to claim Antarctic territories for themselves.

The island was discovered and named by the British explorer William Smith in 1819, who named it after the then King, George III.[8] It is approximately 95 km (59 mi) long and 25 km (16 mi) wide with a land area of 1,150 square kilometres (444 sq mi). Over 90% of the island's surface is permanently glaciated.[8] In 1821, 11 men of the sealing vessel Lord Melville survived the winter on the island, the first men to do so in Antarctica.[9]

Chile (like Argentina and the United Kingdom) regards all of the Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands as part of that country's territory; however, the terms of the Antarctic Treaty allow Chile to colonize the Fildes Peninsula without overtly pursuing its territorial claims.[10]

## Ecology

[edit]

Collins Glacier, King George Island

The coastal areas of the island are home to a comparatively diverse selection of animal life, including elephant, Weddell, and leopard seals, and Adelie, chinstrap and gentoo penguins. Several other seabirds, including skuas and southern giant petrel, nest on this island during the summer months.

In 1971, Denis C. Lindsay published Vegetation of the South Shetland Islands, and in doing so was the first professional botanist to outline the flora of King George Island. Only two vascular plants are known to grow on the island - Antarctic hair grass and Antarctic pearlwort. The flora is otherwise dominated by lichens and mosses. Ryszard Ochyra reports in his 1998 publication that there are 61 distinct species of moss found on the island, which is considered rich for the latitude. This makes King George Island "one of the most muscologically diverse areas in the Antarctic".[11]

## Human activity

[edit]

Junk on the shoreline at Bellingshausen Station

### Settlements

[edit]

Construction of China's first antarctic base in January 1985, the Great Wall Station.

Human habitation of King George Island is limited to research stations belonging to Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, South Korea, Peru, Poland, Russia, Uruguay, and the United States.[12] Most of these stations are permanently staffed, carrying out research in areas as diverse as biology, ecology, geology, and palaeontology.

Chilean base Frei and Russian Bellingshausen (on the right)

Base Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva, the Chilean Station on the Fildes Peninsula, is operated as a permanent village with an airstrip (with large hangar and control tower along with other buildings), cafeterias for personnel of its several agencies there, a bank, a post office and comfortable ranch-style family homes with children. The Chinese Great Wall base features an indoor multipurpose room which serves as a full-size basketball court.[citation needed]

In 2004, a Russian Orthodox church, Trinity Church, was opened on the island near Russia's Bellingshausen Station. The church, one of the southernmost in the world and one of the few permanent structures in Antarctica, is permanently staffed by a priest.[citation needed] The first attempted murder in Antarctica occurred on the island in 2018 at Bellingshausen Station.[13]

Point Thomas lighthouse at Arctowski Station is the most southerly lighthouse of the world.[14]

NOAA runs Lenie Base, a seasonal research station for penguin studies on Admiralty Bay. This small station, dubbed Copacabana, operates in the Antarctic summer only, but is used as a survival hut in the winter.[15]

### Tourism

[edit]

In October 2013, American heavy metal band Metallica announced that it would perform a concert sponsored by The Coca-Cola Company at Carlini Station heliport.[16] The concert took place on 8 December 2013.[17]

A small amount of specialised tourist activity also takes place during summer, including an annual marathon, known as the Antarctic marathon.

## Climate

[edit]

The Antarctic Peninsula and its nearby islands are considered to have the mildest living conditions in Antarctica. The island's climate is strongly influenced by the surrounding ocean.[18] Under the Köppen system, it is one of the few locations in Antarctica classified as a tundra climate rather than an ice cap climate.[19] Variation in temperatures are small, with the coldest month, July, averaging −6.5 °C (20.3 °F) and 1.5 °C (34.7 °F) in the warmest month.[20] With only 591.3 hours of sunshine per year, the weather is often unsettled and cloudy throughout the year, with precipitation in the form of snow, rain, and drizzle occurring often.[18] On average, 729 mm of precipitation falls per year.[18]

Climate data for Bellingshausen Station (Collins Harbour,King George Island) (1968–2014)

Month  | Jan  | Feb  | Mar  | Apr  | May  | Jun  | Jul  | Aug  | Sep  | Oct  | Nov  | Dec  | Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)  | 3.3
(37.9)  | 3.3
(37.9)  | 2.1
(35.8)  | 0.2
(32.4)  | −1.5
(29.3)  | −3.1
(26.4)  | −3.8
(25.2)  | −3.6
(25.5)  | −2.0
(28.4)  | −0.9
(30.4)  | 0.4
(32.7)  | 2.0
(35.6)  | −0.3
(31.5)
Daily mean °C (°F)  | 1.5
(34.7)  | 1.5
(34.7)  | 0.4
(32.7)  | −1.7
(28.9)  | −3.6
(25.5)  | −5.6
(21.9)  | −6.5
(20.3)  | −6.2
(20.8)  | −4.4
(24.1)  | −2.6
(27.3)  | −1.1
(30.0)  | 0.4
(32.7)  | −2.3
(27.9)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)  | 0.1
(32.2)  | 0.1
(32.2)  | −1.3
(29.7)  | −3.8
(25.2)  | −6.0
(21.2)  | −8.3
(17.1)  | −9.7
(14.5)  | −9.3
(15.3)  | −7.1
(19.2)  | −4.7
(23.5)  | −2.7
(27.1)  | −1.0
(30.2)  | −4.5
(23.9)
Average precipitation mm (inches)  | 54.4
(2.14)  | 66.4
(2.61)  | 72.1
(2.84)  | 65.6
(2.58)  | 60.6
(2.39)  | 53.4
(2.10)  | 60.5
(2.38)  | 62.1
(2.44)  | 59.8
(2.35)  | 54.6
(2.15)  | 46.7
(1.84)  | 46.0
(1.81)  | 702.2
(27.65)
Average relative humidity (%)  | 87.8  | 88.8  | 88.3  | 88.0  | 88.2  | 87.6  | 88.5  | 88.6  | 89.6  | 88.8  | 88.4  | 88.3  | 88.4
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 89.3  | 66.2  | 54.4  | 28.4  | 13.9  | 3.8  | 9.0  | 28.5  | 48.1  | 70.9  | 83.2  | 95.5  | 591.2
Source: Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute[20]

Climate data for Base Frei (Fildes Bay, King George Island)  Month  | Jan  | Feb  | Mar  | Apr  | May  | Jun  | Jul  | Aug  | Sep  | Oct  | Nov  | Dec  | Year

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Record high °C (°F)  | 13.0
(55.4)  | 9.2
(48.6)  | 8.3
(46.9)  | 5.9
(42.6)  | 4.6
(40.3)  | 4.2
(39.6)  | 5.0
(41.0)  | 3.8
(38.8)  | 4.4
(39.9)  | 4.4
(39.9)  | 6.0
(42.8)  | 8.2
(46.8)  | 13.0
(55.4)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)  | 2.7
(36.9)  | 2.9
(37.2)  | 2.2
(36.0)  | 0.6
(33.1)  | −0.8
(30.6)  | −1.5
(29.3)  | −0.9
(30.4)  | −2.2
(28.0)  | −1.3
(29.7)  | −0.8
(30.6)  | 0.0
(32.0)  | 2.1
(35.8)  | 0.3
(32.5)
Daily mean °C (°F)  | 1.5
(34.7)  | 1.6
(34.9)  | 0.4
(32.7)  | −1.7
(28.9)  | −3.8
(25.2)  | −5.5
(22.1)  | −6.5
(20.3)  | −6.5
(20.3)  | −4.5
(23.9)  | −2.6
(27.3)  | −1.0
(30.2)  | 0.6
(33.1)  | −2.3
(27.9)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)  | 0.3
(32.5)  | 0.6
(33.1)  | −1.2
(29.8)  | −4.8
(23.4)  | −8.2
(17.2)  | −9.4
(15.1)  | −13.2
(8.2)  | −11.3
(11.7)  | −8.0
(17.6)  | −5.6
(21.9)  | −2.8
(27.0)  | −0.3
(31.5)  | −5.3
(22.5)
Record low °C (°F)  | −5.1
(22.8)  | −5.8
(21.6)  | −9.9
(14.2)  | −16.8
(1.8)  | −23.6
(−10.5)  | −24.2
(−11.6)  | −28.5
(−19.3)  | −28.7
(−19.7)  | −23.0
(−9.4)  | −17.0
(1.4)  | −10.7
(12.7)  | −6.8
(19.8)  | −28.7
(−19.7)
Average precipitation mm (inches)  | 53.8
(2.12)  | 52.3
(2.06)  | 52.5
(2.07)  | 46.6
(1.83)  | 31.0
(1.22)  | 29.2
(1.15)  | 32.2
(1.27)  | 34.5
(1.36)  | 42.0
(1.65)  | 47.7
(1.88)  | 41.0
(1.61)  | 30.1
(1.19)  | 492.9
(19.41)
Average relative humidity (%)  | 91  | 89  | 89  | 89  | 88  | 90  | 89  | 88  | 89  | 90  | 89  | 81  | 89
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 83.8  | 71.2  | 57.3  | 23.6  | 8.3  | 1.2  | 3.9  | 15.8  | 44.2  | 93.2  | 104.5  | 98.1  | 605.1
Source: Dirección Meteorológica de Chile (temperature data: 1970–2004, all other 1990–2000)[21]

## See also

[edit]

* Artigas Base
* Bolinder Bluff
* Cockscomb Hill
* Comandante Ferraz Brazilian Antarctic Base
* Composite Antarctic Gazetteer
* Henryk Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station
* Islands of Chile
* List of Antarctic and subantarctic islands
* Mersey Spit
* Plaza Point
* SCAR
* Sherratt Bay
* South Shetland Islands
* Stwosz Icefall
* Subantarctic
* Territorial claims in Antarctica
* Warszawa Dome
* Wawel Hill (Antarctica)
* Wesele Cove

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Review of Admiralty Bay Antarctic Specially Managed". www.admiraltybayasma.aq. Archived from the original on 9 November 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
2. ^ G. Hattersley-Smith (June 1983). "Fuegian Indians in the Falkland Islands". Polar Record. 21 (135). Cambridge University Press: 605–606\. doi:10.1017/S003224740002204X. S2CID 129083566.
3. ^ "Authentication of aboriginal remains in the South Shetland Islands". NASA. 15 October 2012. Archived from the original on 2 January 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2014. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
4. ^ Griffiths, Tom (2007). Slicing the Silence: Voyaging to Antarctica. Harvard University Press. pp. 344–345. ISBN 978-0674026339.
5. ^ Odd Gunnar Skagestad. Norsk Polar Politikk: Hovedtrekk og Utvikslingslinier, 1905–1974. Oslo: Dreyers Forlag, 1975
6. ^ Thorleif Tobias Thorleifsson. Bi-polar international diplomacy: The Sverdrup Islands question, 1902–1930. Archived 4 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine Master of Arts Thesis, Simon Fraser University, 2004.
7. ^ Robert K. Headland, The Island of South Georgia, Cambridge University Press, 1984.
8. ^ a b Campbell, David G. (2002). The Crystal Desert: Summers in Antarctica, p. 4. Houghton-Mifflin Books. ISBN 0-618-21921-8.
9. ^ Mills, William James (2003). Exploring Polar Frontiers: A Historical Encyclopedia, p. 353. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, Inc. ISBN 1-57607-422-6.
10. ^ National Geographic, December 2001
11. ^ Ochyra, Ryszard (1998). The Moss Flora of King George Island, Antarctica. Polish Academy of Sciences, W. Szafer Institute of Botany. ISBN 978-83-85444-60-2. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
12. ^ Celestial, Julie (20 November 2020). "Earthquake swarm with magnitudes up to 6.0 near King George Island, Antarctica". The Watchers. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
13. ^ "Antarctica scientist stabbed colleague for spoiling book endings". 30 October 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
14. ^ ANTARCTICA FROM A-Z geocities.com/antarcticaaz
15. ^ "Image Gallery". Archived from the original on 23 October 2011. Retrieved 8 November 2013.
16. ^ Smith, Aaron (25 October 2013). "Metallica to rock Antarctica in Coke show". cnn.com. Archived from the original on 5 April 2018. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
17. ^ "Enter Snowman: Watch Metallica's Historic Antarctica Concert". spin.com. 23 December 2013. Archived from the original on 5 April 2018. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
18. ^ a b c "Station Bellingshausen". Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute. Archived from the original on 16 April 2004. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
19. ^ Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L. & McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen–Geiger climate classification" (PDF). Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11 (5): 1633–1644\. Bibcode:2007HESS...11.1633P. doi:10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007. ISSN 1027-5606.
20. ^ a b "Bellingshausen Station (89050)". Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute. 4 May 2004. Archived from the original on 15 May 2004. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
21. ^ Cerda, Jorge; Zamora, Monica (2007). "CLIMATOLOGÍA DE LA PENINSULA ANTARTICA Y DE LA BASE PRESIDENTE EDUARDO FREI MONTALVA" (PDF). Climatologica Antartica (in Spanish). Dirección Meteorológica de Chile. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 April 2012. Retrieved 10 May 2013.

## Bibliography

[edit]

* A.G.E. Jones, "Captain William Smith and the Discovery of New South Shetland", Geographical Journal, Vol. 141, No. 3 (November 1975), pp. 445–461
* Alan Gurney, Below the Convergence: Voyages Toward Antarctica, 1699–1839, Penguin Books, New York, 1998
* Revista de la Asociación Geológica Argentina 62 (1): pp. 35–43 Spanish
* E. Serrano. Espacios protegidos y política territorial en las islas Shetland del Sur (Antártida). Boletín de la A.G.E. N.º 31 – 2001, págs. 5–21

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to King George Island.

* The SCAR King George Island GIS Project provides an interactive map of the island.
* Biodiversity at Ardley Island Small place near King George Island, special protected area.
* Report From Antarctica: Countries Maneuver for Potential Future Land Grab

62°02′S 58°21′W﻿ / ﻿62.033°S 58.350°W﻿ / -62.033; -58.350

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