Saddle Point

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Saddle Point ( 53°1′S73°29′E / 53.017°S 73.483°E / -53.017; 73.483 Coordinates: 53°1′S73°29′E / 53.017°S 73.483°E / -53.017; 73.483 ) is a rocky point separating Corinthian Bay and Mechanics Bay on the north coast of Heard Island in the Antarctic.

Geographic coordinate system Coordinate system

A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system that enables every location on Earth to be specified by a set of numbers, letters or symbols. The coordinates are often chosen such that one of the numbers represents a vertical position and two or three of the numbers represent a horizontal position; alternatively, a geographic position may be expressed in a combined three-dimensional Cartesian vector. A common choice of coordinates is latitude, longitude and elevation. To specify a location on a plane requires a map projection.

Corinthian Bay is a bay, which is 3 miles (5 km) wide and recedes 1.5 miles (2.4 km), entered between Rogers Head and Saddle Point on the north coast of Heard Island in the southern Indian Ocean. The name appears on an early chart compiled by American sealers. It was probably given by Captain Erasmus Darwin Rogers, American whaler and sealer, after his vessel Corinthian in which he made the first landing on Heard Island in March 1855. Nearby features include Corinth Head.

Mechanics Bay is a bay, 1 nautical mile (2 km) wide, lying immediately east of Saddle Point on the north coast of Heard Island in the southern Indian Ocean. It was named by American sealers after the schooner Mechanic, a tender to the Corinthian in Captain Erasmus Darwin Rogers' sealing fleet which landed at Heard Island in 1855.

The terminus of Challenger Glacier is located at the eastern side of Corinthian Bay, close west to Saddle Point. [1] To the east of Challenger Glacier is Downes Glacier, whose terminus is located at Mechanics Bay, between Saddle Point and Cape Bidlingmaier.

Glacier terminus

A glacier terminus, toe, or snout, is the end of a glacier at any given point in time. Although glaciers seem motionless to the observer, in reality glaciers are in endless motion and the glacier terminus is always either advancing or retreating. The location of the terminus is often directly related to glacier mass balance, which is based on the amount of snowfall which occurs in the accumulation zone of a glacier, as compared to the amount that is melted in the ablation zone. The position of a glacier terminus is also impacted by localized or regional temperature change over time.

Challenger Glacier glacier in Antarctica

Challenger Glacier is a tidewater glacier on the north side of Heard Island in the southern Indian Ocean. Located 1 nautical mile (2 km) east of Baudissin Glacier, Challenger Glacier is 0.8 nautical miles (1.5 km) wide and flows into the eastern side of Corinthian Bay, close west to Saddle Point. To the east of Challenger Glacier is Downes Glacier, whose terminus is located at Mechanics Bay, between Saddle Point and Cape Bidlingmaier. To the west of Challenger Glacier is Baudissin Glacier, whose terminus is located at the western side of Corinthian Bay, near Sealers Cove.

Downes Glacier glacier in Antarctica

Downes Glacier is a broad tidewater glacier on the north side of Heard Island in the southern Indian Ocean. It flows north on both sides of Cape Bidlingmaier to the north coast of Heard Island. To the east of Downes Glacier is Ealey Glacier, whose terminus is located close southeast of Cape Bidlingmaier. To the west of Downes Glacier is Challenger Glacier, whose terminus is located at the eastern side of Corinthian Bay, close west to Saddle Point. Saddle Point separates Downes Glacier from Challenger Glacier.

Discovery and naming

The name was applied by American sealers at Heard Island following their initiation of sealing there in 1855.

Seal hunting

Seal hunting, or sealing, is the personal or commercial hunting of seals. Seal hunting is currently practiced in nine countries and one region of Denmark: United States, Canada, Namibia, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Finland, Sweden, and Greenland. Most of the world's seal hunting takes place in Canada and Greenland.

Related Research Articles

Falkner Glacier glacier in Antarctica

Falkner Glacier, is an east-flowing valley glacier, 4 nautical miles long, located 2 nautical miles south of Oakley Glacier in the Mountaineer Range, Victoria Land, Antarctica. The glacier descends steeply to Lady Newnes Bay where it forms a floating glacier tongue. It was named by the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (2008) after Kelly K. Falkner, Professor of Chemical Oceanography at Oregon State University, who served from 2006 as the first Program Director for the Antarctic Integrated System Science Program in the Division of Antarctic Sciences, Office of Antarctic Programs, National Science Foundation.

Baudissin Glacier glacier in Antarctica

Baudissin Glacier is a tidewater glacier on the north side of Heard Island. in the southern Indian Ocean. Located 1 nautical mile (1.9 km) west of Challenger Glacier, Baudissin Glacier is 1.5 nautical miles (2.8 km) wide and flows into the western part of Corinthian Bay. The terminus of Baudissin Glacier is located at the western side of Corinthian Bay, at Sealers Cove. To the east of Baudissin Glacier is Challenger Glacier, whose terminus is located at the eastern side of Corinthian Bay, close west to Saddle Point. To the south of Baudissin Glacier is Schmidt Glacier, and to the northwest is Atlas Cove. Kildalkey Head is west of Schmidt Glacier. To the south of Schmidt Glacier is Vahsel Glacier, whose terminus is at South West Bay, between Erratic Point and Cape Gazert. Immediately south of Vahsel Glacier is Allison Glacier. Click here to see a map of Baudissin Glacier and the northwestern coast of Heard Island.

Brown Glacier glacier in Antarctica

Brown Glacier is a glacier just south of Round Hill on the east side of Heard Island in the southern Indian Ocean. Its terminus is at Brown Lagoon. To the northwest of Brown Glacier is Compton Glacier, whose terminus is located at Compton Lagoon, between Gilchrist Beach and Fairchild Beach. To the southeast of Brown Glacier is Stephenson Glacier, whose terminus is located between Dovers Moraine and Stephenson Lagoon.

Stephenson Glacier glacier in Antarctica

Stephenson Glacier is a glacier close west of Dovers Moraine on the east side of Heard Island in the southern Indian Ocean. Its terminus is between Dovers Moraine and Stephenson Lagoon, with part of the glacier flowing to Doppler Hill and Sealers Beach. To the north of Stephenson Glacier is Brown Glacier, whose terminus is located at Brown Lagoon. To the southwest of Stephenson Glacier is Winston Glacier, whose terminus is located at Winston Lagoon, between Cape Lockyer and Oatt Rocks.

Deacock Glacier glacier in Antarctica

Deacock Glacier is a glacier close west of Lavett Bluff on the south side of Heard Island in the southern Indian Ocean. Its terminus is between Cape Labuan and Long Beach. To the east of Deacock Glacier is Fiftyone Glacier, whose terminus is located between Lavett Bluff and Lambeth Bluff. To the west of Deacock Glacier is Gotley Glacier, whose terminus is located between Cape Arkona and Cape Labuan.

Winston Glacier glacier in Antarctica

Winston Glacier is a glacier flowing to Winston Lagoon on the southeast side of Heard Island in the southern Indian Ocean. Its terminus is at Winston Lagoon, between Cape Lockyer and Oatt Rocks. To the northeast of Winston Glacier is Stephenson Glacier, whose terminus is located between Dovers Moraine and Stephenson Lagoon. To the southwest of Winston Glacier is Fiftyone Glacier, whose terminus is located between Lavett Bluff and Lambeth Bluff.

Vahsel Glacier glacier in Antarctica

Vahsel Glacier is a glacier on the northwestern side of Heard Island in the southern Indian Ocean. It flows west into South West Bay, between Erratic Point and Cape Gazert. Immediately to the north of Vahsel Glacier is Schmidt Glacier, whose terminus is located between Mount Drygalski and North West Cornice. To the south of Vahsel Glacier is Allison Glacier, whose terminus is located south of Cape Gazert, which separates Allison Glacier from Vahsel Glacier. Click here to see a map of Vahsel Glacier and the northwestern coast of Heard Island.

Schmidt Glacier (Heard Island and McDonald Islands) glacier in Antarctica

Schmidt Glacier is a glacier, 0.7 nautical miles (1.3 km) long, flowing west from Baudissin Glacier between Mount Drygalski and North West Cornice, on the west side of Heard Island in the southern Indian Ocean. To the north of Schmidt Glacier is Baudissin Glacier, whose terminus is located at the western side of Corinthian Bay, near Sealers Cove. Kildalkey Head is west of Schmidt Glacier. To the south of Schmidt Glacier is Vahsel Glacier, whose terminus is at South West Bay, between Erratic Point and Cape Gazert. Immediately south of Vahsel Glacier is Allison Glacier. Click here to see a map of Schmidt Glacier and the northwestern coast of Heard Island.

Ealey Glacier glacier in Antarctica

Ealey Glacier is a glacier, flowing northeast from the lower slopes of the Big Ben massif to the northeast side of Heard Island in the southern Indian Ocean. Its terminus is located close southeast of Cape Bidlingmaier, between Melbourne Bluff and North Barrier. The glacier terminates in ice cliffs. To the southeast of Ealey Glacier is Compton Glacier, whose terminus is located at Compton Lagoon, between Gilchrist Beach and Fairchild Beach. To the west of Ealey Glacier is Downes Glacier, whose terminus is located at Mechanics Bay, between Saddle Point and Cape Bidlingmaier.

Allison Glacier (Heard Island) glacier in Antarctica

Allison Glacier is an ice stream on the west side of Heard Island in the southern Indian Ocean. Allison Glacier flows from Big Ben massif down to the sea to the south of Cape Gazert. To the north of Allison Glacier is Vahsel Glacier, whose terminus is at South West Bay, between Erratic Point and Cape Gazert. Immediately to the north of Vahsel Glacier is Schmidt Glacier, whose terminus is located between Mount Drygalski and North West Cornice. To the south of Allison Glacier is Abbotsmith Glacier, while Cape Gazert is immediately west.

Cape Bidlingmaier is a rocky cape at the east side of the entrance to Mechanics Bay, on the north side of Heard Island in the southern Indian Ocean. The feature appears to have been known to American sealers as Morgan's Point, as shown by Captain H.C. Chester's 1860 sketch map of the island. The name Negros Head was also in use by American sealers during the 1860–70 period. The name Bidlingmaier was applied by the First German Antarctica Expedition, under Erich von Drygalski, who made a running survey and landing along the north side of the island in 1902. Friedrich Bidlingmaier served as magnetician and meteorologist with the expedition.

Morgan Island is a small island which is the largest feature in a group of islands located 1 nautical mile (2 km) east of Cape Bidlingmaier, off the north side of Heard Island in the Indian Ocean. The island group was charted as extending across "Morgan Bay" on an 1860 sketch map compiled by Captain H.C. Chester, an American sealer, and "Morgan Islands" appears on the 1874 chart and the scientific reports of a British expedition under George Nares in HMS Challenger. Morgan Island was surveyed in 1948 by the Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions, who restricted the name Morgan to the largest feature in the group.

Langskavlen Glacier glacier in Antarctica

Langskavlen Glacier is a short, steep glacier flowing from the north side of Skavlhø Mountain in the Payer Mountains of Queen Maud Land, Antarctica. It was mapped by Norwegian cartographers from surveys and air photos by the Sixth Norwegian Antarctic Expedition (1956–60) and named Langskavlen.

The Heard Island glaciers covered 79 percent of Heard Island itself, in 1947, covering 288 km2; by 1988, this had decreased by 11 percent to 257 km2. The glaciers fall under the Antarctic Environmental Gradient, which spans 30 degrees of latitude and includes a range of macro-climatic zones from cool temperate islands to the frigid and arid Antarctic continent. Glaciers extend from 2745 m to sea level, with ice up to 150 m deep.The geologic movement of the glaciers can appear fast-flowing due to the steep slope and high precipitation, and are particularly sensitive to climatic fluctuations. Measurements between 1947 and 1980 show glacial retreat, particularly on the eastern flanks, is correlated with changes in weather patterns.

Geography of the Heard and McDonald Islands

The geography of the Heard Island and McDonald Islands (HIMI) refers to the geography of Heard Island and the McDonald Islands, one of the most remote places on earth. The islands belong to Australia and are located 4,000 kilometres (2,485.5 mi) southwest of the mainland in the Southern Ocean. These subantarctic islands were transferred to Australia by the United Kingdom in 1947. They lie between Madagascar and Antarctica.

Church Rock is a dark, steeple-like rock, 16 m high, lying at the head of Corinthian Bay opposite the terminus of Baudissin Glacier, off the north side of Heard Island.

References

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates  public domain material from the United States Geological Survey document "Saddle Point" (content from the Geographic Names Information System ).

United States Geological Survey scientific agency of the United States government

The United States Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The organization has four major science disciplines, concerning biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. The USGS is a fact-finding research organization with no regulatory responsibility.

Geographic Names Information System geographical database

The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is a database that contains name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features located throughout the United States of America and its territories. It is a type of gazetteer. GNIS was developed by the United States Geological Survey in cooperation with the United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) to promote the standardization of feature names.