William Scoresby Archipelago

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William Scoresby Archipelago is a group of islands which extends northward from the coast just east of William Scoresby Bay, Antarctica. The more important islands in the group are Bertha, Islay, Couling, and the Sheehan Islands. Most of the islands and features in this archipelago were discovered in February 1936 by Discovery Investigations (DI) personnel on the RSS William Scoresby. They named the group after their ship. [1]

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Islands and features

The northernmost island of any note is Farrington Island. 3 kilometres (1.5 nmi) east is a group of small islands called the Klakkane Islands. [2] The Klakkanes were charted and named klakkane (the lumps) by Norwegian cartographers from aerial photographs taken by the Lars Christensen Expedition (LCE) in January 1937. [3] 7 kilometres (4 nmi) south-southeast of Farrington is Couling Island, which is 1.9 kilometres (1 nmi) long. [4] The next significant island is Islay, which is 3.7 kilometres (2 nmi) long and sits 2 kilometres (1 nmi) south of Couling and 2.8 kilometres (1.5 nmi) north of Bertha Island. DI personnel probably named it after Islay, an island in the Hebrides archipelago in Scotland. [5] McDonald Point marks the western end of Islay. [6]

At the southeast side of Islay is a small group called the Sheehan Islands. These were first discovered on February 18, 1931, by the British Australian New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition (BANZARE) under Douglas Mawson. Believing the islands were a set of inland nunataks, he named one of the group Sheehan Nunatak after Sir Harry Sheehan, and BANZARE erroneously charted Sheehan Nunatak as lying behind the coastline. On February 27, 1936, DI personnel discovered the features were actually islands. The islands were more fully mapped by Norwegian cartographers from aerial photographs taken by the LCE in January and February 1937. [7]

Macfie Sound separates Islay from Bertha Island. The sound extends in an east–west direction, and is 1 nautical mile (2 km) wide at its narrowest point. It was named for Lieutenant A.F. Macfie, a chart-maker for DI. [8] Hum Island is a small island in the sound between Islay and Bertha. [9] Bertha Island is 4.6 kilometres (2.5 nmi) long, and lies 1.9 kilometres (1 nmi) south of Islay at the east side of William Scoresby Bay. [10] Warren Island is a small island in William Scoresby Bay, close south of the west end of Bertha Island. [11] Point Appleby marks the western coast of an unnamed island .8 nmi (1.5 km; 0.92 mi) south of Warren. It was charted and named by DI personnel as a point on the eastern shore of the bay, but air photos from the LCE indicated that it was actually a point on a small island near the bay shore. [12]

Nearby islands

The Warnock Islands are a separate group to the north of the William Scoresby Archipelago. Dales Island is farther north than them.

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Fold Island

Fold Island, also known as Foldøya is an offshore island north of Ives Tongue, 11 kilometres (6 nmi) long and 6 kilometres (3 nmi) wide, which, with smaller islands south, separate Stefansson Bay to the west from William Scoresby Bay to the east. This feature was seen by Discovery Investigations (DI) personnel on the RSS William Scoresby in February 1936, who mapped it as part of the mainland. It was determined to be an island and named Foldøya by Norwegian cartographers who charted this area from aerial photographs taken by the Lars Christensen Expedition (LCE) in January–February 1937.

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Dales Island

Dales Island is a small island lying 2 kilometres (1 nmi) north of the Warnock Islands, to the north of the William Scoresby Archipelago. It was discovered and named by Discovery Investigations personnel on the William Scoresby in February 1936.

Patricia Islands

Patricia Islands are three small islands 28 kilometres (15 nmi) southwest of Austnes Point in the west part of Edward VIII Bay. Discovered and named in February 1936 by DI personnel on the William Scoresby. The islands were mapped in greater detail by Norwegian cartographers from air photos taken by the Lars Christensen Expedition, 1936–37. They were visited by an ANARE party under R.G. Dovers in 1954.

Hobbs Islands

The Hobbs Islands are a group of islands 19 kilometres (10 nmi) northeast of William Scoresby Bay, Antarctica. The largest island of this group was discovered on 18 February 1931 by the British Australian New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition under Mawson who thought it to be a cape and called it "Cape Hobbs" for Professor William H. Hobbs. Later exploration by the William Scoresby expedition (1936) and the Lars Christensen Expedition (1936–37) showed it to be part of an island group.

Skarvsnes Foreland is an extensive foreland surmounted by bare rock peaks and indented by several coves, protruding into the east part of Lutzow-Holm Bay, Antarctica. It was first mapped by Norwegian cartographers from air photos taken by the Lars Christensen Expedition (LCE) of 1936–37. Its name means "barren mountain headland." Most other features on the foreland were mapped and named by LCE personnel, with a few others mapped from surveys and air photos by Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE) of 1957–62. Unless otherwise specified, the following features were mapped and named by LCE personnel.

Tilley Nunatak is a bold, rocky outcrop 5 nautical miles (9 km) south of Hobbs Islands, projecting from the coastal ice cliffs eastward of William Scoresby Bay. Discovered in February 1936 by DI personnel on the William Scoresby and named by them for Professor C.E. Tilley, who studied the rock specimens brought back by the expedition.

References

  1. ↑ "William Scoresby Archipelago". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey . Retrieved 2010-08-06.
  2. ↑ "Farrington Island". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2012-03-16.
  3. ↑ "Klakkane Islands". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2013-05-09.
  4. ↑ "Islay". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2012-07-11.
  5. ↑ "Couling Island". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2011-11-29.
  6. ↑ "McDonald Point". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2013-07-15.
  7. ↑ "Sheehan Islands". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
  8. ↑ "Macfie Sound". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2013-07-15.
  9. ↑ "Hum Island". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2012-07-02.
  10. ↑ "Bertha Island". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
  11. ↑ "Warren Island". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
  12. ↑ "Point Appleby". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2011-06-13.

Coordinates: 67°20′S59°45′E / 67.333°S 59.750°E / -67.333; 59.750

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