Desolation Island (South Shetland Islands)
Encyclopedia
Desolation Island is one of the minor island
s in the South Shetlands
archipelago, Antarctica situated at the entrance to Hero Bay
, Livingston Island. The island is V-shaped with its northern coast indented by Kozma Cove
. Surface area 3.12 square kilometres (1.2 sq mi).
The island was discovered on 15 October 1819 by Captain William Smith
in the English merchant brig Williams during his second visit to the islands. The anchorage Blythe Bay
at the southeast side of Desolation Island was frequented by the early Nineteenth century English
and American sealers.
, 8.7 km (5.4 mi) west of Williams Point
and 9.7 km (6 mi) north-northeast of Siddons Point
. British mapping in 1820 and 1968, Chilean in 1971, Argentine in 1980, and Bulgarian in 2005 and 2009.
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
s in the South Shetlands
South Shetland Islands
The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands, lying about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, with a total area of . By the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, the Islands' sovereignty is neither recognized nor disputed by the signatories and they are free for use by any signatory for...
archipelago, Antarctica situated at the entrance to Hero Bay
Hero Bay
Hero Bay is a 17 mi wide bay, which indents for 6 mi the north side of Livingston Island between Cape Shirreff and Williams Point, in the South Shetland Islands. The name ‘Blythe Bay’, originally applied to a small bay on the southeast side of Desolation Island on Powell's chart of 1822...
, Livingston Island. The island is V-shaped with its northern coast indented by Kozma Cove
Kozma Cove
Kozma Cove is a 1.8 km wide cove indenting for 1.2 km the north coast of Desolation Island between the two arms of that V-shaped island situated in the entrance to Hero Bay, Livingston Island, Antarctica. The area was frequented by early nineteenth century English and American sealers...
. Surface area 3.12 square kilometres (1.2 sq mi).
The island was discovered on 15 October 1819 by Captain William Smith
William Smith (mariner)
William Smith was the English captain who discovered the South Shetland Islands, an archipelago off the Graham Land in Antarctica....
in the English merchant brig Williams during his second visit to the islands. The anchorage Blythe Bay
Blythe Bay
Blythe Bay is an anchorage at the southeast side of Desolation Island, lying north of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. The bay is bounded by Craggy Island to the northeast, Desolation Island to the northwest, the Miladinovi Islets to the west and Wood Island to the...
at the southeast side of Desolation Island was frequented by the early Nineteenth century English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and American sealers.
Location
The island's midpoint is located at 62°27′27.9"S 60°20′48.3"W, with the island lying 6.9 km (4.3 mi) northwest of Kotis PointKotis Point
Kotis Point is a point on the northwest coast of Varna Peninsula on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica forming the south side of the entrance to Eliseyna Cove...
, 8.7 km (5.4 mi) west of Williams Point
Williams Point
Williams Point is the point forming both the north extremity of Varna Peninsula and the northeast tip of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica...
and 9.7 km (6 mi) north-northeast of Siddons Point
Siddons Point
Siddons Point is a point projecting into the middle of the head of Hero Bay on the north coast of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica...
. British mapping in 1820 and 1968, Chilean in 1971, Argentine in 1980, and Bulgarian in 2005 and 2009.
See also
- Composite Antarctic Gazetteer
- List of Antarctic islands south of 60° S
- Livingston Island
- SCARScientific Committee on Antarctic ResearchThe Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research is an interdisciplinary body of the International Council for Science . It was established in February 1958 to continue the international coordination of Antarctic scientific activities that had begun during the International Geophysical Year of 1957-58...
- Territorial claims in Antarctica
Map
- L.L. Ivanov et al., Antarctica: Livingston Island and Greenwich Island, South Shetland Islands (from English Strait to Morton Strait, with illustrations and ice-cover distribution), 1:100000 scale topographic map, Antarctic Place-names Commission of Bulgaria, Sofia, 2005