Edward VII Peninsula
Encyclopedia
King Edward VII Land or King Edward VII Peninsula is a large, ice
-covered peninsula
which forms the northwestern extremity of Marie Byrd Land
. The peninsula projects into the Ross Sea
between Sulzberger Bay
and the northeast corner of the Ross Ice Shelf
, and forms part of the Ross Dependency
. Edward VII Peninsula is defined by the Ross Ice Shelf
on the southwest, Okuma Bay
on the west, and to the east by Sulzberger Bay
and the Saunders Coast
, all essentially on the Ross Sea
/ Southern Ocean
in Antarctica. The northwest extremity of the peninsula is Cape Colbeck
. Edward VII Peninsula is located at 77°40′S 155°00′W.
The western coast is Shirase Coast
. In the north and east the Swinburne Ice Shelf
is located.
Edward VII Peninsula was discovered on January 30, 1902, by the British National Antarctic Expedition (BrNAE) (1901–1904) under Robert Falcon Scott
, who named it King Edward VII Land for King
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
. The coastline was further explored by the Nimrod Expedition
under Ernest Shackleton
in 1908-09, and the first landfall was made by a party of the Japanese Antarctic Expedition
led by Shirase Nobu
in 1912. The region was renamed "Edward VII Peninsula" after the peninsular character of the region was determined by exploration conducted by the Byrd Antarctic Expedition (1933–1935) and the United States Antarctic Service (USAS) Expedition (1939–1941).
Most of the peninsula is within the Ross Dependency
, claimed by New Zealand
(see Territorial claims of Antarctica).
Ice
Ice is water frozen into the solid state. Usually ice is the phase known as ice Ih, which is the most abundant of the varying solid phases on the Earth's surface. It can appear transparent or opaque bluish-white color, depending on the presence of impurities or air inclusions...
-covered peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
which forms the northwestern extremity of Marie Byrd Land
Marie Byrd Land
Marie Byrd Land is the portion of West Antarctica lying east of the Ross Ice Shelf and the Ross Sea and south of the Pacific Ocean, extending eastward approximately to a line between the head of the Ross Ice Shelf and Eights Coast. It stretches between 158°W and 103°24'W...
. The peninsula projects into the Ross Sea
Ross Sea
The Ross Sea is a deep bay of the Southern Ocean in Antarctica between Victoria Land and Marie Byrd Land.-Description:The Ross Sea was discovered by James Ross in 1841. In the west of the Ross Sea is Ross Island with the Mt. Erebus volcano, in the east Roosevelt Island. The southern part is covered...
between Sulzberger Bay
Sulzberger Bay
Sulzberger Bay is a bay between Fisher Island and Vollmer Island, along the coast of King Edward VII Land. Discovered by the Byrd Antarctic Expedition on December 5, 1929, and named by Byrd for Arthur H...
and the northeast corner of the Ross Ice Shelf
Ross Ice Shelf
The Ross Ice Shelf is the largest ice shelf of Antarctica . It is several hundred metres thick. The nearly vertical ice front to the open sea is more than 600 km long, and between 15 and 50 metres high above the water surface...
, and forms part of the Ross Dependency
Ross Dependency
The Ross Dependency is a region of Antarctica defined by a sector originating at the South Pole, passing along longitudes 160° east to 150° west, and terminating at latitude 60° south...
. Edward VII Peninsula is defined by the Ross Ice Shelf
Ross Ice Shelf
The Ross Ice Shelf is the largest ice shelf of Antarctica . It is several hundred metres thick. The nearly vertical ice front to the open sea is more than 600 km long, and between 15 and 50 metres high above the water surface...
on the southwest, Okuma Bay
Okuma Bay
Okuma Bay is a bay located at 77° 50' S 158° 20' W on the Ross Ice Shelf of Antarctica at its juncture with Edward VII Peninsula.It was discovered by the British National Antarctic Expedition under Robert Falcon Scott in 1902. Named by the Japanese Antarctic Expedition led by Lt...
on the west, and to the east by Sulzberger Bay
Sulzberger Bay
Sulzberger Bay is a bay between Fisher Island and Vollmer Island, along the coast of King Edward VII Land. Discovered by the Byrd Antarctic Expedition on December 5, 1929, and named by Byrd for Arthur H...
and the Saunders Coast
Saunders Coast
Saunders Coast is that portion of the coast of Marie Byrd Land between Cape Colbeck and Brennan Point, or between Shirase Coast in the west and Ruppert Coast in the east. It stretches from 158°00'W to 146°31'W. The portion west of 150°W is part of Ross Dependency, while the remaining area is...
, all essentially on the Ross Sea
Ross Sea
The Ross Sea is a deep bay of the Southern Ocean in Antarctica between Victoria Land and Marie Byrd Land.-Description:The Ross Sea was discovered by James Ross in 1841. In the west of the Ross Sea is Ross Island with the Mt. Erebus volcano, in the east Roosevelt Island. The southern part is covered...
/ Southern Ocean
Southern Ocean
The Southern Ocean comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, generally taken to be south of 60°S latitude and encircling Antarctica. It is usually regarded as the fourth-largest of the five principal oceanic divisions...
in Antarctica. The northwest extremity of the peninsula is Cape Colbeck
Cape Colbeck
Cape Colbeck is a prominent ice-covered cape which forms the northwestern extremity of the Edward VII Peninsula and Marie Byrd Land in Antarctica. It was discovered in January 1902 by the British National Antarctic Expedition expedition and named for Captain William Colbeck, Royal Naval Reserve,...
. Edward VII Peninsula is located at 77°40′S 155°00′W.
Shirase Coast
Shirase Coast is the north segment of the relatively ill-defined coast along the east side of Ross Ice Shelf and Ross Sea, lying between the north end of Siple Coast and Cape Colbeck. Named by NZ-APC in 1961 after Lieutenant Nobu Shirase , leader of the Japanese expedition, whose ship Kainan Maru...
. In the north and east the Swinburne Ice Shelf
Swinburne Ice Shelf
Swinburne Ice Shelf , is an ice shelf just north of Edward VII Peninsula and the Alexandra Mountains in the southern part of Sulzberger Bay, Antarctica. The ice shelf is 20 miles long and 5 miles wide and extends from Fisher Island to White Islands. It was photographed from aircraft and mapped by...
is located.
Edward VII Peninsula was discovered on January 30, 1902, by the British National Antarctic Expedition (BrNAE) (1901–1904) under Robert Falcon Scott
Robert Falcon Scott
Captain Robert Falcon Scott, CVO was a Royal Navy officer and explorer who led two expeditions to the Antarctic regions: the Discovery Expedition, 1901–04, and the ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition, 1910–13...
, who named it King Edward VII Land for King
British monarchy
The monarchy of the United Kingdom is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. The present monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, has reigned since 6 February 1952. She and her immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial and representational duties...
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
. The coastline was further explored by the Nimrod Expedition
Nimrod Expedition
The British Antarctic Expedition 1907–09, otherwise known as the Nimrod Expedition, was the first of three expeditions to the Antarctic led by Ernest Shackleton. Its main target, among a range of geographical and scientific objectives, was to be first to the South Pole...
under Ernest Shackleton
Ernest Shackleton
Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton, CVO, OBE was a notable explorer from County Kildare, Ireland, who was one of the principal figures of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration...
in 1908-09, and the first landfall was made by a party of the Japanese Antarctic Expedition
Japanese Antarctic Expedition
The Japanese Antarctic Expedition of 1910–12 was the first exploration of Antarctic territory by an expedition from Japan. Led by army lieutenant Nobu Shirase, its ship Kainan Maru left Tokyo on December 1910, reaching the ice on 26 February 1911 and sailing on into the Ross Sea...
led by Shirase Nobu
Shirase Nobu
was a Japanese army officer who led the Japanese Antarctic Expedition, 1910–12. This expedition explored the coastal area of King Edward VII Land and the eastern part of the Ross Ice Shelf, reaching a latitude of 80°05'S...
in 1912. The region was renamed "Edward VII Peninsula" after the peninsular character of the region was determined by exploration conducted by the Byrd Antarctic Expedition (1933–1935) and the United States Antarctic Service (USAS) Expedition (1939–1941).
Most of the peninsula is within the Ross Dependency
Ross Dependency
The Ross Dependency is a region of Antarctica defined by a sector originating at the South Pole, passing along longitudes 160° east to 150° west, and terminating at latitude 60° south...
, claimed by New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
(see Territorial claims of Antarctica).