Litchfield Island
Encyclopedia
Litchfield Island is a rocky island 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) long and rising to 50 m (164 ft), lying in Arthur Harbour, 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) south of Norsel Point
, off the southwest coast of Anvers Island
in the Palmer Archipelago
, Antarctica. Litchfield Island is located at 64°46′S 64°06′W.
Litchfield Island was surveyed by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (FIDS) in 1955. It was named by the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-names Committee (UK-APC) for Douglas B. Litchfield of Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (FIDS), general assistant and mountaineer at the Arthur Harbor station in 1955 who helped with the local survey and made numerous soundings through the sea ice
in the vicinity of the island.
The island, together with its littoral zone, possesses an unusually high collection of marine and terrestrial life and is unique amongst the neighboring islands as a breeding place for six species of native birds. It provides an outstanding example of the natural ecological system of the Antarctic Peninsula area. In addition, Litchfield Island possesses rich growths of vegetation and has the most varied topography and the greatest diversity of terrestrial habitats of the islands in Arthur Harbor. For these reasons, it was designated an Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA) in 1975. It is currently known as ASPA 113. The management plan of this ASPA provides a map and a detailed description of the biological values of the island and can be consulted here.
Norsel Point
Norsel Point is a rocky point on the northwest side of Arthur Harbor, on the west end of Amsler Island in the Palmer Archipelago. Norsel Point is located at . Norsel Point was surveyed by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey in 1955...
, off the southwest coast of Anvers Island
Anvers Island
Anvers Island or Antwerp Island or Antwerpen Island or Isla Amberes is a high, mountainous island long, which is the largest feature in the Palmer Archipelago, lying southwest of Brabant Island at the southwestern end of the group. Anvers Island is located at...
in the Palmer Archipelago
Palmer Archipelago
Palmer Archipelago, also known as Antarctic Archipelago, Archipiélago Palmer, Antarktiske Arkipel or Palmer Inseln, is a group of islands off the northwestern coast of the Antarctic Peninsula....
, Antarctica. Litchfield Island is located at 64°46′S 64°06′W.
Litchfield Island was surveyed by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (FIDS) in 1955. It was named by the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-names Committee (UK-APC) for Douglas B. Litchfield of Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (FIDS), general assistant and mountaineer at the Arthur Harbor station in 1955 who helped with the local survey and made numerous soundings through the sea ice
Sea ice
Sea ice is largely formed from seawater that freezes. Because the oceans consist of saltwater, this occurs below the freezing point of pure water, at about -1.8 °C ....
in the vicinity of the island.
The island, together with its littoral zone, possesses an unusually high collection of marine and terrestrial life and is unique amongst the neighboring islands as a breeding place for six species of native birds. It provides an outstanding example of the natural ecological system of the Antarctic Peninsula area. In addition, Litchfield Island possesses rich growths of vegetation and has the most varied topography and the greatest diversity of terrestrial habitats of the islands in Arthur Harbor. For these reasons, it was designated an Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA) in 1975. It is currently known as ASPA 113. The management plan of this ASPA provides a map and a detailed description of the biological values of the island and can be consulted here.
See also
- Composite Antarctic Gazetteer
- List of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic islands
- List of Antarctic islands south of 60° S
- 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