Low Island (South Shetland Islands)
Encyclopedia
Low Island or Isla Baja, historical names Jameson Island or Jamesons Island is an island
9 miles (14.5 km) long and 5 miles (8 km) wide, 14 miles (22.5 km) southeast of Smith Island
, in the South Shetland Islands
. The island is located at 63°17′S 62°09′W and is separated from Smith Island by Osmar Strait
. Low Island was so named because of its low elevation
. Low Island was known to sealers
in 1820, and the name Low Island has been established in international usage for 100 years.
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...
9 miles (14.5 km) long and 5 miles (8 km) wide, 14 miles (22.5 km) southeast of Smith Island
Smith Island (South Shetland Islands)
Smith Island is long and wide, lying west of Deception Island in the South Shetland Islands of the British Antarctic Territory. Surface area ....
, in the South Shetland Islands
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...
. The island is located at 63°17′S 62°09′W and is separated from Smith Island by Osmar Strait
Osmar Strait
Osmar Strait is the wide strait in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica between Smith Island to the northwest and Low Island to the southeast.The strait is named after the settlement of Osmar in northeastern Bulgaria.-Location:...
. Low Island was so named because of its low elevation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
. Low Island was known to sealers
Seal hunting
Seal hunting, or sealing, is the personal or commercial hunting of seals. The hunt is currently practiced in five countries: Canada, where most of the world's seal hunting takes place, Namibia, the Danish region of Greenland, Norway and Russia...
in 1820, and the name Low Island has been established in international usage for 100 years.
See also
- Composite Antarctic Gazetteer
- 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...
- South Shetland IslandsSouth Shetland IslandsThe 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...
- Territorial claims in Antarctica
Map
- South Shetland Islands: Smith and Low Islands. Scale 1:150000 topographic map No. 13677. British Antarctic Survey, 2009.