Pyramid Island, South Shetland Islands
Encyclopedia
Pyramid Island is a conspicuous, pillar-shaped rocky island rising to 205 m (673 ft) off the north entrance to McFarlane Strait
in the South Shetland Islands
, Antarctica. Its surface area is 9 hectares (22.2 acre). Cone Rock
(62°25′56.9"S 60°06′08.3"W) is rising to 6 m (19.7 ft) 1.33 km (0.826425739744243 mi) south of the island,
2.03 km (1.3 mi) north-northwest of Meade Islands
, 2.8 km (1.7 mi) northeast of Williams Point
and
1.65 km (1 mi) east of Koshava Island
, Zed Islands
. The vicinity of Pyramid Island was visited on 19 February 1819 during the discovery of the South Shetlands by Captain William Smith
in the British brig Williams, and later by early 19th century sealers
.
Both the island and the rock were charted and descriptively named by Discovery Investigations
personnel in 1935.
, Greenwich Island
, 3.36 km (2.1 mi) north by west of Meade Islands, 3.78 km (2.3 mi) north-northeast of Williams Point and 1.76 km (1.1 mi) northeast of Koshava Island, Zed Islands (British mapping in 1820, 1935, 1948 and 1968, Argentine in 1948 and 1954, Chilean in 1971, Spanish in 1991, and Bulgarian in 2005 and 2009).
McFarlane Strait
McFarlane Strait is the 24.5 km long and 3.35 km wide strait lying between Greenwich and Livingston Island, in the South Shetland Islands...
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...
, Antarctica. Its surface area is 9 hectares (22.2 acre). Cone Rock
(62°25′56.9"S 60°06′08.3"W) is rising to 6 m (19.7 ft) 1.33 km (0.826425739744243 mi) south of the island,
2.03 km (1.3 mi) north-northwest of Meade Islands
Meade Islands
Meade Islands is a group of two islands, the larger west one being Zverino Island and the smaller east one Cave Island, and rocks lying in the north entrance to McFarlane Strait in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. Their surface areas are and . respectively...
, 2.8 km (1.7 mi) northeast 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
1.65 km (1 mi) east of Koshava Island
Koshava Island
Koshava Island is the easternmost island in the Zed group off Varna Peninsula, northeastern Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. The island is ice-free, extending . Situated on the west side of the north entrance to McFarlane Strait, northeast of Lesidren Island, and ...
, Zed Islands
Zed Islands
Zed Islands is a small group of islands, the westernmost rising to , lying off the northeast extremity of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica comprising four islands: Esperanto Island, Phanagoria Island, Lesidren Island and Koshava Island...
. The vicinity of Pyramid Island was visited on 19 February 1819 during the discovery of the South Shetlands 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 British brig Williams, and later by early 19th century 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...
.
Both the island and the rock were charted and descriptively named by Discovery Investigations
Discovery Investigations
The Discovery Investigations were a series of scientific cruises and shore-based investigations into the biology of whales in the Southern Ocean. They were funded by the British Colonial Office and organised by the Discovery Committee in London, which was formed in 1918...
personnel in 1935.
Location
Pyramid Island is located at 62°25′09.9"S 60°05′59.2"W which is 4.8 km (3 mi) northwest of Duff PointDuff Point
Duff Point is a point forming the west extremity of Greenwich Island, in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. The name Duffs Straits was applied to McFarlane Strait by James Weddell in 1820-23, after Captain Norwich Duff under whom Weddell served in HMS Espoir in 1814...
, Greenwich Island
Greenwich Island (South Shetland Islands)
Greenwich Island is an island long and from wide, lying between Robert Island and Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands. Surface area...
, 3.36 km (2.1 mi) north by west of Meade Islands, 3.78 km (2.3 mi) north-northeast of Williams Point and 1.76 km (1.1 mi) northeast of Koshava Island, Zed Islands (British mapping in 1820, 1935, 1948 and 1968, Argentine in 1948 and 1954, Chilean in 1971, Spanish in 1991, and Bulgarian in 2005 and 2009).
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...
- Territorial claims in Antarctica
Map
- L.L. Ivanov et al. Antarctica: Livingston Island and Greenwich Island, South Shetland Islands. Scale 1:100000 topographic map. Sofia: Antarctic Place-names Commission of Bulgaria, 2005.