Ward Hunt Island
Encyclopedia
Ward Hunt Island is a small, uninhabited island in the Arctic Ocean
, off the north coast of Ellesmere Island
. Its northern cape is one of the northernmost elements of land in Canada
. Only a 17 km stretch of northern coast of Ellesmere Island
around Cape Columbia
is more northerly. The island is 6.5 km (4 mi) long, east to west, and 3.3 km (2.1 mi) wide. The first known sighting was in 1876 by Pelham Aldrich
, a lieutenant with the George Nares
expedition, and named for George Ward Hunt
, First Lord of the Admiralty (1874-1877).
Ward Hunt Island was briefly used as a weather station during the International Geophysical Year
of 1957-58, and since then it has been used as the starting point for a number of attempts to reach the North Pole
, beginning with Ralph Plaisted
in 1968. There is an airstrip and a building on the north shore.
On July 29, 2008, a giant chunk of ice broke away from the shelf on Ward Hunt Island. The new ice island has an area of 35.9 km² (13.9 sq mi). It was the largest fracture of its kind since the nearby Ayles Ice Shelf
-- which measured 66 km² (25.5 sq mi) -- broke away in 2005.
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions...
, off the north coast of Ellesmere Island
Ellesmere Island
Ellesmere Island is part of the Qikiqtaaluk Region of the Canadian territory of Nunavut. Lying within the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, it is considered part of the Queen Elizabeth Islands, with Cape Columbia being the most northerly point of land in Canada...
. Its northern cape is one of the northernmost elements of land in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Only a 17 km stretch of northern coast of Ellesmere Island
Ellesmere Island
Ellesmere Island is part of the Qikiqtaaluk Region of the Canadian territory of Nunavut. Lying within the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, it is considered part of the Queen Elizabeth Islands, with Cape Columbia being the most northerly point of land in Canada...
around Cape Columbia
Cape Columbia
Cape Columbia is the northernmost point of land of Canada, located on Ellesmere Island in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut. It marks the westernmost coastal point of Lincoln Sea in the Arctic Ocean...
is more northerly. The island is 6.5 km (4 mi) long, east to west, and 3.3 km (2.1 mi) wide. The first known sighting was in 1876 by Pelham Aldrich
Pelham Aldrich
Pelham Aldrich CVO was a Royal Navy officer and explorer, who became Admiral Superintendent of Portsmouth Docks.-Biography:...
, a lieutenant with the George Nares
George Nares
Vice-Admiral Sir George Strong Nares KCB FRS was a British naval officer and Arctic explorer. He commanded both the Challenger Expedition and the British Arctic Expedition, and was highly thought of a leader and a scientific explorer...
expedition, and named for George Ward Hunt
George Ward Hunt
George Ward Hunt was a British Conservative Party politician and statesman, Chancellor of the Exchequer and First Lord of the Admiralty in 1st and 2nd ministries of Benjamin Disraeli.-Background:...
, First Lord of the Admiralty (1874-1877).
Ward Hunt Island was briefly used as a weather station during the International Geophysical Year
International Geophysical Year
The International Geophysical Year was an international scientific project that lasted from July 1, 1957, to December 31, 1958. It marked the end of a long period during the Cold War when scientific interchange between East and West was seriously interrupted...
of 1957-58, and since then it has been used as the starting point for a number of attempts to reach the North Pole
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
, beginning with Ralph Plaisted
Ralph Plaisted
Ralph Plaisted and his three companions, Walt Pederson, Gerry Pitzl and Jean-Luc Bombardier, are regarded by most polar authorities to be the first to succeed in a surface traverse across the ice to the North Pole on 19 April 1968, making the first confirmed surface conquest of the Pole.Plaisted...
in 1968. There is an airstrip and a building on the north shore.
On July 29, 2008, a giant chunk of ice broke away from the shelf on Ward Hunt Island. The new ice island has an area of 35.9 km² (13.9 sq mi). It was the largest fracture of its kind since the nearby Ayles Ice Shelf
Ayles Ice Shelf
The Ayles Ice Shelf was one of six major ice shelves in Canada, all located on the northern coast of Ellesmere Island, Nunavut. The ice shelf broke off from the coast on August 13, 2005, forming a giant ice island thick and measuring around by in size . The oldest ice in the ice shelf is...
-- which measured 66 km² (25.5 sq mi) -- broke away in 2005.