| Adelaide Island |
Article Index for Adelaide |
Website Links For Adelaide Island |
Information AboutAdelaide Island |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT ADELAIDE ISLAND | |
| islands of antarctica | |
|
Station November 2003, looking towards the Antarctic Peninsular]] Adelaide Island was discovered in 1832 by a British expedition under John Biscoe . The island was first surveyed by the French Antarctic Expedition ( 1908 - 1910 ) under Jean-Baptiste Charcot . The source of the name of the island is not known. British Antarctic Survey records state that Charcot named the island "Adelie Land" after the huge number of Adelie Penguin s that lived on its coast (the penguins being named after the wife of Dumont D'Urville ). This in turn was turned into Adelaide Island by the British Graham Land Expedition (1934 -37). It has also been supposed that the island was infact named by Biscoe himself for Queen Adelaide Of England . The Island has 2 Bases on it. The old Adelaide Island base (also known as Base T ) was set up by the Falkland Islands Dependent Survey (FIDS), which became the British Antarctic Survey. The Base was closed due to as unstable skyway and opertaions were moved to the new Rothera Station during 1976 / 1977, this base remains open to this day. The old BAS base was transfered to the Chilean Authorities in 1984, when it was renamed Teniente Luis Carvajal Villaroel Antarctic Base . The station was then used as a summer only station by the Chileans. However the skyway, and 'ramp' to the station from the plateau have all become so unstable, that the Chilean Air Force (FACh) have stopped all there activities there. The Chilean Navy have visited the station almost every summer to ensure it is in good keeping. BAS employees also visit the station suring the winter when access from the plateau is easier. Due to the length that it has been inhabited the island is (by Antarctic standards, very well mapped) SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS |
|
|