69-535: Signy Island is a small subantarctic island in the South Orkney Islands of Antarctica . It was named by the Norwegian whaler Petter Sørlle (1884–1933) after his wife, Signy Therese. The island is about 6.5 km (4.0 mi) long and 5 km (3.1 mi) wide and rises to 288 m (945 ft) above sea level. Much of it is permanently covered with ice. The average temperature range
138-463: A carbon sink , absorbing atmospheric carbon dioxide and storing it in solution. If the SAMW temperature increases as a result of climate change , the SAMW will have less capacity to store dissolved carbon dioxide. Research using a computerized climate system model suggests that if atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration were to increase to 860 ppm by the year 2100 (roughly double today's concentration),
207-679: A volcano erupted under Antarctica's ice sheet (based on airborne survey with radar images). The biggest eruption in the last 10,000 years, the volcanic ash was found deposited on the ice surface under the Hudson Mountains , close to Pine Island Glacier . In 2020, a team reported that emperor penguin colonies in Antarctica were nearly 20% more numerous than previously thought, with new discoveries made using satellite mapping technology. The BAS runs an online polar image collection which includes imagery of scientific research at
276-738: A 900-metre gravel runway. During the Antarctic winter, conditions preclude flying and the aircraft return to Canada. The larger Dash 7 undertakes regular shuttle flights between either Port Stanley Airport on the Falkland Islands , or Punta Arenas in Chile, and Rothera. It also operates to and from the ice runway at the Sky Blu base. The smaller Twin Otters are equipped with skis for landing on snow and ice in remote areas, and operate out of
345-466: A cove with a large sea cave in the cliff on the north side of the cove. UK-APC named the cove after David D. Wynn-Williams , BAS microbiologist . The south entrance of Williams Haven is marked by Richard Point, named for Kenneth J. Richard, BAS technician. Deschampsia Point is a point on the northwest side of Signy Island, 0.3 nautical miles (0.6 km) northeast of the Spindrift Rocks. It
414-418: A point called Polynesia Point, named by UK-APC after the factory ship Polynesia. Pinder Gully, named by UK-APC for meteorologist Ronald Pinder, runs into the sea from the bluff. On the west side of the harbor is Rusty Bluff, a prominent cliff rising 225 m (738 ft) to a rounded summit, named for its color and a rusted iron post found on the summit by FIDS. Ice-free Rethval Point, named by UK-APC after
483-416: A recent time period. The glaciers of Laurens Peninsula, whose maximum elevation is only 500 m above sea level, are smaller and shorter than most of the other Heard Island glaciers, and therefore much more sensitive to temperature effects. Accordingly, their total area has decreased by over 30 percent. Jacka Glacier on the east coast of Laurens Peninsula has also demonstrated marked recession since 1955. In
552-409: A return visit in early 1980. Retreat of Heard Island glaciers is most dramatic on the eastern section of the island, where the termini of former tidewater glaciers are now located inland. Glaciers on the northern and western coasts have narrowed significantly, while the area of glaciers and ice caps on Laurens Peninsula have shrunk by 30% – 65%. During the time period between 1947 and 1988,
621-416: A sense of stygian gloom is felt. Immediately to the east is Berry Head, named by DI personnel, which divides Stygian Cove from Tern Cove. The entrance of Tern Cove is blocked by submerged rocks. The cove contains three small islands, and an area near the head dries at low water. It was named by FIDS for the colony of Antarctic terns on the southernmost island in the cove. 0.3 nmi (0.6 km) inland to
690-545: A unique environment, noted for its very high marine productivity , especially for antarctic krill . Because of this, all lands and waters situated south of the Antarctic Convergence are considered to belong to the Antarctic from a climatological , biological and hydrological standpoint. However, the text of the Antarctic Treaty , article VI ("Area covered by Treaty") states: "The provisions of
759-648: Is 0 °C (32 °F) to about −10 °C (14 °F) in winter (i.e. in July). The extremes extend to 12 and −44 °C (53.6 and −47.2 °F). The island is separated from Coronation Island to the north by Normanna Strait , and from Moe Island to the southwest by Fyr Channel . On Signy Island, the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) maintains the Signy Research Station , a scientific station for research in biology . The base
SECTION 10
#1732773042135828-483: Is Cummings Cove, surveyed by DI personnel in 1933 and FIDS personnel in 1947. It was named by UK-APC for FIDS radio operator E. T. Cummings. BAS maintains a scientific hut at Cummings Cove, visited regularly by BAS personnel from Signy Station. It has accommodations for 2 people, with food and fuel for 2 person-months. Bothy Lake, a small lake at the cove's head, was named by UK-APC for this hut, or " bothy ". Twisted Lake, 0.1 nmi (0.2 km) northeast of Cummings Cove,
897-550: Is Lenton Point, named in 1954 by UK-APC for radio operator Ralph A. Lenton of FIDS. Lenton Point marks the west side of Fur Seal Cove, which sits next to Gourlay Peninsula. The cove was named by the UK-APC for the large number of fur seals which frequent the cove and adjacent shore. Inland to the north of Lenton Point is the Hillier Moss, a wet, level, low-lying area, which has several small pools and extensive moss carpets. It
966-523: Is also well documented. Many subantarctic glaciers are also in retreat. Mass balance is significantly negative on many glaciers on Kergeulen Island, Heard Island, South Georgia and Bouvet Island. Heard Island is a heavily glacierized, subantarctic volcanic island located in the Southern Ocean , roughly 4000 kilometers southwest of Australia . 80% of the island is covered in ice, with glaciers descending from 2400 meters to sea level . Due to
1035-411: Is an irregularly-shaped ice-free peninsula , which is 0.1 nautical miles (0.2 km) wide at its base and widens to 0.4 nautical miles (0.7 km), forming the southeastern extremity of Signy Island. The seaward end of the peninsula divides into three arms. It was surveyed in 1933 by DI personnel, and resurveyed in 1947 by FIDS. Pantomime Point is the northernmost of the three points, and Pageant Point
1104-498: Is characterized by tundra, permafrost , and volcanoes . These islands are situated close to or south of the Antarctic Convergence, but north of 60° S latitude (the continental limit according to the Antarctic Treaty). Therefore, although some are located south of the Antarctic Convergence, they should still be considered as subantarctic islands by virtue of their location north of 60° S. At between 60° – 69° south of
1173-460: Is closest to the shore. Northeast of Amos Lake is Spirogyra Lake, named for the algal genus Spirogyra , which grows abundantly in the lake in summer. To the east is Light Lake, named after BAS limnologist Jeremy J. Light . Tranquil Lake, a cirque lake fed by meltwater , named by UK-APC for its sheltered position, lies further inland between Amos Lake and the Snow Hills . Port Jebsen indents
1242-772: Is debatable whether these islands should be considered as such because their climate and geography differs significantly from other subantarctic islands. At between 52° – 57° south of the Equator, the Campbell Island Group , Heard Island and McDonald Islands , Bouvet Island , the South Georgia Group , Macquarie Island , and the South Sandwich Islands are also located in the Furious Fifties. The geography of these islands
1311-408: Is descriptively named North Point, first charted in 1933 by DI personnel. To the southwest, 0.75 nmi (1.4 km) off the coast, are the ice-free Spindrift Rocks, approximately 15 m (49 ft) high. They were surveyed and named in 1947 by FIDS. The name is descriptive of the spindrift , or sea spray, which forms over these rocks during westerly gales. South of North Point is Williams Haven,
1380-486: Is estimated to have decreased by roughly 29% between 1947 and 2004. This degree of loss of glacier mass is consistent with the measured increase in temperature of +0.9 °C over that time span. The coastal ice cliffs of Brown Glacier and Stephenson Glacier, which in 1954 were over 50 feet (15 m) high, had disappeared by 1963 when the glaciers terminated as much as 100 yards (91 m) inland. Baudissin Glacier on
1449-626: Is that portion of the global ocean circulation that is driven by global density gradients created by surface heat and evaporation . Several distinct water masses converge in the immediate vicinity of the APF or Antarctic Convergence (in particular the Subantarctic Surface Water (Subantarctic Mode Water or SAMW), Antarctic Surface Water , and the Antarctic Intermediate Water ). This convergence creates
SECTION 20
#17327730421351518-956: Is the United Kingdom's national polar research institute. It has a dual purpose, to conduct polar science, enabling better understanding of global issues , and to provide an active presence in the Antarctic on behalf of the UK. It is part of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). With over 400 staff, BAS takes an active role in Antarctic affairs, operating five research stations , one ship and five aircraft in both polar regions, as well as addressing key global and regional issues. This involves joint research projects with over 40 UK universities and more than 120 national and international collaborations. Having taken shape from activities during World War II , it
1587-421: Is the central and highest of the three points. Both were named by FIDS for behavior observed in the penguin rookeries on the peninsula. The cove between Pantomime and Pageant Points is named Filer Haven, named by UK-APC for John Filer, a British Antarctic Survey biologist who fell to his death from the cliffs here in 1961. The third point is Gourlay Point, named by DI personnel after engineer Ronald George Gourlay;
1656-708: Is the most important ocean current in the Southern Ocean , and the only current that flows completely around the Earth. Flowing eastward through the southern portions of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, the ACC links these three otherwise separate oceanic basins . Extending from the sea surface to depths of 2000–4000 meters, and with a width of as great as 2000 kilometers, the ACC transports more water than any other ocean current. The ACC carries up to 150 Sverdrups (150 million cubic meters per second), equivalent to 150 times
1725-864: The Kerguelen Islands , the Antipodes Islands , and the Auckland Islands . The geography of these islands is characterized by tundra, with some trees on the Snares Islands and the Auckland Islands. These islands are all located near the Antarctic Convergence (with the Kerguelen Islands south of the Convergence) and are properly considered to be subantarctic islands. At between 51° – 56° south of
1794-568: The Rethval Whaling Company of Oslo , the first company to start whaling in the South Orkney Islands, forms the south side of the entrance to Paal Harbour. To the south sits Caloplaca Cove, named by UK-APC after the abundant orange lichens of the genus Caloplaca , which encrust the sea cliffs around the cove. The south entrance of the cove is marked by Pantomime Point, on Gourlay Peninsula. Gourlay Peninsula
1863-553: The sea ice around the island. 60°43′01″S 45°36′00″W / 60.717°S 45.600°W / -60.717; -45.600 Subantarctic The subantarctic zone is a region in the Southern Hemisphere , located immediately north of the Antarctic region. This translates roughly to a latitude of between 46° and 60° south of the Equator . The subantarctic region includes many islands in
1932-641: The Antarctic in November 2011. BAS operates five aircraft in support of its research programme in Antarctica . The aircraft used are all made by de Havilland Canada and comprise four Twin Otters and one Dash 7 (as of August 2019). The planes are maintained by Rocky Mountain Aircraft in Springbank , Alberta , Canada . During the Antarctic summer the aircraft are based at the Rothera base , which has
2001-593: The BAS are complemented by the capabilities of the Royal Navy 's ice patrol vessel that operates in the same waters. Until 2008 this was HMS Endurance , a Class 1A1 icebreaker . Endurance's two Lynx helicopters enabled BAS staff to get to remote field sites that BAS aircraft could not access. However, a catastrophic flooding accident left Endurance badly damaged, with a replacement only being procured in 2011. This ship, HMS Protector , first deployed to
2070-550: The Brown Glacier, in an effort to determine whether glacial retreat is rapid or punctuated. Using a portable echo sounder , the team took measurements of the volume of the glacier. Monitoring of climatic conditions continued, with an emphasis on the impact of Foehn winds on glacier mass balance. Based on the findings of that expedition, the rate of loss of glacier ice on Heard Island appears to be accelerating. Between 2000 and 2003, repeat GPS surface surveys revealed that
2139-475: The Equator, in the region often referred to as the Shrieking Sixties , the South Orkney Islands , South Shetland Islands , Balleny Islands , Scott Island , and Peter I Island are all properly considered to be Antarctic islands for the following three reasons: In light of the above considerations, the following should be considered to be subantarctic islands : This is a list of glaciers in
Signy Island - Misplaced Pages Continue
2208-597: The Equator, the Falkland Islands , Isla de los Estados , Ildefonso Islands , Diego Ramírez Islands , and other islands associated with Tierra del Fuego and Cape Horn , lie north of the Antarctic Convergence in the region often referred to as the Furious Fifties . Unlike other subantarctic islands, these islands have trees , temperate grasslands (mostly tussac grass ), and even arable land . They also lack tundra and permanent snow and ice at their lowest elevations. Despite their more southerly location, it
2277-652: The FID Scientific Bureau and FIDS Rear Base were combined into a single FIDS London Office, with a Director for the first time responsible for the whole London operation. The BAS operates five permanent research stations in the British Antarctic Territory : Of these Research Stations, only Rothera is staffed throughout the year. Before 2017 Halley was also open year-round. The BAS also operates two permanent bases on South Georgia : Both South Georgia bases are staffed throughout
2346-729: The PFZ (and hence, the southern border of the subantarctic region) is the Antarctic Convergence, located approximately 200 kilometers south of the Antarctic Polar Front (APF). The subantarctic Front, found between 48°S and 58°S in the Indian and Pacific Ocean and between 42°S and 48°S in the Atlantic Ocean, defines the northern boundary of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (or ACC). The ACC
2415-709: The SAMW will decrease in density and salinity. The resulting reductions in the subduction and transport capacity of SAMW and AAIW water masses could potentially decrease the absorption and storage of CO 2 in the Southern Ocean. The Antarctic realm and Antarctic Floristic Kingdom include most of the subantarctic islands native biota , with many endemic genera and species of flora and fauna . The physical landscape and biota communities of Heard Island and McDonald Islands are constantly changing due to volcanism , strong winds and waves, and climate change . Volcanic activity has been observed in this area since
2484-646: The Survey operates one ship, the RRS Sir David Attenborough , for support of Arctic and Antarctic research operations, and other logistical work. It replaced RRS James Clark Ross and RRS Ernest Shackleton , which were sold in 2021 and returned to its owners in 2019, respectively. Originally, the Admiralty provided the FIDS with ship support. In 1947 the Survey purchased their first vessel, which
2553-559: The bases at Rothera, Fossil Bluff, Halley and Sky Blu. In 1985, the British Antarctic Survey discovered the hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica. The finding was made by a team of three BAS scientists: Joe Farman , Brian Gardiner and Jonathan Shanklin . Their work was confirmed by satellite data, and was met with worldwide concern. In January 2008, a team of British Antarctic Survey scientists, led by Hugh Corr and David Vaughan , reported that 2,200 years ago,
2622-462: The coast towards the south end of the island immediately north of Jebsen Point. It was charted in 1912 by Petter Sorlle, a Norwegian whaling captain, who named Jebsen Point, for which the cove is named. Also associated are the Jebsen Rocks, a chain of rocks which extend 0.5 nautical miles (1 km) in an east–west direction, lying 0.5 nautical miles north of Jebsen Point. South of Jebsen Point
2691-516: The early 1950s, Jacka Glacier had receded only slightly from its position in the late 1920s, but by 1997 it had receded about 700 m back from the coastline. Possible causes of glacier recession on Heard Island include: The Australian Antarctic Division conducted an expedition to Heard Island during the austral summer of 2003–04. A small team of scientists spent two months on the island, conducting studies on avian and terrestrial biology and glaciology. Glaciologists conducted further research on
2760-492: The ice formations above 5,000 feet (1,500 m) on the southwestern slopes of Big Ben , possibly as a result of volcanic activity . By 1963, major recession was obvious below 2,000 feet (610 m) on almost all glaciers, and minor recession was evident as high as 5,000 feet (1,500 m). Retreat of glacier fronts across Heard Island is evident when comparing aerial photographs taken in December 1947 with those taken on
2829-408: The island include chinstrap penguins (19,500 pairs), Adélie penguin (16,900 pairs), gentoo penguins (750 pairs), Antarctic prions (50,000 pairs), south polar skuas , snow petrels , Cape petrels , black-bellied storm petrels , snowy sheathbills , kelp gulls and Antarctic terns . Antarctic fur seals haul out in large numbers varying up to over 20,000. Weddell seals breed in winter on
Signy Island - Misplaced Pages Continue
2898-521: The island is Pandemonium Point, named by FIDS because of the ceaseless noise from the penguin rookeries on the west side of the ridge close north of the point. Clowes Bay is a bay 1 nautical mile (2 km) wide, entered between the Oliphant Islands and Confusion Point on Confusion Island , along the south side of Signy Island. It was charted in 1933 by DI personnel who named it for Archibald J. Clowes , English oceanographer. East of Clowes Bay
2967-511: The large number of starfish in the cove. About 0.3 nmi (0.6 km) off the mouth of the cove is a small submerged rock called Powell Rock, first charted by Captain Sorlle and named after his whale catcher Powell . South of Starfish Cove is Borge Bay , a large, irregularly-shaped bay that dominates the east side of Signy Island, delineated by Balin Point to the north and Berntsen Point to
3036-752: The mid-1980s, with fresh lava flows on the southwest flanks of Heard Island. Satellite imagery shows that McDonald Island increased in size from about 1 to 2.5 square kilometers between 1994 and 2004, as a result of volcanic activity. In addition to new land being produced by volcanism, global warming of the climate is causing the retreat of glaciers on the islands ( see section below ). These combined processes produce new ice-free terrestrial and freshwater ecoregions , such as moraines and lagoons , which are now available for colonization by plants and animals. Heard Island has vast colonies of penguins and petrels , and large harems of land-based marine predators such as elephant seals and fur seals . Due to
3105-467: The north coast has lost at least 100 vertical feet (30 vertical m), and Vahsel Glacier on the west coast has lost at least 200 vertical feet (61 vertical m). Winston Glacier , which retreated approximately one mile (1.6 km) between 1947 and 1963, appears to be a very sensitive indicator of glacier change on the island. The young moraines flanking Winston Lagoon show that Winston Glacier has lost at least 300 vertical feet (91 vertical m) of ice within
3174-421: The peninsula as a whole was named by UK-APC for the point. Moyes Point is a point on the southwest part of Signy Island, forming the east side of the southeast entrance to Fyr Channel . First charted in 1933 by DI personnel, it was surveyed by FIDS in 1956-58. In 1959 it was named by UK-APC after William Moyes , British government representative at Signy Island in 1912–13. To the east, the southernmost point of
3243-587: The point. The next significant feature is Thulla Point, an ice-free point lying 1 nautical mile (1.9 km) northeast of Jebsen Point. It was charted in 1933 by DI personnel, roughly surveyed in 1947 by FIDS, and named by UK-APC in 1954 for the Norwegian steamship Thulla . Thulla Cove, named in association with the point, is located to the south of it. Inland to the southeast of the point and cove are several lakes, all named by UK-APC. Amos Lake, named for Stephen C. Amos , British Antarctic Survey limnologist ,
3312-744: The present Treaty shall apply to the area south of 60° South latitude ". Therefore, Antarctica is defined from a political standpoint as all land and ice shelves south of 60°S latitude. At between about 46° – 50° south of the Equator, in the region often referred to as the Roaring Forties , are the Crozet Islands , the Prince Edward Islands , Wager Island , the Bounty Islands , the Snares Islands ,
3381-522: The rate of loss of ice in both the ablation zone and the accumulation zone of Brown Glacier was more than double average rate measured from 1947 to 2003. The increase in the rate of ice loss suggests that the glaciers of Heard Island are reacting to ongoing climate change, rather than approaching dynamic equilibrium . The retreat of Heard Island's glaciers is expected to continue for the foreseeable future. Download coordinates as: British Antarctic Survey The British Antarctic Survey ( BAS )
3450-435: The south of Berry Head is The Wallows, a low-lying area sheltered by low ridges with a small freshwater pond in the center. It was named by FIDS because moulting elephant seals wallow here in the summer. To the south of that is Rootes Point, named by UK-APC after David M. Rootes of the BAS, which marks the north entrance of Starfish Cove. Starfish Cove was roughly surveyed in 1933 by DI personnel and named by FIDS because of
3519-415: The south. 0.5 nmi (0.9 km) south of Borge Bay is Paal Harbour. The name first appears on a map by captain Sorlle. The harbor and its constituent features were first surveyed in 1933 by DI personnel and resurveyed in 1947 by FIDS. Observation Bluff, 110 m (360 ft) high, forms the north side of Paal Harbor. It was named by FIDS because they made daily observations from it. The bluff comes to
SECTION 50
#17327730421353588-971: The southern hemisphere. With respect to glaciers of the Andes mountains in South America , abundant evidence has been collected from ongoing research at Nevado del Ruiz in Colombia , Quelccaya Ice Cap and Qori Kalis Glacier in Peru , Zongo , Chacaltaya and Charquini glaciers in Bolivia , the Aconcagua River Basin in the central Chilean Andes , and the Northern Patagonian and Southern Patagonian ice fields . Retreat of glaciers in New Zealand and Antarctica
3657-585: The southern parts of the Atlantic , Indian , and Pacific oceans, especially those situated north of the Antarctic Convergence . Subantarctic glaciers are, by definition, located on islands within the subantarctic region. All glaciers located on the continent of Antarctica are by definition considered to be Antarctic glaciers . The subantarctic region comprises two geographic zones and three distinct fronts . The northernmost boundary of
3726-439: The steep topography of Heard Island, most of its glaciers are relatively thin (averaging only about 55 meters in depth). The presence of glaciers on Heard Island provides an excellent opportunity to measure the rate of glacial retreat as an indicator of climate change. Available records show no apparent change in glacier mass balance between 1874 and 1929. Between 1949 and 1954, marked changes were observed to have occurred in
3795-538: The subantarctic . This list includes one snow field ( Murray Snowfield ). Snow fields are not glaciers in the strict sense of the word, but they are commonly found at the accumulation zone or head of a glacier. For the purposes of this list, Antarctica is defined as any latitude further south than 60° (the continental limit according to the Antarctic Treaty). Together, the Subantarctic Mode Water (SAMW) and Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) act as
3864-845: The subantarctic region is the rather ill-defined Subtropical Front (STF), also referred to as the Subtropical Convergence. To the south of the STF is a geographic zone, the Subantarctic Zone (SAZ). South of the SAZ is the Subantarctic Front (SAF). South of the SAF is another marine zone, called the Polar Frontal Zone (PFZ). The SAZ and the PFZ together form the subantarctic region. The southernmost boundary of
3933-578: The time FIDS was renamed the British Antarctic Survey in 1962, 19 stations and three refuges had been established. In 2012 the parent body, NERC , proposed merging the BAS with another NERC institute, National Oceanography Centre in Southampton . This proved controversial, and after the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee opposed the move the plan was dropped. Since April 2018 NERC has been part of UK Research and Innovation. In 1956,
4002-429: The total area of Heard Island's glaciers decreased by 11%, from 288 km (roughly 79% of the total area of Heard Island) to only 257 km . A visit to the island in the spring of 2000 found that the Stephenson , Brown and Baudissin glaciers, among others, had retreated even further. The terminus of Brown Glacier has retreated approximately 1.1 kilometres since 1950. The total ice-covered area of Brown Glacier
4071-510: The very high numbers of seabirds and marine mammals on Heard Island, the area is considered a "biological hot spot". The marine environment surrounding the islands features diverse and distinctive benthic habitats that support a range of species including corals , sponges , barnacles and echinoderms . This marine environment also serves as a nursery area for a range of fishes, including some species of commercial interest. Glaciers are currently retreating at significant rates throughout
4140-442: The volume of water flowing in all the world's rivers. The ACC and the global thermohaline circulation strongly influence regional and global climate as well as underwater biodiversity . Another factor that contributes to the climate of the subantarctic region, though to a much lesser extent than the thermohaline circulation, is the formation of Antarctic Bottom Water (ABW) by halothermal dynamics . The halothermal circulation
4209-429: The year. The headquarters of the BAS are in the university city of Cambridge , on Madingley Road . This facility provides offices, laboratories and workshops to support the scientific and logistic activities in the Antarctic. The BAS also operates the Ny-Ålesund Research Station on behalf of the NERC . This is an Arctic research base located at Ny-Ålesund on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen . As of 2021,
SECTION 60
#17327730421354278-414: Was descriptively named by UK-APC in 1991 after the Antarctic hair grass Deschampsia antarctica , which grows on the slopes near the point. To the south, Lovegrove Point, named by UK-APC for Ian W. Lovegrove , marks the north entrance of Express Cove, a small cove approximately midway down the west coast of the island. Express Cove has a very indented shoreline with numerous offshore islands and rocks. It
4347-473: Was known as the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey until 1962. Operation Tabarin was a small British expedition in 1943 to establish permanently occupied bases in the Antarctic. It was a joint undertaking by the Admiralty and the Colonial Office . At the end of the war it was renamed the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (FIDS) and full control passed to the Colonial Office. At this time there were four stations, three occupied and one unoccupied. By
4416-444: Was named MV John Biscoe, and in 1953 the same ship was granted Royal Research Ship status. Since then the Survey has owned and chartered several vessels. Vessels depart from the United Kingdom in September or October of each year and return to the United Kingdom in the following May or June. Vessels undergo refit and drydock during the Antarctic winter, but are also used elsewhere during this period. The civilian ships operated by
4485-463: Was named by UK-APC for Edward R. Hillier , a BAS medical officer. The island has been identified as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports substantial and varied seabird breeding colonies . Birds for which the site is of conservation significance are southern giant petrels (2,300 pairs), Wilson's storm petrels (200,000 pairs), imperial shags (800 pairs) and brown skuas (100 pairs). Other birds nesting on
4554-430: Was named by UK-APC for its irregular shoreline. Porteous Point, charted in 1933 by DI personnel, marks the south entrance point of Cummings Cove. South of Cummings Cove is Hydrurga Cove, named by UK-APC after the leopard seals , Hydrurga leptonyx , that commonly frequent the cove. The first prominent feature on the east coast is Stygian Cove, named by FIDS because it is so overshadowed by the cliffs of Robin Peak that
4623-444: Was opened on 18 March 1947, on the site of an earlier whaling station that had existed there in the 1920s. The station was staffed year-round until 1996; since that year it has been occupied only from November to April. It houses 10 people. A number of locations on the island have been charted and individually named by various Antarctic expeditions. The first survey was conducted in 1912 by Norwegian whaling captain Petter Sørlle . It
4692-429: Was roughly charted in 1933 by DI personnel and named for the American schooner Express , which visited the South Orkney Islands in 1880. Foca Point marks the south side of the entrance to Express Cove. It was named for the whale catcher Foca , belonging to the Compañía Argentina de Pesca . Both were surveyed in 1947 by FIDS and named by UK-APC. Foca Point also marks the north side of Foca Cove, named in association with
4761-402: Was subsequently visited and charted by Discovery Investigations (DI) personnel in 1927 and 1933. Finally, in 1947, the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (FIDS) charted the island. The charts produced by these surveys account for many of the names of the island's features. Others were provided later by the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee (UK-APC). The northernmost point of Signy Island
#134865