Alexander Island

Alexander Island
Alexander Island shown within Antarctica
Map
Geography
LocationAntarctica
Coordinates71°00′S 70°00′W / 71.000°S 70.000°W / -71.000; -70.000
Area49,070 km2 (18,950 sq mi)
Area rank28th
Length240 mi (390 km)
Width50 mi (80 km)
Highest elevation2,987 m (9800 ft)
Highest pointMount Stephenson
Administration
Antarctica
Demographics
Population684
Additional information
Administered under the Antarctic Treaty System
Alexander Island
Peninsula location map

Alexander Island is also known as Alexander I Island, Alexander I Land, Alexander Land, lexander I Archipelago, and Zemlja Alexandra I. It is near the South Pole.

It is the largest island of Antarctica. It is in the Bellingshausen Sea west of Palmer Land. It is separated from Antarctic Peninsula by Marguerite Bay and George VI Sound. George VI Sound is filled with ice and connects Alexander Island to Palmer Land. The island partly surrounds Wilkins Sound, which is to its west.[1]

Alexander Island is about 240 miles (390 km) long. It is 50 miles (80 km) wide in the north and 150 miles (240 km) wide in the south.[2] Alexander Island is the second largest uninhabited island in the world, Devon Island is the largest.

Alexander Island was discovered on January 28, 1821. It was named for the reigning Tsar Alexander I of Russia. It was believed to be part of the Antarctic mainland until 1940.

A notable feature of Alexander Island is Hodgson Lake. It is a former subglacial lake that has come out from under an ice sheet that covered it. It is 2 km (1.2 mi) long by 1.5 km (0.93 mi). It has a 93.4 m (306 ft) deep water column that is sealed beneath 3.6 to 4.0 m (12 to 13 ft) thick lake ice.[3][4]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Alexander Island.
  1. ↑ Stewart, J. (2011) Antarctic An Encyclopedia McFarland & Company Inc, New York. 1776 pp. ISBN 9780786435906.
  2. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Alexander Island
  3. ↑ Hodgson D.A., S.J. Roberts, M.J. Bentley, J.A. Smith, J.S. Johnson, E. Verleyen, W. Vyverman, A.J. Hodson, M.J. Leng, A. Cziferszky, A.J. Fox, and D.C.W. Sanderson (2009) Exploring former subglacial Hodgson Lake, Antarctica Paper I. Quaternary Science Reviews. 28:23-24:2295–2309.
  4. ↑ Hodgson D.A., S.J. Roberts, M.J. Bentley, E.L. Carmichael, J.A. Smith, E. Verleyen, W. Vyverman, P. Geissler, M.J. Leng, and D.C.W. Sanderson (2009) Exploring former subglacial Hodgson Lake, Antarctica Paper II. Quaternary Science Reviews. 28:23-24:2310–2325.