Haswell Island (Haswell Island)
Haswell Island is the largest of the Haswell Islands, lying off the coast of Antarctica, about 1.5 nmi north of Mabus Point in Queen Mary Land. It was discovered by the Western Base Party of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, 1911–14, under Mawson, and named by him for Professor William A. Haswell, a zoologist at Sydney University and a member of the expedition's Advisory Committee.
The island is a unique site for almost all bird species breeding in East Antarctica, including Antarctic petrels, Antarctic fulmars, Cape petrels, snow petrels, Wilson's storm petrels, south polar skuas and Adélie penguins. To the south-east of the island, there is a large colony of emperor penguins breeding on fast ice. The island and the adjacent emperor penguin rookery site are protected under the Antarctic Treaty System as Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA) No.127. The same 500 ha site, comprising the whole island as well as the adjoining sea ice where the emperor penguins breed, has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International. The area also supports five species of seals, including Ross seals.
The island is a unique site for almost all bird species breeding in East Antarctica, including Antarctic petrels, Antarctic fulmars, Cape petrels, snow petrels, Wilson's storm petrels, south polar skuas and Adélie penguins. To the south-east of the island, there is a large colony of emperor penguins breeding on fast ice. The island and the adjacent emperor penguin rookery site are protected under the Antarctic Treaty System as Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA) No.127. The same 500 ha site, comprising the whole island as well as the adjoining sea ice where the emperor penguins breed, has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International. The area also supports five species of seals, including Ross seals.
Map - Haswell Island (Haswell Island)
Map
Country - Antarctica
Antarctica is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean (also known as the Antarctic Ocean), it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest continent, being about 40% larger than Europe, and has an area of 14200000 km2. Most of Antarctica is covered by the Antarctic ice sheet, with an average thickness of 1.9 km.
Antarctica is, on average, the coldest, driest, and windiest of the continents, and it has the highest average elevation. It is mainly a polar desert, with annual precipitation of over 200 mm along the coast and far less inland. About 70% of the world's freshwater reserves are frozen in Antarctica, which, if melted, would raise global sea levels by almost 60 m. Antarctica holds the record for the lowest measured temperature on Earth, −89.2 C. The coastal regions can reach temperatures over 10 C in summer. Native species of animals include mites, nematodes, penguins, seals and tardigrades. Where vegetation occurs, it is mostly in the form of lichen or moss.
Antarctica is, on average, the coldest, driest, and windiest of the continents, and it has the highest average elevation. It is mainly a polar desert, with annual precipitation of over 200 mm along the coast and far less inland. About 70% of the world's freshwater reserves are frozen in Antarctica, which, if melted, would raise global sea levels by almost 60 m. Antarctica holds the record for the lowest measured temperature on Earth, −89.2 C. The coastal regions can reach temperatures over 10 C in summer. Native species of animals include mites, nematodes, penguins, seals and tardigrades. Where vegetation occurs, it is mostly in the form of lichen or moss.