Spaatz Island (Spaatz Island)
Spaatz Island is a large ice-covered island of Antarctica. It lies south west of Alexander Island and west of the base of the Antarctic Peninsula, close to the coast of Palmer Land, 30 mi east of Smyley Island. It is 80 km long and 40 km wide, and covers an area of around 4100 km².
The north side of the island forms a portion of the south margin of Ronne Entrance; the remainder of the island is surrounded by the ice shelves of Stange Sound and George VI Sound. Finn Ronne and Carl Eklund of the US Antarctic Service (USAS) (1939–41) sledged along the north side of this feature in December 1940. It was photographed from the air and first mapped as an island by the Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition (RARE) (1947–48) under Finn Ronne. It was named by Ronne for Gen. Carl Spaatz, Chief of Staff, USAAF, who gave assistance in providing an airplane for use of RARE.
* Composite Antarctic Gazetteer
* List of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic islands
* List of Antarctic islands south of 60° S
* SCAR
* Territorial claims in Antarctica
The north side of the island forms a portion of the south margin of Ronne Entrance; the remainder of the island is surrounded by the ice shelves of Stange Sound and George VI Sound. Finn Ronne and Carl Eklund of the US Antarctic Service (USAS) (1939–41) sledged along the north side of this feature in December 1940. It was photographed from the air and first mapped as an island by the Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition (RARE) (1947–48) under Finn Ronne. It was named by Ronne for Gen. Carl Spaatz, Chief of Staff, USAAF, who gave assistance in providing an airplane for use of RARE.
* Composite Antarctic Gazetteer
* List of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic islands
* List of Antarctic islands south of 60° S
* SCAR
* Territorial claims in Antarctica
Map - Spaatz Island (Spaatz 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.