Adélie Land
Encyclopedia
Adélie Land is the portion of the Antarctic
coast between 136° E
(near Pourquoi Pas Point
at 66°12′S 136°11′E) and 142° E
(near Point Alden
at 66°48′S 142°02′E), with a shore length of 350 km and with its hinterland extending as a sector
about 2,600 km toward the South Pole
. It is claimed by France as one of five districts of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands, although not all nations recognize this claim. The land area, mostly ice covered, is estimated at 432,000 km².
Since January 12, 1956, there has been a permanently staffed French
research base at 66°40′S 140°01′E, Dumont d'Urville Station
, with a winter population of 33, which goes up to 78 in the Antarctic summer. The first French station, Port Martin
, was built April 9, 1950 at 66°49′04"S 141°23′39"E, but destroyed by fire the night of January 22 to 23, 1952. Port Martin hosted a winter population of 11 in 1950 and of 17 in 1951.
France has also maintained an inland station on the Antarctic ice sheet
, 320 km from the coast and from Dumont d'Urville Station, at an elevation
of 2400 meters, Charcot Station (named after Jean-Baptiste Charcot) at 69°22′S 139°01′E, built for the IGY
1957/1958, in operation from January 1957 to 1960, which housed only three men. The station was largely dug into the snow to protect it against the strong winds.
Adélie Land borders on the Australian Antarctic Territory
both West and East, namely on Clarie Land (part of Wilkes Land
) in the West, and George V Land
in the East.
The coast was discovered in 1840 by French explorer Jules Sébastien César Dumont d'Urville, who named it after his wife, Adélie.
Adélie Land was the filming location of the documentary March of the Penguins
.
Antarctic
The Antarctic is the region around the Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica and the ice shelves, waters and island territories in the Southern Ocean situated south of the Antarctic Convergence...
coast between 136° E
136th meridian east
The meridian 136° east of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, Australasia, the Indian Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
(near Pourquoi Pas Point
Pourquoi Pas Point
Pourquoi Pas is an ice-covered point which forms the west side of the entrance to Victor Bay. It was charted by the French Antarctic Expedition, 1950-52, and named in 1954 after the French polar ship Pourquoi-Pas?....
at 66°12′S 136°11′E) and 142° E
142nd meridian east
The 142nd meridian east of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, Australasia, the Indian Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
(near Point Alden
Point Alden
Point Alden in Antarctica is an ice-covered point with rock exposures along the seaward side. The point marks the western side of the entrance to Commonwealth Bay and the division between Adélie Coast and George V Coast in Antarctica. The point was discovered on January 30, 1840 by the USEE under...
at 66°48′S 142°02′E), with a shore length of 350 km and with its hinterland extending as a sector
Circular sector
A circular sector or circle sector, is the portion of a disk enclosed by two radii and an arc, where the smaller area is known as the minor sector and the larger being the major sector. In the diagram, θ is the central angle in radians, r the radius of the circle, and L is the arc length of the...
about 2,600 km toward the South Pole
South Pole
The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is one of the two points where the Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on the surface of the Earth and lies on the opposite side of the Earth from the North Pole...
. It is claimed by France as one of five districts of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands, although not all nations recognize this claim. The land area, mostly ice covered, is estimated at 432,000 km².
Since January 12, 1956, there has been a permanently staffed French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
research base at 66°40′S 140°01′E, Dumont d'Urville Station
Dumont d'Urville Station
The Dumont d'Urville Station is a French scientific station located in Antarctica on Île des Pétrels, archipelago of Pointe Géologie in Adélie Land. It is named after explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville...
, with a winter population of 33, which goes up to 78 in the Antarctic summer. The first French station, Port Martin
Port Martin
Port Martin is an anchorage lying immediately off Cape Margerie. Discovered in 1950 by the French Antarctic Expedition under Liotard, and named by them in conjunction with the expedition base established on Cape Margerie. Named for Andre-Paul Martin, second-in-command of the expedition who died...
, was built April 9, 1950 at 66°49′04"S 141°23′39"E, but destroyed by fire the night of January 22 to 23, 1952. Port Martin hosted a winter population of 11 in 1950 and of 17 in 1951.
France has also maintained an inland station on the Antarctic ice sheet
Ice sheet
An ice sheet is a mass of glacier ice that covers surrounding terrain and is greater than 50,000 km² , thus also known as continental glacier...
, 320 km from the coast and from Dumont d'Urville Station, at an elevation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
of 2400 meters, Charcot Station (named after Jean-Baptiste Charcot) at 69°22′S 139°01′E, built for the IGY
International Geophysical Year
The International Geophysical Year was an international scientific project that lasted from July 1, 1957, to December 31, 1958. It marked the end of a long period during the Cold War when scientific interchange between East and West was seriously interrupted...
1957/1958, in operation from January 1957 to 1960, which housed only three men. The station was largely dug into the snow to protect it against the strong winds.
Adélie Land borders on the Australian Antarctic Territory
Australian Antarctic Territory
The Australian Antarctic Territory is a part of Antarctica. It was claimed by the United Kingdom and placed under the authority of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1933. It is the largest territory of Antarctica claimed by any nation...
both West and East, namely on Clarie Land (part of Wilkes Land
Wilkes Land
Wilkes Land is a large district of land in eastern Antarctica, formally claimed by Australia as part of the Australian Antarctic Territory, though the validity of this claim has been placed for the period of the operation of the Antarctic Treaty, to which Australia is a signatory...
) in the West, and George V Land
George V Land
George V Land is a segment of Antarctica part of the land claimed as part of the Australian Antarctic Territory, inland from the George V Coast. As with other segments of Antarctica, it is defined by two lines of longitude, 142°02' E and 153°45' E, and by the 60°S parallel....
in the East.
The coast was discovered in 1840 by French explorer Jules Sébastien César Dumont d'Urville, who named it after his wife, Adélie.
Adélie Land was the filming location of the documentary March of the Penguins
March of the Penguins
March of the Penguins is a 2005 French nature documentary film. It was directed and co-written by Luc Jacquet, and co-produced by Bonne Pioche and the National Geographic Society. The film depicts the yearly journey of the emperor penguins of Antarctica...
.
External links
- http://www.discoverfrance.net/Colonies/Terre_Adelie.shtml