Melchior Islands
Encyclopedia
Melchior Islands is a group of many low, ice-covered islands lying near the center of Dallmann Bay
in the Palmer Archipelago
. First seen but left unnamed by a German expedition under Eduard Dallmann
, 1873-74. Resighted and roughly charted by the French Antarctic Expedition
under Jean-Baptiste Charcot, 1903-05. Charcot named what he believed to be the large easternmost island in the group Île Melchior after Vice Admiral Melchior of the French Navy
, but later surveys proved Charcot's Île Melchior to be two islands, now called Eta Island
and Omega Island
. The name Melchior Islands has since become established for the whole island group now described, of which Eta Island and Omega Island form the eastern part, while Sigma Islands
mark the north limit of the islands. The group was roughly surveyed in 1927 by DI personnel
in the RRS Discovery, and was resurveyed by Argentine expeditions in 1942 and 1943, and again in 1948.
Dallmann Bay
Dallmann Bay is a bay lying between Brabant Island and Anvers Island, connected to Gerlache Strait by Schollaert Channel, in the Palmer Archipelago. Discovered and first roughly charted in 1874 by the German whaler Captain Eduard Dallmann. Named for Dallmann by the Society for Polar Navigation,...
in the Palmer Archipelago
Palmer Archipelago
Palmer Archipelago, also known as Antarctic Archipelago, Archipiélago Palmer, Antarktiske Arkipel or Palmer Inseln, is a group of islands off the northwestern coast of the Antarctic Peninsula....
. First seen but left unnamed by a German expedition under Eduard Dallmann
Eduard Dallmann
Eduard Dallmann was a German whaler, trader and Polar explorer....
, 1873-74. Resighted and roughly charted by the French Antarctic Expedition
French Antarctic Expedition
French Antarctic Expedition refers to several French expeditions in Antarctica.-First expedition:Yves-Joseph de Kerguelen-Trémarec was a French explorer....
under Jean-Baptiste Charcot, 1903-05. Charcot named what he believed to be the large easternmost island in the group Île Melchior after Vice Admiral Melchior of the French Navy
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
, but later surveys proved Charcot's Île Melchior to be two islands, now called Eta Island
Eta Island
Not to confuse with Eta island at Simpson Strait Nunavut CanadaEta Island is an island, long, which lies immediately north of Omega Island in the Melchior Islands, Palmer Archipelago...
and Omega Island
Omega Island
Omega Island is an island long, which lies immediately south of Eta Island in the Melchior Islands, Palmer Archipelago. This island, the largest feature in the southeast part of the Melchior Islands, is part of what was called Île Melchior by the French Antarctic Expedition under Jean-Baptiste...
. The name Melchior Islands has since become established for the whole island group now described, of which Eta Island and Omega Island form the eastern part, while Sigma Islands
Sigma Islands
Sigma Islands is a group of small islands and rocks which lie north of Eta Island and mark the north limit of the Melchior Islands, in the Palmer Archipelago...
mark the north limit of the islands. The group was roughly surveyed in 1927 by DI personnel
Discovery Investigations
The Discovery Investigations were a series of scientific cruises and shore-based investigations into the biology of whales in the Southern Ocean. They were funded by the British Colonial Office and organised by the Discovery Committee in London, which was formed in 1918...
in the RRS Discovery, and was resurveyed by Argentine expeditions in 1942 and 1943, and again in 1948.
See also
- Composite Antarctic Gazetteer
- List of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic islands
- List of Antarctic islands south of 60° S
- SCARScientific Committee on Antarctic ResearchThe Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research is an interdisciplinary body of the International Council for Science . It was established in February 1958 to continue the international coordination of Antarctic scientific activities that had begun during the International Geophysical Year of 1957-58...
- Territorial claims in Antarctica
- Bremen IslandBremen IslandBremen Island is a or uninhabited island, part of the Melchior Islands in the Southern Ocean along the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula....
- Delta IslandDelta IslandDelta Island is an island long, lying close southeast of Lambda Island and east of Alpha Island in the Melchior Islands, Palmer Archipelago. The name, derived from the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet, was probably given by DI personnel who roughly surveyed the island in 1927...
- Lambda IslandLambda IslandLambda Island is an island long, which lies immediately northwest of Delta Island in the Melchior Islands, Palmer Archipelago. This island, the largest feature in the northwest part of the island group, was first roughly charted and named Île Sourrieu by the French Antarctic Expedition under...
- Pabellon IslandPabellon IslandPabellon Island is the southernmost of two islands which lie close off the north tip of Omega Island and mark the south side of the western entrance to Andersen Harbor in the Melchior Islands, Palmer Archipelago. The island was roughly surveyed by DI personnel in 1927. Named by the Argentine...
- Psi IslandsPsi IslandsPsi Islands is a group of small islands which lie close to the west side of Lambda Island in the Melchior Islands, Palmer Archipelago. The name, derived from the 23rd letter of the Greek alphabet, appears to have been first used on a 1946 Argentine government chart following surveys of these...
- Tripod IslandTripod IslandTripod Island is a small island which lies close south of the west extremity of Eta Island and marks the north side of the western entrance to Andersen Harbor in the Melchior Islands, Palmer Archipelago. The name was probably given by DI personnel who roughly surveyed the island in 1927...