Midge Lake
Encyclopedia
Midge Lake is the largest among numerous freshwater lakes on the ice-free Byers Peninsula
, Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands
, Antarctica. The feature is arcuate in shape, extending 575 m in southwest-northeast direction and 125 m wide, surmounted by Chester Cone
on the southeast, and draining through a 2 km stream north-northeastwards into Baba Tonka Cove
.
The lake's name derives from the chironomid
midge
Belgica antarctica, a rare and localized insect in the South Shetlands, the imago
s of which are found beneath the surrounding rock debris in summer.
Byers Peninsula
Byers Peninsula is a mainly ice-free peninsula forming the west end of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands. It occupies , and includes the small freshwater Basalt Lake. The area was visited by early 19th century American and British sealers who came almost exclusively from New England,...
, Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands
South Shetland Islands
The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands, lying about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, with a total area of . By the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, the Islands' sovereignty is neither recognized nor disputed by the signatories and they are free for use by any signatory for...
, Antarctica. The feature is arcuate in shape, extending 575 m in southwest-northeast direction and 125 m wide, surmounted by Chester Cone
Chester Cone
Chester Cone is the ice-free peak rising to 188 m in the central part of Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica surmounting Midge Lake to the northwest....
on the southeast, and draining through a 2 km stream north-northeastwards into Baba Tonka Cove
Baba Tonka Cove
Baba Tonka Cove is the 900 m wide cove indenting for 700 m the north coast of Byers Peninsula between Villard Point and Varadero Point on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica...
.
The lake's name derives from the chironomid
Chironomidae
Chironomidae are a family of nematoceran flies with a global distribution. They are closely related to the Ceratopogonidae, Simuliidae, and Thaumaleidae...
midge
Midge
A midge is a very small, two-winged flying insect. "Midge" may also refer to:-Real:* Midge Costanza , American politician* Mildred Gillars , aka "Midge", American broadcaster of Nazi propaganda during World War II...
Belgica antarctica, a rare and localized insect in the South Shetlands, the imago
Imago
In biology, the imago is the last stage of development of an insect, after the last ecdysis of an incomplete metamorphosis, or after emergence from the pupa where the metamorphosis is complete...
s of which are found beneath the surrounding rock debris in summer.
Location
Midge Lake is centred at 62°37′49"S 61°05′42"W which is 860 m northwest of Chester Cone and 1.19 km southeast of President Hill (British mapping in 1968, detailed Spanish mapping in 1992, and Bulgarian mapping in 2005 and 2009).Map
- Península Byers, Isla Livingston. Mapa topográfico a escala 1:25000. Madrid: Servicio Geográfico del Ejército, 1992.
- L.L. Ivanov et al. Antarctica: Livingston Island and Greenwich Island, South Shetland Islands. Scale 1:100000 topographic map. Sofia: Antarctic Place-names Commission of Bulgaria, 2005.
- L.L. Ivanov. Antarctica: Livingston Island and Greenwich, Robert, Snow and Smith Islands. Scale 1:120000 topographic map. Troyan: Manfred Wörner Foundation, 2009. ISBN 978-954-92032-6-4
