Astrolabe Island

Astrolabe Island, located at 63°17′S 58°40′W, is an island 5 km (3 mi) long, lying in the Bransfield Strait 23 km (14 mi) northwest of Cape Ducorps, Trinity Peninsula in Antarctica. It was discovered by the French expedition, 1837–40, under Captain Jules Dumont d'Urville, and named by him for his chief expedition ship, the Astrolabe.[1] The island was photographed from the air and triangulated by FIDASE, 1956–57.

Astrolabe Island from northwest, with the Dragons Teeth on the left, and Drumohar Peak and Rogach Peak dominating the island.
Astrolabe Island (#15) in relation to Antarctica and other peninsula islands

Geology

Astrolabe Island is predominantly volcanic rocks, with coarse grained mafic dolerite making up most of the landing site on the east end. The steep pyramid peaks, called the Dragons Teeth, may be the vents of an old volcanic complex, probably related to the Shetland subduction zone to the north.[2]

See also
  • List of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic islands

Maps
  • Trinity Peninsula. Scale 1:250000 topographic map No. 5697. Institut für Angewandte Geodäsie and British Antarctic Survey, 1996.
  • Antarctic Digital Database (ADD). Scale 1:250000 topographic map of Antarctica. Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). Since 1993, regularly upgraded and updated.

References

Footnotes
  1. "Astrolabe Island". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2012-01-19.
  2. Joseph Holliday, Geology Professor, El Camino College


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