Victoria Land
Victoria Land | |
|---|---|
Region | |
 Area map of Victoria Land | |
| Etymology:Queen Victoria | |
| Coordinates:71°15′S163°00′E/ 71.250°S 163.000°E | |
| Continent | Antarctica |
| Founded by | James Clark Ross |
Victoria Landis a region in easternAntarcticawhich fronts the western side of theRoss Seaand theRoss Ice Shelf,extending southward from about 70°30'S to78°00'S,and westward from the Ross Sea to the edge of theAntarctic Plateau.[1]It was discovered by CaptainJames Clark Rossin January 1841 and named afterQueen Victoria.[1]The rockypromontoryofMinna Bluffis often regarded as the southernmost point of Victoria Land, and separates theScott Coastto the north from theHillary Coastof theRoss Dependencyto the south.
History
[edit]Early explorers of Victoria Land include James Clark Ross andDouglas Mawson.[2]
In 1979, scientists discovered a group of 309meteoritesin Antarctica, some of which were found near theAllan Hillsin Victoria Land.[3]The meteorites appeared to have undergone little change since they were formed at what scientists believe was the birth of theSolar System.[3]
In 1981,lichensfound at Victoria Land attracted the attention of NASA because lichens may give clues about where to look for the existence ofextraterrestrial life on Marsor elsewhere.[4]Dr. George Denton, a glaciologist at theUniversity of New Hampshire,looked for microorganisms onMount Lister,one of the highest in Antarctica; it has the same kind ofsandstonein which lichens grow.[4]
In 2017, conservationists atCape Adare,Victoria Land, unearthed an ice-covered fruitcake that they believe once belonged to the British explorerRobert Falcon Scott.[5]Scott's Northern Party expedition was in 1911, making the age of the fruitcake 106 years old.[5]A program manager said it was in “excellent condition."[5]
Geography
[edit]The region includes ranges of theTransantarctic Mountainsand theMcMurdo Dry Valleys(the highest point beingMount Abbottin theNorthern Foothills), and the flatlands known as theLabyrinth.The 2,700-metre (9,000 ft)Mount Melbourneis an active volcano in Victoria Land.[6]
References
[edit]
- ^ab"Victoria Land".Geographic Names Information System.United States Geological Survey,United States Department of the Interior.Retrieved4 January2007.
- ^"Victoria Land".The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition.Columbia University Press. 2001. Archived fromthe originalon 11 February 2006.Retrieved26 January2008.
- ^ab"300‐Pound Meteorite Found in Big Cluster On the Antarctic Ice".The New York Times.18 February 1979.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved25 May2021.
- ^abReinhold, Robert (22 December 1981)."IN HOSTILE VALLEY, LICHENS POSE ANTARCTIC PUZZLE".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved25 May2021.
- ^abcJoseph, Yonette (13 August 2017)."Fruitcake From Robert Scott Expedition Is 'Almost' Edible at 106 Years Old".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved25 May2021.
- ^"2 VOLCANOES FOUND IN ANTARCTICA".The New York Times.24 May 1982.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved25 May2021.
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