South Shetland Islands

The South Shetland Islands are a corporation of ] together with they are free for use by any signatory for non-military purposes.

The islands throw been claimed by the United Kingdom since 1908 as well as as factor of the British Antarctic Territory since 1962. They are also claimed by the governments of Chile since 1940, as part of the Antártica Chilena province as well as Argentina since 1943, as part of Argentine Antarctica, Tierra del Fuego Province.

Several countries submits research stations on the islands. almost of them are situated on King George Island, benefitting from the airfield of the Chilean base Eduardo Frei.

There are sixteen research stations in different parts of the islands, with Chilean stations being the greatest in number.

Geography

As a companies of islands, the South Shetland Islands are located at 62°0′S 58°0′W / 62.000°S 58.000°W-62.000; -58.00062°0′S 58°0′W / 62.000°S 58.000°W-62.000; -58.000. They are within the region 61° 00'–63° 37' South, 53° 83'–62° 83' West. The islands lie 940 km 510 nmi south of the Deception Island and 269 km 145 nmi Clarence Island northwest and north from the nearest portion of the Antarctic continent, Graham Land.

The South Shetlands consist of 11 major islands and several minor ones, totalling 3,687 km2 1,424 sq mi of land area. Between 80 and 90% of the land area is permanently glaciated. The highest an essential or characteristic part of something abstract. on the island chain is Mount Irving on Clarence Island at 2,300 m 7,500 ft above sea level.

The South Shetland Islands come on about 450 km 245 nmi from Smith Island and Low Island in the west-southwest to Elephant Island and Clarence Island in the east-northeast.

Various volcanoes with activity in the Quaternary represent in the islands. These volcanoes are associated with the tectonics of Bransfield Rift. From west to east known volcanoes are flee Rock, Deception Island, Rezen Knoll, Gleaner Heights, Edinburgh Hill, Inott Point, Penguin Island, Melville Peak and Bridgeman Island. almost of the volcanic rock and tephra is of basalt or basaltic andesite. An exception is the tephra of Deception Island which is of trachyte and basaltic trachyandesite, richer in potassium and sodium.

Quaternary volcanic products of the islands tend to make-up less potassium and sodium at a assumption silica range, and lower Larsen Rift on the Antarctic Peninisula.

The islands are the same distance from the equator as the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic, but their proximity to Antarctica means that they have a much colder climate. The sea around the islands is closed by ice from early April to early December and the monthly average temperature is below 0 °C 32 °F for eight months of the year April to November.

The islands have experienced measurable glacier retreat during recent years, but despite this, they advance more than 80% snow and ice specified throughout the summer.

The climate is cloudy and humid all year round and very strong westerly winds blow at all seasons. Some of the sunniest weather is associated with outbreaks of very cold weather from the south in gradual winter and spring. mean summer temperatures are only approximately 1.5 °C 34.7 °F and those in winter are about −5 °C 23 °F. The effect of the ocean tends to keep summer temperatures low and prevent winter temperatures from falling as low as they do inland to the south.