Beaufort Island
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Beaufort Island | |
  Beaufort Island Location in Antarctica | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Antarctica |
| Coordinates | 76°57′S 166°57′E / 76.950°S 166.950°E |
| Archipelago | Ross Archipelago[1] |
| Area | 18.4 km2 (7.1 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 771 m (2530 ft) |
| Highest point | Paton Peak |
| Administration | |
| Administered under the Antarctic Treaty System | |
| Demographics | |
| Population | Uninhabited |
Beaufort Island is an island in Antarctica's Ross Sea. It is the northernmost feature of the Ross Archipelago,[1] lying 21 kilometres (13 miles) north of Cape Bird, Ross Island. It is approximately 18.4 km2 (7 square miles) in area. It was first charted by James Clark Ross in 1841. Ross named the island for Sir Francis Beaufort, hydrographer to the British Royal Navy.[2]
Beaufort Island is the eroded remains of a basaltic stratovolcano of unknown age.[3] It is semi-circular in shape. The highest point in the island is Paton Peak, at 771 m (2,530 ft). The island has varied terrain and habitats. Much of the western side of the island is covered by moderately sloping ice fields with ice cliffs about 20 m (66 ft) high on the coast. The east and south sides of the island are mostly free of ice, with steep inaccessible cliffs that rise straight from the sea. Here the ice-free ground has a gentle slope and has ponds in summer and small meltwater streams that drain to the coast.[2][4]
