Gamma Island

For the island in Greenland, see Gamma Island (Greenland). For the island in Bermuda, see Gamma Island, Bermuda.

Gamma Island
Gamma Island is located in Antarctica
Gamma Island
Gamma Island
Location in Antarctica
Geography
LocationAntarctica
Coordinates64°20′S 63°0′W / 64.333°S 63.000°W / -64.333; -63.000
ArchipelagoPalmer Archipelago
Highest elevation140 m (460 ft)
Administration
Administered under the Antarctic Treaty System
Demographics
PopulationUninhabited

Gamma Island is an island, 1.6 kilometres (1 mi) long, which marks the southwestern extremity of the Melchior Islands in the Palmer Archipelago. This island was first roughly charted and named "Ile Gouts" by the French Antarctic Expedition, 1903–05, under Jean-Baptiste Charcot, but that name has not survived in usage. The current name, derived from gamma, the third letter of the Greek alphabet, was probably given by Discovery Investigations personnel who roughly surveyed the island in 1927. The island was also surveyed by Argentine expeditions in 1942, 1943 and 1948.[1] The Argentines call it Isla Observatorio and erected the Melchior Base there in 1947.[2]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference gnis was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ John Stewart: Antarctica – An Encyclopedia. Volume 1, McFarland & Co., Jefferson and London 2011, ISBN 978-0-7864-3590-6, p. 604.