Eights Coast facts for kids
Eights Coast is a part of the coast in West Antarctica. It stretches between Cape Waite and Pfrogner Point. To its west is the Walgreen Coast, and to its east is the Bryan Coast. This area is part of a larger region called Ellsworth Land. Eights Coast is located between 103°24'W and 89°35'W.
The coast is next to Thurston Island, the Abbot Ice Shelf, and some smaller islands within the ice shelf. For most of its length, it touches the Bellingshausen Sea. West of Thurston Island, it touches the Amundsen Sea.
Most of Eights Coast is not claimed by any country. However, the eastern part of Eights Coast borders a section claimed by Chile. This area is part of Chile's southernmost province. Peter I Island, which is about 450 kilometers north of the coast, is claimed by Norway.
Discovery and Naming
Eights Coast was first seen by people from the US Antarctic Service. They saw it during flights from the ship USS Bear in February 1940. Later, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) mapped it in detail. They used surveys and air photographs taken by the United States Navy between 1960 and 1966.
The Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names gave Eights Coast its name. It was named after James Eights from Albany, New York. James Eights was a geologist who sailed on the ship Annawan in 1830. He studied the rocks and land of the South Shetland Islands. He also sailed westward on the Annawan to 103°W.
James Eights was the first American scientist to do research in Antarctica. He made an important discovery: the first known fossils in the Antarctic region. These were pieces of a tree found in the South Shetland Islands. In 1833, Eights published his findings in a science paper. His observations and ideas about Antarctica were very accurate for his time.
See also
- Coasts of Antarctica
