Melchior Islands facts for kids
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 Melchior Islands
Location in Antarctic Peninsula
Location in Antarctica
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| Geography | |
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| Location | Antarctica |
| Coordinates | 64°19′S 62°57′W / 64.317°S 62.950°W |
| Archipelago | Palmer Archipelago |
| Major islands | Eta Island, Omega Island |
| Administration | |
| Administered under the Antarctic Treaty System | |
| Demographics | |
| Population | Data not available |
The Melchior Islands are a group of many small islands covered in ice. They are found in Dallmann Bay, which is part of the Palmer Archipelago in Antarctica. These islands are quite low to the water.
Discovering the Melchior Islands
The Melchior Islands were first seen by a German team led by Eduard Dallmann between 1873 and 1874. However, they did not give the islands a name.
Later, from 1903 to 1905, a French expedition led by Jean-Baptiste Charcot saw the islands again. They made a rough map of the area. Charcot thought there was one large island to the east and named it "Île Melchior." He named it after Vice Admiral Jules Melchior from the French Navy.
However, later studies showed that Charcot's "Île Melchior" was actually two separate islands. These are now known as Eta Island and Omega Island. The name "Melchior Islands" now refers to the entire group of islands. Eta Island and Omega Island are part of the eastern side of this group. The Sigma Islands mark the northern edge of the Melchior Islands.
Mapping the Islands
The Melchior Islands were first roughly mapped in 1927. This was done by people from the "Discovery Investigations" aboard the ship RRS Discovery.
Later, Argentine expeditions surveyed the islands again in 1942, 1943, and 1948. These surveys helped to create more detailed maps of the area.
Inner Harbor
Within the Melchior Islands, there is a small harbor called Inner Harbor. It is formed by several islands arranged in a semi-circle. These islands are Lambda, Epsilon, Alpha, and Delta Islands.
The name "Inner Harbor" was likely given by the Discovery Investigations team in 1927. This team was the first to roughly map the harbor. Like the rest of the Melchior Islands, Inner Harbor was also surveyed again by Argentine expeditions in 1942, 1943, and 1948.
In Spanish: Archipiélago Melchior para niños
