Observation Hill (McMurdo Station) facts for kids
Observation Hill is a steep hill in Antarctica, standing about 754 feet (230 meters) tall. It is located right next to McMurdo Station. Many people call it "Ob Hill" for short. Visitors often climb this hill to enjoy fantastic views across the icy continent. The skies are usually clear, which means you can see for a very long way!
Observation Hill is a type of volcano called a lava dome. It is one of several volcanoes that form the Hut Point Peninsula.
The Memorial Cross on Observation Hill
After a brave journey in early 1912, members of Robert Falcon Scott's exploration team were found by a search party. This group was led by a surgeon named Edward L. Atkinson. The search party carefully collected the team's photos and scientific samples. They had to leave Scott and his men in their tent. Over time, snow covered the area, and later groups could not find the campsite.
Today, the tent and the area where they were found are deep under the Ross Ice Shelf. This huge sheet of ice slowly moves towards the Ross Sea. In 2001, a scientist who studies glaciers, Charles R. Bentley, thought the tent was about 75 feet (23 meters) under the ice. He also estimated it was about 30 miles (48 kilometers) from where the team had passed away. He believed that in about 275 years, the tent might reach the Ross Sea and perhaps float away inside an iceberg.
Building the Memorial
The search party returned to their base camp at McMurdo Sound. They waited for a relief ship to arrive. Once it did, they worked together to build a special memorial. This memorial was a nine-foot (2.7-meter) tall wooden cross.
The cross was carved with the names of the brave explorers who had died. It also included a famous line from the poem "Ulysses" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. This line reads: "To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield." This means to keep trying, searching, discovering, and never giving up.
Placing the Cross
On January 22, 1913, after a tough two-day trip by sledge, the cross was placed on top of Observation Hill. It looks out over the camp and faces the "Barrier," which is the Ross Ice Shelf. This is the very ice shelf where Scott's team had made their final journey.
In 1972, the cross was recognized as an important historical site. Countries that signed the Antarctic Treaty declared it one of the first Historic Sites and Monuments in Antarctica. It is known as HSM-20.
See also
In Spanish: Colina Observación de la Base McMurdo para niños
