Yalour Islands facts for kids
Tourist expedition Zodiac visits Adelie penguins in the Yalour Islands
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 Yalour Islands
Location in Antarctica
Location in Antarctica
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| Geography | |
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| Location | Antarctica |
| Coordinates | 65°14′S 64°10′W / 65.233°S 64.167°W |
| Archipelago | Wilhelm Archipelago |
| Administration | |
| Administered under the Antarctic Treaty System | |
| Demographics | |
| Population | Uninhabited |
The Yalour Islands, also known as the Jalour Islands, are a group of small islands and rocks in Antarctica. They stretch about 2.8 kilometers (1.5 nautical miles) long. You can find them in the southern part of the Wilhelm Archipelago. They are located about 1.8 kilometers (1 nautical mile) northwest of Cape Tuxen in Graham Land. These islands are a special place, especially for the wildlife that lives there.
Location and Discovery
The Yalour Islands were first discovered and named by the French Antarctic Expedition. This expedition took place between 1903 and 1905. It was led by a famous explorer named J.B. Charcot.
The islands were named to honor Lieutenant Jorge Yalour. He was an officer from the Argentine Navy. Lieutenant Yalour was part of the crew on the ship Uruguay. This ship bravely rescued the shipwrecked Swedish Antarctic Expedition in November 1903.
How the Islands Were Formed
The rocks you see on the Yalour Islands and nearby areas are mostly igneous rocks. This means they formed from molten rock (magma) that cooled deep underground. The main type of rock here is called gabbro. It looks grey to black.
These rocks are made of tiny crystals. You can see small grey-white crystals of feldspar and black crystals of pyroxene. The islands were formed in a similar way to the rest of the Antarctic Peninsula. This happened when the Pacific plate slowly slid under the Antarctic Plate. This process is called subduction.
This movement of Earth's plates also created mountain chains. It is one of the most common ways mountains form. The Andes Mountains in South America are another famous example of this process. Today, the mountain-building process has mostly stopped in this area. Only at the very tip of the peninsula and in the South Shetland Islands does it continue. Now, erosion and gravity are shaping the landscape of the Yalour Islands.
Amazing Wildlife
The Yalour Islands are a very important home for wildlife. About 8,000 pairs of Adelie penguins nest here. These penguins come to the islands to lay their eggs and raise their chicks. It's a busy and noisy place during nesting season!
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Kayaking near the Yalour Islands
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Kayaker near the Yalour Islands
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Adelie penguin in the Yalour Islands
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Kayaking near the Yalour Islands
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Adelie penguins in the Yalour Islands
See also
In Spanish: Islotes Yalour para niños
