James Ross Island

Exploration and name

James Ross Island was charted in October 1903 by the Swedish Antarctic Expedition (SwedAE) under Otto Nordenskiöld, who named it for Sir James Clark Ross, the leader of a British expedition to this area in 1842 that discovered and roughly charted a number of points along the eastern side of the island. The style, "James" Ross Island is used to avoid confusion with the more widely known Ross Island in McMurdo Sound.

Paleontology

Two dinosaur-bearing formations are present on the island, both from the Upper Cretaceous: the Santa Marta Formation and the Snow Hill Island Formation. These are two of only three known formations to have dinosaur fossils in Antarctica.

The first dinosaur discovered in Antarctica was Antarctopelta oliveroi, a medium-sized ankylosaur found on James Ross Island by Argentinian geologists Eduardo Olivero and Roberto Scasso in 1986. The dinosaur was recovered from the Campanian stage of the Upper Cretaceous Santa Marta Formation, about 2 km (1.2 mi) south of Santa Marta Cove on the north part of the island. The ankylosaur was not formally named until 2006.

In December 2003, U.S. paleontologist Judd Case from Saint Mary's College of California and U.S. geologist James Martin from the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology discovered the bones of a theropod dinosaur on the island. Nicknamed "Naze" after the northerly Naze Peninsula on which it was found, the Late Cretaceous remains include an upper jaw and teeth, and most of the lower legs and feet. Little information is available, but the shape of the leg and feet indicate it was a runner. In 2019, it was given the name Imperobator antarcticus. It was large, about the size of Utahraptor. It is the second Antarctic theropod discovered, after Cryolophosaurus.

An ornithopod was found in the Snow Hill Island Formation by Argentine paleontologists Rodolfo Aníbal Coria and Juan José Moly in 2008. In 2013, Coria named it Trinisaura santamartaensis.

In 2015, an iguanodontid found in 2002 by Fernando Novas was named Morrosaurus antarcticus by Sebastian Rozadilla, Federico Lisandro Agnolin, Fernando Emilio Novas, Alexis Rolando Aranciaga Mauro, Matthew J. Motta, Juan Manuel Lirio Marcelo and Pablo Isasi. The genus name refers to the site of El Morro on James Ross Island, where the remains of the species were found. The specific name refers to Antarctica.

Notable features

Notable features, clockwise from the west, include:

• Ulu Peninsula (63°56′S 58°5′W / 63.933°S 58.083°W) is that portion of James Ross Island northwest of the narrow neck of land between Rohss Bay and Croft Bay, extending from Cape Obelisk to Cape Lachman.
• Croft Bay (64°0′S 57°45′W / 64.000°S 57.750°W) is a bay which indents the north-central side of James Ross Island and forms the southern part of Herbert Sound.
• The Naze (63°57′S 57°32′W / 63.950°S 57.533°W) is a peninsula in north James Ross Island, marking the southeast entrance to Herbert Sound and extending about 5 nautical miles (9.3 km; 5.8 mi) northeast from Terrapin Hill toward the south-central shore of Vega Island.
• Markham Bay (64°17′S 57°18′W / 64.283°S 57.300°W) is a bay 8 nautical miles (15 km; 9.2 mi) wide, lying between Ekelöf Point and Hamilton Point on the east side of James Ross Island.
• Mount Haddington (64°13′S 57°38′W / 64.217°S 57.633°W is a mountain, 1,630 metres (5,350 ft) high, surmounting the central part of James Ross Island.
• Röhss Bay (64°12′S 58°16′W / 64.200°S 58.267°W) is a bay 11 nautical miles (20 km; 13 mi) wide, between Cape Broms and Cape Obelisk on the southwest side of James Ross Island.

Northeast features

From west to east

Flett Buttress

64°07′S 57°49′W / 64.117°S 57.817°W. A rock crag rising to 905 metres (2,969 ft) high northwest of Mount Haddington. It provides the highest exposure of volcanic rock on the island. Named by the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee (UK-APC) in 1987 after William R. Flett, geologist on Operation Tabarin at Deception Island (Base Leader), 1943–44, and Hope Bay, 1944–45.

Förster Cliffs

64°01′S 57°33′W / 64.017°S 57.550°W. Cliffs located east-northeast of Stark Point, running east–west for 2 nautical miles (3.7 km; 2.3 mi) and rising to 550 metres (1,800 ft) high in northern James Ross Island. Named by the UK-APC in 1987 after Reinhard Förster (1935–87), West German geologist from LMU Munich, who was a member of the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) field party to the area, 1985–86.

Skep Point

64°03′S 57°18′W / 64.050°S 57.300°W. A high ice-free point 5 nautical miles (9.3 km; 5.8 mi) west-northwest of Ula Point on the northeast coast of James Ross Island. Surveyed by Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (FIDS) first in 1945, then again in 1953. The UK-APC name is descriptive; when viewed from seaward the feature resembles a skep type beehive.

Ula Point

64°05′S 57°09′W / 64.083°S 57.150°W. A low ice-covered point on the northeast coast of James Ross Island, 5 nautical miles (9.3 km; 5.8 mi) northwest of Cape Gage. First seen and roughly surveyed by SwedAE, 1901–04, under Otto Nordenskjold. Resurveyed by FIDS in 1945. Named by UK-APC for Anton Olsen Ula, boatswain on the Antarctic the ship of the above Swedish expedition.

Coley Glacier

69°09′S 57°14′W / 69.150°S 57.233°W. A glacier, 5 nautical miles (9.3 km; 5.8 mi) long, on the east side of James Ross Island. It flows into Erebus and Terror Gulf just north of Cape Gage. Surveyed by FIDS in 1945 and 1953. Named by UK-APC for John A. Coley of FIDS, meteorological assistant at Hope Bay in 1952 and 1953.

Cape Gage

64°10′S 57°05′W / 64.167°S 57.083°W. A rocky promontory forming the east extremity of James Ross Island and the west side of the north entrance to Admiralty Sound. Discovered by a British expedition 1839–43, under James Clark Ross, who named it for V. Admiral William Hall Gage, a Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty.

Southeast features

From west to east

Nygren Point

64°23′S 58°13′W / 64.383°S 58.217°W. A rocky point 4 nautical miles (7.4 km; 4.6 mi) southeast of Cape Broms, on the southwest side of James Ross Island. First seen and surveyed in 1903 by the SwedAE under Nordenskjold, who named it Cape Nygren after G. Nygren, Swedish chemist who contributed toward the cost of the expedition. It was resurveyed by the FIDS in 1952. Point is considered a more suitable descriptive term for this feature than cape.

Carlsson Bay

64°24′S 58°04′W / 64.400°S 58.067°W. A square bay, 2.5 nautical miles (4.6 km; 2.9 mi) in extent, entered 3 nautical miles (5.6 km; 3.5 mi) northwest of Cape Foster on the southwest side of James Ross Island. First seen and surveyed in 1903 by the SwedAE under Nordenskjold, who named it for J. Carlsson of Sweden who contributed toward the cost of the expedition. The bay was resurveyed by the FIDS in 1952–53.

Tait Glacier

64°22′S 58°02′W / 64.367°S 58.033°W. A glacier about 4 nautical miles (7.4 km; 4.6 mi) long on the southwest coast of James Ross Island, flowing southwest into Carlsson Bay. Probably first seen by Doctor Otto Nordenskjold in 1903. Surveyed by FIDS in 1945. Named by UK-APC for Murdo F. Tait, FIDS meteorological observer at Hope Bay in 1952 and 1953.

Cape Foster

64°27′S 57°59′W / 64.450°S 57.983°W. A cape lying 2 nautical miles (3.7 km; 2.3 mi) southeast of Carlsson Bay on the south side of James Ross Island. Discovered by a British expedition 1839–43, under James Clark Ross, who named it for Captain Henry Foster, RN, leader of a British expedition in the Chanticleer, 1828–31. The cape was mapped by the SwedAE under Nordenskjold, 1901–04.

Sungold Hill

64°23′S 57°52′W / 64.383°S 57.867°W. A prominent round hill 860 metres (2,820 ft) high with distinctive convex slopes, 2 nautical miles (3.7 km; 2.3 mi) inland between Cape Foster and Jefford Point. Named by UK-APC following FIDS surveys, 1958–61. The name records the characteristic color of the exposed rock cliffs.

Swift Bay

64°22′30″S 57°46′13″W / 64.375°S 57.7702778°W A bay entered west of Jefford Point on the south side of James Ross Island. Named by UK Antarctic Place-names Committee (UK-APC) (2006) in association with Swift Glacier which flows southward into the bay.

Swift Glacier

64°22′S 57°46′W / 64.367°S 57.767°W. A steep glacier about 2 nautical miles (3.7 km; 2.3 mi) long, close west of Jefford Point. Named by UK-APC following FIDS surveys, 1958–61. The name is descriptive, this being one of the most active glaciers on the island.

Jefford Point

64°24′S 57°41′W / 64.400°S 57.683°W. A point formed by a rock cliff surmounted by ice, located 8 nautical miles (15 km; 9.2 mi) east-northeast of Cape Foster. First surveyed by SwedAE, 1901–04, under Otto Nordenskjold. Resurveyed by FIDS in 1948, the records being lost in a fire at Hope Bay, it was surveyed again by FIDS in 1952. Named by UK-APC for Brian Jefford, FIDS surveyor at Hope Bay in 1948, and at Admiralty Bay in 1949.

Lomas Ridge

64°22′00″S 57°35′00″W / 64.3666667°S 57.5833333°W. A ridge, 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) long, trending north-northwest – south-southeast, midway between Jefford Point and Tortoise Hill, southeast James Ross Island. Named by UK Antarctic Place-names Committee (UK-APC) in 1995 after Simon Andrew Lomas (b. 1965), British Antarctic Survey (BAS) geologist who was a member of the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) field party in the area, 1994–95.

Tortoise Hill

64°22′S 57°30′W / 64.367°S 57.500°W. A hill more than 500 metres (1,600 ft) high, 3 nautical miles (5.6 km; 3.5 mi) west of The Watchtower at the southeast corner of James Ross Island. Named by UK-APC following FIDS surveys, 1958–61. The feature is similar geologically and in appearance to Terrapin Hill in the northeast portion of the island; hence the application of a related name.

The Watchtower

64°23′S 57°22′W / 64.383°S 57.367°W. An isolated, steep-sided, flat-topped rock mass, 400 metres (1,300 ft) high, on the southeast extremity of James Ross Island. First seen, roughly surveyed, and given the descriptive name "The Watch Tower" by Otto Nordenskjold of the SwedAE in March 1902.

Howarth Glacier

64°23′00″S 57°23′00″W / 64.3833333°S 57.3833333°W. A small glacier flowing south-southeast to Admiralty Sound along the west side of The Watchtower. Named by UK-APC in 1995 after Michael Kingsley Howarth (b. 1932), Deputy Keeper of Paleontology, British Museum (Natural History), 1980–92, and author of Falklands Islands Dependencies Survey (FIDS) Scientific Report No. 21, Alexander Island.