Adelaide Island

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See also Adelaide Island (Saint Lawrence River)

Adelaide Island or Isla Adelaida or Isla Belgrano is a large, mainly ice-covered island, 75 miles long and 20 miles wide, lying at the north side of Marguerite Bay off the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula of the British Antarctic Territory. Adelaide Island is located at 67.25° S 68.5° W.

Adelaide Base, February 1962

Rothera Station November 2003, looking towards the Antarctic Peninsular

Adelaide Island was discovered in 1832 by a British expedition under John Biscoe. The island was first surveyed by the French Antarctic Expedition (1908-1910) under Jean-Baptiste Charcot.

The source of the name of the island is not known. British Antarctic Survey records state that Charcot named the island "Adelie Land" after the huge number of Adelie Penguins that lived on its coast (the penguins being named after the wife of Dumont d'Urville). This in turn was turned into Adelaide Island by the British Graham Land Expedition (1934 -37). It has also been supposed that the island was in fact named by Biscoe himself for Queen Adelaide of the United Kingdom.

The Island has 2 Bases on it. The old Adelaide Island base (also known as Base T) was set up by the Falkland Islands Dependent Survey (FIDS), which became the British Antarctic Survey. The Base was closed due to an unstable skiway and operations were moved to the new Rothera Station during 1976 / 1977, this base remains open to this day. The old BAS base was transferred to the Chilean Authorities in 1984, when it was renamed Teniente Luis Carvajal Villaroel Antarctic Base. The station was then used as a summer only station by the Chileans. However the skiway, and 'ramp' to the station from the plateau have all become so unstable, that the Chilean Air Force (FACh) have stopped all there activities there. The Chilean Navy have visited the station almost every summer to ensure it is in good keeping. BAS employees also visit the station suring the winter when access from the plateau is easier.

Due to the length of time that it has been inhabited the island is well mapped by Antarctic standards.