Terra Nova Islands

The Terra Nova Islands (68°53′S 157°57′E / 68.89°S 157.95°E / -68.89; 157.95) are a pair of small phantom islands. They were thought to lie off Oates Coast, East Antarctica, about 14 nautical miles (26 km) north of Williamson Head in the Somov Sea. Sighted from the Magga Dan, 8 March 1961, by ANARE (Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions) under Phillip Law. Named by Antarctic Names Committee of Australia (ANCA) after the expedition ship of the British Antarctic Expedition, 1910–13, the Terra Nova, from which Lieutenant H.L.L. Pennell, Royal Navy, discovered and charted coastal points in the vicinity.

In 1989, the German GANOVEX V expedition planned to visit the islands and map them. But when the expedition's geologists arrived at the listed coordinates via helicopter, no sign of these islands could be found in the area. Depth measurements via echo sounding by the research ship Polar Queen showed water depths between 170 and 355 meters at the islands' purported location. Subsequent visits to the area by the GANOVEX VII and GANOVEX VIII expeditions confirmed the non-existence of the islands.^[1]

Terra Nova Canyon (69°0′S 159°0′E / 69.000°S 159.000°E / -69.000; 159.000Coordinates: 69°0′S 159°0′E / 69.000°S 159.000°E / -69.000; 159.000) is an undersea canyon named in association with the Terra Nova Islands. Name approved 6/88 (ACUF 228).

See also

• List of antarctic and sub-antarctic islands

References

1. ↑ Roland, Norbert W. (2009). Antarktis - Forschung im ewigen Eis (PDF). Heidelberg: Spektrum Akademischer Verlag. pp. 242–244. ISBN 978-3-8274-1875-3. 

 This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Geological Survey document "Terra Nova Islands" (content from the Geographic Names Information System).