Spath Peninsula

Spath Peninsula (64°21′S 56°55′W) is an ice-free peninsula, 4.0 mi (6.5 km), forming the northeast extremity of Snow Hill Island.[1] Historic Nordenskjold's Hut, Antarctic Historic Site #28, is located on the west coast of the peninsula.[2] The Karlsen Cliffs form the peninsula's northwest coast.[3] Wickens Gully, a water-cut ravine, cuts into clay-rich rocks on the peninsula's east side.[4]

Nordenskiöld House, 1902 photograph

The peninsula has several distinct hills on it. Thyasira Hill is a distinctive hill within a group of smaller hills rising to about 60 m (200 ft) tall, 250–300 m (820–980 ft) south of Nordenskjold's Hut.[5] Tesore Hill rises about 160 m (520 ft) high on the east side of the peninsula.[6]

Naming

The peninsula and its features were named by the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee (UK-APC) in 1995. The peninsula was named for Leonard Frank Spath (1882–1957), eminent UK paleontologist.[1] The cliffs and gully were named for Anders Karlsen, First Engineer on the Swedish Antarctic Expedition, 1901–04 and Professor Otto Wilckens, eminent German paleontologist, respectively.[3][4] Thyasira Hill was named because of the abundance of the fossil bivalve mollusk Thyasira townsendi found in this area.[5] Tesore Hill is the English translation of the original Argentine name "Cerro Tesore".[6]

References
  1. "Spath Peninsula". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2018-08-30.
  2. "Antarctic Treaty Visitors' Guide: Snow Hill" (PDF).
  3. "Karlsen Cliffs". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2013-04-14.
  4. "Wickens Gully". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2018-08-30.
  5. "Thyasira Hill". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2018-08-30.
  6. "Tesore Hill". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2018-08-30.

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Geological Survey.


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