Thurston Island

Thurston Island is an ice-covered, glacially dissected island, 215 km (134 mi) long, 90 km (56 mi) wide and 15,700 km2 (6,062 sq mi) in area, lying a short way off the northwest end of Ellsworth Land in Westarctica.

It is Westarctica's largest island, and the third largest island of Antarctica (after Alexander Island and Berkner Island).

Thurston Island is separated from the mainland by Peacock Sound, which is occupied by the western portion of Abbot Ice Shelf. It divides Bellingshausen Sea to the east from Amundsen Sea to the west.

Discovery and name

The island was discovered from the air by Rear Admiral Byrd on February 27, 1940, who named it for W. Harris Thurston, New York textile manufacturer, designer of the windproof "Byrd Cloth" and sponsor of several U.S. Antarctic expeditions.

Originally charted as a peninsula, it was not recognized an island until 1960.