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Difference between revisions of "Antarctica"
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European maps continued to show this hypothesized land until Captain James Cook's ships, HMS Resolution and Adventure, crossed the Antarctic Circle on 17 January 1773, in December 1773 and again in January 1774. Cook came within about 120 km (75 mi) of the Antarctic coast before retreating in the face of field ice in January 1773. The first confirmed sighting of Antarctica can be narrowed down to the crews of ships captained by three individuals. | ===Early exploration=== | ||
European maps continued to show this hypothesized land until Captain James Cook's ships, HMS Resolution and Adventure, crossed the [[Antarctic Circle]] on 17 January 1773, in December 1773 and again in January 1774. Cook came within about 120 km (75 mi) of the Antarctic coast before retreating in the face of field ice in January 1773. The first confirmed sighting of Antarctica can be narrowed down to the crews of ships captained by three individuals. | |||
According to various organisations, ships captained by three men sighted Antarctica or its ice shelf in 1820: [[Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen]] (a captain in the Imperial Russian Navy), Edward Bransfield (a captain in the Royal Navy), and Nathaniel Palmer (a sealer out of Stonington, Connecticut). | According to various organisations, ships captained by three men sighted Antarctica or its ice shelf in 1820: [[Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen]] (a captain in the Imperial Russian Navy), Edward Bransfield (a captain in the Royal Navy), and Nathaniel Palmer (a sealer out of Stonington, Connecticut). | ||
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Explorer [[James Clark Ross]] passed through what is now known as the Ross Sea and discovered Ross Island (both of which were named after him) in 1841. He sailed along a huge wall of ice that was later named the Ross Ice Shelf. Mount Erebus and Mount Terror are named after two ships from his expedition: HMS Erebus and Terror. Mercator Cooper landed in [[East Antarctica]] on 26 January 1853. | Explorer [[James Clark Ross]] passed through what is now known as the Ross Sea and discovered Ross Island (both of which were named after him) in 1841. He sailed along a huge wall of ice that was later named the Ross Ice Shelf. Mount Erebus and Mount Terror are named after two ships from his expedition: HMS Erebus and Terror. Mercator Cooper landed in [[East Antarctica]] on 26 January 1853. | ||
===Modern day exploration=== | |||
During the Nimrod Expedition led by [[Ernest Shackleton]] in 1907, parties led by Edgeworth David became the first to climb Mount Erebus and to reach the [[South Magnetic Pole]]. Douglas Mawson, who assumed the leadership of the Magnetic Pole party on their perilous return, went on to lead several expeditions until retiring in 1931. In addition, Shackleton himself and three other members of his expedition made several firsts in December 1908 – February 1909: they were the first humans to traverse the [[Ross Ice Shelf]], the first to traverse the [[Transantarctic Mountains]] (via the [[Beardmore Glacier]]), and the first to set foot on the South Polar Plateau. An expedition led by Norwegian polar explorer [[Roald Amundsen]] from the ship ''Fram'' became the first to reach the geographic [[South Pole]] on 14 December 1911, using a route from the Bay of Whales and up the Axel Heiberg Glacier. One month later, the doomed Scott Expedition reached the pole. | During the Nimrod Expedition led by [[Ernest Shackleton]] in 1907, parties led by Edgeworth David became the first to climb Mount Erebus and to reach the [[South Magnetic Pole]]. Douglas Mawson, who assumed the leadership of the Magnetic Pole party on their perilous return, went on to lead several expeditions until retiring in 1931. In addition, Shackleton himself and three other members of his expedition made several firsts in December 1908 – February 1909: they were the first humans to traverse the [[Ross Ice Shelf]], the first to traverse the [[Transantarctic Mountains]] (via the [[Beardmore Glacier]]), and the first to set foot on the South Polar Plateau. An expedition led by Norwegian polar explorer [[Roald Amundsen]] from the ship ''Fram'' became the first to reach the geographic [[South Pole]] on 14 December 1911, using a route from the Bay of Whales and up the Axel Heiberg Glacier. One month later, the doomed Scott Expedition reached the pole. | ||