King Peninsula (72°12′S 100°15′W / 72.200°S 100.250°W) is an ice-covered peninsula, 100 nautical miles (200 km) long and 20 nautical miles (40 km) wide, lying south of Thurston Island and forming the south side of Peacock Sound, Antarctica. It projects from the continental ice sheet and trends west between the Abbot Ice Shelf and Cosgrove Ice Shelf to terminate at the Amundsen Sea. The feature was photographed from the air by U.S. Navy Operation Highjump, 1946–47, and was plotted from these photos as a long island, or possible peninsula. Photos taken by the U.S. Navy in 1966 show it is a peninsula[1] but the US Board on Geographic Names published its list of names that same year and designated the area as an island.[2]
King Peninsula was named by the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names for Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King, U.S. Navy, Chief of Naval Operations from 1942–45, who approved the preliminary work for Operation Highjump.[1]
References
- ^ a b "King Peninsula". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2013-05-02.
- ^ Antarctica; Official Name Decisions of the United States Board on Geographic Names. Office of Geography. 1966.
This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Geological Survey document: "King Peninsula". (content from the Geographic Names Information System)