Ronne Entrance
The Ronne Entrance is the broad south-west entrance of the George VI Sound between Alexander Island and the mainland of Palmer Land in the British Antarctic Territory. The Entrance is the opening of the channel, with Alexander Island to the north and
The Entrance opens from the south-east portion of the Bellingshausen Sea. The south side of the Monteverdi Peninsula of Alexander Island occupies the north portion of the Ronne Entrance while the English Coast of southernmost Palmer Land lies along the southern side of the entrance.
The Ronne Entrance receives a great deal of ice throughout the whole year mainly because the entrance protrudes eastward into the adjacent George VI Sound and the George VI Ice Shelf from the southwest section. It is also prone to ice flow from the Bach Ice Shelf (which separates the south side of the Beethoven Peninsula from the north side of the Monteverdi Peninsula) as well as receiving ice from the Wilkins Ice Shelf (mainly from the southernmost end of the ice shelf).
Islands
There are a few islands lying within the Ronne Entrance, mainly in the south-west area: these islands include the tiny Eklund Islands, in the ice between Alexander Island the mainland and but also some sizable ones: DeAtley Island, Spaatz Island, Case Island and Smyley Island; the westernmost islands of the British territory.
Discovery and naming
The entrance was discovered on a sledge journey through the sound in December 1940 by the American polar explorer Finn Ronne and Carl Eklund of the US Antarctic Service, 1939–41, and named "Ronne Bay".
The bay is thus named from Finn Ronne and a remarkable family. Finn Ronne's father, Martin Rønne, was a member of the Norwegian expedition under Amundsen, 1910–12, and of the Byrd Antarctic Expedition 1928-30. Finn was a member of the Byrd Antarctic Expedition, 1933–35, and the United States Antarctic Service 1939-41. As captain, Finn Ronne headed the Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition, 1947–49 and became scientific and military leader for a U.S. Weddell Sea base. He covered more miles by ski and sled dog than any other explorer in history and mapped the last unknown coastline on earth on his Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition in 1947.[1] Finn's wife, Edith Ronne, became the first woman to overwinter on the continent.
Since 1940, with changes in ice coverage, the head of the bay has receded eastward into George VI Sound, altering the relationships on which the name was based. The name 'Ronne Bay' was therefore changed to 'Ronne Entrance', in keeping with the physical characteristics of the feature.
Location
- Location map:72°30’0"S, 74°0’0"W
References
- Gazetteer and Map of The British Antarctic Territory: Ronne Entrance