Sobral Peninsula

The Sobral Peninsulais a headland on the Nordenskjöld Coast of Graham Land in the British Antarctic Territory. It extends southward from Muskeg Gap into the Larsen Ice Shelf, to the west of Larsen Inlet.

The peninsula was roughly mapped by the Swedish Antarctic Expedition in October 1902, which expedition gave the name 'Kap Sobral' to its southern point: it is named after Teniente José María Sobral (1880-1961), of the Argentine Navy, assistant meteorologist, hydrographer and astronomer with the Swedish Antarctic Expedition; later Director, Department of Mines, Buenos Aires.

The peninsula was seen from the air by Ellsworth, 3 January 1935, and erroneously reported as an island separated from the mainland coast by a channel about three and a half miles wide. A resurvey by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey from 'Hope Bay' in November 1947 failed to determine the true nature of the feature. An Argentine refuge hut was established on the peninsula in 64°30'S 59°40'W, 23 June 1959, for seasonal use by field parties travelling south from Esperanza, and was called 'Guaraní' after the Argentine tugboat Guaraní. The feature was further surveyed by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey from 'Hope Bay', 1958-61: this survey showed that the feature is joined to the mainland coast at Muskeg Gap; hence Sobral Peninsula.

Location

• Location map: 64°29’25"S, 59°40’56"W

References

• Gazetteer and Map of The British Antarctic Territory: Sobral Peninsula