Vestfold Hills
Encyclopedia
Vestfold Hills is an area of rounded rock coastal hills, 411 km² (158.7 sq mi) in extent, located at the north side of Sorsdal Glacier
on Ingrid Christensen Coast
in Antarctica. The hills are subdivided by three west-trending peninsulas bounded by narrow fjords. Most of the hills range between 30 and 90 meters, the highest summit being nearly 160 meters.
The Vestfold Hills are largely snow and ice-free and are thus classified as an Antarctic oasis
. They contain a great variety of lake systems with over 300 lakes and ponds including what is possibly the largest concentration of meromictic
(stratified) lakes in the world. This region contains 37 permanently stratified water bodies, including six marine basins and seven seasonally isolated marine basins (SIMBs). These stratified basins also have great variety. They range in salinity from 4 g
L-1 to 235 g L-1, in temperature from -14°C to 24°C, in depth from 5 m to 110m, in area from 3.6 ha to 146 ha and surface level from 30 m below to 29 m above sea level.
whaling
ship "Thorshavn" sent out by Lars Christensen
. Mrs Caroline Mikkelsen
thereby became the first woman to set foot on the Antarctic continent.
The Vestfold Hills are named after Vestfold
, a county in Norway where Sandefjord
, headquarters of the whaling industry, is located. This hill area and its off-lying islands were mapped from air photos taken by the Lars Christensen Expedition (1936-37). Further brief landings were made by Lincoln Ellsworth
in 1939, and the area was photographed from the air by USN Operation Highjump
(1946-47). Landings were made and exploration carried out in 1954 and 1955 by ANARE (Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions
) led by Phillip Law
. Davis Station
was established by ANARE in January 1957.
Sorsdal Glacier
Sorsdal Glacier is a heavily crevassed glacier, 15 nautical miles long, flowing westward along the south side of Krok Fjord and the Vestfold Hills and terminating in a prominent glacier tongue at Prydz Bay...
on Ingrid Christensen Coast
Ingrid Christensen Coast
Ingrid Christensen Coast is that portion of the coast of Antarctica lying between Jennings Promontory, in 72° 33' E, and the western end of the West Ice Shelf in 81° 24' E. It is located in the western half of Princess Elizabeth Land, just east of Amery Ice Shelf. The coast was discovered and a...
in Antarctica. The hills are subdivided by three west-trending peninsulas bounded by narrow fjords. Most of the hills range between 30 and 90 meters, the highest summit being nearly 160 meters.
The Vestfold Hills are largely snow and ice-free and are thus classified as an Antarctic oasis
Antarctic oasis
An Antarctic oasis is a large area naturally free of snow and ice in the otherwise ice-covered continent of Antarctica.-Geology:In Antarctica there are, in addition to mountain tops and nunataks, other natural snow- and ice-free areas often referred to as "Antarctic oases" or "dry valleys"...
. They contain a great variety of lake systems with over 300 lakes and ponds including what is possibly the largest concentration of meromictic
Meromictic
A meromictic lake has layers of water that do not intermix. In ordinary, "holomictic" lakes, at least once each year there is a physical mixing of the surface and the deep waters...
(stratified) lakes in the world. This region contains 37 permanently stratified water bodies, including six marine basins and seven seasonally isolated marine basins (SIMBs). These stratified basins also have great variety. They range in salinity from 4 g
Gram
The gram is a metric system unit of mass....
L-1 to 235 g L-1, in temperature from -14°C to 24°C, in depth from 5 m to 110m, in area from 3.6 ha to 146 ha and surface level from 30 m below to 29 m above sea level.
History and naming
The Vestfold Hills were discovered and a landing was made in the northern portion on February 20, 1935, by Capt. Klarius Mikkelsen together with his wife and seven crew members (including the ship's dentist, Lief Sørsdal) of the NorwegianNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
whaling
Whaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
ship "Thorshavn" sent out by Lars Christensen
Lars Christensen
Lars Christensen was a Norwegian shipowner and whaling magnate with a keen interest in the exploration of Antarctica.-Career:...
. Mrs Caroline Mikkelsen
Caroline Mikkelsen
Caroline Mikkelsen , was the first woman to set foot on Antarctica. She was born in Denmark. In the winter of 1934-1935, she accompanied her Norwegian husband, Captain Klarius Mikkelsen, on an expedition sponsored by Lars Christensen...
thereby became the first woman to set foot on the Antarctic continent.
The Vestfold Hills are named after Vestfold
Vestfold
is a county in Norway, bordering Buskerud and Telemark. The county administration is in Tønsberg.Vestfold is located west of the Oslofjord, as the name indicates. It includes many smaller, but well-known towns in Norway, such as Larvik, Sandefjord, Tønsberg and Horten. The river Numedalslågen runs...
, a county in Norway where Sandefjord
Sandefjord
is a city and municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Sandefjord. The municipality of Sandefjord was established on 1 January 1838...
, headquarters of the whaling industry, is located. This hill area and its off-lying islands were mapped from air photos taken by the Lars Christensen Expedition (1936-37). Further brief landings were made by Lincoln Ellsworth
Lincoln Ellsworth
Lincoln Ellsworth was an arctic explorer from the United States.-Birth:He was born on May 12, 1880 to James Ellsworth and Eva Frances Butler in Chicago, Illinois...
in 1939, and the area was photographed from the air by USN Operation Highjump
Operation Highjump
Operation Highjump , officially titled The United States Navy Antarctic Developments Program, 1946-1947, was a United States Navy operation organized by RADM Richard E. Byrd Jr. USN, , Officer in Charge, Task Force 68, and led by RADM Richard H. Cruzen, USN, Commanding Officer, Task Force 68....
(1946-47). Landings were made and exploration carried out in 1954 and 1955 by ANARE (Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions
Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions
The Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions is the historical name for the Australian Antarctic Program administered for Australia by the Australian Antarctic Division .-The ANARE Name:...
) led by Phillip Law
Phillip Law
Phillip Garth Law AC, CBE, FAA was an Australian scientist and explorer who served as director of Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions from 1949 to 1966.-Early life:...
. Davis Station
Davis Station
Davis Station is a permanent base in Antarctica managed by the Australian Antarctic Division . It is the busiest Australian scientific research station...
was established by ANARE in January 1957.