Commonwealth Bay
| Commonwealth Bay | ||
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 Commonwealth Bay photo taken during the Australasian Antarctic Expedition . |
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| Waters | Lake D'Urville , Southern Ocean | |
| Land mass | George V Land , East Antarctica | |
| Geographical location | 66 ° 54 ′ S , 142 ° 40 ′ E | |
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| width | 48 km | |
| Islands | Blair Islands , Fletcher Islands , Hannam Islands , Mackellar Islands , Way Archipelago | |
The Commonwealth Bay ( English Commonwealth Bay ) is a 48 km wide bay in the Antarctic . It lies between Point Alden and Cape Gray . It was discovered in 1912 during the Australasian Antarctic Expedition under Douglas Mawson and was named after the Commonwealth of Australia . The base camp of the expedition was named after the expedition leader, Mawson's Huts at the head of the bay on Cape Denison .
Glacial winds
The bay was included in the Guinness Book of Records for being the windiest place on earth. With a maximum wind speed of up to 240 km / h and an average wind speed of 80 km / h.
The glacier winds belong to the katabatic winds , so it is a cold fall wind . Above the glacier , the air cools down considerably, which increases its density. With the warmer air over the sea, there is a pressure equalization flow. The air flow is accelerated by the increasing slope of the surface of the ice at Cape Denison. In summer there are times that are relatively calm, while winter storms can be very stable and long-lasting, however they can start and end unexpectedly.
Despite the extreme weather conditions, the coast of the Commonwealth Bay is an important breeding area for Antarctic petrels , emperor penguins, and Adelie penguins .
Individual evidence
- ↑ wondermondo.com Katabatic winds at Commonwealth Bay
- ↑ FK Ball: The Katabatic Winds of Adelie Land and King George V Land 1956