# Black Island (Ross Archipelago)

Black Island (78°12′S 166°25′E﻿ / ﻿78.200°S 166.417°E﻿ / -78.200; 166.417﻿ (Black Island)), is an island in the Ross Archipelago, 12 nautical miles (22 km; 14 mi) long, projecting through the Ross Ice Shelf to a height of 1,040 metres (3,410 ft).meters. It was discovered by the British National Antarctic Expedition (BrNAE: 1901-04) and named by them for its appearance. The island is largely ice free and principally composed of black volcanic rock. The island's northernmost point is named Cape Hodgson, commemorating Thomas Vere Hodgson, one of the oldest members of the Discovery Expedition.

## Location

Black Island is in the Ross Ice Shelf to the northeast of Mount Discovery and southeast of the Brown Peninsula. White Strait runs past the east end of the island, which it separates from White Island to the east. Minna Bluff is to the south.

## Geology

Black Island is volcanic in origin, consisting of a series of trachytic lava domes and basaltic pyroclastic cones. Potassium–argon dating of Black Island volcanic rocks has given ages ranging from 1.69 to 3.8 million years. There are three main geological formations representing three eruptive sequences on Black Island: Nubian Basalt Formation, Aurora Trachyte Formation, and Melania Basalt Formation. The lack of snow is not due to volcanic activity but rather the fact that it is protected from wind by nearby Minna Bluff.

## Features

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Features include, from south to north, Cape Beck, Mount Nubian, Mount Aurora, Mount Ochre, Mount Vision, Scallop Hill, Cae Spirit, Mount Melama and Cape Hodgson.

### White Strait

78°13′S 166°48′E﻿ / ﻿78.217°S 166.800°E﻿ / -78.217; 166.800 The small ice-filled strait between Black and White Islands. First mapped by the BrNAE, 1901-04. Named by the New Zealand Geological Survey Antarctic Expedition (NZGSAE) (1958-59) for M. White, a member of the party.

### Cape Beck

78°18′S 166°16′E﻿ / ﻿78.300°S 166.267°E﻿ / -78.300; 166.267. A rounded, bare rock cape that forms the south end of Black Island. Named by NZGSAE, 1958-59, for Mr. A.C. Beck, the leader of the sub-party of the expedition which explored the island. Beck examined the southeast coastline and visited this cape.

### Mount Estes

78°16′00″S 166°18′00″E﻿ / ﻿78.2666667°S 166.3°E﻿ / -78.2666667; 166.3 A flattish mountain 2.5 nautical miles (4.6 km; 2.9 mi) south of Mount Aurora in the south part of Black Island. The mountain rises to 600 metres (2,000 ft) high and is similar to the flat Cape Beck massif that forms the south end of the island. Named by United States Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN) (1999) after Steve A. Estes, Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, who investigated the seismicity of nearby Mount Erebus, 1980-81 and 1981-82.

### Stuckless Glacier

78°16′00″S 166°12′00″E﻿ / ﻿78.2666667°S 166.2°E﻿ / -78.2666667; 166.2 A broad glacier in the southwest part of Black Island. It flows southwest between Rowe Nunataks and Cape Beck to Moraine Strait, McMurdo Ice Shelf. Named by US-ACAN (1999) after John S. Stuckless, Department of Geology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb (later United States Geological Survey), who, in several seasons from 1972-73, investigated the geochemistry of McMurdo volcanic rocks, correlating samples from several Ross Island sites with DVDP core samples obtained in McMurdo Dry Valleys.

### Rowe Nunataks

78°15′00″S 166°07′00″E﻿ / ﻿78.25°S 166.1166667°E﻿ / -78.25; 166.1166667 A cluster of nunataks 3 nautical miles (5.6 km; 3.5 mi) northwest of Cape Beck in the southwest part of Black Island. Named by US-ACAN (1999) after C.A. Rowe, Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, who investigated volcanic activity and seismicity at nearby Mount Erebus, 1984-85 and 1985-86.

### Dennis Knoll

78°14′40″S 166°10′00″E﻿ / ﻿78.2444444°S 166.1666667°E﻿ / -78.2444444; 166.1666667 A gentle knoll that rises to approximately 400 metres (1,300 ft) on the southwest shore of Black Island. The knoll is ice free on the west slope and stands 2 nautical miles (3.7 km; 2.3 mi) southwest of Mount Vision. Named by US-ACAN (2007) after Dennis Hoffman, who in 2006 completed 20 years of service in support of the United States Antarctic Program. He worked as a carpenter, advanced to the computer tech shop and on to network engineer in eight summer seasons and 13 winters at McMurdo Station. The knoll is near the United States Antarctic Project (USAP) communication facility on Black Island. The honoree’s given name rather than surname was approved because of potential confusion by name similarity with a nearby feature name.

### Mount Nubian

78°15′S 166°25′E﻿ / ﻿78.250°S 166.417°E﻿ / -78.250; 166.417. A sharp point of rock at the end of a ridge formed by a lava flow, situated 1 nautical mile (1.9 km; 1.2 mi) southeast of Mount Aurora. The rock forming the mountain is a glossy basalt and appears exceptionally black. Named by the NZGSAE (1958-59) after a negroid tribe resident in Sudan, and in keeping with Black Island.

### Mount Aurora

78°14′S 166°21′E﻿ / ﻿78.233°S 166.350°E﻿ / -78.233; 166.350. A round-topped volcanic summit, 1,040 metres (3,410 ft) high, the highest point on Black Island. Named by the NZGSAE (1958-59) after the Aurora, the vessel which conveyed the Ross Sea Party of Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition (1914-17) to McMurdo Sound.

### Mount Ochre

78°14′S 166°33′E﻿ / ﻿78.233°S 166.550°E﻿ / -78.233; 166.550. A volcanic crater, partly eroded away, lying 3 nautical miles (5.6 km; 3.5 mi) east of Mount Aurora on Black Island. So named by the NZGSAE (1958-59) because reddish-brown scoria covers much of the upper slopes.

### Mount Vision

78°13′S 166°15′E﻿ / ﻿78.217°S 166.250°E﻿ / -78.217; 166.250. A peak in the volcanic complex 1 nautical mile (1.9 km; 1.2 mi) northwest of Mount Aurora on Black Island. So named by the NZGSAE (1958-59) because of the magnificent view obtained of the peaks in this vicinity and of the Ross Archipelago and Minna Bluff area.

### Jungk Hill

78°12′00″S 166°26′00″E﻿ / ﻿78.2°S 166.4333333°E﻿ / -78.2; 166.4333333 A mostly ice-free hill 1.7 nautical miles (3.1 km; 2.0 mi) northeast of Mount Aurora on Black Island. Named after Robert A. Jungk of ASA, engaged in development and expansion of Black Island communication systems for several years beginning in 1989; ASA project engineer for the United States Antarctic Project (USAP) Unattended Satellite Earth Station which became operational in 1995.

### Scallop Hill

78°12′S 166°44′E﻿ / ﻿78.200°S 166.733°E﻿ / -78.200; 166.733. A volcanic dome rising to 225 metres (738 ft) high directly behind Cape Spirit on Black Island. Named by the NZGSAE (1958-59) after a fossiliferous conglomerate on top of the hill which contains a Chlamid lamellibranch commonly called scallops.

### Cape Spirit

78°12′S 166°45′E﻿ / ﻿78.200°S 166.750°E﻿ / -78.200; 166.750. The easternmost point of Black Island, in the Ross Archipelago. Visited by the NZGSAE (1958-59) and so named by them because of the almost constant and spirited winds blowing through the strait between Black and White Islands.

### Vella Flat

78°11′00″S 166°14′00″E﻿ / ﻿78.1833333°S 166.2333333°E﻿ / -78.1833333; 166.2333333 A coastal flat to the south of Lake Cole in the northwest part of Black Island. Named by US-ACAN (1999) after Professor Paul Vella, Department of Geology, Victoria University of Wellington, who made a reconnaissance survey of Brown Peninsula and Black Island stratigraphy with the Victoria University's Antarctic Expeditions (VUWAE), 1964-65.

### Melania Ridge

78°09′00″S 166°17′00″E﻿ / ﻿78.15°S 166.2833333°E﻿ / -78.15; 166.2833333 A basalt ridge running southeast for 3 nautical miles (5.6 km; 3.5 mi) from Mount Melania. Named by US-ACAN (1999) in association with Mount Melania.

### Lake Cole

78°09′00″S 166°13′00″E﻿ / ﻿78.15°S 166.2166667°E﻿ / -78.15; 166.2166667 An ice-covered lake 1.5 nautical miles (2.8 km; 1.7 mi) long, located south of Mount Ewart and Mount Melania. Named by Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN) (1999) after J.W. Cole, Department of Geology, Victoria University of Wellington, who, with A. Ewart (Mount Ewart), investigated the geology of Brown Peninsula, Black Island, and Cape Bird in the 1964-65 season.

### Mount Ewart

78°08′00″S 166°08′00″E﻿ / ﻿78.1333333°S 166.1333333°E﻿ / -78.1333333; 166.1333333 An ice-free mountain rising to 213 metres (699 ft) high at the northwest side of Lake Cole and 1.5 nautical miles (2.8 km; 1.7 mi) west of Mount Melania. Named by US-ACAN (1999) after A. Ewart, New Zealand Geological Survey, Lower Hutt, who, with J.W. Cole, investigated the geology of Brown Peninsula, Black Island, and Cape Bird in the 1964-65 season.

### Mount Melania

78°07′S 166°08′E﻿ / ﻿78.117°S 166.133°E﻿ / -78.117; 166.133. A prominent rounded hill, 330 metres (1,080 ft) high, at the north end of Black Island. It was first climbed by Ferrar and Bernacchi of the BrNAE, 1901-04. The name is a Greek word connoting black, an appropriate name for a feature on Black Island. Named by the NZGSAE, 1958-59. This peak has the principal earth-based ground-station for the US Antarctic Program.

### Cape Hodgson

78°07′S 166°05′E﻿ / ﻿78.117°S 166.083°E﻿ / -78.117; 166.083. The northernmost cape of Black Island. Named by the NZGSAE (1958-59) for Thomas V. Hodgson, biologist of the BrNAE (1901-04), who with Koettlitz, Ferrar and Bernacchi was first to visit the island.