United Kingdom and South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands
59°25′S 27°14′W
Southern Thule
South Thule
Part of South Sandwich Islands
Southern Thule is a group of the three southernmost islands in the South Sandwich Islands in the southern Atlantic Ocean: Bellingshausen, Cook, and Thule (Morrell). It is a largely submerged volcano of which only the three islands emerge above sea level.
Overview
Southern Thule is a group of the three southernmost islands in the South Sandwich Islands in the southern Atlantic Ocean: Bellingshausen, Cook, and Thule (Morrell). It is a largely submerged volcano of which only the three islands emerge above sea level. Between Cook and Thule, and south of Bellingshausen, lie two submerged calderas; a third caldera is located on Thule. Cook Island is inactive and largely glaciated, while Bellingshausen and Thule feature active craters with fumarolic activity, and evidence of eruptions in the 20th century. Around the fumaroles, vegetation consisting of mosses and lichens has grown. The islands are populated by penguins and seabirds which breed there. The islands were discovered in 1775 and are uninhabited. They are part of a marine protected area that is part of the British Overseas Territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Census, cataloged
- Major islands3
- Minor islands0
- Islets0
- Rocks & skerries0
Major islands
Cook Island
- Area
- 20 km²
- High point
- 1,067 m
Cook Island is the central and largest island of the Southern Thule island group, part of the South Sandwich Islands in the far south Atlantic Ocean. Southern Thule was discovered by a British expedition under Captain James Cook in 1775.
Thule Island
- Area
- 16.7 km²
- High point
- 745 m
Thule Island, also called Morrell Island, is one of the southernmost of the South Sandwich Islands, part of the grouping known as Southern Thule. It is named, on account of its remote location, after the mythical land of Thule, said by ancient geographers to lie at the extreme end of the Earth.
Bellingshausen Island
- Area
- 1.6 km²
- High point
- 253 m
Bellingshausen Island is a small, uninhabited volcanic island in the Southern Thule group of the South Sandwich Islands, in the South Atlantic Ocean. 9 mi) east of Thule Island. The island is a youthful stratovolcano composed of basaltic andesite, rising to 255 metres (837 ft) at Basilisk Peak.
Figures
Comparative heights
- Cook: 1,067 m
- Thule: 745 m
- Bellingshausen: 253 m
To the same scale
Islands by area
| Cook Island | 20 km² |
| Thule Island | 16.7 km² |
| Bellingshausen Island | 1.6 km² |