Ellsworth Land

Ellsworth Land is a large area of Antarctica in the western part of the continent. It is bordered by the Bellingshausen Sea to the north and the Filchner–Ronne Ice Shelf to the east.

Information about the biodiversity of Ellsworth Land is limited due to the fewer research stations and visitations in the region.[1]

Geography

Ellsworth Land is mostly a high, icy plateau. However, it is most famous for the Ellsworth Mountains, which are the highest mountain range on the entire continent and include Vinson Massif, Antarctica's highest peak.

Other, smaller mountain ranges and isolated mountains also rise out of the ice in this region. The area is covered by the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, and the land beneath the ice is often below sea level.

History and Claims

The region was named after Lincoln Ellsworth, an American explorer who made the first airplane flight across Antarctica in 1935.

Today, parts of Ellsworth Land are claimed by both the United Kingdom and Chile, but the area west of 90°W is not claimed by any country. These claims are not internationally recognized.

  1. ↑ "Ellsworth Land Tundra". One Earth. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
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