île de Croÿ

File:Ile de croy.png

Île de Croÿ is an island under French jurisdiction. It is part of an archipelago known as the Kerguelen Islands, situated approximately 10 miles (16 kilometres) north-west of the main island. It is located at 48°38'19.3"S 68°37'18.6"E and currently has no permanent population.

History

Île de Croÿ was discovered in 1776 by Captain James Cook as part of his renowned nautical expedition through the southern hemisphere. It is the largest of five islands in a small group Cook named the 'Cloudy Isles', now known as Iles Nuageuses.{{Cite journal |last=Jouventin |first=Pierre |date=1 September 1985 |title=Biological survey of Ile de Croy, Iles Kerguelen, 1984 |url=https://www.academia.edu/122740574/Biological_survey_of_Ile_de_Croy_Iles_Kerguelen_1984 |journal=Cambridge University Press |via=academia.edu}}

Geography and Geology

Île de Croÿ, at its highest peak, rises 1,699 feet (518 meters) above sea level. The island stretches 3.49 miles (5.61 kilometers) long between its furthermost points,{{Cite web |date= |access-date=15 June 2022 |title=Île de Croy |url=https://tf.geoview.info/ile_de_croy,1546924 |website=tf.geoview.info |archive-date=7 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211107233130/https://tf.geoview.info/ile_de_croy,1546924 |url-status=live }} and covers an area of approximately 6.2 square miles (16 square kilometres).The majority of the archipelago is the result of volcanic activity, as indicated by its high concentration of flood basalt and trachytic ignimbrite. The composition and burial depth of the ignimbrite indicates that the last major volcanic eruption in the area occurred between 23,000 and 29,000 years ago,{{Cite web |title=Global Volcanism Program {{!}} Kerguelen Islands |url=https://volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=234020 |access-date=2024-08-20 |website=Smithsonian Institution {{!}} Global Volcanism Program |language=en}} near the end of the Pleistocene.{{Cite web |title=Prehistoric Times [ushistory.org] |url=https://www.ushistory.org/civ/2.asp |access-date=2024-08-20 |website=www.ushistory.org |archive-date=2024-05-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240518234911/http://ushistory.org/civ/2.asp |url-status=live }}

Climate

The temperature in Île de Croÿ is usually very cold, with a temperature averaging 9 degrees celsius in its summer months, and an extremely varying but generally below freezing in winter months. It is classified as a tundra environment{{Cite web |title=Kerguelen Islands |url=https://geology.com/world/kerguelen-islands-satellite-image.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240507215540/https://geology.com/world/kerguelen-islands-satellite-image.shtml |archive-date=7 May 2024 |access-date=22 August 2024 |website=geology.com}} due to its low temperature and significant precipitation.{{Cite web |access-date=15 June 2022 |title=Hourly weather ÎLE DE CROŸ Kerguelen Archipelago - France |url=https://www.weathercrave.com/weather-forecast-france/island-15100/weather-forecast-ile-de-croy-hourly |website=weathercrave.com |archive-date=7 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211107164653/https://www.weathercrave.com/weather-forecast-france/island-15100/weather-forecast-ile-de-croy-hourly |url-status=live }}

Plants and animals

{{Further information|List of mammals of French Southern Territories}}

Living on the island are penguins, albatrosses, and seals.{{Cite journal |last1=Jouventin |first1=Pierre |last2=Stonehouse |first2=Bernard |date=September 1985 |title=Biological survey of Ile de Croy, Iles Kerguelen, 1984 |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/polar-record/article/abs/biological-survey-of-ile-de-croy-iles-kerguelen-1984/2FED33303AB88843498AA40D87D96BA2 |journal=Polar Record |language=en |volume=22 |issue=141 |pages=688–691 |doi=10.1017/S0032247400006409 |s2cid=131293455 |issn=1475-3057 |access-date=2021-11-06 |archive-date=2021-11-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106060912/https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/polar-record/article/abs/biological-survey-of-ile-de-croy-iles-kerguelen-1984/2FED33303AB88843498AA40D87D96BA2 |url-status=live }}{{Cite journal |date=27 October 2009 |title=The vascular flora and vegetation of Ile de Croy, Iies Kerguelen |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/polar-record/article/abs/vascular-flora-and-vegetation-of-ile-de-croy-iies-kerguelen/426BCD725EFFC4D8DBFDD38D15716BE5 |journal=The Vascular Flora and Vegetation of Ile de Croy, Iies Kerguelen |access-date=6 November 2021 |archive-date=6 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106060911/https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/polar-record/article/abs/vascular-flora-and-vegetation-of-ile-de-croy-iies-kerguelen/426BCD725EFFC4D8DBFDD38D15716BE5 |url-status=live }}

No introduced species are present.{{Cite web |title=Îles Nuageuses and Île Clugny |url=https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/%C3%AEles-nuageuses-and-%C3%AEle-clugny-iba-french-southern-territories |access-date=22 August 2024 |website=BirdLife International |archive-date=3 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200203061616/http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/%C3%AEles-nuageuses-and-%C3%AEle-clugny-iba-french-southern-territories |url-status=live }}

class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible nowrap"

|+List of animal species present on the island{{Cite web |title=Îles Nuageuses and Île Clugny – Data table and detailed info |url=https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/%C3%AEles-nuageuses-and-%C3%AEle-clugny-iba-french-southern-territories/details |access-date=22 August 2024 |website=BirdLife International |archive-date=22 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240822021318/https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/%C3%AEles-nuageuses-and-%C3%AEle-clugny-iba-french-southern-territories/details |url-status=live }}

!Common name

!Scientific name

!IUCN Red List status

!IUCN Red List citation

Antarctic fur seal

|Arctocephalus gazella

|Least Concern

|[https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/2058/66993062 [1]]

Antarctic prion

|Pachyptila desolata

|Least Concern

|[https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22698114/132626218 [2]]