Ardley Island
{{Short description|Island in Antarctica}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox islands
| name = Ardley Island
| map = Antarctica#Antarctic Peninsula
| map_caption = Location in Antarctic Peninsula
| location = Antarctica
| coordinates = {{coord|-62.21308|-58.93317|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| population = Data not available
| country = None
| treaty_system = Antarctic Treaty System
| module = {{Infobox lighthouse | embed = yes | qid = Q60176567
| foundation = concrete base
| construction = fiber glass tower
| shape = conical truncated tower{{Cite rowlett|ata|access-date=15 May 2017}}
| marking = orange and black horizontal band
| height = {{convert|6|m|ft}}{{cite ngall|111|2017|}}
| focalheight = {{convert|45|m|ft}}
}}}}
Ardley Island is an island {{convert|1|nmi|km|order=flip}} long, lying in Maxwell Bay close off the south-west end of King George Island, in the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. It was charted as a peninsula in 1935 by Discovery Investigations personnel of the Discovery II and named for Lieutenant R.A.B. Ardley, Royal Naval Reserve, an officer on the ship in 1929–31 and 1931–33. Aerial photography has since shown that the feature is an island with Braillard Point being the headland forming the northeast end of Ardley Island.{{cite gnis | type = antarid | id = 556| name = Ardley Island | access-date = 2011-05-12}} It has been designated an Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA 150) because of the importance of its seabird colonies.
Birds
The island has been identified as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International because it supports a breeding colony of about 4,600 pairs of gentoo penguins, as well as smaller numbers of Adélie and chinstrap penguins, southern giant petrels, Wilson's and black-bellied storm petrels, Cape petrels, brown and south polar skuas, and Antarctic terns.{{cite web|url=http://www.birdlife.org |title=Ardley Island, King George Island |access-date=2012-12-08 |work=BirdLife data zone: Important Bird Areas |publisher=BirdLife International |date=2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070710124603/http://www.birdlife.org/ |archive-date=2007-07-10 }}
A 2016 study examined lake guano sediments and studied penguin population dynamics over 7,000 years. Three of five population growth phases were terminated by a sudden crash, due to volcanic eruptions from the active volcano of Deception Island, 120 km to the southwest.{{Cite news
|title=Poo sediments record Antarctic 'penguin Pompeii'
|date=11 April 2017
|newspaper=BBC News Online
|author=Jonathan Amos
|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-39565764
|title=Past penguin colony responses to explosive volcanism on the Antarctic Peninsula
|journal=Nature Communications
|author=Stephen J. Roberts
|author2=Patrick Monien
|author3=Louise C. Foster
|author4=Julia Loftfield
|author5=Emma P. Hocking
|author6=Bernhard Schnetger
|author7=Emma J. Pearson
|author8=Steve Juggins
|author9=Peter Fretwell
|author10=Louise Ireland
|author11=Ryszard Ochyra
|author12=Anna R. Haworth
|author13=Claire S. Allen
|author14=Steven G. Moreton
|author15=Sarah J. Davies
|author16=Hans-Jürgen Brumsack
|author17=Michael J. Bentley
|author18=Dominic A. Hodgson
|name-list-style=amp
|volume=8 |issue=14914
|pages=14914
|year=2017
|doi=10.1038/ncomms14914
|pmid=28398353
|pmc=5394244
|bibcode=2017NatCo...814914R
}}
Research Stations
=Ballvé=
There are also two Argentinean buildings in the area that make up the Ballvé Refuge, set up in 1953, approximately 50 meters east of Ripamonti I.
An Argentinean radio beacon facilitates navigation, looking towards Maxwell Bay (Fildes Bay).
All the structures described remain in the area year-round.
The scientists come from King George Island for their expeditions. [http://www.ats.aq/documents/recatt/Att427_e.pdf]
=Ripamonti I=
There are two Chilean semi-permanent summer-only research shelters. Ripamonti I (62°12’ S; 58°53’ W)
was established in 1982.
=Ripamonti II=
In the northern coast of Ardley, and Ripamonti II (former Alfred Wegener Institute
hut, ceded to Chile by Germany in 1997) lies almost 100 metres southwest from Braillard Point on the south-eastern part, inside the penguin breeding colonies.
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
{{usgs-gazetteer|id=556}}
{{Portal bar|Geography|Islands|Engineering}}
{{Antarctic Specially Protected Areas}}
{{Important Bird Areas of Antarctica}}
{{Antarctic fields camp}}
{{Authority control | additional=Q60176567}}
Category:Islands of King George Island (South Shetland Islands)
Category:Important Bird Areas of Antarctica
Category:Antarctic Specially Protected Areas
Category:Lighthouses in Antarctica
{{KingGeorgeIslandAQ-geo-stub}}