Black Island (Ross Archipelago)

Black Island (-78.2°N, 166.41667°W), is an island in the Ross Archipelago, 12 nmi long, projecting through the Ross Ice Shelf to a height of 1,040 m.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
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
-78.21667°N, 166.8°W 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
-78.3°N, 166.26667°W. 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
-78.26667°N, 166.3°W A flattish mountain 2.5 nmi south of Mount Aurora in the south part of Black Island. The mountain rises to 600 m 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
-78.26667°N, 166.2°W 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
-78.25°N, 166.11667°W A cluster of nunataks 3 nmi 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
-78.24444°N, 166.16667°W A gentle knoll that rises to approximately 400 m on the southwest shore of Black Island. The knoll is ice free on the west slope and stands 2 nmi 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
-78.25°N, 166.41667°W. A sharp point of rock at the end of a ridge formed by a lava flow, situated 1 nmi 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
-78.23333°N, 166.35°W. A round-topped volcanic summit, 1,040 m 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
-78.23333°N, 166.55°W. A volcanic crater, partly eroded away, lying 3 nmi 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
-78.21667°N, 166.25°W. A peak in the volcanic complex 1 nmi 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
-78.2°N, 166.43333°W A mostly ice-free hill 1.7 nmi 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
-78.2°N, 166.73333°W. A volcanic dome rising to 225 m 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
-78.2°N, 166.75°W. 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
-78.18333°N, 166.23333°W 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
-78.15°N, 166.28333°W A basalt ridge running southeast for 3 nmi from Mount Melania. Named by US-ACAN (1999) in association with Mount Melania.

Lake Cole
-78.15°N, 166.21667°W An ice-covered lake 1.5 nmi 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
-78.13333°N, 166.13333°W An ice-free mountain rising to 213 m high at the northwest side of Lake Cole and 1.5 nmi 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
-78.11667°N, 166.13333°W. A prominent rounded hill, 330 m 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
-78.11667°N, 166.08333°W. 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.