Ardley Island Lighthouse
Ardley Island Lighthouse has a focal height of 45 metres and a range of 6 nautical miles.
- Focal height
- 45 metres
- Range
- 6 nautical miles
- Light characteristic
- Fl W 10s.
- Coordinates
- -62.21308, -58.93317
The Ardley Island Lighthouse is located on Ardley Island, which is situated in Maxwell Bay, close to the south-west end of King George Island in the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. The island is approximately 1 nautical mile long and has been designated as an Antarctic Specially Protected Area due to its importance as a seabird colony. The lighthouse itself is a conical truncated tower made of fiberglass, with a concrete base, and stands at a height of 6 meters.
The Ardley Island Lighthouse has a distinctive orange and black horizontal band marking, and its light characteristic is a flashing white light that occurs every 10 seconds. The lighthouse has a focal height of 45 meters and a range of 6 nautical miles. Although the exact year the lighthouse was built is not specified, it is a significant aid to navigation in the area.
Ardley Island has a rich history, with the island being charted as a peninsula in 1935 by the Discovery Investigations personnel of the RRS Discovery II. It was later found to be an island through aerial photography, and its importance as a seabird colony has been recognized by BirdLife International. The island is home to a large colony of gentoo penguins, as well as other species of penguins, petrels, and skuas. A 2016 study examined the island's lake guano sediments and found that penguin population dynamics over 7,000 years were affected by volcanic eruptions from the nearby Deception Island.
Light and tower
The light has a focal height of 45 metres. The light has a range of 6 nautical miles. Its light characteristic is Fl W 10s. The NGA list of lights numbers it 2720. The Admiralty list of lights numbers it G1388.
Details
- Range Nm
- 6
- Nga Number
- 2720
- Description
- '''Ardley Island''' is an island 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. It has been designated an Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA 150) because of the importance of its seabird colonies. thumb|left|Gentoo penguins on Ardley Island, Antarctica
- Focal Height M
- 45
- Admiralty Number
- G1388
- Light Characteristic
- Fl W 10s.