Davis Sea

Davis Sea as part of the Southern Ocean,with proposed names for bordering seas also depicted.

Davis Sea is an area of the sea along the coast of East Antarctica between West Ice Shelf in the west and the Shackleton Ice Shelf in the east,[1] or between 82° and 96°E. The name "Davis Sea" appears in most leading geographically authoritative publications such as the 2014 10th edition World Atlas from the National Geographic Society and the 2014 12th edition of the Times Atlas of the World, unlike neighboring proposed water body names such as a Russian proposed "Cooperation Sea" name to the west.

According to the Great Soviet Encyclopedia, it stretches from 87°E to 98°E, and is up to 1,300 metres deep.[2] Its area is given as only 21,000 km.[3] Other authorities such as National Geographic assign it a much smaller extent.

It washes the coast of Princess Elizabeth Land (there only Leopold and Astrid Coast), Kaiser Wilhelm II Land, and Queen Mary Land, all sectors of the Australian Antarctic Territory.

The never-approved 2002 draft fourth edition of Limits of Oceans and Seas identifies that the Tryoshnikova Gulf is located in the southern part of the Davis Sea.[4]

About 55 km off the coast of Queen Mary Land is Drygalski Island. Russian Mirny Station was built on the coast of Queen Mary Land in 1956. Roscoe Glacier flows into the eastern part of Davis Sea. Close offshore are Bigelow Rock and the Gillies Islands.

Discovered by Australian Antarctic Expedition (1911–14) from the Aurora. Named by Sir Douglas Mawson for Captain J.K. Davis, master of the Aurora and second in command of the expedition.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 USGS Geographic Names Information System, Antarctica Data, Davis Sea
  2. ↑ Great Soviet Encyclopedia: Davis Sea
  3. ↑ Gazetteer «About countries»: Davis Sea
  4. ↑ "IHO PUBLICATION S-23, Limits of Oceans and Seas, Draft 4th Edition". International Hydrographic Organisation. 2002. Retrieved 22 January 2002.

Coordinates: 66°S 92°E / 66°S 92°E / -66; 92

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