Bransfield Strait (63°S 59°W / 63°S 59°W / -63; -59Coordinates: 63°S 59°W / 63°S 59°W / -63; -59) is a body of water about 60 miles (100 km) wide extending for 200 miles (300 km) in a general northeast-southwest direction between the South Shetland Islands and Antarctic Peninsula. It was named in about 1825 by James Weddell, Master, Royal Navy, for Edward Bransfield, Master, RN, who charted the South Shetland Islands in 1820. It is called Mar de la Flota by Argentina.
The undersea trough through the strait is known as Bransfield Trough (61°30′S 54°0′W / 61.5°S 54°W / -61.5; -54). The basin is about 400 km length and 2 km depth, between the South Shetland Island Arc and the Antarctic Peninsula. It was formed by rifting behind the islands, which began about 4 million years ago. This ongoing rifting has caused recent earthquakes and volcanism along the Bransfield Strait. The Strait hosts a chain of submerged seamounts of volcanic origin, including in particular the presently inactive Orca Seamount.
On 23 November 2007, the MS Explorer struck an iceberg and sank in the Bransfield Strait. All 154 passengers were rescued. No injuries were reported.
Famous quotes containing the word strait:
“We approached the Indian Island through the narrow strait called “Cook.” He said, “I ‘xpect we take in some water there, river so high,—never see it so high at this season. Very rough water there, but short; swamp steamboat once. Don’t paddle till I tell you, then you paddle right along.” It was a very short rapid. When we were in the midst of it he shouted “paddle,” and we shot through without taking in a drop.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)