Geography and Climate
The Islands are situated at latitudes about 60°30' to 60°83' S, and longitudes 44°25' to 46°25' W in the Southern Ocean. As a group of islands, the South Orkney Islands are located at approximately 60°35′S 045°30′W / 60.583°S 45.5°W / -60.583; -45.5.
Coordinates: 60°35′S 45°30′W / 60.583°S 45.5°W / -60.583; -45.5
The archipelago comprises four main islands. Coronation Island is the largest island, measuring about 30 miles (48 km) long; its highest point is Mount Nivea which rises to 4,153 feet (1,266 m) above sea level. Laurie Island is the easternmost of the islands. The other two main islands are Powell Island and Signy Island. Smaller islands in the group include Robertson Island, the Saddle Islands, and Acuna Island. The total area of the archipelago is about 240 square miles (620 km2), of which about 90 percent is glaciated.
The Inaccessible Islands about 15 nmi (17 mi; 28 km) to the west are also considered part of the South Orkneys.
The climate of the South Orkneys is generally cold, wet, and windy. Summers are short and cold (December to March) when the average temperatures reach about 2 °C (36 °F) and fall to about −10 °C (14 °F) in winter (i.e., in July). The extrema reach about 12 and -44 °C (53.6 and -47.2 °F) respectively. The seas around the islands are ice-covered from late April to November.
Despite the harsh conditions the islands do support vegetation and are part of the Scotia Sea Islands tundra ecoregion, along with South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, the South Shetland Islands and Bouvet Island. All these islands lie in the cold seas below the Antarctic convergence. These areas support tundra vegetation consisting of mosses, lichens and algae, while seabirds, penguins and seals feed in the surrounding waters.
South Orkney Trough (60°0′S 45°0′W / 60°S 45°W / -60; -45) is an undersea trough named in association with the South Orkney Islands and approved 10/77 (ACUF 177).
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