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16-618: Signy was first occupied in 1947 when a three-man meteorological station was established in Factory Cove above the old whaling station. It was the second research base on the South Orkney Islands (after the Argentine Orcadas Base in 1903). In 1955, a new hut, Tønsberg House was built on the site of the whaling station. In 1963, it was turned into a laboratory for biological research. Initially operated year-round, since 1995/6

32-627: A group of rocks called the Billie Rocks. The name "Billie Rock", for the easternmost rock of the group, appeared on the 1927 DI chart, and was later extended to include the entire group. North-northwest of the Billie Rocks is Cam Rock, a low ice-worn rock normally visible even at high water. The 1927 DI chart names it for its supposed resemblance to a cam . Just north of Berntsen Point is the descriptively-named Small Rock, charted and named by DI personnel. [REDACTED]  This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of

48-481: Is Pup Cove, a small cove named by UK-APC in recognition of the first recorded birth of an Antarctic fur seal pup on the island. South of that is the Elephant Flats, a mud flat along the shore frequented by elephant seals , which UK-APC named the feature for. South of Waterpipe Beach is Cemetery Bay, a shallow southwest arm of Borge Bay, lying immediately below Orwell Glacier . UK-APC named it in association with

64-538: Is a flat shingle beach on the west side of Borge Bay. It was named by FIDS in 1947. An old pipe line from a pumping station by Pumphouse Lake, the southernmost lake in Three Lakes Valley , leads down to this beach and was used by the Tonsberg Hvalfangeri for watering whaling vessels between 1920 and 1930. To the southwest are the descriptively-named Marble Knolls, named by UK-APC. The next notable feature

80-459: Is the highest temperature recorded anywhere south of 60°S , and the lowest recorded temperature was −27.8 °C (−18.0 °F) in June. Factory Cove Borge Bay ( 60°43′S 45°37′W  /  60.717°S 45.617°W  / -60.717; -45.617 ) is a large, irregularly-shaped bay that dominates the east side of Signy Island , in the South Orkney Islands of Antarctica. It

96-730: The Orwell . Right in the inner northwestern corner of the bay are the Mirounga Flats, a small partially enclosed tidal area. The area's eastern limit is formed by the Thule Islands ; its northern and western limits by Signy Island. The tidal area dries at low water. The flats were roughly surveyed in 1933 by DI personnel, and resurveyed in 1947 by FIDS. The feature was named by the FIDS because elephant seals ( Mirounga leonina ) are found there in large numbers during their moulting period. Waterpipe Beach

112-539: The United States Geological Survey . Thule Islands The Thule Islands are a group of small islands and rocks lying 0.25 nautical miles (0.5 km) southwest of Balin Point in the northwestern part of Borge Bay , Signy Island , in the South Orkney Islands off Antarctica. The name "Thule Rocks" was used as early as 1916, and appears to refer at least in part to this group. The Thule , one of

128-443: The average temperature above freezing point. The temperature is consistently cold year-round, with August, the coldest month, having a mean of −10.3 °C (13.5 °F) and an average low of −15.6 °C (3.9 °F). February is the warmest month, with a mean of 3.9 °C (39.0 °F) and an average high of 6.4 °C (43.5 °F). The highest temperature ever recorded was 19.8 °C (67.6 °F) on 30 January 1982, which

144-647: The base. To continue an original time series of visual sea ice observations after the station became summer-only, an automated sea ice camera now operates all year around, providing a continuous record of sea ice extent near the station for over 50 years. Signy Research Station has a tundra climate ( ET according to the Köppen climate classification ), because all twelve months have a mean temperature under 10 °C (50 °F). Signy Research Station has very long, cold winters (although they are mild for Antarctic standards) and short, cool summers. It has only three months with

160-914: The first floating factories to flense whales at sea, belonged to the Thule Whaling Company of Oslo . It operated in the South Orkney Islands in 1912–13 and 1913–14 and anchored on the east side of Signy Island during January 1913. The altered form of the name was recommended by the UK Antarctic Place-names Committee following a survey by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey in 1947. [REDACTED]  This article incorporates public domain material from "Thule Islands" . Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey . This South Orkney Islands location article

176-452: The island. A light railway was constructed in 1963 for unloading stores and large items of machinery. When built, this was the southernmost railway in existence. It was later extended up a hill to reach the fuel tanks. Marine and terrestrial biology is carried out at Signy, particularly looking at the effects of climate change on the southern ocean ecosystems. Three species of penguin ( Adélie , chinstrap and gentoo ) are monitored at

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192-550: The north side of the entrance to Borge Bay. It was charted in 1933 and named in association with Balin Rocks. To the south along the coast are Drying Point, Mooring Point, and Knife Point, whose names first appear on a chart based upon the 1927 survey of Borge Bay, possibly reflecting earlier names given by whalers. Berntsen Point forms the south side of Borge Bay. It was charted in 1927 and probably named for Captain Søren Berntsen of

208-649: The ruins of the whaling factory built in 1920–21 by the Tonsberg Hvalfangeri stand on its southeastern shore. A group of bluffs rising to 120 metres (400 ft) to the south were named Factory Bluffs by UK-APC after the same factory. There are a number of named rocks and rock groups within Borge Bay. The Balin Rocks are a small group of rocks close south of Balin Point, charted and named by Captain Sorlle and Captain Borge. 0.1 nautical miles (0.2 km) northeast of Drying Point are

224-488: The station has been open from November to April each year (southern hemisphere summer). Today, the base has four buildings with capacity for 8 people. The main building, Sørlle House (named after the whaling captain Petter Sørlle , who himself named Signy Island), provides living accommodation and laboratories. The other buildings are for storage and provision of power and water services. There are also four small huts around

240-435: The whalers' graves on the east side of the feature. Moraine Valley drains north into the Elephant Flats. Between Knife Point and Berntsen Point is Factory Cove, roughly surveyed by Captain Borge. It was originally named Borge Harbour by Captain Sorlle, but that name was later transferred to the overall bay of which this cove forms a small part. The cove was resurveyed by DI personnel in 1927 and renamed Factory Cove, because

256-628: Was charted in 1912 by Norwegian whaling captain Petter Sorlle , and named for Captain Hans Borge of the Polynesia , who undertook additional mapping of the bay during the following year. It was charted in more detail in 1927 and 1933 by Discovery Investigations personnel, who named many of its features. It was surveyed further in 1947 by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (FIDS), which named several other features. The headland Balin Point marks

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