| Gough Island |
Gough Island (also known as Diego Alvarez) is a volcanic island rising from the South Atlantic Ocean to heights of over 900 metres (2950 ft) above sea level with an area of approximately 65 km² (25 mi²). It is part of Tristan da Cunha, a dependency of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena.
It is a possession of the United Kingdom, but the only inhabitants are the crew of a weather station which South Africa has maintained continually on the island since 1956.
It is one of the most remote places with a constant human presence. The island is named after Charles Gough, who reputedly (re-)discovered it in 1731.
According to some historians the English merchant Anthony de la Roché was the first to land on the island, in April 1675.
Gough Island is a protected wildlife reserve, which has been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It has been described as one of the least disrupted ecosystems of its kind and one of the best shelters for nesting seabirds in the Atlantic. In particular, it is host to almost the entire world population of the Tristan albatross (Diomedea dabbenena) and the Atlantic Petrel (Pterodroma incerta). RSPB conservationists have recently reported aggressive groups of unusually large and violent human-introduced house mice (Mus musculus) which have been posing a problem for the albatross breeding grounds, attacking large numbers of young birds; the mice are supposed to be eradicated in the coming years. |
|
Gough Island - Click to enlarge |
|
However, in April 2007 fears were raised that "giant mice" may drive some bird species to extinction.
The RSPB has since been awarded £62,000 by the UK government's Overseas Territories Environment Programme to fund additional research on the Gough Island mice and a feasibility study of how best to deal with them. The grant will also pay for the assessment of a rat problem on Tristan Island.
Topographic features include the High Peak, Mount Argus, Hags Tooth, Mount Rowett, Sea Elephant Bay, Quest Bay, and Hawkins Bay. |
| |
| Geography |
Gough Island rises to heights of over 900 m (2950 ft) above sea level. Its area is 35 square miles (91 km2) according to the South African Antarctic Programme. It is located at 40°19′05″S 9°56′07″W / 40.3181°S 9.9353°W / -40.3181; -9.9353Coordinates: 40°19′05″S 9°56′07″W / 40.3181°S 9.9353°W / -40.3181; -9.9353. Topographic features include the highest Peak, Edinburgh Peak, Hags Tooth, Mount Rowett, Sea Elephant Bay, Quest Bay, and Hawkins Bay.
It includes small satellite islands and rocks such as Southwest Island, Saddle Island (South), Tristiana Rock, Isolda Rock (West), Round Island, Cone Island, Lot's Wife, Church Rock (North), Penguin Island (Northeast), and The Admirals (East). It is a remote and lonely place, about 400 kilometres (250 mi) southeast of the other islands in the Tristan da Cunha group, 2,700 kilometres (1,700 mi) from Cape Town, and over 3,200 kilometres (2,000 mi) from the nearest point of South America. |
| |
| Climate |
The island experiences a cool-temperate oceanic climate, and lies on the edge of the "roaring forties", a seasonally oscillating wind belt south of 40°S. Mean temperature at near sea level is 11.3°C with little seasonal variation. Extreme temperatures at near sea level vary from -3°C to 25°C. The mean daily temperature variation is 4-5°C, with a mean relative humidity of 80%. Snow may fall on the peaks between May and January, but rarely occurs at sea level. In association with cyclonic depressions, frontal precipitation falls throughout the year. Mean annual precipitation near sea level is 3116mm with relatively little annual variation. The cloud base is typically between 300-500m, although is occasionally descends to sea level.
Mean wind speed is 12 m/s-1, with a tendency for stronger winds in the winter.
Gales blow on 5% of summer days and 15% of winter days. Wind speed increases with altitude, and is exceptionally strong on exposed ridges. Prevailing wind direction is westerly. |
| |
| History of Gough Island |
Gough Island was discovered in the early 16th Century by the Portuguese navigator, Goncalo Alvarez, who gave it his name: the island was commonly known as Diego Alvarez . Little was heard of the island subsequently, until it was resighted by Captain Gough of the Richmond , a British ship, in 1731.
Its precise geographical location was unclear for many years, but eventually it became known to British and American sealers and whalers, who preferred the name Gough Island. One of the most interesting accounts of a visit is given by Captain Peter Heywood, RN, who visited Gough Island in H.M.S. Nereus on January 8th, 1811.He first called at Tristan, where he found the American ship Baltic engaged in landing three men who hoped to settle on that island.
The Baltic then intended to sail to Gough Island, to pick up a party of seven whom they had left there the year before.
The Frances Alleyn , an American Sealer, visited in 1888, and the ship's second mate (George Comer) and a party of sealers were landed for 5 months. They accumulated several hundred seal skins and many barrels of oil.
Comer kept a diary, recording the events of his stay, including the first sighting of the Gough Island Flightless Rail or Moorhen (Gallinula Comeri) , one of the rarest birds in the world. |
|
| Birds such as the rail find flightlessness an advantage as they are less likely to be blown away in the frequent storms on isolated islands such as Gough and Tristan. Comer also discovered the Gough Island Bunting (Rowettia Goughensis) , as well as other birds well known on other subantarctic islands. |
| 20th Century |
The first scientific expedition to Gough was the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition of 1904: they landed for 4 hours from the Scotia to collect bird specimens.
The RYS Quest of the Shackleton-Rowett Expedition followed in 1922, and ornithological, botanical and geological collections were made. Soundings and surveys of the coastline were made from the ship. The Norwegian whaling Magnate Lars Christensen visited in February 1933, and made a collection of plants which he presented to Oslo University on his return. The result of this was the organising of an expedition to Tristan and Gough in 1937. Unfortunately, the expedition became so busy on Tristan that they were forced to omit the Gough leg.
On March 28th, 1938, HMS Milford of the Royal Navy anchored off The Glen and claimed the island for Britain, creating it a dependency of St Helena. Little was heard of Gough during World War II, though a German commerce raider sheltered there in 1942 whilst making repairs, in similar circumstances to the raiders that sheltered at Kerguelen.
Post-war plans to site a weather station on Gough were shelved, as there were difficulties in recruiting staff.
The International Geophysical Year in 1957, however, provided an opportunity for a proper scientific examination of Gough.
Land masses and scientific bases were sparse in the Southern hemisphere, and a special effort was made to establish bases on remote outposts such as Gough. Most were on the Antarctic continent, but some were on the islands of the Southern Ocean.
|
|
The rugged interior of Gough Island |
|
| The first comprehensive scientific expedition to Gough Island was conducted by The Gough Island Expedition of 1955, led by Martin Holdgate, John Heaney and Robert Chambers. The South African Weather Bureau continue to operate the station to this day, and you can see Gough Island Upper Air Observations at their Web Site. |
| Shipwrecked on Gough 2000 |
Tragedy struck Gough Island in November 2000, when two fishermen from the South African trawler Edinburgh drowned whilst fishing from their dinghy, which was capsized in a squall.
Three fishermen made it to Gough Island and took shelter from the gale force winds and rain in a cave. They were unable to reach the South African Weather Station on Gough, which was on the far side of the island. However, the Edinburgh was able to get water and supplies to them, and they were eventually rescued after 10 days on the island by the South African Navy using the helicopter aboard SAS Protea, which also recovered the bodies of the drowned crewmen. |
| |
| Wildlife |
Gough and Inaccessible Island are a protected wildlife reserve, which has been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It has been described as one of the least disrupted ecosystems of its kind and one of the best shelters for nesting seabirds in the Atlantic. In particular, it is host to almost the entire world population of the Tristan Albatross (Diomedea dabbenena) and the Atlantic Petrel (Pterodroma incerta). However, this status is now in doubt as in April 2007 researchers published evidence that predation by introduced house mice on seabird chicks is occurring at levels that might drive the Tristan Albatross and the Atlantic Petrel to extinction. The island is also home to the almost flightless Gough Island Moorhen, and the critically endangered Gough Bunting.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has since been awarded £62,000 by the UK government's Overseas Territories Environment Programme to fund additional research on the Gough Island mice and a feasibility study of how best to deal with them. The grant will also pay for the assessment of a rat problem on Tristan da Cunha island. |
| |
| Weather Station |
| The weather station on Gough Island is operated as part of the network of the South African Weather Service. Because cold fronts approach South Africa from the south-west, the Gough station is particularly important in forecasting winter weather. |
| The Gough Island teams consist of: |
a senior meteorologist
two junior meteorologists
a radio technician
a medic
a diesel mechanic
biologists (depending on ongoing research projects) |
| |
| Gough Island Links |
| Gough Island Information about Gough Island and other isolated islands. |
| Gough Island Information about Gough Island at the Scott Polar Research Institute. |
| Gough Island Website South African site about Gough Island. |
| Gough Island Wildlife Reserve |
| Photographs of Gough Island Photos by one of the South African Weather Station staff who was based on Gough Island. |
| The South African Weather Station on Gough Island |
| Tristan da Cunha Island Group and Gough Island Tristan da Cunha Island Group and Gough Island. |
|
|