Schirmacher Ponds
Schirmacher Ponds
an ice-free section of the coastland of Queen Maud Land, in Eastern Antarctica. Separated from the Lazarev Sea by an ice shelf that is approximately 80 km wide, Schirmacher Ponds has an area of approximately 32 sq km and rises to an elevation of 221 m. The rounded hills of the region are separated by elongated hollows, and there are numerous lakes. Along the northern edge of the region there are lagoons that communicate with the sea beneath the ice shelf. The region was discovered in 1939 by a German expedition led by A. Ritscher and was named in honor of a member of the party, the pilot R. Schirmacher. The Soviet antarctic station Novolazarevskaia has been operating in the eastern part of Schirmacher Ponds since 1961.