Adelaide Island

Adelaide Island is an ice-covered island off the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula and hosts scientific infrastructure used for polar research. It is one of the larger islands in that sector of Antarctica and is dominated by glaciated terrain and rugged peaks.

The most significant installation on the island is the Rothera Research Station, a year-round British Antarctic Survey base that functions as a logistics hub for the southern Antarctic Peninsula. Fieldwork around the island focuses on glaciology, biology and geology, and small boat operations and aircraft are used for regional access.

The island was sighted and named during early 19th-century Antarctic exploration and has since been used intermittently for exploration and scientific bases. Over the 20th and 21st centuries the site developed into an established research station supporting international science.

Geographically the island lies off the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula in the Bellingshausen Sea sector; it is separated from the mainland peninsula by channels and is surrounded by sea ice for much of the year.

• Access restrictions: Access is by ship or by ski-equipped aircraft that use a gravel runway at the Rothera base; civilian visits are extremely limited and require prior permission.

What to See #

• Rothera Research Station: A principal research and logistics hub operated by the British Antarctic Survey, supporting scientific work and air links to the Antarctic Peninsula.