Laurens Peninsula () is a rugged

peninsula A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on all ...

surmounted by several ice-covered

peaks Peak or The Peak may refer to: Basic meanings Geology * Mountain peak ** Pyramidal peak, a mountaintop that has been sculpted by erosion to form a point Mathematics * Peak hour or rush hour, in traffic congestion * Peak (geometry), an (''n''-3)-d ...

that forms the northwestern part of

Heard Island The Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands (HIMI) is an Australian external territory comprising a volcanic group of mostly barren Antarctic islands, about two-thirds of the way from Madagascar to Antarctica. The group's overall size ...

in the southern

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by th ...

. The name was applied by the

Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition The Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE ) is the historical name for the Australian Antarctic Program (AAp) administered for Australia by the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD). History Australia has had a long involv ...

following their survey in 1948. It derives from the existing name

Cape Laurens Cape Laurens () is a cape which marks the northwestern extremity of Laurens Peninsula and Heard Island. The name was probably applied by Captain Franklin F. Smith, of the American bark Bark may refer to: * Bark (botany), an outer layer of a wo ...

, applied for the northwestern extremity of this peninsula after the

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

bark ''Laurens'' which, under Captain Franklin F. Smith, visited Heard Island in 1855–56 and assisted in initiating sealing operations there. A small hill called

Macey Cone Macey Cone () is a small hill, high, which marks the remnants of an extinct volcanic cone surmounting the lava cliffs at the northwest end of Laurens Peninsula, about northeast of Cape Laurens at the northwest end of Heard Island. The feature was ...

sits at the northwest end of the peninsula.

References

External links

Map of Laurens Peninsula and the northwestern coast of Heard Island

Map of Heard Island and McDonald Islands, including all major topographical features
Peninsulas of Antarctica Landforms of Heard Island and McDonald Islands

Laurens Peninsula Laurens Peninsula () is a rugged peninsula surmounted by several ice-covered peaks that forms the northwestern part of Heard Island in the southern Indian Ocean. The name was applied by the Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition followi ...

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