James Clark Ross discovers Mount Erebus and the Victoria Barrier
- When
- 1841
- Where
- Ross Island; Ross Ice Shelf; Eastern Antarctica; Southern Ocean
- Episodes
- 4
In January 1841, James Clark Ross discovered Mount Erebus, the Victoria Barrier, and Victoria Land. He named the active volcano and its companion Mount Terror after his ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror. The expedition charted the Ross Sea and the ice shelf, later named the Ross Ice Shelf in his honor.
Episodes
- Discovery of the Ross Sea
The Ross Sea was discovered by the Ross expedition in 1841. It derives its name from James Clark Ross.
- Discovery of Victoria Land
Ross discovered Victoria Land in January 1841 and named it after Queen Victoria.
- Discovery of Mount Erebus
Ross discovered Mount Erebus on 27 January 1841, observing it in eruption. He named the volcano after his ship, HMS Erebus.
- Discovery of the Victoria Barrier
Ross discovered the Victoria Barrier on 28 January 1841. The ice shelf was later named the Ross Ice Shelf in his honor.
Background and detail
Background. James Clark Ross commanded HMS Erebus on an Antarctic expedition from 1839 to 1843. The mission aimed at magnetic research and geographical discovery. Ross crossed the Antarctic Circle on 1 January 1841. His ships, specially strengthened wooden vessels, navigated the pack ice near Antarctica to determine the position of the South Magnetic Pole.
Discoveries. Ross discovered Mount Erebus on 27 January 1841, observing it in eruption. He named the volcano and its companion, Mount Terror, after his ships. The expedition also discovered the Ross Sea and Victoria Land. Ross named Victoria Land after Queen Victoria. The ice shelf, called the Barrier, was discovered on 28 January 1841.
Naming. Ross named the features after his vessels, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror. The Ross Sea derives its name from Ross, who visited the area in 1841. The Ross Ice Shelf was later named in his honor. Victoria Land was named after Queen Victoria. These names reflect the expedition's contributions to Antarctic geography.
People involved
- James Clark Ross · Commander of the expedition
Sources
- James Clark Ross Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-06
- Ross Ice Shelf Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-23
- Victoria Land Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-27
- Mount Erebus Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-25
- Ross Sea Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-11
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.