Graham Bell Island

Graham Bell Island (Russian: Остров Греэм-Белл, Ostrov Greem-Bell) is an island in the Franz Josef Archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, and is administratively part of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia.

Graham Bell
Native name:
Остров Греэм-Белл
Location of Graham Bell Island in the Franz Josef Archipelago
Graham Bell
Geography
LocationKara Sea/Barents Sea, Arctic Ocean
Coordinates80.866389°N 64.289167°E / 80.866389; 64.289167
ArchipelagoFranz Josef Land
Area1,557 km2 (601 sq mi)
Highest elevation509 m (1,670 ft)
Highest pointKupol Vetrenyy
Administration
Russia

Geography

Graham Bell Island is one of the largest islands of the group. It lies east of Wilczek Land, separated from it by a narrow sound known as Morgan Sound (Пролив Моргана; Proliv Morgana). It is also the easternmost island of Franz Josef Land. Cape Kohlsaat, the easternmost point of the archipelago at 81°14′N, 65°10′E, lies on Graham Bell Island's eastern shore. Cape Kohlsaat marks the northwestern-most corner of the Kara Sea and is a significant geographical landmark, and it is partly glacierized.

The highest point of Graham Bell Island, 509 m (1,670 ft), is the summit of Kupol Vetrenyy (Купол Ветреный) "Windy Dome", a large ice dome covering the western part of the island.[1]

This island was named after inventor Alexander Graham Bell. Graham Bell Island should not be confused with the smaller Bell Island which is also part of the Franz Josef Archipelago and which named after the shape, not the person.[2][3]

History

Graham Bell Island is home to a Cold War outpost and to the airfield Greem Bell (81°09′N 64°17′E) on the Northeastern end of the island. It is the largest airfield in the archipelago. It has a runway 2,100 m (7,000 ft) long. Russian cargo and fighter aircraft have regularly landed here since the 1950s. The runway was usable only in the 8 months with sufficiently frozen ground. Before it was shut down it was also used for tourist helicopter trips around the Russian arctic as a stopover and refueling base. The base was shut down completely in 1994. It began falling into ruins and was subsequently closed to normal visitors.[4] In 2012, the Russian Air Force decided to reopen Graham Bell Airfield as part of a series of reopenings of air bases in the Arctic.[5]

Adjacent islands

See also

References

Citations
  1. "Kupol Vetrenny". Mapcarta. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-08-03. Retrieved 2016-08-12.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. http://www.franz-josef-land.info/index.php?id=651&L=5
  4. Graham Bell (Greem Bell) Island, Severnaja - Franz-Josef-Land. Franz-josef-land.info.
  5. "Russia to build more Arctic airfields". IHS Janes. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
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