A Tale of Two Shetlands
Monday, 19. May 2008, 19:16:41
Where is the Shetland Plate?
When I hear or read about Shetland I think of a group of islands somewhere north of Scotland. Technically speaking they are Danish - although Denmark does nothing to claim them. A fascinating side of Shetland and Orkney's history that makes it completely unique in the world is the 1468/69 pawning of the islands by King Christian of Denmark to King James III of Scotland. King Christian had agreed to provide a 60,000 florins dowry on the occasion of the marriage of his daughter to the Scots King. When he was unable to come up with the whole amount, his novel solution was to pawn first Orkney, then Shetland to King James. The pawning had no time limit and has never been revoked or legally challenged. Few people know, but the fact has been used lately as argument for more autonomy. (More at the site of the Shetland & Orkney Udal Law group).
These islands are however not drifting on their own private little tectonic plate (yet).
The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands, lying about 120 kilometres north of the Antarctic Peninsula. Under the Antarctic Treaty 1959, the Islands' sovereignty is neither recognized nor disputed by the signatories and they are free for use by any signatory for non-military use. The Islands are claimed by Argentina (since 1943) as part of Argentine Antarctica, Tierra del Fuego Province and by Chile (since 1940) as part of Antártica Chilena Province. They have been claimed by the UK since 1908 and are part of British Antarctic Territory since 1962.
The South Shetland Islands is a volcanic arc, and formed part of the Andean-West Antarctic subducting-plate margin in late Jurassic to Miocene times. Later the islands began to drift away from Antarctica. Continental crust is underlying the South Shetland Islands. Tectonic uplift due to the subduction in the western Antarctic trench system make the South Shetland Islands a rapidly rising island arc.
As seen on the fragment below from a map produced by USGS the South Shetland Islands are situated on a small crustal plate - the Shetland (Island) Plate.
When I hear or read about Shetland I think of a group of islands somewhere north of Scotland. Technically speaking they are Danish - although Denmark does nothing to claim them. A fascinating side of Shetland and Orkney's history that makes it completely unique in the world is the 1468/69 pawning of the islands by King Christian of Denmark to King James III of Scotland. King Christian had agreed to provide a 60,000 florins dowry on the occasion of the marriage of his daughter to the Scots King. When he was unable to come up with the whole amount, his novel solution was to pawn first Orkney, then Shetland to King James. The pawning had no time limit and has never been revoked or legally challenged. Few people know, but the fact has been used lately as argument for more autonomy. (More at the site of the Shetland & Orkney Udal Law group).
These islands are however not drifting on their own private little tectonic plate (yet).
The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands, lying about 120 kilometres north of the Antarctic Peninsula. Under the Antarctic Treaty 1959, the Islands' sovereignty is neither recognized nor disputed by the signatories and they are free for use by any signatory for non-military use. The Islands are claimed by Argentina (since 1943) as part of Argentine Antarctica, Tierra del Fuego Province and by Chile (since 1940) as part of Antártica Chilena Province. They have been claimed by the UK since 1908 and are part of British Antarctic Territory since 1962.The South Shetland Islands is a volcanic arc, and formed part of the Andean-West Antarctic subducting-plate margin in late Jurassic to Miocene times. Later the islands began to drift away from Antarctica. Continental crust is underlying the South Shetland Islands. Tectonic uplift due to the subduction in the western Antarctic trench system make the South Shetland Islands a rapidly rising island arc.
As seen on the fragment below from a map produced by USGS the South Shetland Islands are situated on a small crustal plate - the Shetland (Island) Plate.
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