Australian Government - Department of the Environment and Heritage - Australian Antarctic DivisionAustralian Government - Department of the Environment and Heritage - Australian Antarctic Division Heard Island
Heard IslandHeard Island & McDonald Islands
Data News LinksContact UsSite MapSearch and McDonald IslandsHeard Island and McDonald Islands
Landforms
Saddle Point and Downes Glacier
Saddle Point and Downes Glacier
Photo: J Hughes
The spectacular landscape at Heard Island and McDonald Islands (HIMI) is quite unlike anywhere else in Australia and has few, if any, parallels elsewhere in the world.

Distinctive physical features such as permanent glaciers, an active volcano and coastal lagoons dominate the landscape. However interesting and important geographical features can be found at all scales, ranging down from Big Ben, the 2745 metre high volcano towering over Heard Island, to coastal wetlands, lava tubes, rocky beaches and even the ever-present glassy volcanic grit.

The pages in this section provide an introduction to the Geology, Geomorphology, Glaciology and Wetlands of HIMI. Check out the Landscape Images page in the Image Gallery for some pictures of the landscape described here.



Cool Facts
The Kerguelen Plateau is one of the largest submarine plateaus in the world, and stands directly in the path of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current - an easterly moving current of water that circles the Antarctic continent - and deflects part of those waters north towards the tropics.
Related Pages
World Heritage Privacy · Copyright · Disclaimer · Feedback · AAD · DEWHA · Australian Government Return to top Return to Top