James Clark Ross: Difference between revisions

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'''Sir James Clark Ross''' ([[April 15]], [[1800]] - [[April 3]], [[1862]]), was a [[United Kingdom|British]] [[Royal Navy|naval officer]] and [[explorer]]. He explored the [[Arctic]] with his uncle Sir [[John Ross (Arctic explorer)|John Ross]] and Sir [[William Edward Parry | William Parry]], and later led his own expedition to [[Antarctica]].

Ross was born in [[London]]. He entered the navy in 1812 under John Ross, whom he accompanied on his first Arctic voyage in search of a [[North West Passage]] in 1818. Between 1819 and 1827 he took part in four Arctic expeditions under Parry, and in 1829 to 1833 again served under his uncle. It was during this trip that they located the position of the [[NorthMagnetic PoleNorth|North Magnetic Pole]].

In 1834 Ross was promoted to captain, and from 1835 to 1838 he was employed on the magnetic survey of [[Great Britain]]. Between 1839 and 1843 he commanded the Antarctic expedition of the [[HMS Erebus (1826)|HMS Erebus]] and [[HMS Terror]] which charted much of the coastline of the continent. In 1841, he discovered the [[Ross Sea]], [[Victoria Land]], and the volcanoes [[Mount Erebus]] and [[Mount Terror]]. The Victoria Barrier later gained the name "[[Ross Ice Shelf]]" in his honour.