The magnetically named Pendulum Cove
Pendulum Cove lies northeast of Port Foster, Deception Island, in Antarctica’s South Shetlands. Its name comes from the research of British scientist Henry Foster, who used a Kater invariable pendulum to make a series of magnetic observations there in 1829.
Pendulum Cove, an Antarctic Specially Protected Area
Forming part of an Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA 140), Pendulum Cove comprises several Deception Island sites. The cove is so designated because of its botanic and ecological features. Pendulum Cove is also a popular site for people brave enough to endure the polar plunge.
Research and history at Pendulum Cove
A Chilean volcanological and meteorological research station named Base Aguirre Cerda operated in Pendulum Cove from 1955 to 1967, when it was destroyed by volcanic eruptions. The station’s ruins became an Antarctic Historic Site or Monument (HSM 76) in 2001.