This is one of the easterly islands in the Powell group of the South Shetlands, and was only landed on at two points, Lookout Harbour and Minstrel Bay.

Topography

The features of Elephant Island probably are similar to what those of South Georgia were before the intense glacial erosion sculptured the island as already described.

POWELL GROUP
SOUTH SHETLANDS

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It is a plateau 300 feet at the rim, but rising gently towards the interior. It appeared to be covered by an ice sheet, and the same may be said of Clarence Island, which lies a few miles to the eastward; only in the latter case there was a definite cliff of ice visible above the rock face.

The glaciers were more of the hanging than of the valley type. Especially was this so on the west coast.

Geology