James-Clark Ross English polar explorer Date of Birth: 15.04.1800 Country: Great Britain

1. Biography of James Clark Ross

Biography of James Clark Ross

• Early Life and Arctic Expeditions
James Clark Ross, an English polar explorer, was born in 1800 and died in 1862. He participated in seven Arctic expeditions, but he gained fame primarily for his three expeditions to Antarctica. At the age of twelve, Ross joined the navy under the command of his uncle, Captain John Ross (1777-1856). When he was eighteen, he accompanied John Ross on the ship "Isabella" and explored part of Baffin's Bay and Baffin Land. During this time, Captain John Ross was inexperienced in navigating through ice, so he decided not to enter Lancaster Sound, believing that it contained sandbars. He returned home without discovering anything of interest. However, young James Ross had already seen icebergs and ice fields and experienced battles with storms, fog, and strong currents.
• First Antarctic Expedition

A year later, James Ross found himself in the Arctic again and finally entered Lancaster Sound with the expedition led by William Parry. The ships sailed further into Barrow Strait, explored the shores of Bylot and Melville Islands, and wintered near the southern coast of Melville Island. Shortly after Parry finished writing his report on the journey, he had to prepare two ships, "Fury" and "Hecla," for a new expedition. Young Ross joined him once again. This time, they discovered a strait separating Baffin Land from the Melville Peninsula and named it the Fury and Hecla Strait.
• Second Antarctic Expedition

In 1824, James Ross embarked on his third expedition with Parry. They attempted to pass through Lancaster Sound to the west, but unfavorable ice conditions limited their progress. The ship "Fury" suffered an accident during the journey. The crew tried for twenty-five days to save the ship but eventually had to abandon it. In 1829, Ross sailed under the command of his uncle once again. However, this time he had more responsibility and independence. The expedition set sail on the small vessel "Victory," equipped with a paddle wheel and a small steam engine. It was the first attempt to use a mechanical engine on an exploration ship, but the machine soon broke down. The "Victory" entered Prince Regent Inlet near the site of the "Fury's" demise. Ross named the peninsula they sailed along the Boothia Peninsula in honor of Felix Booth, who provided funds for the expedition. James Ross made an excursion to the coast of this peninsula and determined the location of the North Magnetic Pole for the first time. He also discovered King William Land.
• Discoveries in Antarctica

The expedition spent four consecutive winters in the region. The ice damaged the ship, and they had to abandon it. The crew walked to Lancaster Sound, where they were rescued by a whaling ship and returned to England. In 1839, Ross the younger was appointed commander of an expedition to the Southern Polar Regions. He was given two old naval vessels, the "Erebus" and "Terror." Although these ships were heavy and slow, they were sturdy, which was important for navigating through ice. Ross commanded the "Erebus," while the "Terror" was commanded by Francis Crozier. The expedition aimed to study terrestrial magnetism by conducting numerous measurements in the high southern latitudes. Ross had the freedom to choose the route, and he was delighted because, having found the North Magnetic Pole, he now had the opportunity to search for the South Magnetic Pole. He believed that the best approach to it would be by circumnavigating the land that Wilkes had seen from the east.
• Exploring the Antarctic

In January 1841, Ross encountered a continuous pack of ice. He faced challenges that tested his resourcefulness, willpower, and experience. He courageously broke through the ice fields. Later expeditions in the Southern Polar Basin have shown that it is not easy to contend with Antarctic ice even for steamships armed with powerful modern engines. Ross's ships were sail-powered and had no auxiliary engines. Additionally, the sails were square, which limited their ability to sail at sharp angles to the wind, severely restricting their maneuverability. Ross sailed into ice that few ships emerged from victorious. His bravery paid off when he broke through the ice and reached a wide expanse of open water.
• Discovering Mount Erebus and Terror

He then circled Cape Adare, moving southward, encountering no ice, and on January 28, at 78° south latitude, he saw two majestic snow-capped peaks rising almost vertically from the ice and sea. These were volcanoes, one of which was erupting steam, smoke, and ash at that time. Heavy black clouds of ash hung over the dazzling white snowfields and glaciers. Ross named these mountains Mount Erebus and Mount Terror, after the ships that brought him to this remarkable corner of the world.
• Exploring the Ross Sea and Establishing Magnetic Pole Location

Along the coast stretched a colossal ice shelf, ranging in height from 45 to 75 meters. This was the edge of a massive glacier spilling into the sea. This glacier was later named the Ross Ice Shelf. Ross conducted magnetic measurements and explored the coastline of the open sea he had discovered. His observations and calculations indicated that the South Magnetic Pole lay near the coast, within a country protected by the ice shelf, mountains, and glaciers. Ross circumnavigated the sea that now bears his name. To the south, it was bounded by a gigantic ice barrier wall, stretching for 500 kilometers. In January 1841, Ross reached 78°4' south latitude, but he was unable to overcome the barrier. He also found no suitable place for wintering. He then turned north again, broke through the pack ice, and brought the ships to Tasmania.
• Further Expeditions

Ross made two more attempts to approach the South Magnetic Pole. The second attempt was made in 1842, during which Ross reached the Antarctic coast 2,200 kilometers east of his previous expedition. However, ice conditions were unfavorable, and progress was slow. Nevertheless, he surpassed his own previous record.
• Search for Franklin's Expedition and Later Life

In modern times, it is difficult to imagine the hardships Ross faced during his Antarctic explorations. Twice, he faced death head-on but managed to escape dangerous situations through his resourcefulness. Ross felt a personal obligation to undertake search efforts for Franklin, who had been instrumental in Ross's own explorations. In 1848, James Clark Ross independently organized a rescue expedition on the ship "Enterprise." Two years later, the government called upon the help of the elderly John Ross, who immediately set out to search for Franklin, despite being seventy-three years old at the time.

By that time, both Rosses had explored both the Arctic and Antarctica and had made significant contributions to mapping both regions. However, nature was reluctant to reveal its secrets. Northern expeditions were always fraught with extreme danger. The tragic fate of John Franklin is another testament to this.