1. History, Previous Works and Physiography

Isla de los Estados (Staaten Island) is located at the southernmost end of South America, forming part of the argentina province of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and South Atlantic Islands. The island, due to its geographical location, conforms a unique and sensitive area for Quaternary palaeoecological and palaeoclimatic studies giving information on the atmospheric and environmental conditions from cold-temperate high latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere. It is located at a distance of ca. 30 km southeast from Península Mitre, Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego (Main Island of Tierra del Fuego) and has a surface area of 496 km². It is the southeastern end of the Andes range above present sea level. The topography is characteristic of terrain repeatedly glaciated during the Quaternary. At the eastern area of the island the topography is less rugged than at its central and western areas.Isla de los Estados was discovered in the year 1616. Currently, and continuously since 1977, a contingent of the Argentine Navy has been stationed in Puerto Parry. These people represent the entire population of the island together with the post on Observatorio Island (Año Nuevo Island).