SCAR Composite Gazetteer of Antarctica

Citation
Secretariat SCAR (1992, updated 2014 and 2017). Composite Gazetteer of Antarctica, Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research. GCMD Metadata (http://gcmd.nasa.gov/records/SCAR_Gazetteer.html)

Abstract
The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) initiates, promotes and co-ordinates a wide range of scientific research programmes in Antarctica, many of which involve significant international collaboration. The SCAR Standing Committee on Antarctic Geographic Information (SC-AGI) co-ordinates the provision of a geographic reference for scientific activities in Antarctica and the dissemination of Antarctic geographic information. The SCAR Composite Gazetteer of Antarctica is an activity conducted in this framework. In 1992 the SCAR Working Group on Geodesy and Geographic Information (WG-GGI), during the XXII SCAR meeting in Bariloche, recognized the need for a composite gazetteer of Antarctica to bring some order to the complex toponymy of Antarctica. The goal of the work programme which evolved from that discussion was to provide the scientific community with two products:
1. compilation of all existing geographic names of Antarctica and
2. a set of guidelines to be followed when proposing new names and when selecting one name from a list of synonyms for a given feature.
Because Antarctica does not fall under the sovereignty of any one nation this particular continent is similar, in many respects, to the oceans. In general every country has a recognized body which approves the names of geographic features in the country and also has the power to enforce their use. For Antarctica, however, there is no such single naming authority. Individual countries are responsible for their national policy on, and authorisation and use of, Antarctic names.

Downloaded November 2017 from https://data.aad.gov.au/aadc/gaz/scar/

Additional Metadata: https://gcmd.nasa.gov/records/SCAR_Gazetteer.html