Axel Heiberg Island

Axel Heiberg Island is one of the Queen Elizabeth Islands in Nunavut Territory,Canada. It lies around the 80°N line of latitude, west of Ellesmere Island. The higher, central area of the island is covered by a glacier. The island is uninhabited except for one small research station.

Axel Heiberg Island is one of the 30 or so largest in the world, with an area of 16,671 square miles (43,178 km²) according to Statistics Canada [1].

The island is known for its fossil forests, dating from the Eocene period. It has been inhabited in the past by Inuit people, but was uninhabited by the time it was named by Otto Sverdrup, who explored it from 1900. He named it after one of the expedition sponsors, an Oslo brewer. Other explorers visited the island during the early 20th century, during which time it was claimed by Norway until 1930. It wasn't until the late 1940s that the island was aerially photographed by the U.S. Army Air Force's Operation Polaris. In 1955 two geologists traversed the interior. Their observations of Bunde Glacier, in northwest Axel Heiberg Island, are the earliest glaciological observations on the ground to have found their way into a scientific publication.

In 1959, scientists from McGill University explored Expedition Fiord (previously Sør Fjord or South Fiord) in central Axel Heiberg Island. This resulted in the establishment of the McGill Arctic Research Station (79º26'N 90º46'W), constructed in 1960 five miles inland from Expedition Fjord. It consists of a small research hut, a cook house and 2 temporary structures that can comfortably accommodate 8-12 persons. The station was busiest during the early 1960s, during which a population of 20 was present. The station is now only used for specific studies during the summer months.