New island/island discovered in Antarctica

[mottiger]

Hi,

Diese kleine Insel ist auf keiner Karte zu finden

Any chance that this little island is alteady in OSM?

Cheers,

[afgb1977 (Felipe Gualdrón)]

The article does not show coordinates that indicate the position of the new discovery. They only mention the Weddell Sea.

An interesting challenge, I would point to an official publication about the course taken by the Polarstern, perhaps AIS tracking and comparison of the published images with Sentinel-2. Of course, unless its position has already been published elsewhere. Where is Waldo?

What are the clues?

• Weddell Sea
• Approximate size of the islet (130m x 50m)
• Distance of one mile from a position marked as a danger zone on nautical charts

[afgb1977 (Felipe Gualdrón)]

WALDO

Copernicus

Finding the position wasn’t that difficult. I was expecting a tough challenge.

Antarktis 2025/2026 – AWI On Expedition

[Vinzenz_Mai]

Mapped it: Way: 1497877052 | OpenStreetMap with the help of aerial images where it is seen, but only with the help of your position.

It doesn’t get rendered :-(

[milet]

@Vinzenz_Mai

It doesn’t get rendered :-(

Coastlines are updated less frequently as the rest:

Coastline rendering in Standard tile layer on openstreetmap.org may update later than other rendering changes.

https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Coastline#Rendering_in_Standard_tile_layer_on_openstreetmap.org

[afgb1977 (Felipe Gualdrón)]

"Als Gefahrenzone in Seekarten eingezeichnet

Warum die Insel als Gefahrenzone in der Seekarte, aber nicht als Küstenlinie in anderen Datensätzen eingezeichnet ist und warum die verzeichnete Position in der Seekarte etwa eine Seemeile neben der tatsächlichen Position liegt, ist den Fachleuten unklar.

Someone needs to tell the experts that if they’re using C-MAP nautical charts, they should recalibrate them first. These nautical charts have a significant offset that could lead someone to become the next Robinson Crusoe. Other providers show the “danger zone” in a more accurate location.

[Mammi71 (One feature, Six mappers and still More ways to map it)]

You’ve drawn the coastline the wrong way round; the sea is now on the inside and the land on the outside ;-)

Also, it always takes a few days for new coastlines to be rendered.

[Mammi71 (One feature, Six mappers and still More ways to map it)]

@Mammi71

drawn the coastline the wrong way round

I’ve fixed it and separated the coastline from the island area

[afgb1977 (Felipe Gualdrón)]

Since it doesn’t have an official name yet, call it Waldo, and then the correction is made when the official name is selected.

um , I wonder if this island is also on the famous list.

[Mammi71 (One feature, Six mappers and still More ways to map it)]

@afgb1977

Since it doesn’t have an official name yet, call it Waldo

An article in a German newspaper compared this to the island of ‘Lummerland’ from Michael Ende’s Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver:

"Lummerland was very small indeed. In fact, it was extraordinarily small compared to other countries such as Germany, Africa or China. It was about twice the size of our flat and consisted mainly of a mountain with two peaks, one high and one slightly lower.”

However, there is already an island called Lummerland in Sweden. But the English name of Lummerland is probably Morrowland.

[SomeoneElse (Andy Townsend)]

Just checking - the USA’s Guano Islands Act doesn’t apply here does it? Should everyone be on the lookout for elderly people wearing red caps?

(for the avoidance of doubt: very much if that wasn’t obvious - see this previous thread for context)

[VictorIE]

T

@Mammi71

An article in a German newspaper compared this to the island of ‘Lummerland’ from Michael Ende’s Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver:

"Lummerland was very small indeed. In fact, it was extraordinarily small compared to other countries such as Germany, Africa or China. It was about twice the size of our flat and consisted mainly of a mountain with two peaks, one high and one slightly lower.”

However, there is already an island called Lummerland in Sweden. But the English name of Lummerland is probably Morrowland.

This: Relation: ‪Nure or Lilliput‬ (‪4149225‬) | OpenStreetMap is the origin of the name Lilliput in Gulliver’s Travels novel by Jonathan Swift. Obviously: Way: ‪Jonathan Swift Park‬ (‪305180689‬) | OpenStreetMap is newer than the book.

[Mammi71 (One feature, Six mappers and still More ways to map it)]

The islet is now shown on our map.

[Tom_Landlord]

I don’t think this island could be claimed for the US because they’re party of the Antarctic Treaty. But in times of Donald Trump you never know.

[VictorIE]

Hi,

He needs a new base so he can defend against things like Fractional Orbital Bombardment Systems Fractional Orbital Bombardment System - Wikipedia

[afgb1977 (Felipe Gualdrón)]

Node: 13719895235

Why? Where?

[Jarek]

Well, the ele=16 is from https://onexpedition.awi.de/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/31-simondreutter.png I guess? Third image in the gallery on page Eine unbekannte Insel – AWI On Expedition

Whether it’s a peak…

[afgb1977 (Felipe Gualdrón)]

As I see it, the “natural peak” was invented; the islet is so flat that it’s absurd to call it a peak, which requires a mountain underneath. It barely qualifies as a seamount.

[afgb1977 (Felipe Gualdrón)]

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This is the outline of the islet so you can update it.

Just change the file extension from .txt to .geojson.

WALDO Poly.txt (2,2 KB)

[Jarek]

@afgb1977

the islet is so flat that it’s absurd to call it a peak, which requires a mountain underneath

This is flatland erasure

Node: ‪Affaldsbjerget‬ (‪287808618‬)

Node: 8932472431

Node: ‪Pepernotenberg‬ (‪10268577642‬)

Node: ‪Kirkebjerg‬ (‪12839593852‬)

Node: 12951476028

Arguably could be natural=hill but yeah, no shortage of rather low natural=peak nodes in OSM