| Situated 4,000 km (2,480 miles) southwest
of Australia in the Indian Ocean, the Heard and Macdonald Islands are
ice-covered, volcanic rock outcrops. Their principal use is for scientific
research. In 1991, Heard Island's unique location – it offers direct
access to the world's main oceans – led to it being chosen as the
site of an experiment to monitor global warming using sound waves. |