Palais Glacier is a broad glacier

Glacier

A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...

, about 8 nautical miles (15 km) long, flowing north between Wilkniss Mountains

Wilkniss Mountains

Wilkniss Mountains is a prominent group of conical mountains, 10 miles long running north-south, located 9 miles east-southeast of Mount Feather, Quartermain Mountains, in Victoria Land, Antarctica. The mountains are 3 miles wide in the north portion where Mount Blackwelder and Pivot Peak ...

 and Colwell Massif

Colwell Massif

Colwell Massif is a rugged rock massif, about long, rising to between Palais Glacier, Ferrar Glacier, and Rotunda Glacier, in Victoria Land. It was named by the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names in 1994 after Rita R...

 to enter Ferrar Glacier

Ferrar Glacier

The Ferrar Glacier is an Antarctic glacier about long, flowing from the plateau of Victoria Land west of the Royal Society Range to New Harbour in McMurdo Sound. The glacier makes a right turn northeast of Knobhead, where it is apposed, i.e., joined in Siamese-twin fashion, to Taylor Glacier...

, in Victoria Land

Victoria Land

Victoria Land is a region of Antarctica bounded on the east by the Ross Ice Shelf and the Ross Sea and on the west by Oates Land and Wilkes Land. It was discovered by Captain James Clark Ross in January 1841 and named after the UK's Queen Victoria...

. Named by Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names

Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names

The Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names is an advisory committee of the United States Board on Geographic Names responsible for recommending names for features in Antarctica...

 (US-ACAN) in 1994 after Julie Michelle Palais, glaciologist, who conducted field research in Antarctica during five seasons at Dome Charlie and Mount Erebus

Mount Erebus

Mount Erebus in Antarctica is the southernmost historically active volcano on Earth, the second highest volcano in Antarctica , and the 6th highest ultra mountain on an island. With a summit elevation of , it is located on Ross Island, which is also home to three inactive volcanoes, notably Mount...

, 1978–89; from 1991, Program Director

Program director

In service industries, such as education, a program director or programme director researches, plans, develops and implements one or more of the firm's professional services...

 for Polar Glaciology, Office of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation

National Science Foundation

The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...

 (NSF); from 1994, member of the U.S. Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names.