Rankin Glacier is a 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 12 nautical miles (22 km) long on the east side of Palmer Land

Palmer Land

Palmer Land is that portion of the Antarctic Peninsula which lies south of a line joining Cape Jeremy and Cape Agassiz. This application of Palmer Land is consistent with the 1964 agreement between US-ACAN and UK-APC, in which the name Antarctic Peninsula was approved for the major peninsula of...

. It flows southeast and then east along the south side of Schirmacher Massif

Schirmacher Massif

Schirmacher Massif is an island-like mountain massif in the east part of Palmer Land. The feature is surrounded by the flow of the Rankin and Cline Glaciers, 3 nautical miles west of Rowley Massif. Mapped by United States Geological Survey in 1974. Named by Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names ...

 to join the Cline Glacier

Cline Glacier

Cline Glacier is a large glacier that drains the vicinity at the east side of Mount Jackson and flows generally southeast between Schirmacher Massif and Rowley Massif into the head of Odom Inlet, on the east side of Palmer Land. It was mapped by United States Geological Survey in 1974, and named by...

 just inland from the head of Odom Inlet

Odom Inlet

Odom Inlet is an ice-filled inlet 9 miles long, between Cape Howard and Cape MacDonald along the east coast of Palmer Land. It was discovered by members of the US Antarctic Service who explored this coast from East Base both by land and from the air in 1940, and named for Howard Odom, radio...

. Mapped by United States Geological Survey

United States Geological Survey

The United States Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The organization has four major science disciplines, concerning biology,...

 (USGS) in 1974. 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) for John S. Rankin, United States Antarctic Research Program (USARP) biologist on the International Weddell Sea Oceanographic Expeditions

International Weddell Sea Oceanographic Expeditions

The International Weddell Sea Oceanographic Expeditions or IWSOE are a series of scientific research expeditions to the Weddell Sea begun in 1967, involving cooperation among Norway, Canada, Chile and the United States....

, 1968 and 1969.