Riiser-Larsen Ice Shelf
Encyclopedia
Riiser-Larsen Ice Shelf is an ice shelf
about 250 miles (400 km) long on the coast of Queen Maud Land
, extending from Cape Norvegia
in the north to Lyddan Island
and Stancomb-Wills Glacier
in the south. Parts of the ice shelf
were sighted by William Speirs Bruce
in 1904, Ernest Shackleton
in 1915, and Hjalmar Riiser-Larsen
in 1930. Most of it was photographed from the air in 1951-52 by the Norwegian-British-Swedish Antarctic Expedition
(NBSAE) and delineated from these photos. Additional delineation of the southern and landward margins of the feature was accomplished from air photos taken, by USN Operation Deep Freeze
from 1967 to 1969. The feature was named by Norway
for Capt. Hjalmar Riiser-Larsen, who explored the area in the late 1920s and early 1930s.
Ice shelf
An ice shelf is a thick, floating platform of ice that forms where a glacier or ice sheet flows down to a coastline and onto the ocean surface. Ice shelves are only found in Antarctica, Greenland and Canada. The boundary between the floating ice shelf and the grounded ice that feeds it is called...
about 250 miles (400 km) long on the coast of Queen Maud Land
Queen Maud Land
Queen Maud Land is a c. 2.7 million-square-kilometre region of Antarctica claimed as a dependent territory by Norway. The territory lies between 20° west and 45° east, between the British Antarctic Territory to the west and the Australian Antarctic Territory to the east. The latitudinal...
, extending from Cape Norvegia
Cape Norvegia
Cape Norvegia is a prominent cape on Princess Martha Coast of Queen Maud Land. It marks the northeast extremity of Riiser-Larsen Ice Shelf in East Antarctica, and the border point of Weddell Sea and King Haakon VII Sea.. It was discovered by Commander Hjalmar Riiser-Larsen in February 1930 while on...
in the north to Lyddan Island
Lyddan Island
Lyddan Island is an ice-covered island at the southwest extremity of Riiser-Larsen Ice Shelf, separating it from Brunt Ice Shelf, about 20 miles off the Princess Martha Coast. The island is about 45 miles long and has three narrow arms in the form of a trefoil. It was discovered and plotted by W.R...
and Stancomb-Wills Glacier
Stancomb-Wills Glacier
Stancomb-Wills Glacier is a large glacier that debouches into eastern Weddell Sea southward of Lyddan Island. The glacier was discovered in the course of the U.S. Navy LC-130 plane flight over the coast on November 5, 1967, and was plotted by United States Geological Survey from photographs...
in the south. Parts of the ice shelf
Ice shelf
An ice shelf is a thick, floating platform of ice that forms where a glacier or ice sheet flows down to a coastline and onto the ocean surface. Ice shelves are only found in Antarctica, Greenland and Canada. The boundary between the floating ice shelf and the grounded ice that feeds it is called...
were sighted by William Speirs Bruce
William Speirs Bruce
William Speirs Bruce was a London-born Scottish naturalist, polar scientist and oceanographer who organised and led the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition to the South Orkney Islands and the Weddell Sea. Among other achievements, the expedition established the first permanent weather station...
in 1904, Ernest Shackleton
Ernest Shackleton
Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton, CVO, OBE was a notable explorer from County Kildare, Ireland, who was one of the principal figures of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration...
in 1915, and Hjalmar Riiser-Larsen
Hjalmar Riiser-Larsen
Hjalmar Riiser-Larsen was a Norwegian aviation pioneer, polar explorer and businessman. Among his achievements, he is generally regarded as the founder of the Royal Norwegian Air Force....
in 1930. Most of it was photographed from the air in 1951-52 by the Norwegian-British-Swedish Antarctic Expedition
Norwegian-British-Swedish Antarctic Expedition
Norwegian–British–Swedish Antarctic Expedition the first Antarctica expedition involving an international team of scientists...
(NBSAE) and delineated from these photos. Additional delineation of the southern and landward margins of the feature was accomplished from air photos taken, by USN Operation Deep Freeze
Operation Deep Freeze
Operation Deep Freeze is the codename for a series of United States missions to Antarctica, beginning with "Operation Deep Freeze I" in 1955–56, followed by "Operation Deep Freeze II", "Operation Deep Freeze III", and so on...
from 1967 to 1969. The feature was named by Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
for Capt. Hjalmar Riiser-Larsen, who explored the area in the late 1920s and early 1930s.