Van Reeth Glacier is a tributary 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 20 nautical miles (37 km) long, draining westward to Scott Glacier

Scott Glacier (Transantarctic Mountains)

The Scott Glacier is a major glacier, 120 miles long, that drains the East Antarctic Ice Sheet through the Queen Maud Mountains to the Ross Ice Shelf...

 between Mounts Blackburn and Bowlin, in the Queen Maud Mountains

Queen Maud Mountains

The Queen Maud Mountains are a major group of mountains, ranges and subordinate features of the Transantarctic Mountains, lying between the Beardmore and Reedy Glaciers and including the area from the head of the Ross Ice Shelf to the polar plateau in Antarctica...

. It was discovered in December 1934 by the Byrd Antarctic Expedition geological party under Quin Blackburn, and was named by the 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 Commander Eugene W. Van Reeth, a pilot with U.S. Navy Squadron VX-6

VX-6

Air Development Squadron Six was a United States Navy Air Development Squadron based at McMurdo Station, Antarctica...

 in Antarctica during 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...

 1966, 1967 and 1968, and Squadron Commander in 1969.