Wordie Ice Shelf
Encyclopedia
The Wordie Ice Shelf was a confluent glacier
projecting as an ice shelf
into the SE part of Marguerite Bay
between Cape Berteaux
and Mount Edgell
, along the western coast of Antarctic Peninsula
.
In March 2008, the British Antarctic Survey
reported that it appeared ready to break away from the Antarctic Peninsula. By April 2009 it had done so, vanishing completely.
Discovered by the British Graham Land Expedition
(BGLE) under Rymill, 1934-37, who named this feature for Sir James Wordie
, Honorary Secretary (later President) of the Royal Geographical Society
, member of the Discovery Committee, and chairman of the Scott Polar Research Institute
. He also had been geologist and Chief of the Scientific Staff of the British expedition, 1914-16, under Ernest Shackleton
.
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...
projecting as an 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...
into the SE part of Marguerite Bay
Marguerite Bay
Marguerite Bay or Margaret Bay is an extensive bay on the west side of the Antarctic Peninsula, which is bounded on the north by Adelaide Island and on the south by Wordie Ice Shelf, George VI Sound and Alexander Island. The mainland coast on the Antarctic Peninsula is Fallières Coast. Islands...
between Cape Berteaux
Cape Berteaux
Cape Berteaux is a cape surmounted by a high rock peak between Mikkelsen Bay and Wordie Ice Shelf on the west coast of Graham Land. The French Antarctic Expedition under Charcot, 1908–1910, originally applied the name Berteaux to an island in essentially this position...
and Mount Edgell
Mount Edgell
Mount Edgell is a mountain, 1,675 m, rising eastward of Cape Jeremy, the east side of the north entrance to George VI Sound, on the west coast of Antarctic Peninsula. Discovered by the French Antarctic Expedition under Charcot, 1908-10. Seen from a great distance and thought to be an island, he...
, along the western coast of Antarctic Peninsula
Antarctic Peninsula
The Antarctic Peninsula is the northernmost part of the mainland of Antarctica. It extends from a line between Cape Adams and a point on the mainland south of Eklund Islands....
.
In March 2008, the British Antarctic Survey
British Antarctic Survey
The British Antarctic Survey is the United Kingdom's national Antarctic operation and has an active role in Antarctic affairs. BAS is part of the Natural Environment Research Council and has over 400 staff. It operates five research stations, two ships and five aircraft in and around Antarctica....
reported that it appeared ready to break away from the Antarctic Peninsula. By April 2009 it had done so, vanishing completely.
Discovered by the British Graham Land Expedition
British Graham Land Expedition
A British expedition to Graham Land led by John Lachlan Cope took place between 1920 and 1922. The British Graham Land Expedition was a geophysical and exploration expedition to Graham Land in Antarctica between 1934 to 1937. Under the leadership of John Riddoch Rymill, the expedition spent two...
(BGLE) under Rymill, 1934-37, who named this feature for Sir James Wordie
James Wordie
Sir James Mann Wordie, CBE was a Scottish polar explorer and geologist.Wordie was born at Partick, Glasgow, in the former county of Lanarkshire in Scotland. He studied at The Glasgow Academy and obtained a BSc in geology from University of Glasgow. He graduated from St John's College, Cambridge...
, Honorary Secretary (later President) of the Royal Geographical Society
Royal Geographical Society
The Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...
, member of the Discovery Committee, and chairman of the Scott Polar Research Institute
Scott Polar Research Institute
The Scott Polar Research Institute is a centre for research into the polar regions and glaciology worldwide. It is a sub-department of the Department of Geography in the University of Cambridge, located on Lensfield Road in the south of Cambridge ....
. He also had been geologist and Chief of the Scientific Staff of the British expedition, 1914-16, under 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...
.