Transition Glacier ( 70°26′S68°49′W / 70.433°S 68.817°W Coordinates: 70°26′S68°49′W / 70.433°S 68.817°W ) is a glacier extending along the east coast of Alexander Island, 8 nautical miles (15 km) long and 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) wide, which flows east into the George VI Ice Shelf that occupies George VI Sound along the north side of Block Mountain and Tilt Rock. The glacier was first photographed from the air on November 23, 1935, by Lincoln Ellsworth and mapped from these photos by W.L.G. Joerg. Surveyed in 1949 by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey, and so named by them because this glacier marks the transition between igneous rocks to the north and sedimentary rocks to the south.
This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Geological Survey document: "Transition Glacier".(content from the Geographic Names Information System )
Alexander Island, which is also known as Alexander I Island, Alexander I Land, Alexander Land, Alexander I Archipelago, and Zemlja Alexandra I, is the largest island of Antarctica. It lies in the Bellingshausen Sea west of Palmer Land, Antarctic Peninsula from which it is separated by Marguerite Bay and George VI Sound. George VI Ice Shelf entirely fills George VI Sound and connects Alexander Island to Palmer Land. The island partly surrounds Wilkins Sound, which lies to its west. Alexander Island is about 390 kilometres (240 mi) long in a north–south direction, 80 kilometres (50 mi) wide in the north, and 240 kilometres (150 mi) wide in the south. Alexander Island is the second largest uninhabited island in the world, after Devon Island.
Ferrar Glacier is a glacier in Antarctica. It is about 35 nautical miles 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 (east) turn northeast of Knobhead, where it also feeds the upper end of the Taylor Glacier, which flows on the other (northern) side of the Kukri Hills from the Ferrar Glacier, which continues east along the south side of the Kukri Hills to New Harbour.
Ares Cliff is a cliff in Antarctica. It is formed of pale-colored sandstone and rises to about 500 metres (1,600 ft) east of Mars Glacier and 1 nautical mile (2 km) north of Two Step Cliffs on the east side of Alexander Island. It was mapped from trimetrogon air photography taken by the Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition, 1947–48, and from survey by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey, 1948–50, and named by the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee in association with Mars Glacier after the Greek god of war, Ares.
Neptune Glacier is a glacier on the east coast of Alexander Island, Antarctica, 12 nautical miles (22 km) long and 4 nautical miles (7 km) wide, flowing east into George VI Sound and the George VI Ice Shelf to the south of Triton Point. Although Neptune Glacier is not located within the mountain range Planet Heights, the glaciers name derives from the mountain range along with many other nearby glaciers named after planets of the Solar System. There are also other nearby landforms named in association with these glaciers. The glacier was first sighted from the air by Lincoln Ellsworth on November 23, 1935, and roughly mapped from photos obtained on that flight by W.L.G. Joerg. The mouth of the glacier was positioned in 1936 by the British Graham Land Expedition (BGLE). Named by the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee (UK-APC) for the planet Neptune following a Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (FIDS) survey in 1949. The head of the glacier was mapped from air photos taken by the Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition (RARE), 1947–48, by Searle of the FIDS in 1960.
Jupiter Glacier is a glacier on the east coast of Alexander Island, Antarctica, 10 nautical miles (19 km) long and 5 nautical miles (9 km) wide at its mouth, which flows east into George VI Sound to the south of Ablation Valley. It was first photographed from the air on November 23, 1935, by Lincoln Ellsworth and mapped from these photos by W.L.G. Joerg. It was roughly surveyed in 1936 by the British Graham Land Expedition, and was named for the planet Jupiter by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey following their surveys in 1948 and 1949.
Toynbee Glacier is a glacier situated in the northeast portion of Alexander Island, Antarctica, extending 17 nautical miles (31 km) long and 5 nautical miles (9 km) wide, lying between Mount Huckle, Mount Spivey and Mount Stephenson of the northern portion of the Douglas Range on the west and Mount Tyrrell and Mount Tilley on the east. It flows north from the east face of Mount Stephenson into the George VI Ice Shelf that occupies George VI Sound. The glacier was first photographed from the air in 1937 by the British Graham Land Expedition under Rymill. Surveyed in 1948 by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey and named for Patrick A. Toynbee, FIDS air pilot at Stonington Island in 1948 and 1949.
Trench Glacier is a deeply entrenched glacier extending along the east coast of Alexander Island, Antarctica, 6 nautical miles (11 km) long and 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) wide, which flows east into the George VI Ice Shelf that occupies George VI Sound immediately south of Mount Athelstan. The mouth of this glacier was first photographed from the air on November 23, 1935, by Lincoln Ellsworth, and it was mapped from these photos by W.L.G. Joerg. Trench Glacier was surveyed in 1948 and 1949 by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey, who applied this descriptive name.
Planet Heights is a series of summits running along an ice-free ridge, extending 24 nautical miles (44 km) in a north-south direction between the southernmost extremity of the LeMay Range and George VI Sound in the east part of Alexander Island, Antarctica. Many landforms and nearby features are named in association with this mountain range; some of these include landforms named after astronomers, satellites, planets and other things related to astrology and astrophysics. The mountain range was first mapped from air photos taken by the Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition (RARE), 1947–48, by Searle of the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (FIDS) in 1960. Named by the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee (UK-APC) from association with the nearby glaciers named for planets of the Solar System. The only planet that is not featured in any of these glaciers is the planet Earth, as there are no glaciers named "Earth Glacier" and this glacier does not exist.
Pluto Glacier is a glacier on the east coast of Alexander Island, Antarctica, 10 nautical miles (18 km) long and 4 nautical miles (7 km) wide, which flows east into George VI Sound to the north of Succession Cliffs. Although Pluto Glacier is not located within nearby Planet Heights, the glacier was named in association with the mountain range along with many other nearby glaciers that are named after planets of the Solar System. The glacier was first photographed from the air on November 23, 1935, by Lincoln Ellsworth and mapped from these photos by W.L.G. Joerg. Roughly surveyed in 1936 by the British Graham Land Expedition (BGLE). Named by the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee (UK-APC) for Pluto, then considered the ninth planet of the Solar System, following Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (FIDS) surveys in 1948 and 1949.
Eros Glacier is a glacier on the east coast of Alexander Island, Antarctica, 7 nautical miles (13 km) long and 2 nautical miles (4 km) wide at its mouth, flowing southeast from the Planet Heights into George VI Sound immediately north of Fossil Bluff. It was probably first seen on November 23, 1935, by Lincoln Ellsworth, who flew directly over the glacier and obtained photos of features north and south of it. The mouth of the glacier was observed and positioned by the British Graham Land Expedition in 1936 and the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (FIDS) in 1948 and 1949. The glacier was mapped in detail from air photos taken by the Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition, 1947–48, by D. Searle of the FIDS in 1960. It was named by the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee after the minor planet Eros in association with nearby Pluto Glacier and Uranus Glacier.
Eureka Glacier is a broad, gently sloping glacier, 18 nautical miles (33 km) long and 17 nautical miles (31 km) wide at its mouth, which flows westward from the west side of Palmer Land into George VI Sound. It is bounded on its north side by the nunataks south of Mount Edgell, on its south side by the Traverse Mountains and Terminus Nunatak, and at its head Prospect Glacier provides a route to the Wordie Ice Shelf. It was first surveyed in 1936 by the British Graham Land Expedition (BGLE) under John Rymill and resurveyed in 1948 by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey. The name, from the ancient Greek word eureka, expresses the triumph of discovery and arose because the BGLE sledge party found their way to George VI Sound via this glacier in 1936.
Felsite Island is a rock island 1 nautical mile (2 km) long and 300 metres (1,000 ft) high, lying at the head of Edisto Inlet within the northward stream of Edisto Glacier. It was named by the New Zealand Geological Survey Antarctic Expedition, 1957–58, as descriptive of several prominent dikes of cream-colored igneous rocks (felsite) in its otherwise dark sedimentary rock formation.
Harbour Glacier is a through glacier 3 nautical miles (6 km) long and 1.5 nautical miles (3 km) wide, lying on the northwest side of Wiencke Island and extending in a northeast direction from Port Lockroy to the cove 1 nautical mile (2 km) east of Noble Peak, in the Palmer Archipelago, Antarctica. It was probably first seen by the Belgian Antarctic Expedition, 1897–99, under Gerlache. The glacier was charted in 1944 by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey, who so named it because of its proximity to the harbour of Port Lockroy.
Mercury Glacier is a glacier on the east coast of Alexander Island, Antarctica, 5 nautical miles (9 km) long and 2 nautical miles (4 km) wide, flowing east into George VI Sound between the Waitabit Cliffs and Keystone Cliffs. The glacier was probably first sighted from a distance by Lincoln Ellsworth, who flew near it and photographed segments of this coast on November 23, 1935. It was named by the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee for the planet Mercury following rough surveys from George VI Sound by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (FIDS) in 1948 and 1949. The glacier was mapped in detail from air photos taken by the Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition, 1947–48, by D. Searle of the FIDS in 1960. Although Mercury Glacier is not located within the Planet Heights, it is named in association with the heights along with many other nearby glaciers named after planets of the Solar System.
Mars Glacier is a glacier in the southeastern corner of Alexander Island, Antarctica, 6 nautical miles (11 km) long and 2 nautical miles (4 km) wide, flowing south into the George VI Ice Shelf. The glacier lies between Two Step Cliffs and Phobos Ridge. Mars Glacier was first sighted from the air by Lincoln Ellsworth on November 23, 1935, and roughly mapped from photos obtained on that flight by W.L.G. Joerg. It was first surveyed in 1949 by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey and named by the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee for the planet Mars, the fourth planet from the sun in the Solar System.
Saturn Glacier is a glacier lying in southeast Alexander Island, Antarctica. The glacier is 15 nautical miles (28 km) long and 6 nautical miles (11 km) wide, flowing southeast into the George VI Ice Shelf of George VI Sound north of Corner Cliffs. Although the glacier is not situated within Planet Heights, its name derives from the nearby mountain range along with many other glaciers named after planets of the Solar System. The nunataks at the head of the glacier are also named after solar system features, for example the Enceladus Nunataks named for a moon of Saturn. The coast in this vicinity was first seen from the air by Lincoln Ellsworth on November 23, 1935, and roughly mapped from photos obtained on that flight by W.L.G. Joerg. The glacier was surveyed in 1949 by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (FIDS) and named by the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee (UK-APC) for the planet Saturn, the sixth planet of the Solar System.
Sedgwick Glacier is a glacier on the east coast of Alexander Island, Antarctica, 7 nautical miles (13 km) long and 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) wide, which flows east from the foot of Mount Stephenson into George VI Sound immediately north of Mount Huckle. The glacier was first roughly surveyed in 1936 by the British Graham Land Expedition under Rymill. Resurveyed in 1948 by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey and named by them for Adam Sedgwick, English geologist and professor of geology at Cambridge University, 1818–73.
Mount Lupa is a flat-topped, ice-covered mountain, over 1,625 metres (5,330 ft) high, standing between Romulus Glacier and Martin Glacier close east-southeast of Black Thumb and 5 nautical miles (9 km) east of the head of Rymill Bay, on the west coast of Graham Land, Antarctica. It was first roughly surveyed in 1936 by the British Graham Land Expedition under John Rymill. It was resurveyed in 1948–49 by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey who applied the name. This mountain lies near the heads of Romulus and Remus Glaciers, and the name derives from the mythological story of the she-wolf (Lupa) which fed the twins Romulus and Remus after they had been thrown into the Tiber.
Victory Glacier is a gently sloping glacier, 8 nautical miles (15 km) long, flowing east-southeast from the north end of Detroit Plateau on Trinity Peninsula to Prince Gustav Channel immediately north of Pitt Point. Bounded by Trakiya Heights to the north and Kondofrey Heights to the south. It was surveyed by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (FIDS), and so named because the glacier was sighted in the week following the surrender of Japan in World War II, in August 1945.
Venus Glacier is a glacier on the east coast of Alexander Island, Antarctica, 10 nautical miles (18 km) long and 6 nautical miles (11 km) wide at its mouth flowing east into George VI Sound lying between Keystone Cliffs and Triton Point. The coast in this vicinity was first seen from the air by Lincoln Ellsworth on November 23, 1935 and roughly mapped from photos obtained on that flight by W.L.G. Joerg. The glacier was first surveyed in 1949 by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey and named by the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee for the planet Venus, the second planet of the Solar System.