Alley Glacier
Encyclopedia
The Alley Glacier is a glacier
in Antarctica that drains the north slopes of Britannia Range in the vicinity of Ward Tower
and flows north to Darwin Glacier
. It was named by the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names
after Richard Alley
of the Department of Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University
, a United States Antarctic Program
glaciologist who specialized in the study of ice streams of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet
.
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...
in Antarctica that drains the north slopes of Britannia Range in the vicinity of Ward Tower
Ward Tower
Ward Tower is a prominent mountain, 2760 m, located 3 nautical miles east-northeast of Mount Aldrich on the main ridge of Britannia Range. Named by Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names after Commander Edward M. Ward, U.S. Navy, commanding officer of U.S. Navy Squadron VX-6 during...
and flows north to Darwin Glacier
Darwin Glacier (Antarctica)
Darwin Glacier is a large glacier flowing from the polar plateau eastward between the Darwin and Cook Mountains to the Ross Ice Shelf. The glacier was mapped by the British National Antarctic Expedition , and the whole area traversed by New Zealand parties of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic...
. It 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...
after Richard Alley
Richard Alley
Richard B. Alley is an American geologist and Evan Pugh Professor of Geosciences at the Pennsylvania State University. He has authored more than 170 refereed scientific publications about the relationships between Earth's cryosphere and global climate change, and is recognized by the Institute for...
of the Department of Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
, a United States Antarctic Program
United States Antarctic Program
United States Antarctic Program is an organization of the United States government which has presence in the continent of Antarctica. It co-ordinates research and the operational support for research in the region...
glaciologist who specialized in the study of ice streams of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet
West Antarctic Ice Sheet
The West Antarctic Ice Sheet is the segment of the continental ice sheet that covers West Antarctica, the portion of Antarctica on the side of the Transantarctic Mountains which lies in the Western Hemisphere. The WAIS is classified as a marine-based ice sheet, meaning that its bed lies well...
.