Balchen Glacier
Encyclopedia
Balchen Glacier is a crevassed glacier
in Antarctica, flowing west to Block Bay
between the Phillips Mountains
and the Fosdick Mountains
in Marie Byrd Land
. It was discovered on December 5, 1929, by the Byrd Antarctic Expedition and named by Richard E. Byrd for Bernt Balchen
, chief pilot of the expedition.
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, flowing west to Block Bay
Block Bay
Block Bay is a long ice-filled bay lying east of Guest Peninsula along the coast of Marie Byrd Land. It was discovered in 1929 by the Byrd Antarctic Expedition, and named by Richard E. Byrd for Paul Block, newspaper publisher and patron of the expedition....
between the Phillips Mountains
Phillips Mountains
Phillips Mountains is a range of mountains on the north side of Balchen Glacier and Block Bay in the Ford Ranges, Marie Byrd Land. Discovered by the Byrd Antarctic Expedition and named by Byrd for Albanus Phillips, Sr., a manufacturer of Cambridge, MD, and patron of the Byrd expeditions....
and the Fosdick Mountains
Fosdick Mountains
The Fosdick Mountains is an East-West trending mountain range with marked serrate outlines, standing along the south side of Balchen Glacier at the head of Block Bay, in the Ford Ranges of Marie Byrd Land....
in Marie Byrd Land
Marie Byrd Land
Marie Byrd Land is the portion of West Antarctica lying east of the Ross Ice Shelf and the Ross Sea and south of the Pacific Ocean, extending eastward approximately to a line between the head of the Ross Ice Shelf and Eights Coast. It stretches between 158°W and 103°24'W...
. It was discovered on December 5, 1929, by the Byrd Antarctic Expedition and named by Richard E. Byrd for Bernt Balchen
Bernt Balchen
Bernt Balchen, , a winner of the Distinguished Flying Cross was a Norwegian native, and later U.S. citizen, known as a pioneer polar aviator, navigator, aircraft mechanical engineer and military leader. His service in the U.S...
, chief pilot of the expedition.