Crane Glacier
Encyclopedia
Crane Glacier is a narrow glacier
which flows 30 miles in an east-northeasterly direction through a deep trough into Exasperation Inlet
, on the east coast of Antarctic Peninsula
. Sir Hubert Wilkins photographed this feature from the air in 1928 and gave it the name Crane Channel, after C.K. Crane of Los Angeles, reporting that it appeared to be a channel cutting in an east-west direction across the peninsula. The name was altered to Crane Inlet following explorations along the west coast of the peninsula in 1936 by the British Graham Land Expedition
(BGLE), which proved that no through channel from the east coast existed as indicated by Wilkins. Comparison of Wilkins' photograph of this feature with those taken in 1947 by the Falklands Islands Dependencies Survey
(FIDS) shows that Wilkins' "Crane Channel" is this glacier, although it lies about 75 miles northeast of the position originally reported by Wilkins.
The speed of Crane Glacier increased threefold after the collapse of the Larsen B Ice Shelf in 2002 and this is likely to be due to the removal of a buttressing effect of the ice shelf
.
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...
which flows 30 miles in an east-northeasterly direction through a deep trough into Exasperation Inlet
Exasperation Inlet
Exasperation Inlet is a large ice-filled inlet, 16 miles wide at its entrance between Foyn Point and Cape Disappointment, on the east coast of Graham Land. Charted in 1947 by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey , who so named it because the disturbed nature of the ice in the vicinity caused...
, on the east 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....
. Sir Hubert Wilkins photographed this feature from the air in 1928 and gave it the name Crane Channel, after C.K. Crane of Los Angeles, reporting that it appeared to be a channel cutting in an east-west direction across the peninsula. The name was altered to Crane Inlet following explorations along the west coast of the peninsula in 1936 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), which proved that no through channel from the east coast existed as indicated by Wilkins. Comparison of Wilkins' photograph of this feature with those taken in 1947 by the Falklands Islands Dependencies 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....
(FIDS) shows that Wilkins' "Crane Channel" is this glacier, although it lies about 75 miles northeast of the position originally reported by Wilkins.
The speed of Crane Glacier increased threefold after the collapse of the Larsen B Ice Shelf in 2002 and this is likely to be due to the removal of a buttressing effect of the 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...
.
External links
- Retreat of Crane Glacier at the NASA Earth ObservatoryNASA Earth ObservatoryNASA Earth Observatory is an online publishing outlet for NASA which was created in 1999. It is the principal source of satellite imagery and other scientific information pertaining to the climate and the environment which are being provided by NASA for consumption by the general public...