Socks Glacier
Encyclopedia
Socks Glacier is a small glacier
descending the east slopes of Queen Alexandra Range
just north of Owen Hills
to enter the west side of Beardmore Glacier
. Discovered by the British Antarctic Expedition
(1907–09) and named for one of the ponies taken with the South Pole Party. Socks, the last pony
to survive the journey, fell into a crevasse
on December 7, 1908, on Beardmore Glacier near Socks Glacier.
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...
descending the east slopes of Queen Alexandra Range
Queen Alexandra Range
The Queen Alexandra Range is a major mountain range in East Antarctica, about 160 km long, bordering the entire western side of Beardmore Glacier from the Polar Plateau to the Ross Ice Shelf. Alternate names for this range include Alexandra Mountains, Alexandra Range and Königin Alexandra...
just north of Owen Hills
Owen Hills
Owen Hills is an area of rugged ice-covered hills on the west side of Beardmore Glacier, between Socks and Evans Glaciers, in the Queen Alexandra Range. Named by Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names for George Owen, Special Assistant for Antarctica in the Dept. of State, 1959-62....
to enter the west side of Beardmore Glacier
Beardmore Glacier
The Beardmore Glacier in Antarctica is one of the largest glaciers in the world, with a length exceeding 160 km . The glacier is one of the main passages from the Ross Ice Shelf through the Queen Alexandra and Commonwealth ranges of the Transantarctic Mountains to the Antarctic Plateau, and was one...
. Discovered by the British Antarctic Expedition
Nimrod Expedition
The British Antarctic Expedition 1907–09, otherwise known as the Nimrod Expedition, was the first of three expeditions to the Antarctic led by Ernest Shackleton. Its main target, among a range of geographical and scientific objectives, was to be first to the South Pole...
(1907–09) and named for one of the ponies taken with the South Pole Party. Socks, the last pony
Pony
A pony is a small horse . Depending on context, a pony may be a horse that is under an approximate or exact height at the withers, or a small horse with a specific conformation and temperament. There are many different breeds...
to survive the journey, fell into a crevasse
Crevasse
A crevasse is a deep crack in an ice sheet rhys glacier . Crevasses form as a result of the movement and resulting stress associated with the sheer stress generated when two semi-rigid pieces above a plastic substrate have different rates of movement...
on December 7, 1908, on Beardmore Glacier near Socks Glacier.