Weddell Glacier
Encyclopedia
Weddell Glacier is a glacier
2 nautical mile
s (3.7 km) long on the north side of South Georgia
, flowing north into Royal Bay
between Will Point
and Cape Charlotte
. First mapped by the German group of the International Polar Year
Investigations, 1882–83, and named for James Weddell
, Master, Royal Navy
, who as a sealing captain visited South Georgia in 1823.
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...
2 nautical mile
Nautical mile
The nautical mile is a unit of length that is about one minute of arc of latitude along any meridian, but is approximately one minute of arc of longitude only at the equator...
s (3.7 km) long on the north side of South Georgia
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union in the southern Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote and inhospitable collection of islands, consisting of South Georgia and a chain of smaller islands, known as the South Sandwich...
, flowing north into Royal Bay
Royal Bay
Royal Bay is a bay, 4 miles wide and indenting 5 miles , entered between Cape Charlotte and Cape Harcourt along the north coast of South Georgia....
between Will Point
Will Point
Will Point is a point at the head of Royal Bay, lying 4 nautical miles west of Cape Charlotte on the north coast of South Georgia. First mapped by the German group of the International Polar Year Investigations, 1882-83. Resurveyed by the SGS in the period 1951-57 and named by the United...
and Cape Charlotte
Cape Charlotte
Cape Charlotte is a cape that forms the southeast side of the entrance to Royal Bay on the north coast near the eastern end of South Georgia in the Atlantic Ocean. It was discovered in 1775 by a British expedition under Captain James Cook, who named it for Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III...
. First mapped by the German group of the International Polar Year
International Polar Year
The International Polar Year is a collaborative, international effort researching the polar regions. Karl Weyprecht, an Austro-Hungarian naval officer, motivated the endeavor, but died before it first occurred in 1882-1883. Fifty years later a second IPY occurred...
Investigations, 1882–83, and named for James Weddell
James Weddell
James Weddell was a British sailor, navigator and seal hunter who in the early Spring of 1823 sailed to latitude of 74°15' S and into a region of the Southern Ocean that later became known as the Weddell Sea.-Early life:He entered the merchant service very...
, Master, Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, who as a sealing captain visited South Georgia in 1823.