The Bach Ice Shelf () is an

ice shelf An ice shelf is a large 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, Northern Canada, and the Russian Arctic. The b ...

which is irregular in shape and in extent, occupying an

embayment A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a gulf, sea, sound, or bight. A cove is a small, circular bay with a narr ...

in the south part of

Alexander Island Alexander Island, which is also known as Alexander I Island, Alexander I Land, Alexander Land, Alexander I Archipelago, and Zemlja Alexandra I, is the largest island of Antarctica. It lies in the Bellingshausen Sea west of Palmer Land, Antarc ...

entered between Berlioz Point and Rossini Point. The ice shelf supports the south face of the

Beethoven Peninsula The Beethoven Peninsula is a deeply indented, ice-covered peninsula, long in a northeast–southwest direction and wide at its broadest part, forming the southwest part of Alexander Island, which lies off the southwestern portion of the Antarct ...

, along with some minor extensive peninsulas and small inlets (

Weber Inlet Weber Inlet () is a broad ice-filled inlet, which indents the south part of the Beethoven Peninsula, lying southwest of Bennett Dome, forming the northwest arm of Bach Ice Shelf in the southwest portion of Alexander Island, Antarctica. The inlet w ...

Boccherini Inlet Boccherini Inlet () is an ice-filled inlet, long and wide, lying between Bennett Dome (to the west) and Shostakovich Peninsula (lying southeast of Boccherini Inlet), which indents the south side of Beethoven Peninsula and forms the northern extr ...

etc.) Bach ice shelf also supports the north side of the

Monteverdi Peninsula Monteverdi Peninsula () is a large ice-covered peninsula lying between the Bach Ice Shelf and George VI Sound, forming the southernmost extremity of Alexander Island, Antarctica. The southern side of the feature was first seen and charted by Finn ...

. A minor embayment in this position first appeared on the charts of the

US Antarctic Service The United States Antarctic Program (or USAP; formerly known as the United States Antarctic Research Program or USARP and the United States Antarctic Service or USAS) is an organization of the United States government which has presence in the A ...

, which explored the south part of Alexander Island by air and from the ground in 1940. The ice shelf was delineated by Derek J.H. Searle of the

Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is the United Kingdom's national polar research institute. It has a dual purpose, to conduct polar science, enabling better understanding of global issues, and to provide an active presence in the Antarctic on ...

in 1960, from air photos obtained by the

Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition The Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition (RARE) was an expedition from 1947–1948 which researched the area surrounding the head of the Weddell Sea in Antarctica. Background Finn Ronne led the RARE which was the final privately sponsored exp ...

in 1947–48. It was named by the

UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee The UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee (or UK-APC) is a United Kingdom government committee, part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, responsible for recommending names of geographical locations within the British Antarctic Territory (BAT) and ...

after the German composer

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard w ...

. In a 2009 review, the Bach Ice Shelf was listed as one of 5 Antarctic peninsula Ice shelves that were not retreating. However, with the retreat of the

Wilkins Ice Shelf Wilkins or Wilkin is a name variant of William, and may refer to: People Given name: Wilkin * Wilkins (singer) (Germán Wilkins Vélez Ramírez, born 1953), Puerto Rican pop music singer and composer * Wilkin Castillo (born 1984), Dominican b ...

possibly signalling a southward retreat of the limit of viability, Bach Ice Shelf may be the next to come under threat.

External links

Bach Ice Shelf
on

USGS The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, a ...

website
Bach Ice Shelf
on AADC website
Bach Ice Shelf
on

SCAR A scar (or scar tissue) is an area of fibrous tissue that replaces normal skin after an injury. Scars result from the biological process of wound repair in the skin, as well as in other organs, and tissues of the body. Thus, scarring is a na ...

website

References

* Ice shelves of Antarctica Bodies of ice of Alexander Island {{AlexanderIsland-geo-stub

Further reading

External links

References