The Larsen Glacier () is a glacier flowing southeast from Reeves Névé, through the

Prince Albert Mountains The Prince Albert Mountains () are a major mountain group in Antarctica over 320 km (200 mi) long. Located in Victoria Land, they run north–south between the Priestley and Ferrar glaciers. They were named for Prince Albert, the cons ...

and entering the

Ross Sea The Ross Sea is a deep bay of the Southern Ocean in Antarctica, between Victoria Land and Marie Byrd Land and within the Ross Embayment, and is the southernmost sea on Earth. It derives its name from the British explorer James Clark Ross who vi ...

just south of Mount Crummer in

Victoria Land Victoria Land is a region in eastern Antarctica which fronts the western side of the Ross Sea and the Ross Ice Shelf, extending southward from about 70°30'S to 78°00'S, and westward from the Ross Sea to the edge of the Antarctic Plateau. It ...

, Antarctica.

Exploration and naming

The Larsen Glacier was discovered by the South Magnetic Party of

Ernest Shackleton Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton (15 February 1874 – 5 January 1922) was an Anglo-Irish Antarctic explorer who led three British expeditions to the Antarctic. He was one of the principal figures of the period known as the Heroic Age of ...

British Antarctic Expedition, 1907–09 The ''Nimrod'' Expedition of 1907–1909, otherwise known as the British Antarctic Expedition, was the first of three successful expeditions to the Antarctic led by Ernest Shackleton and his second expedition to the Antarctic. Its main target, ...

, who followed its course on their way to the plateau area beyond. They named it Larsen Glacier because it flowed past the foot of Mount Larsen, which was constantly in view as they ascended the course of the glacier.

Location

The Larsen Glacier forms to the southeast of Reeves Névé between the Reed Nunataks and Tomovick Nunatak. It flows southeast past Widowmaker Pass and Mount Gerlache in the

. It continues past the mouth of Backstairs Passage Glacier and Mount Crummer to the north, and Fleming Head to the south, to enter

Relief Inlet Relief Inlet () is a narrow inlet at the southwest corner of Terra Nova Bay. The feature is formed along a shear plane caused by differential ice movement near the coast of Victoria Land involving the north edge of Drygalski Ice Tongue and south ...

in the

Terra Nova Bay Terra Nova Bay is a bay which is often ice free, about long, lying between Cape Washington and the Drygalski Ice Tongue along the coast of Victoria Land, Antarctica. It was discovered by the British National Antarctic Expedition (known as the ...

Features

Features of the glacier and the terrain it flows through include:

Reed Nunataks

. A cluster of nunataks that form a divide between the upper portions of the Reeves Glacier and Larsen Glacier, west of

Hansen Nunatak Reeves Glacier () is a broad glacier originating on the interior upland and descending between Eisenhower Range and Mount Larsen to merge with the Nansen Ice Sheet along the coast of Victoria Land. Discovered and named by the British Antarctic Ex ...

. Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy aerial photographs, 1956-62. Named by US-ACAN for David Reed, USGS Topographic Engineer at McMurdo Station, 1964-65.

Tomovick Nunatak

. A nunatak along the southern side of the upper portion of Larsen Glacier, west of Mount Gerlache. Mapped by the

United States Geological Survey 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, ...

(USGS) from surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1956-62. Named by the United States

Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names The Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (ACAN or US-ACAN) is an advisory committee of the United States Board on Geographic Names responsible for recommending commemorative names for features in Antarctica. History The committee was established ...

(US-ACAN) for Donald S. Tomovick, United States Navy, utilitiesman at South Pole Station in 1966.

Mount Gerlache

. A prominent mountain, high, standing on the northeast side of Larsen Glacier between Widowmaker Pass and Backstairs Passage Glacier. Discovered by the

British National Antarctic Expedition The ''Discovery'' Expedition of 1901–1904, known officially as the British National Antarctic Expedition, was the first official British exploration of the Antarctic regions since the voyage of James Clark Ross sixty years earlier (1839–18 ...

, 1901-04, and named for Lieutenant

Adrien de Gerlache Baron Adrien Victor Joseph de Gerlache de Gomery (; 2 August 1866 – 4 December 1934) was a Belgian officer in the Belgian Royal Navy who led the Belgian Antarctic Expedition of 1897–99. Early years Born in Hasselt in eastern Belgium as t ...

Backstairs Passage Glacier

. A glacier about long, draining east along the north side of Mount Crummer to the Ross Sea. The Magnetic Pole Party, led by T.W.

Edgeworth David Sir Tannatt William Edgeworth David (28 January 1858 – 28 August 1934) was a Welsh Australian geologist and Antarctic explorer. A household name in his lifetime, David's most significant achievements were discovering the major Hunter V ...

, of the British Antarctic Expedition, 1907-09, ascended this glacier from the Ross Sea, then continued the ascent via Larsen Glacier to the plateau of Victoria Land. So named by David's party because of the circuitous route to get to Larsen Glacier.

Fleming Head

. A prominent rock headland on the coast of Victoria Land, marking the south side of the terminus of Larsen Glacier where it enters the Ross Sea. Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1957-62. Named by US-ACAN for John P. Fleming, Senior Chief Construction Electrician, United States Navy, a member of the McMurdo Station winter party, 1962 and 1966.

References

Sources

* * * * {{Glaciers in the Antarctic Glaciers of Victoria Land Scott Coast