Thomas Glacier () is a roughly Z-shaped

glacier A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires distinguishing features, such as ...

which drains the southeast slopes of

Vinson Massif Vinson Massif () is a large mountain massif in Antarctica that is long and wide and lies within the Sentinel Range of the Ellsworth Mountains. It overlooks the Ronne Ice Shelf near the base of the Antarctic Peninsula. The massif is located ...

and flows for 17 nautical miles (31 km) through the south part of the

Sentinel Range The Sentinel Range is a major mountain range situated northward of Minnesota Glacier and forming the northern half of the Ellsworth Mountains in Antarctica. The range trends NNW-SSE for about and is 24 to 48 km (15 to 30 mi) wide. Ma ...

Ellsworth Mountains The Ellsworth Mountains are the highest mountain ranges in Antarctica, forming a long and wide chain of mountains in a north to south configuration on the western margin of the Ronne Ice Shelf in Marie Byrd Land. They are bisected by Minnesota ...

, leaving the range between Doyran and Petvar Heights south of Johnson Spur. The glacier was discovered by U.S. Navy Squadron

VX-6 Air Development Squadron Six (VX-6 or AIRDEVRON SIX, commonly referred to by its nickname, "puckered penguins") was a United States Navy Air Development Squadron based at McMurdo Station, Antarctica. Established at Naval Air Station Patuxent River ...

on photographic flights of December 14–15, 1959, and mapped by

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 the photos. It was named by Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN) for R. Admiral Charles W. Thomas, USCG, veteran of Antarctic expeditions in the 1950s.

Tributaries glaciers

* Kornicker Glacier *

Saltzman Glacier Saltzman Glacier () is a glacier that drains the north slopes of Mount Allen, the east slopes of Mount Strybing and Karnare Col, and the southeast slopes of Mount Craddock, and flows eastwards between Mount Osborne and Moyher Ridge into Tho ...

* Sowers Glacier *

Aster Glacier Aster Glacier () is an Antarctic glacier descending the east slope of Craddock Massif and flowing between Elfring Peak and Willis Ridge to Thomas Glacier in the Sentinel Range, Ellsworth Mountains in Antarctica. It was named by the Advisory C ...

* Della Pia Glacier * Obelya Glacier

Maps

Vinson Massif.
Scale 1:250 000 topographic map. Reston, Virginia: US Geological Survey, 1988.
Antarctic Digital Database (ADD).
Scale 1:250000 topographic map of Antarctica. Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). Since 1993, regularly updated.

References

* Glaciers of Ellsworth Land {{EllsworthLand-glacier-stub

Tributaries glaciers

See also

Maps

References