The Nimrod Glacier () is a major

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

about long, flowing from the

polar plateau The Antarctic Plateau, Polar Plateau or King Haakon VII Plateau is a large area of East Antarctica that extends over a diameter of about , and includes the region of the geographic South Pole and the Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station. This ...

in a northerly direction through the

Transantarctic Mountains The Transantarctic Mountains (abbreviated TAM) comprise a mountain range of uplifted rock (primarily sedimentary) in Antarctica which extends, with some interruptions, across the continent from Cape Adare in northern Victoria Land to Coats L ...

into the

Ross Ice Shelf The Ross Ice Shelf is the largest ice shelf of Antarctica (, an area of roughly and about across: about the size of France). It is several hundred metres thick. The nearly vertical ice front to the open sea is more than long, and between high ...

, Antarctica.

Location

The Nimrod Glacier flows north between the

Geologists A geologist is a scientist who studies the structure, composition, and history of Earth. Geologists incorporate techniques from physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, and geography to perform research in the field and the laboratory. Geolog ...

and

Miller Range The Miller Range () is a mountain range extending south from Nimrod Glacier for along the western edge of the Marsh Glacier in Antarctica. Name The range is named for J.H. "Bob", now Sir Joseph Holmes Miller, a member of the New Zealand p ...

s, then northeasterly between the

Churchill Mountains The Churchill Mountains is a major range of mountains and associated elevations bordering the western side of the Ross Ice Shelf, between Byrd Glacier and Nimrod Glacier. They are south of the Britannia Range and north of the Geologists Range, ...

and Queen Elizabeth Range, and finally spills into

Shackleton Inlet The Shackleton Inlet is a reentrant, about 16 km (10 mi) wide, between Cape Wilson and Cape Lyttelton. It is occupied by the terminus of the Nimrod Glacier descending at a low gradient from the bordering highlands to the Ross Ice Shelf. ...

and the

between Capes Wilson and Lyttelton. It was photographed from the air by USN

Operation Highjump Operation HIGHJUMP, officially titled The United States Navy Antarctic Developments Program, 1946–1947, (also called Task Force 68), was a United States Navy (USN) operation to establish the Antarctic research base Little America (exploration b ...

, 1946–47. The name, given by

US-ACAN 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 ...

, is in association with

and is for the ''

Nimrod Nimrod is a Hebrew Bible, biblical figure mentioned in the Book of Genesis and Books of Chronicles, the Books of Chronicles. The son of Cush (Bible), Cush and therefore the great-grandson of Noah, Nimrod was described as a king in the land of Sh ...

'', the ship of the British Antarctic Expedition (1907–09) under

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 Antarcti ...

. The mouth of the glacier is southeast of the Starshot Glacier and the

Nursery Glacier Nursery Glacier () is a coastal glacier in the Churchill Mountains of Antarctica. Location The glacier is about 20 nautical miles (37 km) long. It flows southeast along the west side of Darley Hills to enter Ross Ice Shelf just south of Ca ...

. It is north of

Robb Glacier Robb Glacier () is a glacier about 40 nautical miles (70 km) long that flows through the Ross Dependency to enter the west coast of the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica. Location The Robb Glacier flows from Clarkson Peak north along the east ...

Icefalls

Worsley Icefalls

Icefalls near the head of Nimrod Glacier. Seen by the northern party of the NZGSAE (1961-62) and presumbably named for Frank Worsley, member of the British Trans-Antarctic Expedition, 1914-16, and Shackleton-Rowett Antarctic Expedition, 1921-22.

Cooper Icefalls

. The main icefalls of the Nimrod Glacier, in the vicinity of

Kon-Tiki Nunatak Kon-Tiki Nunatak () is a raft-like nunatak, high, surmounting the Cooper Icefalls in the center of Nimrod Glacier, Antarctica. It was first seen by the northern party of the New Zealand Geological Survey Antarctic Expedition (1961–62) and name ...

. Named by the southern party of the NZGSAE (1960-61) for Christopher Neville Cooper, a member of the expedition, and also a member of the New Zealand Alpine Club Antarctic Expedition, 1959-60.

Left tributaries

Tributaries from the left (Churchill Mountains) side are, from east to west:

Algie Glacier

. Glacier about long, flowing southeast into Nimrod Glacier just west of

Nash Range The Nash Range () is a mainly ice-covered coastal range in the Churchill Mountains of Antarctica. Location The Nash Range is 40 nautical miles (70 km) long, bordering the west side of the Ross Ice Shelf between the Dickey Glacier, Dickey ...

. Named by the New Zealand Ross Sea Committee for the Hon. R.M. Algie who, as Minister in Charge of Scientific and Industrial Research, gave his strong support to the New Zealand party of the CTAE, 1956-58.

Errant Glacier

. Glacier, long, which lies on the east side of

Holyoake Range Holyoake Range () is a mountain range in the Ross Dependency of Antarctice. It is in the southern section of the Churchill Mountains, part of the Transantarctic Mountains System. Location The range extends in a northwest–southeast direction fo ...

and drains south into Nimrod Glacier. This glacier offered a route to the southern party of the NZGSAE (1960-61) when they journeyed north from Nimrod Glacier in December 1960. Named by them to describe the zigzag route of the party in traveling on the glacier in search for a route north.

Prince Philip Glacier

. Glacier flowing south for about between Cobham and Holyoake ranges into Nimrod Glacier. Named by the NZ-APC for Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, husband of Queen Elizabeth II.

Gray Glacier

. A glacier in the Cobham Range, long, lying south of

Tarakanov Ridge The Cobham Range () is a mountain range in the Churchill Mountains of the Ross Dependency, Antarctica. It extends to the north of the Nimrod Glacier. Location The Cobham Range trends in a northwest–southeast direction for about in the souther ...

and flowing southeast to merge with Prince Philip Glacier where the two join the Nimrod Glacier. Named by the Holyoake, Cobham, and Queen Elizabeth Ranges party of the NZGSAE (1964-65) for M. Gray, postmaster and assistant radio officer at Scott Base, 1965.

The Slot

. A small swift glacier descending from the polar plateau between

Mount Ronca The Geologists Range is a mountain range about long, standing between the heads of Lucy and Nimrod Glaciers in Antarctica. Seen by the northern party of the New Zealand Geological Survey Antarctic Expedition (NZGSAE) (1961–62) and named to comm ...

and

Mount Summerson The Geologists Range is a mountain range about long, standing between the heads of Lucy and Nimrod Glaciers in Antarctica. Seen by the northern party of the New Zealand Geological Survey Antarctic Expedition (NZGSAE) (1961–62) and named to comm ...

in the

Geologists Range The Geologists Range is a mountain range about long, standing between the heads of Lucy and Nimrod Glaciers in Antarctica. Seen by the northern party of the New Zealand Geological Survey Antarctic Expedition (NZGSAE) (1961–62) and named to com ...

. Seen by the northern party of the NZGSAE (1961-62) and so named because of its narrowness and crevassed nature.

Lucy Glacier

. A wide glacier which flows southeast from the polar plateau, between

Laird Plateau Laird Plateau () is a high plateau, over above sea level, standing northwest of Mount Hayter on the north side of the head of Lucy Glacier, Antarctica. It was first seen by the New Zealand Geological Survey Antarctic Expedition The New Zealand Ge ...

and

McKay Cliffs The Geologists Range is a mountain range about long, standing between the heads of Lucy and Nimrod Glaciers in Antarctica. Seen by the northern party of the New Zealand Geological Survey Antarctic Expedition (NZGSAE) (1961–62) and named to com ...

, into Nimrod Glacier. Named for W.R. Lucy, surveyor with 1963-64 Scott Base projects, who wintered over in 1964, and was surveyor with the 1964-65 Geologists Range field party of the NZGSAE. On December 31, 1993, a ski-equipped Hercules (LC-130) aircraft crashed on Lucy Glacier, near

Mount Isbell The Geologists Range is a mountain range about long, standing between the heads of Lucy and Nimrod Glaciers in Antarctica. Seen by the northern party of the New Zealand Geological Survey Antarctic Expedition (NZGSAE) (1961–62) and named to comm ...

. The aircraft was retrieving a group from the

University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee The University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (UW–Milwaukee, UWM, or Milwaukee) is a Public university, public Urban university, urban research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. It is the largest university in the Milwaukee metropo ...

who had spent six weeks investigating the geology in the mountains between the

Byrd Glacier The Byrd Glacier () is a major glacier in Antarctica, about long and wide. It drains an extensive area of the Antarctic plateau, and flows eastward to discharge into the Ross Ice Shelf. Location The Byrd Glacier flows eastward between the B ...

and Nimrod Glacier. The group consisted of Gina Seegers-Szablewski, Greg Gelhar, mountaineer Shaun Norman (New Zealand), and John Isbell.

Right tributaries

Tributaries from the right (Queen Elizabeth Range) side are, from east to west:

Lowery Glacier

. Glacier about long, which flows north from

Prince Andrew Plateau Prince Andrew Plateau () is an ice-covered plateau, about long and wide, lying south of Mount Rabot in the Queen Elizabeth Range of Antarctica. Exploration and name The Prince Andrew Plateau was named by the New Zealand Geological Survey An ...

along the east side of Queen Elizabeth Range to enter Nimrod Glacier. Named by the N.Z Geological and Topographical Survey Expedition (1959-60) for J.H. Lowery who, as a member of a field party, suffered injuries when a Sno-cat broke through a crevasse bridge off Cape Selborne in November 1959.

Doss Glacier

. A small glacier just east of

Mount Boman Sherwin Peak () is a peak, high, surmounting the east side of Otago Glacier southeast of Mount Chivers, in the north part of the Queen Elizabeth Range, Antarctica. Exploration and name Sherwin Peak was mapped by the United States Geological ...

, flowing into Nimrod Glacier from the north slopes of the Queen Elizabeth Range. Mapped by the USGS from tellurometer surveys and Navy air photos, 1960-62. Named by US-ACAN for Edgar L. Doss, USARP glaciologist at Roosevelt Island, 1962-63.

Tranter Glacier

. A glacier in the north part of Queen Elizabeth Range, draining into Nimrod Glacier between Mount Chivers and

. Mapped by the USGS from tellurometer surveys and Navy air photos, 1960-62. Named by US-ACAN for David L. Tranter, USARP glaciologist at Roosevelt Island, 1962-63.

Otago Glacier

Glacier about long draining the northeast side of

Mount Markham Mount Markham () is a twin-peaked massif surmounting the north end of the Markham Plateau in the Queen Elizabeth Range of Antarctica. The peaks have elevations of and . Exploration and name Mount Markham was discovered by the British Nation ...

and entering Nimrod Glacier just east of

Svaton Peaks Svaton Peaks () is a cluster of rugged peaks at the north end of the Queen Elizabeth Range, Antarctica, surmounting the area between the mouths of the Heilman Glacier and Otago Glacier. Exploration and name The Svaton Peaks were mapped by the ...

. Named by the northern party of the NZGSAE (1961-62) for Otago University, New Zealand.

Heilman Glacier

. A glacier in the north part of Queen Elizabeth Range, flowing northwest from Mount Sandved into Nimrod Glacier. Mapped by the USGS from tellurometer surveys and Navy air photos, 1960-62. Named by US-ACAN for William L. Heilman, USARP glaciologist at Roosevelt Island, 1961-62.

Hamilton Glacier

. A glacier about long flowing from the northwest slopes of

Markham Plateau Mount Markham () is a twin-peaked massif surmounting the north end of the Markham Plateau in the Queen Elizabeth Range (Antarctica), Queen Elizabeth Range of Antarctica. The peaks have elevations of and . Exploration and name Mount Markham w ...

in the Queen Elizabeth Range into Nimrod Glacier. Named by the northern party of the NZGSAE (1960-61) for W.M. Hamilton, Secretary of the New Zealand Dept. of Scientific and Industrial Research.

Marsh Glacier

. Glacier about long, flowing north from the polar plateau between the Miller Range and Queen Elizabeth Range into Nimrod Glacier. Seen by a New Zealand party of the CTAE (1956-58) and named for G.W. Marsh, a member of the party.

References

Sources

* * * * {{Glaciers of the Ross Dependency Glaciers of Shackleton Coast Oates Land