Starshot Glacier () is a

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 ...

50 nautical miles (90 km) long that flows through 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, ...

to enter 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 ...

in Antarctica.

Location

The Starshot Glacier flows from the polar plateau eastward through the

, then north along the west side of Surveyors Range, entering the

south of

Cape Parr Cape Parr () is a large snow-covered cape along the west side of 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 ...

. It merges with the Nursery Glacier, coming from the north, at its mouth on the Ross Ice Shelf. So named by the

New Zealand Geological Survey Antarctic Expedition The New Zealand Geological Survey Antarctic Expedition (NZGSAE) describes a series of scientific explorations of the continent Antarctica. The expeditions were notably active throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Features named by the expeditions 19 ...

(NZGSAE) (1960–61) because the area was surveyed with the use of star observations.

Head of glacier

Chapman Snowfield

. A large snowfield lying west of the central ridge in the

. It is bounded to the north by

Elder Peak Chapman Snowfield () is a large snowfield lying west of the central ridge in the Churchill Mountains in the Ross Dependency region of Antarctica. Location Chapman Snowfield is bounded to the north by Elder Peak and the massif surmounted by Mo ...

and the massif surmounted by Mount Wharton, to the south by Soza Icefalls, Black Icefalls and the head of Starshot Glacier, and to the west by the

Wallabies Nunataks Wallabies Nunataks () is a large group of nunataks near the polar plateau, to the west of the Churchill Mountains, Antarctica. Location The Wallabies Nunataks are 10 nautical miles (18 km) northeast of All-Blacks Nunataks at the east ...

and the

All-Blacks Nunataks All-Blacks Nunataks () is a group of conspicuous nunataks lying midway between Wallabies Nunataks and Wilhoite Nunataks at the southeast margin of the Byrd Névé in Antarctica. Named by the New Zealand Geological Survey Antarctic Expedition (19 ...

Soza Icefalls

. A line of icefalls nearly high at the southern margin of Chapman Snowfield. The icefalls extend southwest for from Mount Massam, ending near the head of Starshot Glacier. They were named after Ezekiel R. Soza, a

United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), founded as the Geological Survey, is an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. The agency was founded on Mar ...

topographic engineer with the Topo North - Topo South survey expedition in these mountains, 1961–62.

Black Icefalls

. A line of icefalls at the south margin of Chapman Snowfield. The icefalls extend southwest from Mount Massam to

Vance Bluff All-Blacks Nunataks () is a group of conspicuous nunataks lying midway between Wallabies Nunataks and Wilhoite Nunataks at the southeast margin of the Byrd Névé in Antarctica. Named by the New Zealand Geological Survey Antarctic Expedition (19 ...

, and were named in honor of A. W. Black, a member of the 1959

Cape Hallett Cape Hallett is a snow-free area (Antarctic oasis) on the northern tip of the Hallett Peninsula on the Ross Sea coast of Victoria Land, East Antarctica. Cape Adare lies to the north. History In 1956, during Operation Deep Freeze II, was damag ...

winter-over team, working as a technician on the geomagnetic project.

Tributaries

Ahern Glacier

A small tributary glacier flowing E from the Churchill Mountains between Mount Lindley and Mount Hoskins to enter Starshot Glacier. Named by the Holyoake, Cobham, and Queen Elizabeth Ranges Party of the NZGSAE (1964-65) for B. Ahem, a member of the party.

Donnally Glacier

. A glacier about long in the Churchill Mountains, flowing east along the north side of

Swithinbank Range Swithinbank Range () is a small range from the Churchill Mountains, Location The Swithinbank Range extends eastward between Donnally and Ahern Glaciers to the west side of Starshot Glacier. It faces the Surveyors Range on the east side of th ...

to enter Starshot Glacier. Named by US-ACAN for Cdr. Edward W. Donnally, USN, officer in charge of Naval support personnel at McMurdo Station, winter 1962.

Flynn Glacier

. A glacier about long, draining eastward from

Mount Nares The Carlstrom Foothills () are a group of peaks and ridges in the Churchill Mountains, Antarctica. Location Carlstrom Foothills run north–south between Mount Albert Markham and Kelly Plateau. The feature is long with summits rising to . It ...

in the Churchill Mountains and entering Starshot Glacier south of

Kelly Plateau The Carlstrom Foothills () are a group of peaks and ridges in the Churchill Mountains, Antarctica. Location Carlstrom Foothills run north–south between Mount Albert Markham and Kelly Plateau. The feature is long with summits rising to . It ...

. Named by US-ACAN for Cdr. William F. Flynn (CEC), USN, commanding officer Mobile Construction Battalion, Special Detachment Bravo, at McMurdo Sound, winter 1957.

Mansergh Snowfield

A snowfield feeding the central portion of the Starshot Glacier, separating Surveyors Range and

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 ...

. Seen by the Holyoake, Cobham and Queen Elizabeth Ranges party of the NZGSAE (1964-65) and named for G. Mansergh, geologist with the party.

Sivjee Glacier

. A glacier 10 nautical miles (18 km) long which drains the northeast slopes of

Hunt Mountain 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 ...

. It flows north along the west side of

Stark Ridge 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 f ...

to enter Starshot Glacier south of

Mount Hoskins Swithinbank Range () is a small range from the Churchill Mountains, Location The Swithinbank Range extends eastward between Donnally and Ahern Glaciers to the west side of Starshot Glacier. It faces the Surveyors Range on the east side of th ...

. Named by

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) after Gulamabas G. Sivjee,

United States Antarctic Program 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 a presence in the ...

(USAP) principal investigator for spectroscopic and interferometric studies of airglow and auroral processes in the upper atmosphere above the geographic

South Pole The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is the point in the Southern Hemisphere where the Earth's rotation, Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True South Pole to distinguish ...

, 1991–2001.

References

Sources

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