Swinburne Ice Shelf
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Sulzberger Bay () is a bay indenting the front of the Sulzberger Ice Shelf between Fisher Island and Vollmer Island, along the coast of
Marie Byrd Land Marie Byrd Land (MBL) is an unclaimed region of Antarctica. With an area of , it is the largest unclaimed territory on Earth. It was named after the wife of American naval officer Richard E. Byrd, who explored the region in the early 20th centu ...
, Antarctica.


Location

Sulzberger Bay is on the
Southern Ocean The Southern Ocean, also known as the Antarctic Ocean, comprises the southernmost waters of the world ocean, generally taken to be south of 60th parallel south, 60° S latitude and encircling Antarctica. With a size of , it is the seco ...
coast of Marie Byrd Land. It extends along the coast of the
Edward VII Peninsula King Edward VII Land or King Edward VII Peninsula is a large, ice-covered peninsula which forms the northwestern extremity of Marie Byrd Land in Antarctica. The peninsula projects into the Ross Sea between Sulzberger Bay and the northeast corner ...
from Fisher Island to Vollmer Island. The Richter Glacier enters the ocean just west of the bay. The Swinburne Ice Shelf, which is fed by the Cumbie Glacier, extends along the coast between Fisher Island and Olson Island, the northern of the White Islands at the mouth of the Butler Glacier, which enters the bay between these islands and the Reeves Peninsula. Beyond this peninsula the Gerry Glacier extends into the bay to the west of the Sulzberger Ice Shelf, which extends to the north past Kizer Island and Cronenwett Island to Vollmer Island at the eastern end of the bay.


Discovery and name

Sulzberger Bay was discovered by the
Byrd Antarctic Expedition Richard Evelyn Byrd Jr. (October 25, 1888 – March 11, 1957) was an United States Navy, American naval officer, and pioneering aviator, polar explorer, and organizer of polar logistics. Aircraft flights in which he served as a navigator and e ...
(ByrdAE) on December 5, 1929. It was named by Byrd for
Arthur Hays Sulzberger Arthur Hays Sulzberger (September 12, 1891December 11, 1968) was publisher of ''The New York Times'' from 1935 to 1961. During that time, daily circulation rose from 465,000 to 713,000 and Sunday circulation from 745,000 to 1.4 million; the staff ...
, publisher of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', a supporter of the Byrd expeditions in 1928–1930 and 1933–1935.


Iceberg formation

The ice shelf released icebergs within a day of the
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami On 11 March 2011, at 14:46:24 Japan Standard Time, JST (05:46:24 UTC), a  9.0–9.1 Submarine earthquake, undersea megathrust earthquake occurred in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region. It lasted approx ...
. Scientists have linked the
ice calving Ice calving, also known as glacier calving or iceberg calving, is the breaking of ice chunks from the edge of a glacier.Essentials of Geology, 3rd edition, Stephen Marshak It is a form of ice ablation or ice disruption. It is the sudden release ...
to the tsunami reaching the ice shelf, some away from the earthquake epicenter. The main iceberg was approximately the area of
Manhattan Island Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the smallest county by area in the U.S. state of New York. Located almost entire ...
. In total, the icebergs calved from the ice shelf totalled an area of nearly . This section of the shelf had not moved since 1946.


White Islands

. A group of ice-covered islands extending north–south for about . They lie at the east margin of Swinburne Ice Shelf and near the terminus of Butler Glacier in the south part of Sulzberger Bay. This feature is rudely delineated on the map of the ByrdAE, 1928–30, as "low ice cliffs" that rise above the level of the ice shelf. The islands were mapped in detail by the
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 ...
(USGS) from surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1959-65. The name was applied 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) at the suggestion of Admiral
Richard E. Byrd Richard Evelyn Byrd Jr. (October 25, 1888 – March 11, 1957) was an American naval officer, and pioneering aviator, polar explorer, and organizer of polar logistics. Aircraft flights in which he served as a navigator and expedition leader cr ...
. Named for Doctor Paul Dudley White, internationally renowned specialist on heart diseases, who was a consultant on medical matters in regard to United States Navy Operation Highjump, 1946–47, led by Byrd.


Olson Island

. The largest and northernmost of the ice-covered White Islands, in southern Sulzberger Bay. The feature is rudely delineated on the map of the ByrdAE, 1928–30, and is indicated as "low ice cliffs" that rise above the ice shelf in this part of the bay. Mapped in detail by USGS from surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1959-65. Named for Michael L. Olson, USARP ionospheric physicist at Byrd Station, winter party 1968, and a member of the Plateau Station summer party, 1968-69.


Webber Island

. The large central island (between Olson Island and Chandler Island) of the White Islands in southern Sulzberger Bay. It is rudely delineated on the map of the ByrdAE, 1928–30, and indicated as "low ice cliffs" that rise above the ice shelf in this part of the bay. Mapped in detail by USGS from surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1959-65. Named for James Webber, USARP ionospheric physicist at Byrd Station, 1968-69 season.


Chandler Island

. An island long which is the southernmost of the ice-covered White Islands, located at the head of Sulzberger Bay. Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1959-65. Named by US-ACAN for Alan Chandler, electrical engineer with the Byrd Station winter party in 1969.


Other features


Richter Glacier

. A low gradient coastal glacier located west of Scott Nunataks on the north side of Edward VII Peninsula. The feature saddles with the Butler Glacier and flows northwest to the sea where it forms a small tongue. The glacier and tongue are depicted on the map of the ByrdAE, 1928-30. The map indicates that the landing party from the Kainan Mam (Shirase) traversed up this glacier to the summit of Scott Nunataks in January 1912. The glacier was mapped in detail by USGS from surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1959-65. Named by US-ACAN for Gregory S. Richter, meteorologist and scientific leader of the Byrd Station winter party in 1968.


Fisher Island

. An ice-covered island long, lying just north of Edward VII Peninsula where it marks the west side of the entrance to Sulzberger Bay. Mapped from surveys by the USGS and United States Navy air photos (1959–65). Named by US-ACAN for Wayne Fisher of the United States Department of State.


Swinburne Ice Shelf

. An ice shelf just north of Edward VII Peninsula and the Alexandra Mountains in the south part of Sulzberger Bay. The ice shelf is long and wide and extends from Fisher Island to the White Islands. It was photographed from aircraft and mapped by the ByrdAE, 1928-30. Named by US-ACAN for Captain H.W Swinburne, Jr., Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff, United States Naval Support Force, Antarctica, during Deep Freeze 1970 and 1971.


Cumbie Glacier

. A short, steep glacier just east of Scott Nuna'taks, flowing north into Swinburne Ice Shelf along the southwest side of Sulzberger Bay. Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1959-66. Named by US-ACAN for William A. Cumbie, Jr., AT2, United States Navy. An aviation electronics technician, Cumbie was radioman on the ski-equipped R4D aircraft carrying R. Admiral George Dufek, United States Navy, that was first to land at the geographic South Pole, October 31, 1956.


Reeves Peninsula

. A snow-covered peninsula along the north side of Edward VII Peninsula. It extends between the lower ends of the Dalton and Gerry Glaciers into southern Sulzberger Bay. This area was explored from the air and rudely mapped by the ByrdAE, 1928-30. The peninsula was mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1959-65. Named by US-ACAN, at the suggestion of Admiral R.E. Byrd, for John M. Reeves (of Reeves Brothers, Inc.) who assisted the ByrdAE of 1928-30 and 1933-35 with contributions of sheepskin-lined coats, and by the development and donation of windproof material for cold weather clothing.


Gerry Glacier

. A glacier on Edward VII Peninsula, flowing north between Reeves Peninsula and Howard Heights to the head of Sulzberger Bay. Features in this area were photographed from the air and mapped by the ByrdAE, 1928–30 and 1933-35. This glacier was mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1959-65. Named by US-ACAN (at the suggestion of R. Admiral R.E. Byrd) for United States Senator Peter G. Gerry of Rhode Island, long time friend of the Byrd family and contributor to the ByrdAE, 1933-35.


Sulzberger Basin

. An undersea basin on the central Ross shelf named in association with the Sulzberger Bay.


References


Sources

* * * * * * *{{Include-USGov , agency=United States Geological Survey Bays of Antarctica King Edward VII Land