Brown Glacier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Brown Glacier |
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Location of Heard Island and McDonald Islands on the globe
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| Location | Heard Island Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands Australia |
| Coordinates | 53°04′S 73°39′E / 53.067°S 73.650°E |
| Thickness | approximately 55 meters |
| Terminus | Brown Lagoon |
| Status | Retreating |
Brown Glacier (53°04′S 73°39′E / 53.067°S 73.650°E) is a large, slow-moving river of ice. It's found on Heard Island, a small, faraway island in the southern Indian Ocean. This island is part of Australia's territory. Brown Glacier is a very important part of Heard Island's icy landscape.
What is Brown Glacier?
Brown Glacier is a big glacier located on the east side of Heard Island. Heard Island is a remote, icy place in the southern Indian Ocean. A glacier is like a very slow-moving river made of ice. This glacier flows down towards the sea. Its end, called the terminus, reaches a place called Brown Lagoon. A lagoon is a shallow body of water, often connected to the sea.
The glacier is about 55 meters thick in some places. That's like stacking 10 or 11 school buses on top of each other! Sadly, Brown Glacier is currently retreating. This means it is shrinking and getting smaller over time.
Where is Brown Glacier Located?
Brown Glacier is found just south of a place called Round Hill. It's on the eastern side of Heard Island, which is part of the Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands. This territory belongs to Australia.
You can find other glaciers nearby too! To the northwest of Brown Glacier is Compton Glacier. Its end point, or terminus, is at Compton Lagoon. This lagoon is between Gilchrist Beach and Fairchild Beach. To the southeast of Brown Glacier, you'll find Stephenson Glacier. Its terminus is located between Dovers Moraine and Stephenson Lagoon.
How Brown Glacier Was Discovered and Named
Brown Glacier was first explored and mapped in 1948. This survey was done by a group called ANARE. ANARE stands for the Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions. They are scientists and explorers who study the Antarctic region.
The glacier was later named by the Antarctic Names Committee of Australia (ANCA). They named it after a person named K.G. Brown. K.G. Brown was a biologist who worked with ANARE. He was on Heard Island in 1951, studying the plants and animals there. Naming the glacier after him was a way to honor his contributions to science and exploration.
This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Geological Survey document "Brown Glacier" (content from the Geographic Names Information System).
