Fiftyone Glacier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fiftyone Glacier |
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Location of Heard Island and McDonald Islands on the globe
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| Type | cirque/tidewater |
| Location | Heard Island Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands Australia |
| Coordinates | 53°11′S 73°34′E / 53.183°S 73.567°E |
| Thickness | approximately 55 meters |
| Terminus | between Lavett Bluff and Lambeth Bluff |
| Status | Retreating |
The Fiftyone Glacier is a very large river of ice found on Heard Island, which is a remote island in the southern Indian Ocean. This amazing glacier flows towards the south. Its end, called the terminus, is located between two places called Lavett Bluff and Lambeth Bluff.
Fiftyone Glacier is not alone! To its northeast, you'll find the Winston Glacier. Its end reaches Winston Lagoon, which is between Cape Lockyer and Oatt Rocks. To the west of Fiftyone Glacier, there's another glacier called Deacock Glacier. Its terminus is located between Cape Labuan and Long Beach.
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Fiftyone Glacier: A Giant Ice River
Fiftyone Glacier is a type of glacier that forms in a bowl-shaped hollow, known as a cirque. It's also a tidewater glacier, which means its end reaches the ocean. This huge ice mass is about 55 meters thick, which is like stacking more than ten school buses on top of each other!
Sadly, like many glaciers around the world, Fiftyone Glacier is currently getting smaller. This process is called "retreating."
Where in the World is Fiftyone Glacier?
Heard Island, where Fiftyone Glacier is located, is part of the Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands. This territory belongs to Australia, even though it's very far away in the southern Indian Ocean, close to Antarctica. It's a wild and icy place, home to many glaciers.
How Fiftyone Glacier Got Its Name
Fiftyone Glacier was first explored and mapped in 1948 by a group called ANARE.
What is ANARE?
ANARE stands for the Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions. These expeditions are groups of scientists and explorers from Australia who travel to the Antarctic region to study its unique environment, including glaciers, wildlife, and weather.
In 1951, another ANARE team explored Heard Island. They decided to name this glacier "The 1951 Glacier" because of the year they explored it. Later, in 1964, the Antarctic Names Committee of Australia (ANCA) officially recommended shortening the name to "Fiftyone Glacier." This is the name we use today!
- If you want to see a map of Heard Island and McDonald Islands, including all the main features like glaciers and capes, you can click here.
This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Geological Survey document "Fiftyone Glacier" (content from the Geographic Names Information System).
