Patton Glacier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Patton Glacier |
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Location of Sentinel Range in Western Antarctica
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 Location in Antarctica
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| Type | tributary |
| Location | Ellsworth Land |
| Coordinates | 78°16′00″S 85°25′00″W / 78.26667°S 85.41667°W |
| Thickness | unknown |
| Terminus | Ellen Glacier |
| Status | unknown |
The Patton Glacier (78°16′S 85°25′W / 78.267°S 85.417°W) is a large glacier in the Sentinel Range of the Ellsworth Mountains in Antarctica. It's like a huge, slow-moving river made of ice. This glacier is a "tributary" glacier, which means it flows into a larger glacier, similar to how a small river flows into a bigger one.
The Patton Glacier starts on the eastern side of the main mountain ridge, between Mount Ostenso and Mount Tyree. It flows towards the east-northeast, passing between peaks like Evans Peak and Versinikia Peak to the north, and Mount Bearskin to the south. Eventually, it joins another large glacier called Ellen Glacier.
Discovering and Naming the Glacier
Scientists first mapped the Patton Glacier between 1957 and 1959. They used information gathered from ground surveys and special photographs taken from airplanes by the United States Navy.
The glacier was named by the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN). They chose to honor Sergeant Richard J. Patton of the United States Air Force. On November 26, 1956, he was the very first person to parachute onto the South Pole. Sergeant Patton was very helpful on the ground. He directed air drops from large Globemaster airplanes, which were used to bring in supplies to build the South Pole Station.
