Sowers Glacier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sowers 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°37′00″S 84°59′00″W / 78.61667°S 84.98333°W ACoordinates: Extra unexpected parameters |
| Thickness | unknown |
| Terminus | Thomas Glacier |
| Status | unknown |
Sowers Glacier is a large river of ice located in Antarctica. It flows from a big, bowl-shaped valley on the eastern side of Craddock Massif. This glacier moves between two ridges: Willis Ridge to the north and Sanchez Peak and Stolnik Peak to the south.
Eventually, Sowers Glacier joins up with another glacier called Thomas Glacier. This happens north of Mount Osborne, all within the Sentinel Range of the Ellsworth Mountains.
What is Sowers Glacier?
A glacier is like a very slow-moving river made of ice. Sowers Glacier is a specific one found in the cold, icy land of Antarctica. It's an important part of the Ellsworth Mountains, which are the highest mountains in Antarctica.
Glaciers are formed over many years as snow falls and gets packed down into ice. They slowly slide downhill because of their huge weight. Sowers Glacier is a "tributary" glacier, which means it flows into a larger glacier, much like a small river flows into a bigger one.
How Sowers Glacier Got Its Name
Sowers Glacier was named in 2006 by a group called the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN). They named it after a scientist named Todd A. Sowers.
Todd A. Sowers worked at the Environment Institute at Pennsylvania State University. He was part of the United States Antarctic Program (USAP). From 1991 to 2006, he studied how Earth's climate changes.
He looked at ice cores, which are long samples of ice drilled from glaciers. These cores contain tiny bubbles of ancient air. By studying these bubbles and other things in the ice, scientists like Todd Sowers can learn about past temperatures and gases in the atmosphere, including greenhouse gases. This helps us understand climate change better.
Maps
This map shows the central and southern parts of the Sentinel Range, where Sowers Glacier is located. Maps like this help scientists and explorers understand the landscape of Antarctica. They show where glaciers flow and where mountains stand tall.
