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Astrolabe Glacier

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Astrolabe Glacier
Natural-colour satellite image of Astrolabe
Map showing the location of Astrolabe Glacier
Map showing the location of Astrolabe Glacier
Location of Astrolabe Glacier in Antarctica
Typeunknown
LocationAdélie Land
Coordinates66°45′S 139°55′E / 66.750°S 139.917°E / -66.750; 139.917
Area96 km2
Length19 km (12 mi)
Width7 km (4.3 mi)
Thicknessunknown
TerminusSouthern Ocean
Statusunknown

Astrolabe Glacier is a glacier 10 kilometres (10 km) wide and 19 kilometres (10 nmi) long, flowing north-northeast from the continental ice and terminating at the coast in a prominent tongue at the east side of Géologie Archipelago.[1] It was first sighted in 1840 by the French expedition under Captain Jules Dumont d'Urville, although no glaciers were noted on d'Urville's chart of this coast but a formidable icy dike with perpendicular flanks[2] of 37.7 m high according to the joined plate,[3] corresponding to the glacier tongue.[4] The glacier was photographed from the air by U.S. Navy Operation Highjump in January 1947. It was charted by the French Antarctic Expedition, 1949–51, and named after d'Urville's flagship, the Astrolabe.

The Astrolabe Glacier Tongue (66°42′S 140°5′E / 66.700°S 140.083°E / -66.700; 140.083) is a prominent glacier tongue about 6 kilometres (3 nmi) wide and 7 kilometres (4 nmi) long, extending northeast from Astrolabe Glacier.

Located in the Terre Adélie-George V Land section of East Antarctica, Astrolabe Glacier streams out from the interior of Antarctica to dump ice into the sea.

See also

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References

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  • Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from "Astrolabe Glacier". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
  • Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from "Astrolabe Glacier Tongue". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.

Footnotes

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