Why is it called the Ross Ice Shelf?
The ice shelf is named after Sir James Clark Ross, who discovered it on 28 January 1841. It was originally called “The Barrier”, with various adjectives including “Great Ice Barrier”, as it prevented sailing further south. Ross mapped the ice front eastward to 160° W.
Why is the Ross Ice Shelf important?
The Ross Ice Shelf plays an important role in stabilising the Antarctic ice sheet, buttressing the ice that is constantly moving over the land surface.
How was the Ross Ice Shelf formed?
The Ross Ice Shelf is fed primarily by giant glaciers, or ice streams, that transport ice down to it from the high polar ice sheet of East and West Antarctica. The ice shelf has been likened to a vast triangular raft because it is relatively thin and flexible and is only loosely attached to adjoining lands.
What are ice shelves for kids?
An ice shelf is a large platform of ice, where a glacier flows down to a coastline. An ice shelf is usually very thick, usually 100 metres (330 ft) or more. Some ice shelves float on the water. Ice shelves that float are usually much thinner.
What would happen if the Ross Ice Shelf melted?
Its magnitude, and the fact that thinning of the ice shelf will speed up the flow of Antarctica’s ice sheets into the ocean, mean that it carries significant sea level rise potential if it were to melt. Melting ice shelves like the Ross could cause seas to rise by several feet over the next few centuries.
How big is the ice shelf in Antarctica?
5.4 million square miles
The Antarctic Ice Sheet extends almost 14 million square kilometers (5.4 million square miles), roughly the area of the contiguous United States and Mexico combined.
What are ice shelves in Antarctica?
What is an ice shelf? Ice shelves are permanent floating sheets of ice that connect to a landmass. Most of the world’s ice shelves hug the coast of Antarctica. However, ice shelves can also form wherever ice flows from land into cold ocean waters, including some glaciers in the Northern Hemisphere.
Did they ever find Scott’s body?
Gran’s journal records how he and his team found the bodies of Scott – who he refers to as “The Owner” – and his companions on 12 November 1912. “It has happened – we have found what we sought – horrible, ugly fate – Only 11 miles from One Ton Depot – The Owner, Wilson & Birdie. All gastsly [sic].
When did the Ross Ice Shelf form?
The Ross Ice Shelf “has come and gone probably many times in the last million years,” says Scherer. It likely collapsed during a warm period 400,000 years ago. But he believes it could also have collapsed as recently as 120,000 years ago, the last time that temperatures were about as warm as they are today.