Vahsel Glacier (53°04′S 73°23′E / 53.067°S 73.383°E / -53.067; 73.383) is a glacier on the northwestern side of Heard Island in the southern Indian Ocean. It flows west into South West Bay, between Erratic Point and Cape Gazert.[6][7] Immediately to the north of Vahsel Glacier is Schmidt Glacier, whose terminus is located between Mount Drygalski and North West Cornice. To the south of Vahsel Glacier is Allison Glacier, whose terminus is located south of Cape Gazert, which separates Allison Glacier from Vahsel Glacier.

Vahsel Glacier
Location of Heard Island and McDonald Islands on the globe
Map showing the location of Vahsel Glacier
Map showing the location of Vahsel Glacier
Vahsel Glacier
Typecirque/tidewater
LocationHeard Island
Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Australia
Coordinates53°04′S 73°23′E / 53.067°S 73.383°E / -53.067; 73.383
Thicknessapproximately 55 meters
TerminusSouth West Bay, between Erratic Point and Cape Gazert
StatusRetreating[1][2][3][4][5]
Map

Discovery and naming

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Vahsel Glacier was charted in 1902 by the German Antarctic Expedition under Erich von Drygalski.[7] A landing party was sent ashore near Atlas Cove on 3 February 1902. Drygalski named the glacier for Richard Vahsel, an officer of the landing party of the Gauss expedition who conducted investigations near Atlas Cove. Vahsel was later captain of Wilhelm Filchner's Deutschland; he died in August 1912 during the drift of the Deutschland.[6]

References

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  1. ^ Ian F. Allison & Peter L. Keage (1986). "Recent changes in the glaciers of Heard Island". Polar Record. 23 (144): 255–272. doi:10.1017/S0032247400007099. S2CID 130086301.
  2. ^ Andrew Ruddell (25 May 2010). "Our subantarctic glaciers: why are they retreating?". Glaciology Program, Antarctic CRC and AAD. Retrieved 5 June 2010.
  3. ^ Quilty, P.G. & Wheller, G. (2000). "Heard Island and the McDonald Islands: A window into the Kerguelen Plateau (Heard Island Papers)". Pap. Proc. R. Soc. Tasm. 133 (2): 1–12.
  4. ^ Budd, G.M. (2000). "Changes in Heard Island glaciers, king penguins and fur seals since 1947 (Heard Island Papers)". Pap. Proc. R. Soc. Tasm. 133 (2): 47–60.
  5. ^ Douglas E. Thost; Martin Truffer (February 2008). "Glacier Recession on Heard Island, Southern Indian Ocean". Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research. 40 (1): 199–214. doi:10.1657/1523-0430(06-084)[THOST]2.0.CO;2. S2CID 130245283. Archived from the original on 4 December 2012. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
  6. ^ a b "Vahsel Glacier". Australian Antarctic Data Centre. Retrieved 5 June 2010.
  7. ^ a b "Vahsel Glacier". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 5 June 2010.

Further reading

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53°04′S 73°23′E / 53.067°S 73.383°E / -53.067; 73.383

  This article incorporates public domain material from "Vahsel Glacier". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.