Ross Ice Shelf

The Ross Ice Shelf ({{coor dm|81|30|S|175|00|W|}}) is the largest ice shelf of Antarctica (an area of half a million square kilometres, and about 800 km across: about the size of France). Most of it is located within the Ross Dependency claimed by New Zealand. Ice shelves are permanent floating ice sheets that are attached to the land and are constantly fed by glaciers. The ice shelf was named after Captain James Clark Ross who discovered it on January 28, 1841. Ross mapped the ice front eastward to 160ºW.

Related Topics:
Ice shelf - Antarctica - France - Ross Dependency - New Zealand - Ice - Glacier - James Clark Ross - January 28 - 1841

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The Ross Ice Shelf acquired a grimmer reputation in 1912, when it became the final resting place of Antarctic explorer Robert Falcon Scott and his party.

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