Rippon Glacier
| Rippon Glacier | |
|---|---|
  Location of Rippon Glacier in Antarctica | |
| Type | mountain glacier |
| Location | Kemp Land |
| Coordinates | 66°44′S 56°29′E / 66.733°S 56.483°E |
| Thickness | unknown |
| Terminus | Edward VIII Ice Shelf |
| Status | unknown |
Rippon Glacier is a small glacier located in Kemp Land, East Antarctica. It is close east of Seaton Glacier, flowing southward into Edward VIII Ice Shelf.
Discovery and naming
[edit]Rippon Glacier was mapped from aerial photos taken by ANARE (Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions) in 1956, and named for Sgt. Ralph Tudor Rippon, RAAF, airframe fitter at Mawson Station in 1959.[1][2]
Weather conditions
[edit]Just to the south of Rippon Glacier is a large valley formed by the Robert and Wilma Glaciers. These two glaciers, along with the Seaton and Rippon Glaciers, all flow into the King Edward Ice Shelf. To the west are the Napier Mountains, running northwest from Mount Elkins. Still further west are the Tula Mountains, beyond which the Beaver Glacier flows into Amundsen Bay. Collectively, these terrain features significantly modify weather produced by synoptic scale systems. Dramatic changes can occur over short distances and in short time intervals.[3] One problem with some moist southeasterly airstreams is cloud formation northwest of Seaton and Rippon Glaciers that produces whiteout conditions looking inland of Rippon Depot.[3]
Flora
[edit]The following species have been sighted within 1.0 degrees of Rippon Glacier:[2]
| Scientific Name | Authority | Common Name | Observations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bryum cf. caespiticium | Tufted thread-moss | ||
| Bryum pseudotriquetrum | Marsh bryum | ||
| Bryum urbanskyi |
Fungi
[edit]- Buellia frigida
- Caloplaca athallina
- Caloplaca citrina
- Candelariella flava
- Japewia tornoensis
- Lecanora expectans
- Physcia caesia
- Physcia dubia
- Pseudephebe minuscula
- Rinodina olivaceobrunnea
- Xanthoria mawsonii
Fauna
[edit]The following species have been sighted within 1.0 degrees of Rippon Glacier:[2]
| Scientific Name | Authority | Common Name | Observations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aptenodytes forsteri | Gray, 1844 | Emperor penguin | |
| Balaenoptera acutorostrata | Lacépède,1804 | Minke whale | |
| Balaenoptera bonaerensis | Burmeister, 1867 | Antarctic minke whale (also known as the 'dark-shoulder minke whale") | |
| Balaenoptera musculus | Linnaeus, 1758 | Blue whale | |
| Daption capense | Linnaeus, 1758 | Cape petrel | |
| Euphausia superba | Dana, 1852 | Antarctic krill | |
| Fulmarus glacialoides | Smith,1840 | Southern fulmar | |
| Lobodon carcinophaga | Hombron and Jacquinot,1842 | Crabeater seal | |
| Oceanites oceanicus | Kuhl, 1820 | Wilson's storm petrel | |
| Orcinus orca | Linnaeus, 1758 | Killer whale | |
| Pagodroma nivea | Forster,1777 | Snow petrel | |
| Puffinus spp. | Linnaeus, 1758 | Shearwater | |
| Pygoscelis adeliae | Hombron and Jacquinot,1841 | Adélie penguin | |
| Thalassoica antarctica | Gmelin,1789 | Antarctic petrel |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) of the United States Geological Survey: Rippon Glacier. Accessed 22 May 2010.
- ^ a b c Gazetteer of the Australian Antarctic Data Centre: Rippon Glacier. Accessed 22 May 2010.
- ^ a b John Turner and Steve Pendlebury (2004). "Section 7.6: Enderby Land and Kemp Land". In John Turner and Steve Pendlebury (ed.). The International Antarctic Weather Forecasting Handbook (PDF). Cambridge: British Antarctic Survey. pp. 362–364. ISBN 1-85531-221-2. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
"Rippon Glacier". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 31 May 2010.
External links
[edit]- Australian Antarctic Division
- Australian Antarctic Gazetteer
- Australian Antarctic Names and Medals Committee (AANMC)
- United States Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS)
- Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR)
- Composite Gazetteer of Antarctica
- PDF Map of the Australian Antarctic Territory
- Mawson Station
- ANARE Club
- List of Peaks in Enderby Land
- Click here to see an image of helicopters refueling at a temporary fuel depot on Rippon Glacier in December 1979.
This article incorporates public domain material from "Rippon Glacier". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
