Allison Glacier (Heard Island)
| Allison Glacier (Heard Island) | |
|---|---|
| Type | ice stream |
| Location | Heard Island, Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Australia |
| Coordinates | 53°04′S 73°24′E / 53.067°S 73.400°E |
| Thickness | approximately 55 meters |
| Terminus | immediately south of Cape Gazert |
| Status | Retreating |
Allison Glacier (53°04′S 73°24′E / 53.067°S 73.400°E) is an ice stream on the west side of Heard Island in the southern Indian Ocean. Allison Glacier flows from Big Ben massif down to the sea to the south of Cape Gazert. To the north of Allison Glacier is Vahsel Glacier, whose terminus is at South West Bay, between Erratic Point and Cape Gazert. 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 Allison Glacier is Abbotsmith Glacier, while Cape Gazert is immediately west.
Allison Glacier was named after Ian Allison, a glaciologist who carried out glaciological research in this area in 1971 for the Australian Antarctic Division during the French-Australian Antarctic Expedition.
The landscape of Heard Island and nearby McDonald Island is constantly changing due to volcanism, strong winds and waves, and climate change. Volcanic activity has been observed in this area since the mid-1980s, with fresh lava flows on the southwest flanks of Heard Island. Satellite imagery shows that McDonald Island increased in size from about 1 to 2.5 square kilometers between 1994 and 2004, as a result of volcanic activity.
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