Ross Ice Shelf

The Ross Ice Shelf is approximately the size of France - 487,000 square kilometres - and accounts for about 30 per cent of all Antarctic shelf ice. When discovered by Sir James Clark Ross and his expedition on 29 January 1841 he described it as 'this curious wall ... stretching to an indefinite extent' (Ross, 1969, volume 1, p. 221), and could hardly visualise how immense it was. It towered above the masts of his ships and totally blocked any further progress to the south.

It was Ross's second extraordinary discovery in two days as the previous day he had discovered and named Mt Erebus the most southerly active volcano in the world.

Ross made soundings at this point and found a depth of 410 fathoms (approximately 750 metres): 'So great a depth of water seemed to remove the supposition that had been suggested, of this great mass of ice being formed upon a ledge of rock, and to show that its outer edge at any rate could not be resting on the ground.' (Ross, 1969, volume 1, p. 222). Despite the snowy conditions Ross was able to see that the Barrier (later named the Ross Ice Shelf in honour of its discoverer) continued unbroken and he traced its course eastward, sometimes moving away from it as conditions worsened and sometimes able to approach more closely. By 13 February he was forced to desist as conditions worsened; the pack was beginning to close in as summer ended. Ross hoped to be able to examine the Barrier in more detail and determine its eastern limit the following year but was unable to do so.

Robert Falcon Scott found the eastern limit in 1902 and named the land King Edward VII Land. Ross Island is the western end.

While travelling along the Barrier edge Ross's men collected specimens of a very large penguin, powerful birds that were hard to kill. In size they ranged from 57 to 66 pounds (approximately 26-30 kilograms). This was the Emperor penguin and Ross and his scientists were the first to describe it. Ross also commented frequently on the large numbers of whales and seals seen.

The Ross Ice Shelf was to prove significant in a number of early expeditions that aimed to reach the South Pole. Scott and Ernest Shackleton both placed their bases on Ross Island and travelled across the Ice Shelf to reach the mountains and the Polar Plateau. Roald Amundsen placed his base on the Ice Shelf itself, at the Bay of Whales. He thereby shortened the distance to the South Pole and famously beat Scott to that remote place. Later Richard Byrd would also place Little America on the Ross Ice Shelf.

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