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The '''[[Thwaites Glacier]]''' (75°30′S 106°45′W), including the '''Thwaites Ice Tongue''', is an unusually broad and fast Antarctic [[glacier]] flowing into [[Pine Island Bay]], part of the [[Amundsen Sea]], east of [[Mount Murphy]], on the [[Walgreen Coast]] of [[Westarctica]]. Its surface speeds exceed 2 km/yr near its grounding line, and its fastest flowing grounded ice is centered between 50 and 100 km east of [[Mount Murphy]]. It was named after Fredrik T. Thwaites, a glacial geologist, geomorphologist and professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
The '''[[Balleny Islands]]''' are a series of uninhabited islands in the [[Southern Ocean]]. The islands are heavily glaciated and of volcanic origin. [[glacier|Glaciers]] project from their slopes into the sea. The islands became a colony when [[Westarctica]] formally annexed it from New Zealand on 14 January 2005. [[Duke of Sherman|Jorge Fernandez Vidal]] was appointed its Governor, and following the first successful minting of the Balleny Islands coin, Vidal was given the title Count of Sturge.


Along with the [[Pine Island Glacier]], the Thwaites Ice Tongue has been described as part of the "weak underbelly" of the [[West Antarctic Ice Sheet]], due to its apparent vulnerability to significant retreat. This hypothesis is based on both theoretical studies of the stability of marine ice sheets and recent observations of large changes on both of these glaciers. In recent years, the flow of both of these glaciers have accelerated, their surfaces lowered, and the grounding lines retreated.
Two symbols were created by the Governor of the Balleny Islands shortly after they were annexed by Westarctica: the coat of arms and the flag. The coat of arms features heraldic devices from Spain, France, and the region where Mr. Vidal was born, as well as an [[emperor penguin]], the symbol of Westarctica. The flag of the islands is the 2004 - 2008 flag of Westarctica with the colors reversed and the coat of arms of the Balleny Islands in the upper left quadrant in place of the crown of Westarctica.


<p><small>Photo Credit: NASA / JPL </small></p>
<p><small>Image Author: [[Duke of Sherman]] </small></p>
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Revision as of 01:08, 11 November 2019

Thwaites Glacier.jpg

The Balleny Islands are a series of uninhabited islands in the Southern Ocean. The islands are heavily glaciated and of volcanic origin. Glaciers project from their slopes into the sea. The islands became a colony when Westarctica formally annexed it from New Zealand on 14 January 2005. Jorge Fernandez Vidal was appointed its Governor, and following the first successful minting of the Balleny Islands coin, Vidal was given the title Count of Sturge.

Two symbols were created by the Governor of the Balleny Islands shortly after they were annexed by Westarctica: the coat of arms and the flag. The coat of arms features heraldic devices from Spain, France, and the region where Mr. Vidal was born, as well as an emperor penguin, the symbol of Westarctica. The flag of the islands is the 2004 - 2008 flag of Westarctica with the colors reversed and the coat of arms of the Balleny Islands in the upper left quadrant in place of the crown of Westarctica.

Image Author: Duke of Sherman

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