Ross Sea Ice Shelf – The World’s Largest Body of Floating Ice February 11, 2018/ By Burnham Arlidge https://www.antarcticaguide.com/ross-sea-ice-shelf/?nabw=1&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.fr%2F 0 SharesRoss Sea Ice Shelf The Ross Sea Ice Shelf is one of the most impressive natural attractions in Antarctica. It is the world’s largest floating body of ice, covering approximately 487,000 square kilometres, roughly the size of Spain. The awe-inspiring ice shelf has a 600-kilometre wall of ice open to the sea, which sits between 15-50 metres high. Only ten percent of the ice shelf is visible, with majority hidden in several hundred metres of ice below the surface. As one of the most isolated areas in the world, the Ross Sea Ice Shelf is a spectacular attraction and a once-in-a-lifetime experience! Halting many Antarctic expeditions throughout the years, it has become a favourite among the more adventurous travellers. Ross Sea Ice Shelf Discovery The ice shelf is rich in human exploration. It was first discovered on an expedition by James Clark Ross (a British polar explorer) in 1841. The ice shelf was originally called ‘The Barrier’ and the ‘Great Ice Barrier’, as it was a formidable obstacle on James Ross’ expedition to determine the position of the South Pole. The name was officially changed in 1953 to ‘Ross Ice Shelf’. Numerous expeditions since have used the Ross Ice Shelf as a starting point. In 1901- 1904 the Discovery Expedition, led by Robert Falcon Scott, had a significant breakthrough on the ice shelf and its surroundings. By measuring the buoyancy of carved icebergs in the region, he could conclude that the ice sheet was over 900 feet thick and the entire shelf was floating on water. Measurements conducted over a 13-month period in 1902- 1903 showed the ice shelf had advanced over 555 metres north. However, the most notable explorer is Roald Amundsen. On December 14th, 1911, Amundsen gained access to the eastern side of the ice shelf at the Bay of Whales and ventured to the South Pole, becoming the first explorer to do so.

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