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Quiz about Antarctic Ice Shelves
Quiz about Antarctic Ice Shelves

Antarctic Ice Shelves Trivia Quiz


When a glacier or ice sheet extends onto the surface of the sea, it becomes an ice shelf. They can be found in Greenland and Canada, but the largest ones are attached to Antarctica. See if you can identify some of these in this quiz.

A multiple-choice quiz by stedman. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Author
stedman
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
349,710
Updated
Jul 23 22
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
491
Awards
Top 20% Quiz
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. This ice shelf can be found off Alexander Island within the British Antarctic Territory, and is named after a member of a famous family of German musicians and composers. What is its name? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. This Antarctic ice shelf occupies part of a bay which shares the same name, and which was discovered in 1936. It was named in honour of the then monarch of the United Kingdom - so can you work out its name? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Antarctica's Cook Ice Shelf is named after the English explorer and navigator, Captain James Cook.


Question 4 of 10
4. This is one of the larger Antarctic ice shelves, and can be found on the far eastern coast. It is named after a famous polar explorer, who led the unsuccessful 1914-17 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition that planned to cross Antarctica. What is its name? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. The names of most Antarctic ice shelves are related to individuals who have played a significant part in Antarctic exploration over the years. But which of the following names was bestowed by the Soviet Antarctic Expedition in 1958? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. After which of the following individuals is Antarctica's Swinburne Ice Shelf named?

Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. The four-letter name of which Antarctic ice shelf is also the surname of an English TV and radio presenter with the forename Jonathan, and the first name of the character played by David Schwimmer in the US TV show "Friends"?

Answer: (One Word, Four Letters)
Question 8 of 10
8. What is arguably one of the most unusual names given to an Antarctic ice shelf was bestowed in 1952, for the reason that several of the glaciers in the area had been previously named after various international polar research journals. What name is this? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. The Quar Ice Shelf is named after Leslie Quar, a member of the Norwegian-British-Swedish Antarctic Expedition (1949-1952). Why was it decided to honour him in this way? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. What is the common feature linking the Wordie, Jones and Muller Antarctic Ice Shelves? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. This ice shelf can be found off Alexander Island within the British Antarctic Territory, and is named after a member of a famous family of German musicians and composers. What is its name?

Answer: Bach Ice Shelf

It is named after Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), the best-known of the large family of musicians. It lies adjacent to the Beethoven and Monteverdi Peninsulas, close to Berlioz Point, Rossini Point, Weber Inlet, and Boccherini Inlet. You may spot a pattern emerging here.
2. This Antarctic ice shelf occupies part of a bay which shares the same name, and which was discovered in 1936. It was named in honour of the then monarch of the United Kingdom - so can you work out its name?

Answer: Edward VIII Ice Shelf

Edward VIII became King on 20 January 1936 on the death of his father, King George V, and reigned until the date of his formal abdication on 11 December that year, when he was succeeded by his brother, who then became King George VI. Edward VIII Bay and its associated ice shelf are located within Kemp Land, which is part of the Australian Antarctic Territory.
3. Antarctica's Cook Ice Shelf is named after the English explorer and navigator, Captain James Cook.

Answer: False

You may be surprised to discover that the Cook Ice Shelf is named after Joseph Cook, Prime Minister of Australia from 1913-14, and was named by the Australasian Antarctic Expedition of 1911-14. It was originally named Cook Bay, but was renamed because the ice shelf permanently fills the bay. It is part of George V Land, in the Australian Antarctic Territory.
4. This is one of the larger Antarctic ice shelves, and can be found on the far eastern coast. It is named after a famous polar explorer, who led the unsuccessful 1914-17 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition that planned to cross Antarctica. What is its name?

Answer: Shackleton Ice Shelf

The man in question is Sir Ernest Shackleton (1874-1922). His attempted crossing of Antarctica came to an early end when his ship, the ironically-named "Endurance", became trapped in pack ice and subsequently sank. After many months, and very largely due to Shackleton's leadership skills, the whole team was eventually rescued.

The ice shelf that bears his name is located off the coast of Queen Mary Land, part of the Australian Antarctic Territory.
5. The names of most Antarctic ice shelves are related to individuals who have played a significant part in Antarctic exploration over the years. But which of the following names was bestowed by the Soviet Antarctic Expedition in 1958?

Answer: Moscow University Ice Shelf

The Moskovskogo Universiteta Shel'fovyy Lednik (Moscow University Ice Shelf) is located off the eastern edge of Antarctica in Wilkes Land, part of the Australian Antarctic Territory. It was so named because a number of personnel on the Soviet Antarctic Expedition belonged to the university.
6. After which of the following individuals is Antarctica's Swinburne Ice Shelf named?

Answer: Captain H W Swinburne, Jr (American naval officer)

The Swinburne Ice Shelf is located just off the Edward VII Peninsula, in the New Zealand Antarctic Territory. Captain Swinburne was the Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff of the US Naval Support Force, Antarctica, from 1970-71, and is now immortalised in the name of a 20-mile long Antarctic ice shelf.
7. The four-letter name of which Antarctic ice shelf is also the surname of an English TV and radio presenter with the forename Jonathan, and the first name of the character played by David Schwimmer in the US TV show "Friends"?

Answer: Ross

The Ross Ice Shelf takes its name from the English Antarctic explorer Sir James Clark Ross (1800-62). It is Antarctica's largest ice shelf, with an area of over 450,000 kilometers squared. Most of it is within the Ross Dependency, part of the New Zealand Antarctic Territory.

Jonathan Ross has presented numerous TV and radio shows in the UK since 1987. Ross Geller was one of the main characters in "Friends" throughout its ten seasons.
8. What is arguably one of the most unusual names given to an Antarctic ice shelf was bestowed in 1952, for the reason that several of the glaciers in the area had been previously named after various international polar research journals. What name is this?

Answer: Publications Ice Shelf

The Publications Ice Shelf is located in Princess Elizabeth Land, part of the Australian Antarctic Territory. In the area can be found glaciers named after the Polar Record (published by the Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge, UK); the Polar Times (published by the American Polar Society of New York); Il Polo (published by the Italian Istituto Geografico); the Polarforschung (published by the Deutschen Gesellschaft fur Polarforschung, Germany); and the Polararboken (published by the Norsk Polarklubb, Oslo, Norway).
9. The Quar Ice Shelf is named after Leslie Quar, a member of the Norwegian-British-Swedish Antarctic Expedition (1949-1952). Why was it decided to honour him in this way?

Answer: He died during the expedition

Leslie Quar, a British electrician and radio mechanic, was one of three Expedition members who died when the tracked vehicle in which they were riding drove off the edge of this ice shelf in February 1951. One of the four men on board, Stig Hallgren, managed to escape and was rescued from an ice floe.

The other two men who died, Bertil Ekstrom and John Jelbert, were likewise honoured by having ice shelves named after them. They were also each posthumously awarded the British "Polar Medal" and the Norwegian "Kongens Fortjensmedalje", or "King's Medal of Merit".
10. What is the common feature linking the Wordie, Jones and Muller Antarctic Ice Shelves?

Answer: They no longer exist

These three fairly minor ice shelves have now completely broken up and their constituent icebergs drifted into the ocean. The Wordie Ice Shelf broke up during 2008 and 2009. Muller finally collapsed in 2008, while Jones disintegrated slowly between the 1970s and 2003. The disintegration of several of the Antarctic ice shelves is generally blamed on "global warming".
Source: Author stedman

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