Where is Marie Byrd Land and who was she?

Where is Marie Byrd Land?

On February 21, 1929, The New York Times quoted Richard Byrd naming newly discovered lands in Antarctica “Marie Byrd Land.” Marie Byrd Land is a prominent West Antarctica region stretching from the Ross Ice Shelf to the Amundsen Sea along the south edge of the Pacific Ocean. Marie Byrd was the wife of American explorer Admiral Richard E. Byrd, known for his expeditions to Antarctica in the early 20th century.

When and how was Marie Byrd Land discovered?

From their base Little America on the Ross Ice shelf, Byrd’s team first saw Marie Byrd Land in January 1929. Byrd’s team flew over the western parts of the area in a Ford Trimotor airplane. Byrd named the new land after his wife, Marie. The discovery of this large, unexplored region was a significant achievement in exploring Antarctica, as it opened a vast new area for further study and research.

Who was Marie Byrd?

Marie Ames Byrd was born in 1889 in Boston, Massachusetts, and married Richard E. Byrd in 1915. During her husband’s expeditions to Antarctica, she supported him from home and regularly corresponded with him via radio. In recognition of her contributions, Byrd named a newly discovered region after her. He announced this in a radio dispatch from Antarctica to the New York Times on February 21, 1929. In his diary, he wrote, “I must name this area after my wife, Marie.” After Richard’s passing in 1957, she established the Byrd Foundation for Polar Research to support scientific research in Antarctica. This foundation has since become the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center at Ohio State University. She passed away in 1974.

Why is Marie Byrd Land so important?

Over fifty nations govern Antarctica through the Antarctic Treaty, a multilateral agreement promoting scientific research, environmental protection, and peaceful cooperation. The Treaty suspended many existing territorial claims in Antarctica. No nation had ever claimed Marie Byrd Land. However, the U.S., due to Richard Byrd’s exploration, would have had reason to make one. Marie Byrd Land remains the largest unclaimed territory on Earth.

Antarctica is a crucial area of focus for studying climate change, and scientists consider Marie Byrd Land an essential feature. The region’s ice sheets hold vital clues to past climate changes. Monitoring changes to the ice blanketing Marie Byrd Land can help us understand how the Earth’s climate changes over time. The exploration and study of Marie Byrd Land supply opportunities for international collaboration among scientists and researchers from different countries on climate change and rising global sea levels.

What is the West Antarctic Ice Sheet?

The West Antarctic Ice Sheet is a massive sheet covering most of West Antarctica, including Marie Byrd Land. It is one of two central ice sheets in Antarctica, the other being the much larger East Antarctic Ice Sheet. The ice sheet is up to 2.4 kilometers (1.5 miles) thick and has enough ice to raise sea levels by approximately 3.3 meters (10.8 feet) if it melts completely. There is concern among scientists that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet may be approaching a point of irreversible melting, which could have significant implications for sea level rise and global climate patterns.

Thwaites Glacier is found in eastern Marie Byrd Land and drains into the Amundsen Sea. It is an important study area because scientists consider it a weak link in the West Antarctic ice sheet. The glacier’s large size and rapid ice loss produce rising sea levels. Thwaites Glacier is responsible for approximately 4 percent of global sea level rise. It holds enough ice to raise the world’s oceans about 2 feet (65 centimeters). Thus, it backstops neighboring glaciers that would raise sea levels an additional 8 feet (2.4 meters) if all the ice were lost. That would have potentially catastrophic consequences for coastal cities and low-lying areas worldwide. Thwaites Glacier is popularly known as the “Doomsday Glacier” and is the focus of an international research effort, The International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration, to understand its behavior and potential future contribution to the rise of the global sea level.

What is Mighty Bad Land?

That is the title of my book, published by Permuted Press on May 30, 2023. The title is a nickname for Marie Byrd Land and is used with various connotations depending on the circumstance. The book is about my first geologic expedition to Mighty Bad Land or Marie Byrd Land. It can be ordered on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. More about the book will be discussed in an upcoming blog post.