SwissEduc - Glaciers online - Antarctic Peninsula (Southwest)

Fossil Bluff Fossil Bluff is an old British field station roughly half way along the western margin of George VI Ice Shelf, on the east coast of Alexander Island (Latitude 71°20' S, Longitude 68°17' W). Located on a small spur below fossilifereous strata of Jurassic-Cretaceous age and scree, the cluster of buildings includes a typical small communal hut with a single main room for bunks, kitchen, working and radio operations. Despite the lack of "modcons", it is comfortable enough for four people. The station was established in 1961, and although mainly a summer base, it was occupied during the winters of 1961, 1962 and 1969-75. The main activities here have been geology and glaciology, but its main use today is as a transit point for Twin Otter flights further south. A ski-way with a fuel depot is located nearby on the ice shelf. Traditionally, most travelling over the ice shelf was undertaken with dog teams and more recently skidoos in spring and early summer, but during the mid and late summer, the ice shelf is partly flooded as supraglacial lakes develop. Our party spent four days at Fossil Bluff as a bonus to the main field activity at Ablation Valley c. 50 km to the north. Here we mapped the glacial geomorphology and collected erratics at different altitudes for cosmogenic nuclide dating, to establish the thinning history of the ice sheet and local glaciers in this area. We followed a well-known route, following the ridge crest around Khufu Corrie (a cirque with a small receding glacier), from where impressive views were obtained.
Fossil Bluff Field Station, looking across George Vi Ice Shelf to Palmer Land. The red building is known as "Bluebell Cottage", reflecting an earlier colour scheme.	Ian Hey and Bethan Davies relax inside the hut following a day’s strenuous activity.	Looking down onto the field station from the top of adjacent cliffs. The second red building is for stores, including food. Skidoo tracks run across the ice shelf to the skiway.	A magnificent panorama in Palmer Land on the opposite side of George VI Ice Shelf is at its best in the late evening sun. Here is just one segment of the landscape in the vicinity of Mt Bagshawe (telephoto).
Above Khufu Corrie is a small, thinning snow-covered glacier with a lateral moraine ridge rising above the snow. Khufu Peak (or Pyramid; 745 m) is in the background.	Close-up of material in the moraine. Its angular character indicates that this glacier is "cold".	View from Khufu Corrie ridge, looking to Pearce Dome and the head of Uranus Glacier.	View from the south ridge of Khufu Peak across tilted Jurassic-Cretaceous strata of Elephant Ridge.
The steep final ascent to Khufu Peak via its south ridge with the upper reaches of Uranus Glacier in the background.	Looking down NW ridge of Khufu Peak towards the ice walls near Blodwen Peak (914 m) and a branch of Eros Glacier.	Telephoto view of the heavily crevassed ice wall near Blodwen Peak.	Surveying the scene from Khufu Peak, which embraces the next summit on our traverse, Drune Hill, and George VI Ice Shelf in the background.
An erratic on Khufu Peak, near its summit, indicating a former higher levels of the Alexander Island ice cap.	Large cornices have built up on the crest of Drune Hill (680 m). Blowing snow over the crest feeds the small glacier in Khufu Corrie.	The upper part of Eros Glacier and ice cliffs from the SW spur of Drune Hill.	Large snow dunes on a col below Pearce Dome indicate prevailing wind from the south.
Unnamed summit viewed from Drune Hill with feeder snowfields and lateral moraine of Eros Glacier. Mountains of Palmer Land in the background.	View across George VI Ice Shelf to Mt Bagshawe in Palmer Land from Drune Hill. Giza Peak (or the Sphinx) in middle distance.	An excellent scree run, demonstrated by Ian Hey at speed, leads down a gully off Drune Hill to Fossil Bluff, completes the circuit around Khufu Corrie.
All these were taken in November-December 2012 (MH).

Fossil Bluff