Cook Ice Cap

{{Short description|Glacier in France}} {{distinguish|Cook Glacier (South Georgia)|Cooke Glacier}} {{Infobox glacier | name = Cook Ice Cap | other_name =''Calotte Glaciaire Cook'' | image =Glacier Cook ISS035.JPG | caption =Aerial view of the ice cap. | type = Ice cap | location = Kerguelen, Southern Indian Ocean | map= Indian Ocean | coordinates = {{coord|49|18|50|S|69|02|29|E|type:glacier|display=inline, title}} | area = {{convert|400|sqkm|abbr=on}} | length = {{convert|28|km|mi|0}} | thickness = {{convert|400|m|abbr=on}} average | terminus = Outlet glaciers | status = Retreating | mapframe = yes | mapframe-zoom = 9 | mapframe-wikidata = yes }} The '''Cook Ice Cap''' or '''Cook Glacier''' ({{Langx|fr|Calotte Glaciaire Cook}}<ref name="mapcarta">{{cite web|url=http://mapcarta.com/15439580|title=Calotte Glaciaire Cook|work=Mapcarta|accessdate=25 September 2016}}</ref> or ''Glacier Cook'') is a large ice cap in the Kerguelen Islands in the French Southern Territories zone of the far Southern Indian Ocean.

==Geography== The Cook Ice Cap reaches a maximum elevation of {{convert|1049|m|ft|0}} in its central area.<ref name="GE">GoogleEarth</ref> It had a surface of approximately {{convert|500|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} in 1963, having shrunk to about {{convert|400|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} in recent times.<ref name="IPFPEV"/>

Named after British explorer James Cook (1728–1779), on French navigational charts of the early 20th century this ice cap appears as "Richthofen Glacier" (''Glacier Richthofen'').<ref>[http://transpolair.free.fr/explorateurs/bossiere/article.htm Transpolair] ''L'Illustration'' 11 September 1909, no 3472</ref> {| |- valign="top" |[[File:Kerguelen CookGlacier 2.jpg|thumb|300px|Location in Grande-Terre (Kerguelen) .]] |[[File:Kerguelen CookGlacier.JPG|thumb|340px|Glacier terminus at the southern end.]] |}

===Glaciers=== About sixty glaciers flow from the inner ice cap in a roughly radial pattern. At the feet of the snout of these outlet glaciers there are often terminal moraines with dammed lakes of varying sizes. Further down the glacial meltwaters have formed numerous outwash plains at certain, mostly inland, locations. Of the glaciers originating in the Cook Ice Cap, only the Pasteur and Mariotte Glaciers have their termini in the Indian Ocean at the Anse des Glaçons in southwestern Kerguelen's deeply indented coastline.<ref name="IPFPEV">Institut polaire français Paul Émile Victor : ''[http://www.institut-polaire.fr/ipev/actualites/scientifiques/publications/la_fonte_spectaculaire_du_plus_gros_glacier_francais La fonte spectaculaire du plus gros glacier français]''</ref><ref>{{Citation | author1=Institut geographique national (France) | author2=Terres australes et antarctiques francaises | title=Terres australes et antarctiques francaises | year=1968 | section=1 map : col. ; 90 x 100 cm. | location=Paris | publisher=L'Institut | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-2549274089 | access-date=15 December 2024 | via=Trove}}</ref>

The following are the main glaciers listed clockwise: {{div col|colwidth=30em}} * Agassiz Glacier ''(Glacier Agassiz)'' * Chamonix Glacier ''(Glacier de Chamonix)'' * Dumont d'Urville Glacier ''(Glacier Dumont d'Urville)'' * Vallot Glacier ''(Glacier Vallot)'' * Naumann Glacier ''(Glacier Naumann)'' * Explorateur Glacier ''(Glacier de l'Explorateur)'' * Ampère Glacier ''(Glacier Ampère)'' * La Diozaz Glacier ''(Glacier de la Diozaz)'' * Lavoisier Glacier ''(Glacier Lavoisier)'' * Descartes Glacier ''(Glacier Descartes)'' * Pierre Curie Glacier ''(Glacier Pierre Curie)'' * Pasteur Glacier ''(Glacier Pasteur)'' * Mariotte Glacier ''(Glacier Mariotte)'' * Cauchy Glacier ''(Glacier Cauchy)'' {{div col end}}

==See also== *List of glaciers

==References== {{Reflist}}

Category:Ice caps Category:Glaciers of France Category:Landforms of the Kerguelen Islands Category:Subantarctic glaciers