Walgreen Coast

Walgreen Coast
Name	Walgreen Coast
Location	Amundsen Sea, Marie Byrd Land, West Antarctica
Coordinates	74°S 115°W to 103°W
Length	approximately 1,000 km
Named for	Charles R. Walgreen
Discovered	1940s–1950s expeditions
Notable features	Martin Peninsula, Pine Island Glacier, Thwaites Glacier, Getz Ice Shelf

Walgreen Coast The Walgreen Coast is a segment of the coastline of Marie Byrd Land facing the Amundsen Sea in West Antarctica. It lies between Cape Herlacher and the eastern end of the Bakutis Coast, encompassing features such as the Martin Peninsula, Pine Island Glacier, and the Thwaites Glacier. The coast has been a focus of United States Antarctic Program logistics, Operation Highjump, and modern studies by institutions like the British Antarctic Survey, Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory, and the Scott Polar Research Institute.

Geography

The Walgreen Coast abuts the Amundsen Sea Embayment and includes the mainland margin of Marie Byrd Land, the Getz Ice Shelf, and the grounding zones of major outlet glaciers including Pine Island Glacier, Thwaites Glacier, and Smith Glacier. Its adjacent maritime region contains the Bellingshausen Sea transition and the continental rise that links to the Ross Sea and Weddell Sea via Antarctic bathymetric troughs mapped by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Alfred Wegener Institute surveys. Coastal features connect to the Marine Boundary Layer and influence circumpolar currents such as the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and regional polynyas described in studies by Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

Discovery and naming

The coast was first photographed and charted during mid-20th-century aerial campaigns led by United States Navy operations including Operation Highjump and later reconnaissance by Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names parties. The name commemorates Charles R. Walgreen, whose corporate philanthropy supported polar logistics connected to Byrd Antarctic Expedition legacies and American polar exploration sponsorship. Mapping efforts by U.S. Geological Survey and aerial photography by U.S. Navy Squadron VX-6 contributed to formal recognition during International Geophysical Year follow-ups.

Exploration and research

Scientific exploration has involved multidisciplinary teams from United States Antarctic Program, British Antarctic Survey, Australian Antarctic Division, National Science Foundation, and international consortia such as the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration. Ice-penetrating radar campaigns by German Research Centre for Geosciences and seismic surveys by Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory have been conducted alongside oceanographic cruises from National Oceanography Centre (UK) and Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Remote sensing by NASA satellites—ICESat, ICESat-2, Landsat, and MODIS instruments—has enabled mass balance studies coordinated with modeling groups at University of Utrecht and University of Washington.

Geology and glaciology

Bedrock beneath the Walgreen Coast lies within the West Antarctic Rift System and is influenced by crustal structures identified by geophysical campaigns from British Antarctic Survey and Alfred Wegener Institute. The region hosts fast-flowing outlet glaciers such as Pine Island Glacier and Thwaites Glacier, which drain the West Antarctic Ice Sheet into the Amundsen Sea Embayment. Subglacial sediments and basal melting processes have been investigated by groups at University of Cambridge and Columbia University, while marine geology expeditions by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution have mapped submarine glacial troughs and grounding-line retreat linked to warm modified circumpolar deep water identified by NOAA and Scripps researchers.

Climate and environment

The Walgreen Coast experiences polar climatic regimes characterized by katabatic winds originating from Antarctic Plateau elevations and interactions with the Amundsen Sea Low weather pattern studied by the Met Office and National Center for Atmospheric Research. Rapid atmospheric and oceanic warming in the region has been documented by IPCC-cited studies led by teams at British Antarctic Survey and NASA that attribute accelerated glacier thinning to ocean-driven basal melt and changes in large-scale circulation such as variations in the Southern Annular Mode.

Flora and fauna

Terrestrial life on the Walgreen Coast is minimal due to ice cover, but coastal and marine ecosystems adjacent to the Walgreen Coast support species documented by SCAR-coordinated biology programs and researchers from Australian Antarctic Division and University of Cape Town. Observed marine fauna include Antarctic krill populations surveyed by CCAMLR initiatives, foraging Adélie penguin colonies noted in nearby areas by British Antarctic Survey teams, and migratory populations of Weddell seal and leopard seal recorded in studies by USAP and University of Tasmania. Phytoplankton blooms linked to upwelling are monitored by NASA and NOAA ocean color studies.

Human activity and stations

There are no permanent civilian settlements on the Walgreen Coast; logistical and scientific operations are supported intermittently by field camps, icebreaker missions such as RV Nathaniel B. Palmer and USCGC Polar Star, and airborne support from VXE-6 and Antarctic Logistics Centre International charters. Research coordination is overseen by bodies including the National Science Foundation, SCAR, and institutional partners like Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory, British Antarctic Survey, and University of Colorado Boulder. Environmental protection and activity protocols are governed under the framework of the Antarctic Treaty and measures endorsed at Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting sessions.

Category:Coasts of Antarctica Category:Marie Byrd Land