Mackay Glacier
glacier in Antarctica

Mackay Glacier (76°58′S 162°0′E) is a large glacier in Victoria Land, descending eastward from the Antarctic Plateau, between the Convoy Range and Clare Range, into the southern part of Granite Harbour. It was discovered by the South magnetic pole party of the British Antarctic Expedition, 1907–09, and named for Alistair Mackay, a member of the party. The glacier's tongue is called Mackay Glacier Tongue.
Its mouth is south of the Evans Piedmont Glacier and the Mawson Glacier.
It is north of the Wilson Piedmont Glacier and the Ferrar Glacier.
Course
The Mackay Glacier forms on the Antarctic Plateau to the south of Gateway Nunatak and the north of Willett Range. It flows east to the north of Detour Nunatak and Pegtop Mountain, which separate it from Frazier Glacier to the south, which flows past the Clare Range further to the south. It is joined by Frazier Glacier to the east of Dome Nunatak and west of Gondola Ridge and Mount Suess.
It is joined by Gran Glacier from the north between Mount Gran in the Convoy Range and Mount Woolnough.
It is joined by Scrivener Glacier east of Mount Wadinough and west of Mount Allen Thomson.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Mackay Glacier” as glacier in Antarctica. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as glacier in Antarctica. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 5, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2404608. Authority coordinates are -76.980, 161.900. 2 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1907.
The absence of detail may reflect summary conventions rather than a lack of surviving documentation. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Mackay Glacier”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Mackay Glacier primary sources, Mackay Glacier archive and Mackay research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Mackay Glacier”?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Mackay Glacier” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.