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Geological Formation

Bentley Subglacial Trench

Structural and Tectonic Formations

The Bentley Subglacial Trench is a vast depression beneath the Antarctic ice sheet in Marie Byrd Land, West Antarctica, reaching 2,555 meters below sea level, making it one of the lowest points on Earth's surface even though it lies under ice rather than open ocean. Geophysical survey expeditions between 1957 and 1959 first mapped the trench, which was named in 1961 for the geophysicist Charles R. Bentley, who led that work. It sits within the Byrd Subglacial Basin, a low lying region associated with the West Antarctic Rift System, and in 2016 researchers detected thermal anomalies beneath both the trench and the nearby Mount Sidley volcano, pointing to ongoing geothermal activity in the area. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Classification
Protected Status
International Treaty Protected Area 1
Connections

Caused By

Erosion, Processes

Wikidata P31 formation-type mapped to formative process Erosion via reviewed judgment map (earth atlas); source citation is this entity's own cited Wikidata item.

Source Wikidata: Bentley Subglacial Trench

In Discipline

Geomorphology, Disciplines

Wikidata P31 formation-type mapped to discipline Geomorphology via reviewed judgment map (earth atlas); source citation is this entity's own cited Wikidata item.

Source Wikidata: Bentley Subglacial Trench
In the Other Atlases

Found In

Antarctica

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Sources
1. Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty: Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty
Secretariat of the Antarctic TreatyArticle 2
Quote, Article 2
It designates Antarctica as a “natural reserve, devoted to peace and science” (Art. 2).
View the Source
Bentley Subglacial Trench (Wikipedia)
Lead section
Quote, Lead section
The Bentley Subglacial Trench is a vast topographic trench in Marie Byrd Land, West Antarctica, 80°S, 115°W. At 2,555 meters (8,382 ft) below sea level, it (along with the deepest points within the adjacent Byrd Subglacial Basin) is among the lowest points on the surface of the Earth not covered by ocean, although it...
View the Source
Wikidata: Bentley Subglacial Trench
Wikidata Q818322, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source
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