Next to the gargantuan Airdevronsix icefall is located one more giant icefall – the 920 m wide and 400 m tall Warren icefall.

Just like Airdevonsrix icefall, Warren icefall has formed in a location where the giant East Antarctic ice sheet pours (because ice is slow-flowing liquid) in McMurdo Dry Valleys. Here a dolerite sill (intrusion of sturdy rocks) in the Jurassic period broke through the Devonian – Triassic sandstone. This hard rock resists to the force of glaciers and as a result, has formed this giant step with 400 m tall, vertical wall.

Upper rim of falls is at the height of 1,550 m above the sea level. Lower reaches of icefall are not even but in general are some 1150 above the sea level – thus the assumed height of icefall is approximately 400 m.

Airdevronsix icefalls together with Warren falls form one of the most magnificent sights on our planet.

Images

• GigaPan image by Zbigniew Malolepszy, 2010. Warren Icefall is seen in the left side.

References

1. Jackie Grom, Ancient Ecosystem Discovered Beneath Antarctic Glacier. Science, April 16, 2009.

Warren Icefall on the map

Location, GPS coordinates:	77.5567 S 160.4328 E
Categories:	Waterfalls
Values:	Geology, Visual
Rating:
Where is located?	Antarctic and Sub-antarctic region, Antarctica, East Antarctica, Victoria Land, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Wright Valley, Wright Upper Glacier, to the south-east from Airdevronsix icefall between Mt. Fleming and Mt. Baldr
Height:	˜ 400 m
Width:	˜ 920 m
Glacier:	Wright Upper Glacier

Landmarks of Antarctica

Antarctica is unusual continent, little known to general people and comparatively little investigated. Here are missing numerous kinds of landmarks common in all other continents of the world – but this is compensated by several kinds of landmarks unique to Antarctica.

Waterfalls and rapids

Some of the most fascinating and awe inspiring natural monuments are waterfalls, or locations where a river abruptly changes its elevation.