Onyx River
| Onyx River | |
|---|---|
Lake Brownworth | |
| • coordinates | 77°25′48″S 162°45′0″E / 77.43000°S 162.75000°E |
| Mouth | Lake Vanda |
• coordinates | 77°33′24″S 161°45′0″E / 77.55667°S 161.75000°E |
| Length | 32 km (20 mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • maximum | 20 cubic metres per second (700 cu ft/s) |
The Onyx River is an
Lake Brownworth at the foot of the glacier to Lake Vanda, during the few months of the Antarctic summer. At 32 kilometres (20 mi) in length, it is the longest river in Antarctica.[1]
Geography
The Onyx River flows away from the ocean, an example of
tributaries, and there are multiple meteorological stations along the length of the river. Flow levels are highly variable, both during the day and between summers, with the river failing to reach the lake some years. In contrast, it can cause significant erosion in flood years, and was rafted in 1984 by New Zealand researchers. At one time, the river's discharge reached 20 cubic metres per second (700 cu ft/s).[2]
Environment
There are no fish in the Onyx River, but it supports
micro-animals (nematodes, tardigrades, and rotifers) live in the river. Skuas are also occasionally present in the area.[3]
Monitoring
The Onyx River is one of the many sites studied by the
Bull Pass
.
Since records have been kept, the Onyx River's flow season has shifted earlier and gotten longer.[4]
See also
References
- ISBN 9780199588671
- ^ [1]. The Antarctic Sun. 27 September 2013. Retrieved 18 April 2015
- JSTOR 1313732.
- ^ . Retrieved 2 March 2022.
External links
- "Antarctica’s longest river", p 16, and "What the flood revealed", pp 15–21, Antarctic Sun, January 26, 2003
- Onyx river and Dry Valleys low altitude aerial videos
- The ground is softening. Something is shifting in Antarctica’s McMurdo Dry Valleys