page_title: Walgreen Coast
hierarchical_section_title: Walgreen Coast
caption_attribution_description: English: Pine Island Bay is tucked into a corner of the West Antarctic’s Walgreen Coast. The bay, which opens to the Amundsen Sea, is typically filled with sea ice at this time of year, but when this image was taken, the bay was largely ice-free. Acquired at the end of the Antarctic summer, the image is illuminated by fairly low-angled sunlight, which highlights raised and textured areas, including ice-covered peninsulas and the corrugated surface of iceberg B-22A. B-22A broke from the Mertz Glacier Tongue several thousand miles to the west; it may be grounded on a submarine shoal. Northwest of the iceberg is a combination of sea ice and grounded icebergs. This sea ice/iceberg feature has been larger in recent Antarctic summers than it appears in this image. The coast of Antarctica not only has sea ice that comes and goes from year to year, but also longer-lasting ice shelves (thick slabs of ice attached to the coastline that partially float on the ocean surface). Among the ice shelves on the Walgreen Coast is Dotson Ice Shelf. Although most of the surface appears smooth, several long cracks appear to trace the leading edge of the shelf, hinting that the margin may calve some long, narrow icebergs in coming summers. The presence or absence of sea ice affects both ocean surface waters and ice shelves. Thanks to its light colour, sea ice reflects much of the Sun’s energy back into space, keeping underlying ocean waters cool. Without a cover of sea ice, the surface waters of the ocean warm. The exposure to sunlight also makes it possible for phytoplankton to bloom. West of the line of grounded icebergs, the ice floating in the Amundsen Sea takes on a greenish colour; this may be due to phytoplankton or algae. When it comes to ice shelves, a sea-ice cap on the ocean surface dampens wave energy that might otherwise trigger ice-shelf retreat.
context_page_description: The Walgreen Coast is a portion of the coast of Antarctica between Cape Herlacher and Cape Waite, or between Eights Coast on the east and Bakutis Coast in the west. It extends from 103°24'W to 114°12'Wto. It was discovered by Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd and members of the US Antarctic Service by flights from the USS Bear during February 1940.
  The Walgreen Coast was named by Byrd after Charles R. Walgreen, president of the retail company Walgreens at the time, who was a funder of the Byrd Antarctic Expedition, 1933–35, and assisted in equipping the Bear for the USAS, 1939–41. This coast was mapped in detail by the United States Geological Survey from ground surveys and U.S. Navy air photographs, 1959–66.
context_section_description: The Walgreen Coast (75°30′S 107°0′W) is a portion of the coast of Antarctica between Cape Herlacher and Cape Waite, or between Eights Coast on the east and Bakutis Coast in the west.  It extends from 103°24'W to 114°12'Wto . It was discovered by Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd and members of the US Antarctic Service (USAS) by flights from the USS Bear during February 1940.
  The Walgreen Coast was named by Byrd after Charles R. Walgreen, president of the retail company Walgreens at the time, who was a funder of the Byrd Antarctic Expedition, 1933–35, and assisted in equipping the Bear for the USAS, 1939–41. This coast was mapped in detail by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) from ground surveys and U.S. Navy air photographs, 1959–66.
   This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Geological Survey document: "Walgreen Coast". (content from the Geographic Names Information System) 
caption: Satellite image of the Walgreen Coast.
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