Name StatusOfficial ValidatedFeatureGlacierNZ Gazette Reference2012 (53) p.1477DatumRSRGD2000GeoTag[1] PositionDescriptionA major alpine glacier, 25 miles long between the Fry and Mackay Glaciers, reaching the coast on the north side of Granite Harbour. It rises from a snow divide with the Gran Glacier and flows east, draining the north slopes of Mts Woolnough and Morrison. Near Black Pudding this stream becomes very thin and is joined by ice flowing from a broad nerve between Razorback and Mt Nespelen. This at present constitutes the major stream. After losing a large distributary, the Hunt Glacier, south of Mt Perserverence, the Benson Glacier descends steeply into a narrow valley, turns south at Tiger Island and reaches sea level where it forms a floating tongue that merges near Lion Island with the distributary Hunt Glacier. Surveyed in October by the Northern Survey Party of the NZTAE, 1956-58, and named by them after the late Professor W N Benson, formerly Professor of Geology at the University of Otago, whose publications included at major contribution to the petrology of Victoria Land.
