Penck Trough is a broad ice-filled valley

Valley

In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...

 trending SW-NE. for about 60 miles (100 km) between Borg Massif

Borg Massif

Borg Massif is a spectacular mountain massif, about long and with summits above , situated along the northwest side of the Penck Trough in Queen Maud Land, East Antarctica. The tallest peak, at , is Hogsaetet Mountain...

 and the northeast part of Kirwan Escarpment

Kirwan Escarpment

Kirwan Escarpment is a prominent northwest-facing escarpment which lies south of the Penck Trough in Queen Maud Land. The escarpment is featured by moderate-height cliffs and prominent rock spurs interspersed with glaciers and steep ice slopes and trends NE-SW for about 90 miles...

, in Queen Maud Land

Queen Maud Land

Queen Maud Land is a c. 2.7 million-square-kilometre region of Antarctica claimed as a dependent territory by Norway. The territory lies between 20° west and 45° east, between the British Antarctic Territory to the west and the Australian Antarctic Territory to the east. The latitudinal...

. Discovered by the Third German Antarctic Expedition (1938–1939), led by Capt. Alfred Ritscher

Alfred Ritscher

Alfred Ritscher was a German polar explorer. A captain in the German Navy, he led the third German Antarctic Expedition in 1938-39, which mapped the New Swabia area of Queen Maud Land. Ritscher Peak and Ritscher Upland there are named for him.-External links:*...

, and named for German geographer Albrecht Penck

Albrecht Penck

Albrecht Penck , was a German geographer and geologist and the father of Walther Penck.Born in Reudnitz near Leipzig, Penck became a university professor in Vienna from 1885 to 1906, and in Berlin from 1906 to 1927. There he was also the director of the Institute and Museum for Oceanography by 1918...

. Maps of the German Antarctic Expedition incorrectly represent this feature with a north-south axis, but it was accurately mapped by the Norwegian-British-Swedish Antarctic Expedition

Norwegian-British-Swedish Antarctic Expedition

Norwegian–British–Swedish Antarctic Expedition the first Antarctica expedition involving an international team of scientists...

 (NBSAE) (1949–1952), led by John Schjelderup Giæver.