The sound is largely covered by the George VI Ice Shelf. Ice varies from about 15 miles (24 km) to more than 40 miles (64 km) wide. George VI Sound was discovered by Lincoln Ellsworth who flew over it in 1935. The sound was explored by the British Graham Land Expedition (BGLE) in 1936–37 and by the United States Antarctic Service (USAS) in 1940. The sound was named by John Riddoch Rymill, leader of the BGLE, for George VI, King of the United Kingdom and last Emperor of India.
