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44-706: The Thiel Mountains ( 85°15′S 91°00′W  /  85.250°S 91.000°W  / -85.250; -91.000 ) are isolated, mainly snow-capped mountains of the Transantarctic Mountains System, located in the Ellsworth Land region of Antarctica . The mountain range is 45 nautical miles (83 km; 52 mi) long, is located roughly between the Horlick Mountains and the Pensacola Mountains , and extends from Moulton Escarpment on

88-597: A USARP airlifted geophysical traverse along the 88th meridian West. The name was proposed by Thiel and Craddock for Wayne Sonntag, Operations Director at the Geophysical Institute, University of Wisconsin, 1959–61, logistics officer for the airlifted traverse. 84°12′S 86°00′W  /  84.200°S 86.000°W  / -84.200; -86.000 . Several small nunataks and snow hills rising above an otherwise featureless terrain, 50 nautical miles (93 km; 58 mi) northeast of Ford Massif. Observed by

132-561: A bunch of 55-gallon drums of fuel and a Canadian flag." Visitors in December 2011 travelling in a Twin Otter from Union Glacier to the South Pole landed close to Thiel Mountains at 85°12′S 087°52′W  /  85.200°S 87.867°W  / -85.200; -87.867 to refuel on the way. The operator used to fly in fuel barrels, burning one barrel for every four delivered, but now carried

176-562: A party under expedition leader Robert Falcon Scott crossed into East Antarctica at a location now known as Ferrar Glacier , named after the geologist of the expedition. They explored part of Victoria Land on the Antarctic Plateau before returning via the same glacier. In 1908, Ernest Shackleton 's party crossed the mountains through the Beardmore Glacier . Scott returned to that same glacier in 1911, while Roald Amundsen crossed

220-546: A pointed summit, 1,830 metres (6,000 ft) high, which stands in relative isolation, 8 nautical miles (15 km; 9.2 mi) east of Hart Hills and 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi) north-northeast of the Ford Massif. The nunatak was examined and sketched by Edward Thiel in the course of an airlifted seismic traverse along meridian 88°W in the 1959-60 season. Named by US-ACAN after Chief Warrant Officer Gerald Pagano (d.1981), USA, assistant for plans and operations on

264-693: A special Antarctic phenomenon: landscapes that are snow and ice-free due to the extremely limited precipitation and ablation of ice in the valleys. The highest mountain of the TAM is the 4,528 m (14,856 ft) high Mount Kirkpatrick in the Queen Alexandra Range . Penguins, seals, and sea birds live along the Ross Sea coastline in Victoria Land, while life in the interior of the Transantarctic Range

308-562: Is limited to bacteria, lichens , algae , and fungi. Forests once covered Antarctica, including plentiful Wollemi pines and southern beeches . However, with the gradual cooling associated with the break-up of Gondwana , these forests gradually disappeared. It is believed that the last trees on the Antarctic continent were on Transantarctic Mountains. The Transantarctic Mountains were first seen by Captain James Clark Ross in 1841 from

352-656: The British National Antarctic Expedition of 1901-1904. The mountain range stretches between the Ross Sea and the Weddell Sea , the entire width of Antarctica, hence the name. With a total length of about 3,500 km (2,000 mi), the Transantarctic Mountains are one of the longest mountain ranges on Earth. The Antarctandes are even longer, having in common with the Transantarctic Mountains

396-667: The Counts Icefall , which separates it from the Ford Massif to the north. It faces northeast, dropping from the polar plateau. Features from northwest to southeast include Taylor Outlier, Tabor Spur, Elliot Nunatak, Drake Nunatak and King Peak. A small massif extends the escarpment to the south and includes Mount Powell, Mount Walcott, Mount Wrather, Mendenhall Peak, Smith Knob and Nolan Pillar. 85°13′S 90°19′W  /  85.217°S 90.317°W  / -85.217; -90.317 . A relatively isolated rock lying just in front of

440-512: The Pensacola Mountains in 1957. In December 1959, he made airlifted geophysical observations along the 88th meridian West, including work near these mountains. Thiel perished with four others in the crash of a P2V Neptune aircraft soon after take-off from Wilkes Station on November 9, 1961. The Thiel Mountains include the Moulton Escarpment to the northwest, which includes Chastain Peak. To

484-781: The Silurian period and continuing into the Jurassic . In many places, the Beacon Supergroup has been intruded by dikes and sills of Jurassic age Ferrar Dolerite . Many of the fossils found in Antarctica are from locations within these sedimentary formations. Ice from the East Antarctic Ice Sheet flows through the Transantarctic Mountains via a series of outlet glaciers into the Ross Sea, Ross Ice Shelf, and West Antarctic Ice Sheet . These glaciers generally flow perpendicular to

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528-653: The United States Geological Survey (USGS). Bermel was co-leader (with Arthur B. Ford ) of the USGS Thiel Mountains party which surveyed the mountains in 1960–61, and also leader of USGS Topo East and Topo West, 1962–63, in which geodetic control was extended from the area of Cape Hallett to the Wilson Hills (Topo West), and from the foot of Beardmore Glacier through the Horlick Mountains (Topo East). The Bermel Escarpment extends southeast from

572-517: The Antarctic. It was formed by a 2003 takeover of Adventure Network International by Antarctic Logistics & Expeditions. ALE/ANI maintains a fuel cache at Thiel Mountains, which provides fuel for long-distance flights and serves as a backup for Search and Rescue. A 2002 description of the fuel depot near the Thiel Mountains said "the landing strip is a flat area within view of the mountains, marked with black garbage bags filled with snow. There are

616-474: The Davies Escarpment and 14 nautical miles (26 km; 16 mi) southwest of Nolan Pillar , at the south end of the Thiel Mountains. The name was proposed by Peter Bermel and Arthur Ford, co-leaders of the USGS Thiel Mountains party which surveyed the area in 1960-61. Named for Charles R. Lewis, USGS geologist who worked from various U.S. vessels (Wyandot, Glacier and Eastwind) in conducting research in

660-552: The Ford Massif of the Thiel Mountains. Observed by Edward Thiel and Campbell Craddock in the course of an airlifted geophysical traverse along the 88th meridian West, December 13, 1959. The name was proposed by them for Pembroke Hart, National Academy of Sciences staff, member of the technical panel on seismology and gravity on the U.S. National Committee for the IGY. 83°41′S 87°40′W  /  83.683°S 87.667°W  / -83.683; -87.667 . A notable rock nunatak with

704-514: The McMurdo Sound region and in the Balaena Islands during the 1955-56 season. 84°53′S 86°42′W  /  84.883°S 86.700°W  / -84.883; -86.700 . A solitary nunatak located 20 nautical miles (37 km; 23 mi) east-northeast of Hamilton Cliff , Ford Massif. The nunatak was observed on Dec. 13, 1959 by Edward Thiel and Campbell Craddock in the course of

748-568: The Ross Sea. The range is a natural barrier that must be crossed to reach the South Pole from the Ross Ice Shelf . The first crossing of the Transantarctic Mountains took place during the 1902–1904 British National Antarctic Expedition at the Ross Ice Shelf. A reconnaissance party under the command of Albert Armitage reached 2,700 m (8,900 ft) altitude in 1902. The following year,

792-819: The USARP Horlick Mountains Traverse, 1958–59, and by Edward Thiel and Campbell Craddock in the course of an airlifted geophysical traverse, Dec. 13, 1959. The name was proposed by Thiel and Craddock for Prof. Duncan Stewart, geologist, Carleton College, Minnesota, whose writing and interpretation of Antarctic rock samples have contributed to knowledge of the continent. 83°43′S 89°05′W  /  83.717°S 89.083°W  / -83.717; -89.083 . A line of low, mainly snow-covered hills, 4 nautical miles (7.4 km; 4.6 mi) long, trending east-west. The hills are isolated, lying 8 nautical miles (15 km; 9.2 mi) west of Pagano Nunatak and 77 nautical miles (143 km; 89 mi) north of

836-558: The USGS. The names of features in this massif were proposed by Peter Bermel and Arthur Ford, co-leaders of the USGS Thiel Mountains party which surveyed these mountains in 1960-61. 85°21′S 87°56′W  /  85.350°S 87.933°W  / -85.350; -87.933 . A prominent mountain, 2,195 metres (7,201 ft) high, sharing a small massif with King Peak which stands 1.5 nautical miles (2.8 km; 1.7 mi) west-northwest. Named for John Wesley Powell , second director of

880-729: The United States Geological Survey, 1881-94. 85°21′S 87°23′W  /  85.350°S 87.383°W  / -85.350; -87.383 . A mainly ice-free mountain, 2,155 metres (7,070 ft) high, located 2.5 nautical miles (4.6 km; 2.9 mi) east of Mount Powell. Named for Charles Doolittle Walcott , third director of the United States Geological Survey, 1894-1907. 85°21′S 87°18′W  /  85.350°S 87.300°W  / -85.350; -87.300 . A rocky, mostly ice-free peak, 2,090 metres (6,860 ft) high, situated less than 1 nautical mile (1.9 km; 1.2 mi) east of Mount Walcott in

924-625: The United States Geological Survey, 1931-43. 85°25′S 87°15′W  /  85.417°S 87.250°W  / -85.417; -87.250 . A partly snow-covered rock peak, or knob, standing 1 nautical mile (1.9 km; 1.2 mi) south-southeast of Mendenhall Peak. Named for George Otis Smith , fourth director of the United States Geological Survey, 1907-30. 85°27′S 86°52′W  /  85.450°S 86.867°W  / -85.450; -86.867 . A rock pinnacle, 1,940 metres (6,360 ft) high, standing 3 nautical miles (5.6 km; 3.5 mi) southeast of Smith Knob and marking

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968-641: The base of Bermel Escarpment and 1 nautical mile (1.9 km; 1.2 mi) east of Elliott Nunatak. The name was proposed by Arthur Ford and Peter Bermel, co-leaders of the USGS Thiel Mountains party of 1960-61. Named for Avery A. Drake, Jr., USGS geologist aboard the USS Glacier to the Thurston Island and Bellingshausen Sea area, 1960-61. 85°20′S 89°18′W  /  85.333°S 89.300°W  / -85.333; -89.300 . An isolated, low rock peak, 2,060 metres (6,760 ft) high, rising above

1012-402: The center of Bermel Escarpment. The name was proposed by Peter Bermel and Arthur Ford, co-leaders of the USGS Thiel Mountains party that surveyed these mountains in 1960-61. Named for Raymond L. Elliott, geologist with the Thiel Mountains party. 85°17′S 89°20′W  /  85.283°S 89.333°W  / -85.283; -89.333 . A nunatak, 1,935 metres (6,348 ft) high, at

1056-565: The center of Moulton Escarpment, at the W margin of the Thiel Mountains. Surveyed by the USGS Thiel Mountains party, 1960-61. Named by US-ACAN after William W. Chastain, Aviation Structural Mechanic, United States Navy, who lost his life in the crash of a P2V Neptune aircraft soon after takeoff from Wilkes Station, Nov. 9, 1961. 85°32′S 89°48′W  /  85.533°S 89.800°W  / -85.533; -89.800 . An east-facing ice escarpment over 10 nautical miles (19 km; 12 mi) long, located southward of Bermel Escarpment in

1100-401: The continent from Cape Adare in northern Victoria Land to Coats Land . These mountains divide East Antarctica and West Antarctica . They include a number of separately named mountain groups, which are often again subdivided into smaller ranges. The range was first sighted by James Clark Ross in 1841 at what was later named the Ross Ice Shelf in his honour. It was first crossed during

1144-599: The continent, which are mainly volcanic in origin. The range was uplifted during the opening of the West Antarctic Rift System to the east, beginning about 65 million years ago in the early Cenozoic , and soon after became occupied by glaciers. The mountains consist of sedimentary layers lying upon a basement of granites and gneisses . The sedimentary layers include the Beacon Supergroup sandstones , siltstones , and coal deposited beginning in

1188-540: The east extremity of the Bermel Escarpment, 1.5 nautical miles (2.8 km; 1.7 mi) west-northwest of Mount Powell The name was proposed by Peter Bermel and Arthur Ford, co-leaders of the USGS Thiel Mountains party which surveyed these mountains in 1960-61. Named for Clarence King , the first director of the US Geological Survey, 1879-81. Other peaks in the vicinity are named for subsequent directors of

1232-416: The east margin of the Thiel Mountains. Named for William Embry Wrather , sixth director of the United States Geological Survey, 1943-56. 85°24′S 87°19′W  /  85.400°S 87.317°W  / -85.400; -87.317 . A peak, 2,130 metres (6,990 ft) high, 0.5 nautical miles (0.93 km; 0.58 mi) west of Mount Wrather. Named for Walter Curran Mendenhall , fifth director of

1276-583: The eastern portion of the Thiel Mountains. Surveyed by the USGS Thiel Mountains party, 1960-61. Named by US-ACAN for Vincent E. McKelvey, ninth director of the U.S. Geological Survey, 1971-78. During this period numerous USGS geologic and topographic expeditions, for which he had administrative responsibility, were carried out in Antarctica. 85°23′S 87°14′W  /  85.383°S 87.233°W  / -85.383; -87.233 . Rock peak, 2,095 metres (6,873 ft) high, 2.5 nautical miles (4.6 km; 2.9 mi) south-southeast of Mount Walcott along

1320-478: The front of the Bermel Escarpment between Taylor Outlier and Elliott Nunatak. The name was proposed by Peter Bermel and Arthur Ford, co-leaders of the USGS Thiel Mountains party which surveyed these mountains in 1960-61. Named for Rowland Tabor, USGS geologist with the 1961-62 Thiel Mountains party. 85°16′S 89°43′W  /  85.267°S 89.717°W  / -85.267; -89.717 . A large nunatak, 2,165 metres (7,103 ft) high, jutting out from

1364-478: The fuel barrels overland, a much more efficient approach. In addition to the Ford Massif and Bermel Escarpment , there are various smaller features in or near the Thiel Mountains. 85°10′S 94°45′W  /  85.167°S 94.750°W  / -85.167; -94.750 . A rock and ice escarpment, 8 nautical miles (15 km; 9.2 mi) long, in a semi-isolated position about 10 nautical miles (19 km; 12 mi) west of Ford Massif where it forms

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1408-558: The ice divide". These geographic features are likely to have a significant impact on models and calculations related to ice flow through the Transantarctic Mountain region. In geographic order, from the Ross Sea towards the Weddell Sea : Nolan Pillar The Bermel Escarpment was named by the United States Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN) after Peter F. Bermel , a cartographer with

1452-448: The ice surface just south of Bermel Escarpment. The name was proposed by Peter Bermel and Arthur Ford, co-leaders of the USGS Thiel Mountains party which surveyed these mountains in 1960-61. Named for Philip T. Hayes, USGS geologist in the McMurdo Sound dry valley area, 1958-59. 85°21′S 88°12′W  /  85.350°S 88.200°W  / -85.350; -88.200 . A rock peak, 2,200 metres (7,200 ft) high, surmounting

1496-650: The north it contains the Ford Massif . To the southeast is the Bermel Escarpment , the Davies Escarpment and Lewis Nunatak. The Sontag Nunatak is some distance to the north, and the Stewart Hills are yet further north. As of 2009, Adventure Network International/Antarctic Logistics & Expeditions (ANI/ALE) was the only member of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) that provided land-based tourism activities of any extent in

1540-427: The orientation of the range and define subranges and peak groups. It has been thought that many of these outlet glaciers follow the traces of large-scale geologic faults . However, the ice flow theories will be re-evaluated in light of new data from recent ice-penetrating radar surveys which revealed the presence of three previously unknown deep subglacial valleys affecting the "mountainous subglacial topography beneath

1584-629: The range is bounded by the Ross Sea in Victoria Land from Cape Adare to McMurdo Sound , the Ross Ice Shelf from McMurdo Sound to near the Scott Glacier, and the West Antarctic Ice Sheet beyond. The large summits and dry valleys of the TAM are some of the few places in Antarctica not covered by ice, the highest of which rise more than 4,500 metres (14,800 ft) above sea level. The McMurdo Dry Valleys lie near McMurdo Sound and represent

1628-602: The range via the Axel Heiberg Glacier . Much of the range remained unexplored until the late 1940s and 1950s, when missions such as Operation Highjump and the International Geophysical Year (IGY) made extensive use of aerial photography and concentrated on a thorough investigation of the entire continent. The name "Transantarctic Mountains" was first applied to this range in a 1960 paper by geologist Warren B. Hamilton , following his IGY fieldwork. It

1672-724: The ranges from Cape Adare to the Queen Maud Mountains, but extending thence through the Whitmore Mountains and Ellsworth Mountains up the Antarctic Peninsula . The 100–300 km (60–200 mi) wide range forms the boundary between East Antarctica and West Antarctica. The East Antarctic Ice Sheet bounds the TAM along their entire length on the Eastern Hemisphere side, while the Western Hemisphere side of

1716-702: The southern part of the Thiel Mountains. The feature appears to be devoid of rock outcroppings. The name was proposed by Peter Bermel and Arthur Ford, co-leaders of the USGS Thiel Mountains party of 1960-61. Named after William E. Davies, USGS geologist aboard the icebreaker Atka in the Antarctic reconnaissance cruise of 1954-55 in search of station sites for use during the International Geophysical Year. 85°40′S 88°05′W  /  85.667°S 88.083°W  / -85.667; -88.083 . An isolated, mainly snow-covered nunatak located about 10 nautical miles (19 km; 12 mi) southeast of

1760-613: The staff of the Commander, U.S. Naval Support Force, Antarctica, 1960–65; staff member, Center for Polar Archives, National Archives, 1972-81. [REDACTED]  This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Geological Survey . Transantarctic Mountains The Transantarctic Mountains (abbreviated TAM ) comprise a mountain range of uplifted rock (primarily sedimentary ) in Antarctica which extends, with some interruptions, across

1804-590: The west end of the Bermel Escarpment and about 1.5 nautical miles (2.8 km; 1.7 mi) east of the lower part of Counts Icefall. Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1959-61. Named by US-ACAN for Alfred R. Taylor USGS geologist, a member of the United States Antarctic Research Program (USARP) Victoria Land Traverse, 1959-60. 85°15′S 90°14′W  /  85.250°S 90.233°W  / -85.250; -90.233 . A narrow, jagged spur jutting out from

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1848-596: The west to Nolan Pillar on the east. Major components include Ford Massif (2,810 metres (9,220 ft)), Bermel Escarpment and a group of eastern peaks near Nolan Pillar. The Thiel Mountains were observed and first positioned by the United States Antarctic Research Program (USARP) Horlick Mountains Traverse Party, 1958–59. They were surveyed by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Thiel Mountains parties of 1960–61 and 1961–62. They were named by Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN) after Edward C. Thiel , traverse seismologist at Ellsworth Station and

1892-599: The western shoulder of the Thiel Mountains. Surveyed by the USGS Thiel Mountains party, 1960-61. Named by US-ACAN for Kendall N. Moulton of the Division of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation. As program manager of the Foundation's Field Operation Program, Moulton made more than a dozen deployments to Antarctica in the years 1958-77. 85°10′S 94°35′W  /  85.167°S 94.583°W  / -85.167; -94.583 . A peak, 2,255 metres (7,398 ft), near

1936-650: Was subsequently recommended by the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names , a US authority on geographic names, in 1962. This purely descriptive label (in contrast to many other geographic names on Antarctica) is internationally accepted at present. The Leverett Glacier in the Queen Maud Mountains is the planned route through the TAM for the overland supply road between McMurdo Station and Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station . The Transantarctic Mountains are considerably older than other mountain ranges of

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