The Neptune Range (83°30′S 056°00′W / 83.500°S 56.000°W / -83.500; -56.000 (Neptune Range)) is a mountain range, 70 nautical miles (130 km; 81 mi) long, lying west-southwest of Forrestal Range in the central part of the Pensacola Mountains, Antarctica. The range comprises Washington Escarpment with its associated ridges, valleys and peaks, the Iroquois Plateau, the Schmidt and the Williams Hills.[1]

Neptune Range
Neptune Range is located in Antarctica
Neptune Range
Location in Antarctica
Highest point
Elevation1,975 m (6,480 ft) Edit this on Wikidata
Geography
Range coordinates83°30′S 056°00′W / 83.500°S 56.000°W / -83.500; -56.000 (Neptune Range)
Parent rangePensacola Mountains

Exploration and name

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The Neptune Range was discovered and photographed on 13 January 1956 on a United States Navy transcontinental plane flight from McMurdo Sound to Weddell Sea and return. It was named by United States US-ACAN after the Navy P2V-2N "Neptune" aircraft with which this flight was made. The entire Pensacola Mountains were mapped by United States Geological Survey (USGS) in 1967 and 1968 from ground surveys and United States Navy tricamera aerial photographs taken in 1964.[1]

Location

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Spanley Rocks in extreme north, south margin of map
 
Northern part of the range
 
Southern tip of range in northwest of map

The Neptune Range runs from south to north to the east if the Foundation Ice Stream. Childs Glacier flows west from the range to join the ice stream, The Academy Glacier flows northwest between the Patuxent Range and the southern tip of the Neptune Range to join the ice stream. The Cordiner Peaks are to the north. The Iroquois Plateau and the Median Snowfield are to the east.[2][3]

Glaciers

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Peaks

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Peaks over 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) high include:

Mountain m ft coord
Mount Hawkes 1,975 6,480 83°55′S 56°5′W / 83.917°S 56.083°W / -83.917; -56.083 (Mount Hawkes)
Gambacorta Peak 1,840 6,037 84°2′S 56°3′W / 84.033°S 56.050°W / -84.033; -56.050 (Gambacorta Peak)
Mount Dover 1,645 5,397 83°46′S 55°50′W / 83.767°S 55.833°W / -83.767; -55.833 (Mount Dover)
Nelson Peak 1,605 5,266 83°40′S 55°3′W / 83.667°S 55.050°W / -83.667; -55.050 (Nelson Peak)
Mount Kaschak 1,580 5,184 84°02′S 56°40′W / 84.033°S 56.667°W / -84.033; -56.667 (Mount Kaschak)
Mount Feldkotter 1,510 4,954 84°06′S 56°06′W / 84.100°S 56.100°W / -84.100; -56.100 (Mount Feldkotter)

Washington Escarpment

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83°42′S 55°08′W / 83.700°S 55.133°W / -83.700; -55.133 (Washington Escarpment). The major west-facing escarpment of the Neptune Range, extending some 50 nautical miles (93 km; 58 mi) and being the point of origin of a number of west-trending rock ridges. Mapped by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) from surveys and United States Navy air photographs in 1956-66. Named by the United States Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN) for the University of Washington at Seattle. Several members of the Neptune Range field party of 1963-64 attended this university.[7]

Features, from north to south, include

Other features

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References

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  1. ^ a b Alberts 1995, p. 521.
  2. ^ Schmidt Hills USGS.
  3. ^ Gambacorta Peak USGS.
  4. ^ Alberts 1995, p. 254.
  5. ^ Alberts 1995, p. 133.
  6. ^ Alberts 1995, p. 2.
  7. ^ Alberts 1995, p. 796.
  8. ^ Alberts 1995, p. 498.
  9. ^ Alberts 1995, p. 520.
  10. ^ Alberts 1995, p. 197.
  11. ^ Alberts 1995, p. 319, Hawkes, Mount.
  12. ^ Alberts 1995, p. 267.
  13. ^ Alberts 1995, p. 654.
  14. ^ Alberts 1995, p. 815.
  15. ^ Alberts 1995, p. 753.
  16. ^ Alberts 1995, p. 363.

Sources

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  • Alberts, Fred G., ed. (1995), Geographic Names of the Antarctic (PDF) (2 ed.), United States Board on Geographic Names, retrieved 2023-12-03   This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Board on Geographic Names.
  • Gambacorta Peak, USGS: United States Geological Survey, retrieved 2024-03-18
  • Schmidt Hills, USGS: United States Geological Survey, retrieved 2024-03-18