The Sentinel Range is a major mountain range situated northward of Minnesota Glacier and forming the northern half of the Ellsworth Mountains in Antarctica. The range trends NNW-SSE for about 185 km (115 mi) and is 24 to 48 km (15 to 30 mi) wide. Many peaks rise over 4,000 m (13,100 ft) and Vinson Massif (4892 m) in the southern part of the range is the highest elevation on the continent.[1][2]

Sentinel Range
Sentinel Range
Highest point
PeakMount Vinson
Elevation4,892 m (16,050 ft)
Coordinates78°31′31.74″S 85°37′01.73″W / 78.5254833°S 85.6171472°W / -78.5254833; -85.6171472
Dimensions
Length185 km (115 mi) NNW-SSE
Width48 km (30 mi)
Geography
Location of Sentinel Range in Western Antarctica
ContinentAntarctica
RegionEllsworth Land
Range coordinates78°10′S 85°30′W / 78.167°S 85.500°W / -78.167; -85.500
Parent rangeEllsworth Mountains
Borders onHeritage Range

Sentinel Range comprises a main ridge (featuring Vinson Massif in its southern portion) and a number of distinct heights, ridges and mountains on its east side, including (south to north) Owen Ridge, Petvar Heights, Doyran Heights, Veregava Ridge, Flowers Hills, Sullivan Heights, Barnes Ridge, Maglenik Heights, Probuda Ridge, Bangey Heights, Sostra Heights and Gromshin Heights. It is separated from Bastien Range to the southwest by Nimitz Glacier, and from Heritage Range to the south by lower Minnesota Glacier.

The range was first sighted and photographed from the air on November 23, 1935, by Lincoln Ellsworth who in naming it recognized its prominent position as a landmark on an otherwise featureless ice surface. The range was first visited and partially surveyed in January 1958 during the Sentinel Mountains Traverse led by Charles R. Bentley. The entire range was subsequently mapped by USGS from aerial photography taken by the U.S. Navy, 1958-61.[1][2]

Key mountains and peaks edit


Mountain Metres Feet Coordinates
Mount Vinson 4,892 16,050 78°31′31.74″S 85°37′1.73″W / 78.5254833°S 85.6171472°W / -78.5254833; -85.6171472
Mount Tyree 4,852 15,919 78°24′42″S 85°51′43″W / 78.41167°S 85.86194°W / -78.41167; -85.86194
Clinch Peak 4,841 15,883 78°32′08″S 85°30′45″W / 78.53556°S 85.51250°W / -78.53556; -85.51250
Corbet Peak 4,822 15,820 78°31′31″S 85°32′50″W / 78.52528°S 85.54722°W / -78.52528; -85.54722
Schoening Peak 4,743 15,561 78°31′36″S 85°27′57″W / 78.52667°S 85.46583°W / -78.52667; -85.46583
Hollister Peak 4,729 15,515 78°32′43″S 85°35′19″W / 78.54528°S 85.58861°W / -78.54528; -85.58861
Príncipe de Asturias Peak 4,680 15,354 78°32′50″S 85°42′32″W / 78.54722°S 85.70889°W / -78.54722; -85.70889
Mount Shinn 4,660 15,289 78°27′S 85°46′W / 78.450°S 85.767°W / -78.450; -85.767
Fukushima Peak 4,634 15,203 78°33′31″S 85°34′16″W / 78.55861°S 85.57111°W / -78.55861; -85.57111
Marts Peak 4,551 14,931 78°32′18″S 85°24′07″W / 78.53833°S 85.40194°W / -78.53833; -85.40194
Branscomb Peak 4,520 14,829 78°30′57″S 85°41′44″W / 78.51583°S 85.69556°W / -78.51583; -85.69556
Opalchenie Peak 4,503.5 14,775 78°34′02″S 85°34′53″W / 78.56722°S 85.58139°W / -78.56722; -85.58139
Mount Rutford 4,477 14,688 78°36′S 85°18′W / 78.600°S 85.300°W / -78.600; -85.300
Mount Craddock 4,368 14,331 78°38′S 85°12′W / 78.633°S 85.200°W / -78.633; -85.200
Mount Anderson 4,254 13,957 78°09′S 86°13′W / 78.150°S 86.217°W / -78.150; -86.217
Mount Bentley 4,245 13,927 78°07′S 86°14′W / 78.117°S 86.233°W / -78.117; -86.233
Mount Ostenso 4,180 13,714 78°18′S 86°11′W / 78.300°S 86.183°W / -78.300; -86.183
Peak 4111 4,160 13,648 78°13′S 86°08′W / 78.217°S 86.133°W / -78.217; -86.133
Mount Giovinetto 4,090 13,419 78°16′S 86°10′W / 78.267°S 86.167°W / -78.267; -86.167
Evans Peak 3,950 12,959 78°17′S 85°58′W / 78.283°S 85.967°W / -78.283; -85.967
Mount Goldthwait 3,815 12,516 77°59′S 86°03′W / 77.983°S 86.050°W / -77.983; -86.050
Mount Davis 3,800 12,467 78°06′S 86°15′W / 78.100°S 86.250°W / -78.100; -86.250
Mount Press 3,760 12,336 78°09′18″S 85°59′45″W / 78.15500°S 85.99583°W / -78.15500; -85.99583
Mount Viets 3,600 11,811 78°15′S 86°06′W / 78.250°S 86.100°W / -78.250; -86.100
Mount Todd 3,600 11,811 78°05′39″S 85°52′39″W / 78.09417°S 85.87750°W / -78.09417; -85.87750
Mount Dalrymple 3,600 11,811 77°56′S 86°03′W / 77.933°S 86.050°W / -77.933; -86.050
Mount Hale 3,595 11,795 78°04′S 86°19′W / 78.067°S 86.317°W / -78.067; -86.317
Mount Tuck 3,560 11,680 78°29′S 84°50′W / 78.483°S 84.833°W / -78.483; -84.833
Mount Slaughter 3,444 11,299 78°37′S 85°38′W / 78.617°S 85.633°W / -78.617; -85.633
Knutzen Peak 3,373 11,066 78°29′47″S 85°56′35″W / 78.49639°S 85.94306°W / -78.49639; -85.94306
Eyer Peak 3,368 11,050 78°09′S 86°00′W / 78.150°S 86.000°W / -78.150; -86.000
Mount Atkinson 3,300 10,827 78°39′S 85°29′W / 78.650°S 85.483°W / -78.650; -85.483
Mount Allen 3,248 10,656 78°41′46″S 85°01′10″W / 78.69611°S 85.01944°W / -78.69611; -85.01944
Mount Alf 3,200 10,499 77°55′S 86°07′W / 77.917°S 86.117°W / -77.917; -86.117
Mount Waldron 3,100 10,171 78°27′S 84°53′W / 78.450°S 84.883°W / -78.450; -84.883
Mount Milton 3,000 9,843 78°48′S 84°48′W / 78.800°S 84.800°W / -78.800; -84.800
Vanand Peak 3,000 9,843 78°29′S 85°18′W / 78.483°S 85.300°W / -78.483; -85.300

Maps edit

  • Vinson Massif. Scale 1:250 000 topographic map. Reston, Virginia: US Geological Survey, 1988.
  • Newcomer Glacier. Scale 1:250 000 topographic map. Reston, Virginia: US Geological Survey, 1961.
  • Antarctic Digital Database (ADD). Scale 1:250000 topographic map of Antarctica. Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). Since 1993, regularly updated.

Features edit

Geographical features include:

Bangey Heights edit

78°02′30″S 85°34′00″W / 78.04167°S 85.56667°W / -78.04167; -85.56667 (Bangey Heights)

Bastien Range edit

78°50′S 086°00′W / 78.833°S 86.000°W / -78.833; -86.000 (Bastien Range)

  • Ereta Peak
  • Mount Klayn
  • Mount Fisek
  • Wild Knoll
  • Patmos Peak
  • Bergison Peak
  • O'Neal Nunataks
  • Camp Hills

Doyran Heights edit

78°32′30″S 84°37′00″W / 78.54167°S 84.61667°W / -78.54167; -84.61667 (Doyran Heights)

Flowers Hills edit

78°24′S 84°10′W / 78.400°S 84.167°W / -78.400; -84.167 (Flowers Hills)

Gromshin Heights edit

77°38′00″S 85°46′00″W / 77.63333°S 85.76667°W / -77.63333; -85.76667 (Gromshin Heights)

Maglenik Heights edit

78°10′00″S 85°14′00″W / 78.16667°S 85.23333°W / -78.16667; -85.23333 (Maglenik Heights)

Owen Ridge edit

79°50′S 84°50′W / 79.833°S 84.833°W / -79.833; -84.833 (Owen Ridge)

Petvar Heights edit

78°46′30″S 84°20′20″W / 78.77500°S 84.33889°W / -78.77500; -84.33889 (Petvar Heights)

Sostra Heights edit

77°53′00″S 85°28′00″W / 77.88333°S 85.46667°W / -77.88333; -85.46667 (Sostra Heights)

Sullivan Heights edit

78°19′S 85°3′W / 78.317°S 85.050°W / -78.317; -85.050 (Sullivan Heights)

Veregava Ridge edit

78°26′30″S 84°55′00″W / 78.44167°S 84.91667°W / -78.44167; -84.91667 (Veregava Ridge)

Other features edit

Further reading edit

External links edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Sentinel Range". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 3 November 2004.
  2. ^ a b Sentinel Range. SCAR Composite Antarctic Gazetteer.

  This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Geological Survey.