Alexandra Mountains
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The Alexandra Mountains () are a group of low, separated mountains in the north portion of
Edward VII Peninsula King Edward VII Land or King Edward VII Peninsula is a large, ice-covered peninsula which forms the northwestern extremity of Marie Byrd Land in Antarctica. The peninsula projects into the Ross Sea between Sulzberger Bay and the northeast corner ...
, just southwest of Sulzberger Bay in
Marie Byrd Land Marie Byrd Land (MBL) is an unclaimed region of Antarctica. With an area of , it is the largest unclaimed territory on Earth. It was named after the wife of American naval officer Richard E. Byrd, who explored the region in the early 20th centu ...
, Antarctica.


Discovery and name

The Alexandra Mountains were discovered in January–February 1902 by the
British National Antarctic Expedition The ''Discovery'' Expedition of 1901–1904, known officially as the British National Antarctic Expedition, was the first official British exploration of the Antarctic regions since the voyage of James Clark Ross sixty years earlier (1839–1 ...
(BrNAE) during an exploratory cruise of the ''
Discovery Discovery may refer to: * Discovery (observation), observing or finding something unknown * Discovery (fiction), a character's learning something unknown * Discovery (law), a process in courts of law relating to evidence Discovery, The Discovery ...
'' along the
Ross Ice Shelf The Ross Ice Shelf is the largest ice shelf of Antarctica (, an area of roughly and about across: about the size of France). It is several hundred metres thick. The nearly vertical ice front to the open sea is more than long, and between high ...
. They were named for
Alexandra of Denmark Alexandra of Denmark (Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia; 1 December 1844 – 20 November 1925) was List of British royal consorts, queen-consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 22 Januar ...
, then Queen of the United Kingdom.


Location

The Alexandra Mountains are on the north side of the
Edward VII Peninsula King Edward VII Land or King Edward VII Peninsula is a large, ice-covered peninsula which forms the northwestern extremity of Marie Byrd Land in Antarctica. The peninsula projects into the Ross Sea between Sulzberger Bay and the northeast corner ...
, to the north of the Rockefeller Mountains. They lie on both sides of the Butler Glacier, which flows from west to east, then turns north to enter Sulzberger Bay. Other glaciers include Cumbie Glacier, flowing from Mount Youngman, Larson Glacier, which feeds Butler Glacier, Dalton Glacier to the west and Blades Glacier to the south. Northern features, from northwest to southeast, include Scott Nunataks, Mount Youngman, Sneddon Nunataks and Mount Swadener. Southern features include Clark Peak, La Gorce Peak, Bowman Peak, Mount Manger and Mount Josephine.


Northern features


Scott Nunataks

. Conspicuous twin elevations which form the north end of the Alexandra Mountains on Edward VII Peninsula. Discovered in 1902 by the BrNAE under Captain
Robert Falcon Scott Captain Robert Falcon Scott (6 June 1868 – ) was a British Royal Navy officer and explorer who led two expeditions to the Antarctic regions: the Discovery Expedition, ''Discovery'' expedition of 1901–04 and the Terra Nova Expedition ...
, Royal Navy. Named after Scott by Lieutenant K. Prestrud, leader of the Eastern Sledge Party of Amundsen's Norwegian expedition who ascended the features while exploring Edward VII Peninsula in 1911.


Mount Youngman

. A snow-covered coastal mountain high, southeast of Scott Nunataks. It stands at the head of Cumbie Glacier and overlooks Swinburne Ice Shelf and Sulzberger Bay which are just northward. Mapped by the
United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), founded as the Geological Survey, is an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. The agency was founded on Mar ...
(USGS) from surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1964–66. Named by the United States
Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names The Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (ACAN or US-ACAN) is an advisory committee of the United States Board on Geographic Names responsible for recommending commemorative names for features in Antarctica. History The committee was established ...
(US-ACAN) for Captain Samuel A. Youngman, United States Navy, medical officer on the staff of the Commander, United States Naval Support Force, Antarctica, during Operation Deep Freeze 1969 and 1970.


Sneddon Nunataks

. A group of coastal nunataks on the north side of Edward VII Peninsula which overlooks the Swinburne Ice Shelf and Sulzberger Bay. They stand east-southeast of Scott Nunataks in the north part of Alexandra Mountains. The nunataks appear on the map of the
Byrd Antarctic Expedition Richard Evelyn Byrd Jr. (October 25, 1888 – March 11, 1957) was an United States Navy, American naval officer, and pioneering aviator, polar explorer, and organizer of polar logistics. Aircraft flights in which he served as a navigator and e ...
(ByrdAE), 1928–30. Named by US-ACAN for Donald L. Sneddon, United States Navy, electronics technician with the Byrd Station winter party in 1967.


Mount Swadener

. A peak in the Sneddon Nunataks, in the north portion of the Alexandra Mountains. Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1959–66. Named by US-ACAN for Lieutenant John R. Swadener, United States Navy, navigator of the ski-equipped R4D in which R. Admiral George Dufek made the first aircraft landing at the geographic South Pole, on October 31, 1956.


Southern features


Clark Peak

. A rock peak high surmounting a bluff on the west side of Larson Glacier in northern Edward VII Peninsula. Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy aerial photographs, 1964–67. Named by US-ACAN for Leroy Clark, member of the winter party of the Byrd Antarctic Expedition, 1933–35.


La Gorce Peak

. Prominent summit southwest of Mount Josephine, standing at the south end and marking the highest peak in the Alexandra Mountains. Discovered in February 1929 by the ByrdAE, and named by Byrd for John Oliver La Gorce.


Balsley Peak

A distinctive peak, about high, located southeast of LaGorce Peak. Named by Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN) (2004) after James R. Balsley, U.S. Geological Survey, who conducted airborne magnetometer near this peak during United States Navy
Operation Highjump Operation HIGHJUMP, officially titled The United States Navy Antarctic Developments Program, 1946–1947, (also called Task Force 68), was a United States Navy (USN) operation to establish the Antarctic research base Little America (exploration b ...
, 1946–47. Later he was Chief, Branch of Geophysics, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).


Bowman Peak

. Peak on the south side of Butler Glacier, in the Alexandra Mountains. Discovered by the ByrdAE in 1929 and named for John McEntee Bowman, president of the Bowman Biltmore Hotels Corporation, who donated headquarters for the preparation of the expedition.


Mount Manger

. A snow-covered mountain located northwest of Mount Josephine. The mountain was photographed from the air and roughly mapped by the ByrdAE, 1928–30. Named by US-ACAN (at the suggestion of Rear Admiral
Richard E. Byrd Richard Evelyn Byrd Jr. (October 25, 1888 – March 11, 1957) was an American naval officer, and pioneering aviator, polar explorer, and organizer of polar logistics. Aircraft flights in which he served as a navigator and expedition leader cr ...
) for William Manger, of the family that owned the Manger Hotel chain, who assisted Byrd expeditions by providing free room for office space and for expedition personnel.


Mount Josephine

. Peak marked by prominent rock outcrops, southeast of Bowman Peak. Discovered by Rear Admiral Byrd while on the ByrdAE Eastern Flight of December 5, 1929, and named by him during the ByrdAE (1933–35) for Josephine Clay Ford, daughter of
Edsel Ford Edsel Bryant Ford (November 6, 1893 – May 26, 1943) was an American business executive and philanthropist, who was the only child of pioneering industrialist Henry Ford and his wife, Clara Jane Bryant Ford. He was the president of Ford Motor C ...
, contributor to both expeditions.


References


Sources

* * * *{{Include-USGov , agency=United States Geological Survey Mountain ranges of Antarctica Mountains of King Edward VII Land