The Apocalypse Peaks () are a group of peaks with a highest point of , standing east of
Willett Range
The Willett Range () is the range extending north from Mistake Peak and running for as a high shelf along the edge of the continental ice to the Mackay Glacier, in Victoria Land.
The range is breached by several glaciers flowing east from the p ...
and between
Barwick Valley and
Balham Valley
Balham Valley () is an ice-free valley] between the Insel Range and the Apocalypse Peaks, in Victoria Land, Antarctica.
Name
Balham Valley was named by the Victoria University of Wellington Antarctic Expedition (VUWAE: 1958–59) for R.W. Balha ...
, in
Victoria Land
Victoria Land is a region in eastern Antarctica which fronts the western side of the Ross Sea and the Ross Ice Shelf, extending southward from about 70°30'S to 78th parallel south, 78°00'S, and westward from the Ross Sea to the edge of the Ant ...
, Antarctica.
Name
The Apocalypse Peaks were so named by the
Victoria University of Wellington Antarctic Expedition
The Antarctic Research Centre (ARC) is part of the School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences at Victoria University of Wellington. Its mission is to research " Antarctic climate history and processes, and their influence on the global cl ...
(1958–59) because the peaks are cut by
talus slopes which gives them the appearance of the "
Riders of the Apocalypse."
Location

The Apocalypse Peaks are bounded by the
Barwick Valley to the northeast and the
Balham Valley
Balham Valley () is an ice-free valley] between the Insel Range and the Apocalypse Peaks, in Victoria Land, Antarctica.
Name
Balham Valley was named by the Victoria University of Wellington Antarctic Expedition (VUWAE: 1958–59) for R.W. Balha ...
to the southeast.
The
Willett Range
The Willett Range () is the range extending north from Mistake Peak and running for as a high shelf along the edge of the continental ice to the Mackay Glacier, in Victoria Land.
The range is breached by several glaciers flowing east from the p ...
lies to the west, the
Cruzen Range
The Cruzen Range () is a mountain range that rises to in Vashka Crag and extends west to east for between Salyer Ledge and Nickell Peak in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Victoria Land, Antarctica.
The range is bounded to north, east, south and west ...
(formerly part of the
Clare Range
The Clare Range () is the range extending west-southwest from Sperm Bluff to the Willett Range on the south side of Mackay Glacier, in Victoria Land, Antarctica.
It is south of the Convoy Range and north of the Olympus Range.
Exploration and na ...
) to the north, the
Insel Range
The Insel Range () is a series of ice-free flat-topped peaks resembling islands which rise above the surrounding terrain and separate McKelvey Valley from Balham Valley, in Victoria Land, Antarctica.
It was so named by the Victoria University of ...
to the southeast and the
Olympus Range
The Olympus Range () is a primarily ice-free mountain range of Victoria Land, Antarctica, with peaks over high, between Victoria Valley and McKelvey Valley on the north and Wright Valley on the south.
It is south of the Clare Range and north o ...
to the south.
Southern features
Features of the south of the peaks include, from west to east,
Edbrooke Hill
.
A hill, high, at the extreme west end of the Apocalypse Peaks.
The hill rises high above the adjacent plateau ice, which diverges at the hill to the east-northeast-flowing Haselton Glacier and the east-flowing Huka Kapo Glacier.
Named by
New Zealand Geographic Board
The New Zealand Geographic Board Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa (NZGB) is the authority over geographical and hydrographic names within New Zealand and its territorial waters. This includes the naming of small urban settlements, localities, mounta ...
(NZGB) (2005) after Steven Edbrooke, geologist, New Zealand Geological Survey, who mapped coal measures at Mount Fleming, Shapeless Mountain, and Mount Electra in 1982-83; in upper Wright Valley, Clare Range, and Willett Range, 1992-93.
Huka Kapo Glacier
.
A glacier from the plateau of
Willett Range
The Willett Range () is the range extending north from Mistake Peak and running for as a high shelf along the edge of the continental ice to the Mackay Glacier, in Victoria Land.
The range is breached by several glaciers flowing east from the p ...
.
It flows east, southward of Edbrooke Hill, and terminates nearly midway along the south side of Apocalypse Peaks.
“Huka Kapo” is a Maori word, meaning driving hail, and was applied descriptively to this glacier by the New Zealand Geographic Board in 2005.
Bryan Glacier
.
A glacier that flows south from a divide with
Papitashvili Valley
Barwick Valley () is an ice-free valley north of Apocalypse Peaks, extending from Webb Glacier to Victoria Valley in Victoria Land, Antarctica.
A large part of the valley has been designated an Antarctic Specially Protected Area because of its pr ...
.
Named by the New Zealand Geographic Board (2005) after John Bryan, an Australian coal geologist who led a party in mapping the Permian coal measures at Mount Fleming, Shapeless Mountain, and Mount Electra during one visit in 1982-83.
Rose Crest
.
A summit about high at the south end of Wendler Spur.
The feature stands between the head of
Albert Valley
Barwick Valley () is an ice-free valley north of Apocalypse Peaks, extending from Webb Glacier to Victoria Valley in Victoria Land, Antarctica.
A large part of the valley has been designated an Antarctic Specially Protected Area because of its pr ...
and Papitashvili Valley.
Named by the New Zealand Geographic Board (2005) after Geoffrey (Toby) Rose, leader of a party that investigated coal measures in the Mount Bastion and Sponsors Peak area, 1984-85.
Pūanu Glacier
.
A glacier that occupies the upper portion of Papitashvili Valley.
“Pūanu” is a Maori word, meaning intense cold, and was applied descriptively to this glacier in 2005 by the New Zealand Geographic Board.
Turnbull Peak
.
A peak rising to high at the head of
Hernandez Valley
Barwick Valley () is an ice-free valley north of Apocalypse Peaks, extending from Webb Glacier to Victoria Valley in Victoria Land, Antarctica.
A large part of the valley has been designated an Antarctic Specially Protected Area because of its pr ...
.
Named by the New Zealand Geographic Board (NZGB) (2005) after Ian Turnbull, an Institute of Geology and Nuclear Sciences geologist, who was a member of geology mapping parties at
Asgard Range
The Asgard Range () is a mountain range in Victoria Land, Antarctica.
It divides Wright Valley from Taylor Glacier and Taylor Valley.
It is south of the Olympus Range and north of the Quartermain Mountains and the Kukri Hills.
Name
The Asga ...
,
Victoria Valley
Victoria Valley () is an extensive ice-free valley, formerly occupied by a large glacier, extending from Victoria Upper Glacier to Victoria Lower Glacier in Victoria Land, Antarctica.
It is one of the larger McMurdo Dry Valleys.
Name
Victoria V ...
,
Saint Johns Range
Saint Johns Range () is a crescent-shaped mountain range about long, in Victoria Land, Antarctica.
It is bounded on the north by the Cotton Glacier, Miller Glacier and Debenham Glacier, and on the south by Victoria Valley and the Victoria Upper G ...
, and at the
Mackay Glacier
Mackay Glacier () is a large glacier in Victoria Land, descending eastward from the Antarctic Plateau, between the Convoy Range and Clare Range, into the southern part of Granite Harbour. It was discovered by the South magnetic pole party of the B ...
and
Wilson Piedmont Glacier
Wilson Piedmont Glacier () is a large piedmont glacier extending from Granite Harbour to Marble Point on the coast of Victoria Land.
Discovery and name
The Wilson Piedmont Glacier was discovered by the ''Discovery'' expedition, 1901–1904. ...
areas in several field seasons 1988-89 to 1997-98.
Northern features
Features of the north of the peaks include, from west to east,
Mount Dragovan
.
The highest summit in Apocalypse Peaks, rising to high west of Wreath Valley in the west part of the group.
Named by Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN) (2005) after astronomer Mark W. Dragovan, who (1986) collaborated with Yerkes engineer Robert J. Pernic to build a telescope to observe the early formation of structure in the universe; nine field seasons at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station Center for Astrophysical Research in Antarctica, 1988-2000.
Lazzara Ledge
.
A flat-topped ridge rising to high northeast of Mount Dragovan.
The ledge comprises the central part of the divide between Haselton Glacier and Wreath Valley.
Named by US-ACAN (2005) after Matthew A. Lazzara of the United States Antarctic Project (USAP) Antarctic Meteorological Research Center field team, who worked in the McMurdo Station area and at other Antarctic locations in eight summer seasons, 1994-2004.
Wreath Valley
.
An ice-free valley between Lazzara Ledge and Conway Peak.
It is the westmost in a group of four aligned hanging valleys.
So named by US-ACAN (2005) from an ice and rock formation on the valley headwall, which is wreathlike in appearance and visible from a great distance.
Conway Peak
.
An ice-free peak which rises to high between the foot of Wreath Valley and Albert Valley.
Named by Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN) (2005) after Maurice Conway of Thames, New Zealand; field guide in eight summer seasons for German expeditions to Victoria Land, Marie Byrd Land, and Queen Maud Land, 1979-2000; field guide/technician in six seasons, 1997-2004, for United States Antarctic Project (USAP) at Roosevelt Island and west Marie Byrd Land ice streams.
Wendler Spur
.
A rock spur that descends north between
Albert Valley
Barwick Valley () is an ice-free valley north of Apocalypse Peaks, extending from Webb Glacier to Victoria Valley in Victoria Land, Antarctica.
A large part of the valley has been designated an Antarctic Specially Protected Area because of its pr ...
and
Papitashvili Valley
Barwick Valley () is an ice-free valley north of Apocalypse Peaks, extending from Webb Glacier to Victoria Valley in Victoria Land, Antarctica.
A large part of the valley has been designated an Antarctic Specially Protected Area because of its pr ...
.
Named by US-ACAN (2005) after Gerd Wendler, Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK; a USAP member in an international collaboration (France, Australia, United States) to study katabatic winds and their interaction with sea ice at Adélie Coast and George V Coast; several field seasons 1979-2001.
Besson Spur
.
A rock spur that descends north between
Papitashvili Valley
Barwick Valley () is an ice-free valley north of Apocalypse Peaks, extending from Webb Glacier to Victoria Valley in Victoria Land, Antarctica.
A large part of the valley has been designated an Antarctic Specially Protected Area because of its pr ...
and
Hernandez Valley
Barwick Valley () is an ice-free valley north of Apocalypse Peaks, extending from Webb Glacier to Victoria Valley in Victoria Land, Antarctica.
A large part of the valley has been designated an Antarctic Specially Protected Area because of its pr ...
.
Named by Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN) (2005) after David Z. Besson, Physics Department, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS; AMANDA and related research at Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station; eight field seasons 1997-2004.
References
Sources
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Mountains of Victoria Land
Pennell Coast
{{VictoriaLand-geo-stub