Colwell Massif
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The Colwell Massif () is a rugged rock
massif A massif () is a principal mountain mass, such as a compact portion of a mountain range, containing one or more summits (e.g. France's Massif Central). In mountaineering literature, ''massif'' is frequently used to denote the main mass of an ...
, about long, rising to between
Palais Glacier Ferrar Glacier ()is a glacier in Antarctica. It is about long, flowing from the plateau of Victoria Land west of the Royal Society Range to New Harbour (Antarctica), New Harbour in McMurdo Sound. The glacier makes a right (east) turn northeast o ...
,
Ferrar Glacier Ferrar Glacier ()is a glacier in Antarctica. It is about long, flowing from the plateau of Victoria Land west of the Royal Society Range to New Harbour in McMurdo Sound. The glacier makes a right (east) turn northeast of Knobhead, where it whe ...
, and
Rotunda Glacier Ferrar Glacier ()is a glacier in Antarctica. It is about long, flowing from the plateau of Victoria Land west of the Royal Society Range to New Harbour in McMurdo Sound. The glacier makes a right (east) turn northeast of Knobhead, where it whe ...
, in the
Royal Society Range The Royal Society Range () is a majestic range of mountains in Victoria Land, Antarctica, rising to along the west shore of McMurdo Sound between the Koettlitz, Skelton and Ferrar Glaciers. They are south of the Kukri Hills, southeast of the Q ...
, Victoria Land, Antarctica.


Name

The Colwell Massif was 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) in 1994 after
Rita R. Colwell Rita Rossi Colwell (born November 23, 1934) is an American environmental microbiologist and scientific administrator. Colwell holds degrees in bacteriology, genetics, and oceanography and studies infectious diseases. Colwell is the founder and C ...
, marine microbiologist who has conducted field research in Antarctica; member of
National Science Board The National Science Board (NSB) of the United States establishes the policies of the National Science Foundation (NSF) within the framework of applicable national policies set forth by the President of the United States, president and the United ...
(1983–90) who chaired Presidential committee on
National Science Foundation The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) is an Independent agencies of the United States government#Examples of independent agencies, independent agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that su ...
roles in the polar regions; from 1991, President, Maryland Biotechnology Institute,
University of Maryland The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the Univ ...
.


Features

Features of the massif, and nearby features, include:


Mosley-Thompson Cirques

Prominent steep-walled cirques that indent the west part of Colwell Massif. Named by Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN) (1994) after Ellen Stone Mosley-Thompson, glaciologist, Byrd Polar Research Center, Ohio State University, who from 1974 analyzed ice samples from Antarctica and conducted field research at South Pole, Siple Station, and Plateau Remote Camp.


Ugolini Peak

. A sharp rock peak, over high, surmounting the central part of a large ice-free massif south of
Knobhead The Quartermain Mountains ( ) are a group of exposed mountains in Antarctica, about long, typical of ice-free features of the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Victoria Land. They are east of the Lashly Mountains, south of the Asgard Range, west of the Kukr ...
, at the south side of upper Ferrar Glacier. Named by US-ACAN for Fiorenzo C. Ugolini, who studied Antarctic soil processes in the McMurdo Sound area in 1961-62 and 1962-63.


Ugolini Ridge

A ridge that extends west from Ugolini Peak, Colwell Massif. Named by US-ACAN (1994) in association with Ugolini Peak during joint New Zealand–United States mapping programme.


Grootes Peak

A peak rising to high in the south extremity of Colwell Massif. Named by US-ACAN (1994) after Pieter Meiert Grootes of the Quaternary Isotope Laboratory, University of Washington, 1977-94; very active in USAP ice-coring activity including investigation of Taylor Dome; director of the Carbon-14 laboratory at Christian Albrechts University in Kiel, Germany from 1994.


Waddington Glacier

. A tributary glacier, long, flowing west-northwest along the south side of Ugolini Peak, to enter Palais Glacier. Named by US-ACAN in 1994 after Edwin D. Waddington, geophysicist, University of Washington; from 1990, field investigator at Taylor Dome in an extended program of glacier geophysical studies.


Brown Scarp

. A narrow wedgelike massif which has a notable southern escarpment but moderate northern slopes. The feature is long and rises to high between Palais Glacier and Waddington Glacier. Named by US-ACAN in 1994 after Arthur J. Brown, Deputy Program Director (1982-90), ITT Antarctic Services, Inc., corporate contractor to NSF in Antarctica; from 1994, Head of Safety, Environment, and Health Implementation Team, Office of Polar Programs, NSF.


Kenney Nunatak

. A conspicuous nunatak rising in Waddington Glacier, south-southwest of Ugolini Peak. Named by US-ACAN in 1994 after Frank J. Kenney, USGS cartographer, member of USGS field team for the International Global Positioning System (GPS) Campaign at Byrd Station, McMurdo Station, and Pine Island Bay area, 1991-92. The team established the first continuous-tracking GPS reference station in Antarctica.


Koci Cliffs

Arcuate cliffs, high, standing south of Colwell Massif. The cliffs trend west-southwest–east-northeast across the head of Waddington Glacier and locally mark the divide between glaciers flowing north to Ferrar Glacier or south to Skelton Glacier. Named by US-ACAN (1994) after Bruce R. Koci, Polar Ice Coring Office (PICO), University of Nebraska-Lincoln, an authority in ice drilling with broad experience for many years in Antarctica and Greenland. He provided support to the Antarctic Muon and Neutrino Detection Array (AMANDA) at the South Pole, 1993-2001, and to other parts of the United States Antarctic Program through the 2004-05 field season.


Lear Spire

. A distinctive pointed spire rising to high, south of Ugolini Peak. Named by US-ACAN in 1994 after D'Ann Figard Lear, USGS, librarian for the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) library (Reston, VA), which holds an extensive collection of Antarctic photography, maps, and geodetic control data.


Henderson Pyramid

. A pointed, mostly ice-covered mountain, high, located south-southwest of Ugolini Peak. Mapped by
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 aerial photographs, 1956-61. Named by US-ACAN in 1994 after Thomas E. Henderson, cartographer, USGS; field team member on Ellsworth Mountains Geodetic Control Project, 1979-80; leader, USGS, northern Victoria Land Geodetic Team, 1981-82; USGS satellite surveying team at South Pole Station, winter party 1982.


Battleship

. An elongated ice-free massif long between
Rotunda Glacier Ferrar Glacier ()is a glacier in Antarctica. It is about long, flowing from the plateau of Victoria Land west of the Royal Society Range to New Harbour in McMurdo Sound. The glacier makes a right (east) turn northeast of Knobhead, where it whe ...
and Blankenship Glacier, southern tributaries to Ferrar Glacier. Descriptively named by New Zealand Geographic Board (NZGB) in 1994. The shape of the massif resembles the superstructure and forward part of a battleship.


La Count Mountain

. A mostly ice-free mountain, high, forming the northern portion of Battleship (massif), located between Rotunda Glacier, Blankenship Glacier, and Ferrar Glacier. The mountain was studied by USGS geologist Warren Hamilton during the 1958-59 season. Named in 1992 by US-ACAN after Ronald La Count, Manager, Polar Operations Section, Division of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, 1984-90.


References


Sources

* * * * * * {{Include-USGov , agency=United States Geological Survey Mountains of Victoria Land Scott Coast