Eielson Peninsula () is a rugged, mainly snow-covered peninsula, long in an east–west direction and averaging wide, lying between Smith Inlet and Lehrke Inlet on the east coast of

Palmer Land Palmer Land () is the portion of the Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica that lies south of a line joining Cape Jeremy and Cape Agassiz. This application of Palmer Land is consistent with the 1964 agreement between the Advisory Committee on Antarctic N ...

, Antarctica.

Location

The Kvinge Peninsula is on the

Wilkins Coast Wilkins Coast is that portion of the east coast of the Antarctic Peninsula between Cape Agassiz and Cape Boggs. Name Wilkins Coast was named by the United States Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN) for Sir Hubert Wilkins, who in a pion ...

, beside the

Weddell Sea The Weddell Sea is part of the Southern Ocean and contains the Weddell Gyre. Its land boundaries are defined by the bay formed from the coasts of Coats Land and the Antarctic Peninsula. The easternmost point is Cape Norvegia at Princess Martha C ...

to the east. It lies between Yates Glacier and Lehrke Inlet to the south and Smith Inlet to the north. Dolleman Island is to the east. The Welch Mountains are west-southwest, the Eland Mountains are west and the

Columbia Mountains The Columbia Mountains are a group of mountain ranges along the Upper Columbia River in British Columbia, Montana, Idaho and Washington (state), Washington. The mountain range covers 135,952 km² (52,491 sq mi). The range is bounded by th ...

are northwest. Features include Cape Boggs at the eastern end, Elder Bluff, Houston Glacier, Gurling Glacier, Leininger Peak, Mount Thompson, Ashton Glacier and Dawson Head.

Discovery and name

The rocky north wall of the Eielson Peninsula is probably the feature which, on his flight of December 20, 1928,

Sir Hubert Wilkins Sir George Hubert Wilkins MC & Bar (31 October 188830 November 1958), commonly referred to as Captain Wilkins, was an Australian polar explorer, ornithologist, pilot, soldier, geographer and photographer. He was awarded the Military Cross aft ...

sighted and named "Cape Eielson" from a position above Stefansson Strait (Wilkins gave the name to the farthest south rock outcrop seen from this position). This rock wall is conspicuous in the aerial photographs of the peninsula taken by members of the

United States Antarctic Service The United States Antarctic Program (or USAP; formerly known as the United States Antarctic Research Program or USARP and the United States Antarctic Service or USAS) is an organization of the United States government which has a presence in the ...

(USAS) in 1940 from an aerial position at the north side of Stefansson Strait. The peninsula is named for Carl B. Eielson, the pilot on Wilkins' flight of 1928.

Features

Elder Bluff

. A prominent and mostly bare rock bluff that forms a portion of the north side of Eielson Peninsula and overlooks Smith Inlet. 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 Robert B. Elder, Chief of the United States Coast Guard Oceanographic Unit on the first International Weddell Sea Oceanographic Expedition on board USCGC ''Glacier'' in 1968.

Houston Glacier

. A small glacier that drains north from Eielson Peninsula into Smith Inlet. 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) in 1974. Named by the US-ACAN for Robert B. Houston, RM1, United States Navy, radioman at Palmer Station in 1973.

Krebs Ridge

. An east–west ridge which forms the north wall of Gurling Glacier and terminates at the southwest head of Smith Inlet. Mapped by USGS in 1974. Named by US-ACAN for William N. Krebs,

United States Antarctic Research Program The United States Antarctic Program (or USAP; formerly known as the United States Antarctic Research Program or USARP and the United States Antarctic Service or USAS) is an organization of the United States government which has a presence in the ...

(USARP) biologist at Palmer Station in 1972.

Gurling Glacier

. A glacier draining between Krebs Ridge and Leininger Peak into the southwest corner of Smith Inlet. Named by

UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee The UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee (or UK-APC) is a United Kingdom government committee, part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, responsible for recommending names of geographical locations within the British Antarctic Territory (BAT) an ...

(UK-APC) after P. Curling,

British Antarctic Survey The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is the United Kingdom's national polar research institute. It has a dual purpose, to conduct polar science, enabling better understanding of list of global issues, global issues, and to provide an active prese ...

(BAS) surveyor who worked in the general vicinity of this feature.

Leininger Peak

. A peak, high, standing at the north side of the base of Eielson Peninsula. The peak was photographed from the air by the

Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition The Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition (RARE) was an expedition from 1947–1948 which researched the area surrounding the head of the Weddell Sea in Antarctica. Background Finn Ronne led the RARE which was the final privately sponsored exp ...

(RARE) under

Finn Ronne Finn Ronne (December 20, 1899 – January 12, 1980) was a Norwegian-born U.S. citizen and Antarctic explorer. Background Finn Ronne was born in Horten, in Vestfold county, Norway. His father, Martin Rønne (1861–1932), was a polar explorer ...

, 1947-48, and charted in 1947 by a joint sledge party consisting of members of the RARE and FIDS. Named by Ronne for Commander Joseph A. Leininger, United States Navy Reserve, who devised the plans for the loading of cargo and the alterations on the expedition ship.

Mount Thompson

. A mountain, high, standing northwest of Lehrke Inlet and surmounting the central part of the base of Eielson Peninsula. Discovered by the RARE, 1947-48, under Ronne, who named this feature for Andrew A. Thompson, geophysicist with the expedition.

References

Sources

* * {{Include-USGov , agency=United States Geological Survey Peninsulas of Palmer Land