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The Horowitz Ridge () is a rock ridge between David Valley and King Valley in the
Asgard Range The Asgard Range is a mountain range in Victoria Land, Antarctica. It divides Wright Valley from Taylor Glacier and Taylor Valley, and was named by the Victoria University of Wellington Antarctic Expedition (1958–59) after Asgard, the home ...
of
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 78°00'S, and westward from the Ross Sea to the edge of the Antarctic Plateau. I ...
, Antarctica.


Naming

The Horowitz Ridge was named for Professor Norman Horowitz of the
California Institute of Technology The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech or CIT)The university itself only spells its short form as "Caltech"; the institution considers other spellings such a"Cal Tech" and "CalTech" incorrect. The institute is also occasional ...
, whose interest in the analogy of
Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest co ...
to
Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Roman god of war. Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin atmos ...
led him to suggest the value of Victoria Land
Dry Valley A dry valley may develop on many kinds of permeable rock, such as limestone and chalk, or sandy terrains that do not regularly sustain surface water flow. Such valleys do not hold surface water because it sinks into the permeable bedrock. There ...
studies in regard to Martian life detection. The studies were undertaken in 1966–68 by a
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 presence in the A ...
biological party led by Roy E. Cameron, who suggested the naming.


Location

The Horowitz Ridge lies between King Valley to the northwest and David Valley to the east. The head of the Conrow Glacier, which flows north towards Wright Valley is to the north of the ridge. The head of the Rhone Glacier, which flows southeast towards
Taylor Valley Taylor Valley is the southernmost of the three large McMurdo Dry Valleys in the Transantarctic Mountains, Victoria Land, Antarctica, located west of McMurdo Sound at approximately . The valley extends from Taylor Glacier in the west to McMurdo ...
, is to the south.


Features

Features near to the ridge include, from south to north:


Mount Darby

. A mountain rising to on the divide between Rhone Glacier and
Matterhorn Glacier The Matterhorn Glacier ( German: ''Matterhorngletscher'') is a glacier of the Pennine Alps, located at the base of the north face of the Matterhorn (4478m above the sea), south of Zermatt. It has a maximum width of approximately 2.5 km an ...
. The mountain stands northwest of Mount J. J. Thomson. Named by the
New Zealand Geographic Board The New Zealand Geographic Board Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa (NZGB) was established by the New Zealand Geographic Board Act 1946, which has since been replaced by the New Zealand Geographic Board (Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa) Act 2008. Althoug ...
(NZGB) (1998) after Marie Darby, marine biologist of the Canterbury Museum, Christchurch.} Her January 1968 voyage to McMurdo Sound in the Magga Dan marks the first visit of a New Zealand woman scientist to Antarctica.


Norris Glacier

. A glacier flowing eastward between Kennedy Glacier and Mount Darby into the upper part of Matterhorn Glacier. Named by the NZGB (1998) after Baden Norris, Honorary Curator of the Antarctic collection, Canterbury Museum; historian who worked in Antarctica as a conservator of historic huts.


Kottmeier Mesa

. A prominent high mesa, northwest of Mount J. J. Thomson. Almost wholly ice covered, the mesa is long, averages wide, and rises above the converging heads of David Valley, Bartley Glacier, Matterhorn Glacier, and the north flank of Rhone Glacier, all receiving ice that drains from the feature. 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) (1997) after Steven T. Kottmeier, who as a United States Antarctic Project (United States ArmyP) researcher, 1981-87, investigated sea ice microbial communities in the fast ice of McMurdo Sound, as well as krill associated with ice edge zones in Bellingshausen, Scotia and Weddell Seas. Served as the Manager, Laboratory Facilities, McMurdo Station for ITT Antarctic Services, 1988-90; Manager, Laboratory Science, 1990-96 and Chief Scientist from 1997 for Antarctic Support Associates (ASA).


Bromley Peak

. A peak, high, marking the summit of Horowitz Ridge. The peak stands west of Vogler Peak. Named by the NZGB (1998) after A. M. (Tony) Bromley, a New Zealand Polar Medalist involved in Antarctic meteorological research for 30 years; member of the 1974 Vanda Station winter party.


Fenrir Valley

. A small, mainly ice-free valley between the upper reaches of the Heimdall Glacier and Rhone Glacier. The name, applied by
New Zealand Antarctic Place-Names Committee New Zealand Antarctic Place-Names Committee (NZ-APC) is an adjudicating committee established to authorize the naming of features in the Ross Dependency on the Antarctic continent. It is composed of the members of the New Zealand Geographic Board ...
(NZ-APC) and the US-ACAN in consultation, is one in a group in the range derived from Norse mythology, wherein
Fenrir Fenrir ( Old Norse: ; " fen-dweller")Orchard (1997:42). or Fenrisúlfr (O.N.: ; "Fenrir's wolf", often translated "Fenris-wolf"),Simek (2007:81). also referred to as Hróðvitnir (O.N.: ; "fame-wolf")Simek (2007:160). and Vánagandr (O.N.: ...
is a wolf chained by Tiw.


Mount Grendal

. A peak rising to high between the heads of Valhalla Glacier and Conrow Glacier. Mapped by the USGS in 1962 from United States Navy aerial photographs taken 1947-59. Named by the NZ-APC in 1983 from association with Mount Beowulf (q.v.) after Grendal (Grendel), the monster in the Old English epic poem Beowulf.


David Valley

. A small partially ice-free valley lying above the Conrow Glacier and east of Horowitz Ridge. Named by Roy E. Cameron, leader of a USARP biological party to the valley in 1967-68, for Charles N. David, a member of that party.


King Valley

. A small ice-free valley lying above the Conrow Glacier and west of Horowitz Ridge. Named by Roy E. Cameron, leader of a
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 presence in the A ...
(USARP) biological party to the valley in 1967-68, for Jonathan A. King, a member of that party.


Mount Holm-Hansen

. A prominent mountain rising to high between lower David Valley and Bartley Glacier. Named by the US-ACAN in 1997 after Osmund Holm-Hansen, plant physiologist, who, working in the 1959-60 season, was one of the first American scientists to visit and conduct research in both Taylor Valley and Wright Valley; Research Biologist, Scripps Institution of Oceanography from 1962; extensive field research from 1976 includes studies of microbial populations in McMurdo Sound, the Ross Sea, and other ocean areas south of the Antarctic Convergence.


Bifrost Ledge

. A flat benchlike feature that rises to high on the north side of Mount Holm-Hansen. Named by the NZGB (1998) in association with names from Norse mythology in Asgard Range,
Bifröst In Norse mythology, Bifröst (), also called Bilröst, is a burning rainbow bridge that reaches between Midgard (Earth) and Asgard, the realm of the gods. The bridge is attested as ''Bilröst'' in the '' Poetic Edda''; compiled in the 13th ce ...
being a “bridge” linking Asgard (home of the gods) with earth.


Godwit Glacier

. A glacier that flows northeast from Mount Holm-Hansen into Bartley Glacier. Named by the NZGB (1998) after a migratory bird which summers in New Zealand.


References


Sources

* * * * * * * * * * {{Include-USGov , agency=United States Geological Survey Ridges of Victoria Land McMurdo Dry Valleys