The Rockefeller Mountains () are a group of low-lying, scattered granite peaks and ridges, almost entirely snow-covered, standing south-southwest of the

Alexandra Mountains The Alexandra Mountains () are a group of low, separated mountains in the north portion of Edward VII Peninsula, just southwest of Sulzberger Bay in Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica. Discovery and name The Alexandra Mountains were discovered in Ja ...

on 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 ...

of Antarctica.

Location

The Rockefeller Mountains are on the south side of the

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 ...

, to the south of the Alexandra Mountains. They are north of the Prestrud Inlet and west of the Kiel Glacier. They run from southwest to northeast. Western features, from south to north, include Mount Butler, Tennant Peak, Gould Peak, Breckinridge Peak, Mount Nilsen and Strider Rock- Central features, from south to north, include Washington Ridge, Mount Franklin, Fokker Rocks, Mount Schlossbach, Mount Paterson and Melbert Rocks. Northern features, from south to north, include Mount Shideler, Mount Fitzsimmons, Mount Jackling and Mount Frazier. Drummond Peak is an isolated nunatak to the northeast. C77150s1 Ant

Appearance

The exposed part of the Rockefeller Mountains covers about . It has black and pink peaks that rise to above sea level, but that only protrude from the ice by a few hundred feet. The northern group are higher, but more deeply buried in the ice. Mount Margaret Wade (now called Mount Fitzsimmons) is the second highest in the Edward VII Peninsula after Mount LaGorce (now called

La Gorce Peak The Alexandra Mountains () are a group of low, separated mountains in the north portion of Edward VII Peninsula, just southwest of Sulzberger Bay in Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica. Discovery and name The Alexandra Mountains were discovered in Ja ...

). Most of the peaks are pink or red, made up of acidic intrusives. A small central group is dark grey or black and composed of metamorphosed sediments.

Discovery and name

The Rockefeller Mountains were discovered by 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) on January 27, 1929. They were named by Byrd for

John D. Rockefeller Jr. John Davison Rockefeller Jr. (January 29, 1874 – May 11, 1960) was an American financier and philanthropist. Rockefeller was the fifth child and only son of Standard Oil co-founder John D. Rockefeller. He was involved in the development of th ...

, a patron of the expedition. The geologist

Laurence M. Gould Laurence McKinley Gould (August 22, 1896 – June 21, 1995) was an American geologist, educator, and polar explorer. He made expeditions to both the Arctic and Antarctic, and was chief scientist on Richard Evelyn Byrd's first Antarctic expediti ...

and his team flew out to this mountain range in their plane; but after landing, a

snow storm A winter storm (also known as snow storm) is an event in which wind coincides with varieties of precipitation that only occur at freezing temperatures, such as snow, mixed snow and rain, or freezing rain. In temperate continental and subarct ...

blew it half a mile away onto the ice, destroying it. This left them stranded for 11 days with limited food until the Byrd team in the ''Little America'' settlement could be reached and could send another plane to pick them up. These events are captured in the documentary ''

With Byrd at the South Pole ''With Byrd at the South Pole'' (1930) is a sound part-talkie documentary film about Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd and his 1st quest to the South Pole beginning at the Little America-Exploration Base. In addition to sequences with audible dialogu ...

''. The mountains were mapped for the first time from aerial photographs taken later in 1929. Several parties of the second Burd Antarctic Expedition 1933-35 explored the mountains, including separate visits to Mount Helen Washington and Mount Nilsen. A more thorough exploration was made by the United States Antarctic Service Expedition of 1939-1941.

Southwestern features

Mount Butler

. The southernmost peak of the Rockefeller Mountains. Discovered on January 27, 1929, by members of the ByrdAE on an exploratory flight over this area. Named for Raymond Butler, member of the USAS party which occupied the Rockefeller Mountains seismic station during November and December 1940.

Tennant Peak

. A peak south of Gould Peak in the south group of the Rockefeller Mountains. Discovered by the ByrdAE (1928-30) and named by Byrd for George W. Tennant, cook on the expedition.

Gould Peak

. A peak standing north of Tennant Peak in the south group of the Rockefeller Mountains. Discovered by the ByrdAE in 1929, and named by Byrd for Charles ("Chips") Gould, carpenter on the expedition.

Breckinridge Peak

. A peak in the south group of the Rockefeller Mountains, standing southwest of Mount Nilsen. Discovered by the ByrdAE in 1929, and named by Byrd for Colonel and Mrs.

Henry Breckinridge Henry Skillman Breckinridge (May 25, 1886 – May 2, 1960) was an American lawyer and politician who was a member of the prominent Breckinridge family and served as the United States Assistant Secretary of War from 1913 to 1916. During the Lind ...

of New York.

Mount Nilsen

. A peak west-southwest of Mount Paterson. Discovered in 1929 by the ByrdAE, and named by Byrd for Captain Nilsen of the Norwegian whaler ''C.A. Larsen'', which towed the ''City of New York'' through the pack ice.

Strider Rock

. A rock northwest of Mount Nilsen. Discovered by the ByrdAE in 1929. Named by US-ACAN for John P. Strider, Aviation Machinist's Mate, United States Navy, plane captain on the ski-equipped R4D carrying Rear Admiral George J. Dufek that was the first aircraft to land at the geographic South Pole, on October 31, 1956.

Southeastern features

Washington Ridge

. A rock ridge surmounted by three peaks, standing southeast of Mount Franklin. Discovered on a ByrdAE flight of January 27, 1929. Named by Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd for his niece, Helen A. Washington.

Mount Franklin

. Peak standing between Breckinridge Peak and Washington Ridge. Discovered by the ByrdAE on January 27, 1929. The name was applied by the USAS (1939–41), which established a seismic station camp on this peak.

Fokker Rocks

. Rock outcrops just south of Mount Schlossbach. The name, applied by US-ACAN, recalls the fact that a Fokker airplane of the ByrdAE, 1928-30, was damaged beyond repair by strong winds while it was on the ground on the south side of nearby Washington Ridge. The plane was visited by Charles Morrison of USGS on December 31, 1966.

Mount Schlossbach

. A peak just southeast of Mount Nilsen. Discovered by the ByrdAE on a flight of January 27, 1929, and named for Commander Isaac Schlossbach, United States Navy, a member of the ByrdAE (1933-35) and member of the USAS party which occupied the Rockefeller Mountains seismic station during November-December 1940.

Mount Paterson

. A pyramidal mountain about northeast of Mount Schlossbach. Discovered by the ByrdAE (1928-30) and later named by Byrd for Seward M. Paterson, manufacturer who furnished shoes and ski boots for the ByrdAE (1933-35).

Melbert Rocks

. Rock outcrops close northwest of Mount Paterson. Discovered by the ByrdAE, 1928-30. Named by US-ACAN for George W. Melbert, UTCN, United States Navy, Utilitiesman at Byrd Station, 1966.

Northern features

Mount Shideler

. A peak southeast of Mount Fitzsimmons. Discovered on January 27, 1929, by members of the ByrdAE on an exploratory flight over this area. The name appears to have been applied by the US AS (1939–41).

Mount Fitzsimmons

. A peak standing between Mounts Jackling and Shideler. Discovered on January 27, 1929, by members of the ByrdAE on an exploratory flight to this area. Named for Roy G. Fitzsimmons, physicist in charge of the Rockefeller Mountains seismic station for the US AS during November-December 1940.

Mount Jackling

. A peak south of Mount Frazier. Discovered on January 27, 1929, by members of the ByrdAE on an exploratory flight over this area. The name was applied by the USAS (1939-41) which explored the area.

Mount Frazier

. Northernmost peak of the Rockefeller Mountains, standing north of Mount Jackling. Discovered on January 27, 1929, by the ByrdAE. Named for Russell G. Frazier, medical officer at West Base of the USAS (1939–41), and observer with the Rockefeller Mountains Geological Party, which visited this area in December 1940.

Nearby features

Prestrud Inlet

. A re-entrant in the south side of Edward VII Peninsula, at the northeast corner of 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 ...

. Named by the United States Antarctic Service expedition (1939-41) in honor of Lieutenant K. Prestrud, leader of Amundsen's Eastern Sledge Party in 1911 who was first to traverse this region.

Kiel Glacier

. A broad, heavily crevassed glacier descending southwest from Edward VII Peninsula just east of the Rockefeller Mountains. The glacier was partially delineated from aerial photographs obtained by the ByrdAE (1928-30) and subsequently was observed from the air by several United States expeditions to the area. It is named for driver Max R. Kiel born 9/20/1933 in Enterprises Oregon, United States Navy, Mobile Construction Battalion, who lost his life on March 5, 1956, when his tractor fell into a crevasse about westward of this glacier while attempting to establish a trail to Byrd Station.

Drummond Peak

. A low, isolated rock peak southwest of

, rising above the ice surface of Edward VII Peninsula. Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1955-59. Named by US-ACAN for Lieutenant (j.g.) Glenn N. Drummond, Jr., United States Navy, Assistant Aerologist on the staff, United States Naval Support Force, Antarctica, 1959-62.

Notes

References

Sources

* * * * *{{Include-USGov , agency=United States Geological Survey Mountain ranges of Marie Byrd Land Mountain ranges of the Ross Dependency Mountains of King Edward VII Land