Welch Mountains () is a group of mountains that dominate the area, the highest peak rising to , located north of Mount Jackson on the east margin of the

Dyer Plateau Dyer Plateau () is a broad ice-covered upland of north-central Palmer Land, bounded to the north by Fleming Glacier and Bingham Glacier, and to the south by the Gutenko Mountains. It is buttressed by Goettel Escarpment. History The plateau was ...

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 Welch Mountains are near the

Black Coast Black Coast is the portion of the east coast of the Antarctic Peninsula between Cape Boggs and Cape Mackintosh. This coast was discovered and photographed from the air by members of the East Base of the U.S. Antarctic Service, 1939–41, on a f ...

of central

, which borders 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. They are west-southwest of Lehrke Inlet, west-northwest of the

Kvinge Peninsula Kvinge Peninsula () is a snow-covered peninsula at the north side of Palmer Inlet terminating in Cape Bryant, on the east coast of Palmer Land, Antarctica. Location The Kvinge Peninsula is on the Black Coast of Palmer Land, beside the Weddell ...

, north of Mount Jackson, east of the

and south of the Eland Mountains.

Discovery and name

The Welch Mountains were probably seen from the air by

Lincoln Ellsworth Lincoln Ellsworth (May 12, 1880 – May 26, 1951) was an American polar explorer, engineer, surveyor, and author. He led the first Arctic and Antarctic air crossings. Early life Linn Ellsworth was born in Chicago, Illinois on May 12, 1880. His ...

in 1935 and their north extremities were sketched in 1936 by a British Graham Land Expedition (BGLE) sledge party under

John Rymill John Riddoch Rymill (13 March 1905 – 7 September 1968) was an Australian polar explorer, who had the rare second clasp added to his Polar Medal. Early life Rymill was born at Penola, South Australia, the second son of Robert Rymill (7 J ...

. In 1940 they were photographed from the air and charted from the ground by 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), and in the expedition reports and charts were assumed to be Ellsworth's

Eternity Range The Eternity Range () is a range of mountains long, rising to , and trending north–south approximately in the middle of the Antarctic Peninsula. The range is divided into three main mountain blocks, the major summits in each from north to south ...

. They were mapped in detail 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) in 1974. 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 Rear Admiral David F. Welch, Commander, United States Naval Support Force, Antarctica, 1969–71.

Western features

Western features include, from north to south, Mount Schimansky, Liston Nunatak, Heintz Peak, Mount Acton and Fry Peak.

Heintz Peak

. The summit at the north end of the west ridge of the Welch Mountains, about north of Mount Acton. Mapped by USGS in 1974. Named by US-ACAN for Lieutenant Commander Harvey L. Heintz, United States Navy, Commander of LC-130 aircraft during Operation Deep Freeze, 1969 and 1970.

Mount Acton

. The high, dominant peak of the west ridge of the Welch Mountains. Mapped by USGS in 1974. Named by US-ACAN for Commander William Acton, United States Navy, Operations Officer on the staff of the Commander, United States Naval Support Force, Antarctica, 1967-68, and Executive Officer, 1968-69.

Fry Peak

. A sharp-pointed peak which is the southernmost peak in the Welch Mountains. Mapped by USGS in 1974. Named by US-ACAN for Lieutenant Frederick M. Fry, United States Navy, Flight Surgeon and member of the para-rescue team of United States Navy Squadron VXE-6 during Operation Deep Freeze 1969 and 1970.

Eastern features

Eastern features include, from north to south, Mount Curl, Gatlin Peak, Steel Peak, Mount Nordhill, Kosky Peak.

Gatlin Peak

. A prominent but somewhat detached snow-covered peak, rising northeast of Steel Peak at the northeast end of the Welch Mountains. Mapped by the USGS in 1974. Named by US-ACAN for Lieutenant Donald H. Gatlin, United States Navy Reserve, navigator on LC-130 aerial photographic flights during Operation Deep Freeze 1968 and 1969.

Steel Peak

. A high peak north of Mount Nordhill in the east ridge of the Welch Mountains. Mapped by USGS in 1974. Named by US-ACAN for Captain Henry E. Steel, USCG, Commanding Officer of USCGC ''Edisto'' during Operation Deep Freeze, 1969 and 1970, and Commander of the Antarctic Peninsula Ship Group, 1969.

Mount Nordhill

. A high, sharp-pointed peak between Steel Peak and Kosky Peak in the east ridge of the Welch Mountains. The peak was mapped by USGS in 1974. Named by US-ACAN for Commander Claude H. Nordhill, United States Navy, Operations Officer of Squadron VXE-6 in Antarctica during Operation Deep Freeze, 1970, and Commanding Officer, 1972.

Kosky Peak

. A peak south of Mount Nordhill. The peak was mapped by USGS in 1974. Named by US-ACAN for Captain Harry G. Kosky, USCG, Commanding Officer of USCGC Westwind in the Antarctic Peninsula Ship Group during Operation Deep Freeze, 1971.

Nearby features

Nearby features include Giannini Peak, Solem Ridge, Laine Hills.

Laine Hills

. A cluster of four mainly snow-covered hills that rise above the Dyer Plateau about northwest of the Welch Mountains. Mapped by USGS in 1974. Named by US-ACAN for Daren Laine, USARP biologist at Palmer Station in 1975.

Mount Schimansky

. A ridge-like mountain northwest of Heintz Peak of the Welch Mountains. Mapped by the USGS in 1974. Named by US-ACAN for Lieutenant Commander John A. Schimansky, United States Navy, Commander of LC-130 aircraft of Squadron VXE-6 on many aerial photographic and ice-sensing missions over the Antarctic continent during Operation Deep Freeze, 1970 and 1971.

Liston Nunatak

. A large nunatak immediately northwest of Heintz Peak of the Welch Mountains. Mapped by USGS in 1974. Named by US-ACAN for Commander John M. Listen, United States Navy, Operations Officer for Antarctic Support Activities during Operation Deep Freeze 1969 and Executive Officer, 1970.

Mount Curl

. The snow-covered summit of a ridge located east-northeast of Mount Gatlin. Mapped by USGS in 1974. Named by US-ACAN for James E. Curl, USARP glaciologist in the South Shetland Islands, 1971-72, 1972-73 and 1973-74.

Giannini Peak

. A peak east-southeast of Mount Nordhill in the east part of Palmer Land. The peak stands on the north side of Dana Glacier at the point where the glacier makes a left (NE.) turn toward Lehrke Inlet. Mapped by USGS in 1974. Named by US-ACAN for Albert P. Giannini, USARP biologist at Palmer Station, 1973.

Solem Ridge

. A mostly snow-covered, arc-shaped ridge, long, located north-northeast of Mount Jackson. Mapped by USGS in 1974. Named by US-ACAN for Lieutenant Lynn D. Solem, United States Navy, Medical Officer at the South Pole Station, 1972.

References

Sources

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