The Flood Range () is a range of large snow-covered mountains extending in an east–west direction for about and forming a right angle with the southern end of the

Ames Range The Ames Range () is a range of snow-covered, flat-topped, steep-sided mountains, extending in a north–south direction for and forming a right angle with the eastern end of the Flood Range in Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica. Location The Ames R ...

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 ...

, Antarctica.

Location

The Flood Range is south of the

Hull Glacier The Hull Glacier () is a glacier, about long, flowing northwest between Mount Giles and Mount Gray into Hull Bay, in Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica. Discovery and name The Hull Glacier was discovered by the United States Antarctic Service (USAS; ...

and Kirkpatrick Glacier, which drain into Hull Bay on the Southern Ocean coast of Marie Byrd Land. The eastern end of the range is immediately south of the

. There are no named features in the ice sheet to the south of the range. The north slopes of the range form the western end of the

Usas Escarpment Usas Escarpment () is an expansive but discontinuous north-facing escarpment in Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica. It is about long, extending roughly west to east along the 76th parallel south from where the elevation of the snow surface descends towa ...

Discovery and name

The Flood Range was 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) in 1934 from a great distance. Reconnaissance flights 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) (1939–41) explored the range. The principle mountain was named "Mount Hal Flood" by

Richard E. Byrd Richard Evelyn Byrd Jr. (October 25, 1888 – March 11, 1957) was an American naval officer, and pioneering aviator, polar explorer, and organizer of polar logistics. Aircraft flights in which he served as a navigator and expedition leader cr ...

for his uncle, the Hon. Henry D. Flood, U.S. Representative from Virginia. The name was subsequently transferred by United States Special Committee on Antarctic Names, 1943-47 (US-SCAN) from the mountain to the entire range.

Geology

The Flood Range consists of a linear volcanic chain of peaks in which there have been systematic migrations of

felsic In geology, felsic is a grammatical modifier, modifier describing igneous rocks that are relatively rich in elements that form feldspar and quartz.Marshak, Stephen, 2009, ''Essentials of Geology,'' W. W. Norton & Company, 3rd ed. It is contrasted ...

activity. This activity has moved 90 km from east to west between 9 million and 2.5 million years ago, and 154 km northward from the south end of the Ames Range toward

Shepard Island Shepard Island () is an island about long, lying west of Grant Island off the coast of Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica. The island is ice capped except at its northern, seaward side, and is almost wholly embedded in the Getz Ice Shelf. Location ...

between 12.7 and 0.6 million years ago.

Western features

Features on or near Mount Berlin include Brandenberger Bluff and Fields Peak in the north, the Berlin Crevasse Field, Melford Knoll, Kraut Rocks, and Merrem Peak to the west, and Berlin Crater, Wedemeyer Rocks, Walts Cliff and Wells Saddle to the east.

Mount Berlin

. A prominent, conical mountain, high, standing west of Mount Moulton at the west end of the Flood Range. Discovered by the ByrdAE on flights to the northeast and east of Little America in November-December 1934. Named "Mount Hal Flood" by Byrd, but the name Flood is now applied to the entire mountain range of which this is a part. Named by the US-SCAN for Leonard M. Berlin, leader of the USAS party which sledged to this mountain in December 1940.

Berlin Crater

. A high and circular ice-filled crater near the summit of Mount Berlin. Mapped by USGS from ground surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1959-66. Named by US-ACAN in association with Mount Berlin.

Brandenberger Bluff

. A steep rock bluff high at the extreme north side of Mount Berlin. Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1959-65. Named by US-ACAN for Arthur J. Brandenberger, USARP glaciologist with the Byrd Station Traverse of 1962-63.

Fields Peak

. A small but distinctive peak southeast of Brandenberger Bluff on the lower north slopes of Mount Berlin. Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1959-65. Named by US-ACAN for Master Sergeant Samuel J. Fields, United States Army, member of the 1956 Army-Navy Trail Party that blazed trail from Little America V to 80, S, 120, W, to establish Byrd Station.

Berlin Crevasse Field

. A crevasse field, in extent, located immediately west of Mount Berlin. Mapped by USGS from ground surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1959-66. Named by US-ACAN in association with Mount Berlin.

Melford Knoll

. A rocky knoll or ledge on the lower west slopes of the Mount Berlin massif. Mapped by USGS from ground surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1959-66. Named by US-ACAN for Michael Mefford, a member of the USARP team that studied ice sheet dynamics in the area northeast of Byrd Station, 1971-72.

Kraut Rocks

. A group of rock outcrops on the snow-covered, lower southwest slopes of the Mount Berlin massif. Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1959-66. Named by US-ACAN for William F. Kraut, RM1, United States Navy, radioman with the 1956 Army Navy Trail Party that traversed eastward from Little America V to establish the Byrd Station.

Merrem Peak

. A prominent peak of high that is the secondary summit and is located west of Berlin Crater. The peak was discovered and charted by the Pacific Coast Survey Party, led by Leonard Berlin, of the United States Antarctic Service in December 1940. Subsequently mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1959-66. Named by US-ACAN for Frank H. Merrem, Jr., ionospheric physicist and Scientific Leader at South Pole Station, 1970.

Wedemeyer Rocks

. A group of rocks that outcrop near the base of the southern slope of Mount Berlin. Mapped by USGS from ground surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1959-66. Named by US-ACAN for Charles H. Wedemeyer, CM1, United States Navy construction mechanic with the 1956 Army-Navy Trail Party that traversed eastward from Little America V to establish Byrd Station.

Walts Cliff

. A rock cliff that is conspicuous from a great distance, marking the base of Mount Berlin at the northeast side. Mapped by USGS from ground surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1959-66. Named by US-ACAN for Dennis S. Walts of the United States Weather Bureau, meteorologist at South Pole Station, 1970.

Wells Saddle

. A broad snow-filled saddle between Mount Berlin and Mount Moulton in the Flood Range of Marie Byrd Land. The saddle was photographed from aircraft of the US AS in December 1940. It was mapped by USGS from ground surveys and US Navy air photos, 1959-66. Named by US-ACAN for James H. Wells, a member of the USARP team that studied ice sheet dynamics in the area northeast of Byrd Station, 1971-72.

Central features

Features on or near Mount Moulton include Edwards Spur and Moulton Icefalls in the north, Gawne Nunatak, Britt Peak, Kohler Dome in the south, and the Dickson Icefalls to the east.

Mount Moulton

. A broad, ice-covered mountain high, standing east of Mount Berlin. Discovered on aerial flights by the

(USAS) in 1940, and named for Richard S. Moulton, chief dog driver at West Base and a member of the survey party which sledged to the west end of the Flood Range in December 1940.

Edwards Spur

. A spur with a small rock exposure along its crest, located on the lower northwest slopes of Mount Moulton. 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) from surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1959-65. 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 Alvah G. Edwards, GDI, United States Navy, Construction Driver with the Army-Navy Trail Party that traversed eastward from Little America V to establish Byrd Station in 1956.

Moulton Icefalls

. The steep icefalls draining the northern slopes of Mount Moulton. Mapped by USGS from ground surveys and the United States Navy air photos, 1959-66. Named by US-ACAN in association with Mount Moulton.

Gawne Nunatak

. A nunatak on the east side of Wells Saddle between Mount Berlin and Mount Moulton. Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1959-66. Named by US-ACAN for Steven P. Gawne, a member of the USARP team that studied ice sheet dynamics in the area northeast of Byrd Station in the 1971-72 season.

Britt Peak

. A small peak high just southwest of the summit of Mount Moulton. Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1959-66. Named byUS-ACAN for Dale R. Britt, BU2, United States Navy, a builder who wintered over at South Pole Station, 1969.

Kohler Dome

. A rounded, snow-covered elevation high that rises slightly above the general level of the extreme east part of the Mount Moulton massif. Mapped by USGS from ground surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1959-66. Named by US-ACAN for Robert E. Kohler of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, a geomagnetist/seismologist at Byrd Station, 1970.

Dickson Icefalls

. A north-draining icefalls of moderate slope at an elevation of high, located between Mount Moulton and Mount Bursey. Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1959-65. Named by US-ACAN for Donald T. Dickson, USARP glaciologist with the Byrd Station Traverse of 1962-63.

Eastern features

Features on or near Mount Bursey include Starbuck Crater, Koerner Bluff, Heaps Rock and Hutt Peak in the south, Syrstad Rock and Bursey Icefalls in the north.

Mount Bursey

. A broad, ice-covered mountain, high, which forms the east end of the Flood Range. Discovered by members of the USAS on aerial flights in 1940. Named for Jacob Bursey, member of the ByrdAE (1928-30) and dog-driver with the USAS party which sledged to the west end of the Flood Range in December 1940.

Starbuck Crater

. A small snow-filled crater at the base of the west slope of the Mount Bursey massif in Marie Byrd Land. Mapped by USGS from ground surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1959-66. Named by US-ACAN for James E. Starbuck of Bartol Research Foundation, who studied cosmic rays at the South Pole Station in 1970.

Koerner Bluff

. A bare rock bluff along the northwest margin of Mount Bursey. Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1959-65. Named by US-ACAN for Roy M. Koerner, USARP glaciologist with the Byrd Station Traverse, 1962-63.

Heaps Rock

. A rock exposure above Bursey Icefalls and west-northwest of Hutt Peak on the Mount Bursey massif. Mapped by USGS from ground surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1959-66. Named by US-ACAN for Kenneth L. Heaps, meteorologist at South Pole Station, 1970.

Hutt Peak

. A small but sharply rising snow-covered peak that rises above the general level of the central part of the Mount Bursey massif. Mapped by USGS from ground surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1959-66. Named by US-ACAN for Charles R. Hutt of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, a geomagnetistseismologist at South Pole Station, 1970.

Syrstad Rock

. A rock outcrop below and north of Koerner Bluff on the northwest slopes of Mount Bursey. Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1959-65. Named by US-ACAN for Erik Syrstad, ionospheric physicist at South Pole Station, 1970.

Bursey Icefalls

. The icefalls draining the north slope of Mount Bursey. Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1959-65. Named by US-ACAN in association with Mount Bursey.

References

Sources

* * * * * *{{Include-USGov , agency=United States Geological Survey Volcanoes of Marie Byrd Land Miocene shield volcanoes Pliocene shield volcanoes Pleistocene shield volcanoes