The Bermel Escarpment is a snow and rock escarpment, long, extending from the base of the

Ford Massif Ford Massif () is a broad, snow-topped massif long and wide, forming the major topographic landmark of the northern Thiel Mountains in Antarctica. The massif rises to , is essentially flat, and terminates in steep rock cliffs in all but the sou ...

to King Peak, in the

Thiel Mountains The Thiel Mountains () are isolated, mainly snow-capped mountains of the Transantarctic Mountains System, located in the Ellsworth Land region of Antarctica. The mountain range is long, is located roughly between the Horlick Mountains and the Pe ...

of Antarctica. The escarpment drops from the

Antarctic Plateau The Antarctic Plateau, Polar Plateau or King Haakon VII Plateau is a large area of East Antarctica that extends over a diameter of about , and includes the region of the geographic South Pole and the Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station. Thi ...

to the ice surface north of these mountains.

Discovery and naming

The Bermel Escarpment was 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) after Peter F. Bermel, a cartographer with 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). Bermel was co-leader (with

Arthur B. Ford Arthur is a masculine given name of uncertain etymology. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. A common spelling variant used in many Slavic, Romance, and Germanic languages is Artur. In Spanish and Ital ...

) of the USGS Thiel Mountains party which surveyed the mountains in 1960–61, and also leader of USGS Topo East and Topo West, 1962–63, in which geodetic control was extended from the area of

Cape Hallett Cape Hallett is a snow-free area (Antarctic oasis) on the northern tip of the Hallett Peninsula on the Ross Sea coast of Victoria Land, East Antarctica. Cape Adare lies to the north. History In 1956, during Operation Deep Freeze II, was damag ...

to the

Wilson Hills Wilson Hills () is a group of scattered hills, nunataks and ridges that extend northwest–southeast about between Matusevich Glacier and Pryor Glacier in Antarctica. Discovery and naming The Wilson Hills were discovered by Lieutenant Harry ...

(Topo West), and from the foot of

Beardmore Glacier The Beardmore Glacier in Antarctica is one of the largest valley glaciers in the world, being long and having a width of . It descends about from the Antarctic Plateau to the Ross Ice Shelf and is bordered by the Commonwealth Range of the Queen ...

through the

Horlick Mountains The Horlick Mountains () are a mountain group in the Transantarctic Mountains of Antarctica, lying eastward of Reedy Glacier and including the Wisconsin Range, Long Hills and Ohio Range. Discovery and naming The mountains were discovered in ...

(Topo East).

Location

The Bermel Escarpment extends southeast from the

Counts Icefall Ford Massif () is a broad, snow-topped massif long and wide, forming the major topographic landmark of the northern Thiel Mountains in Antarctica. The massif rises to , is essentially flat, and terminates in steep rock cliffs in all but the sou ...

, which separates it from the

to the north. It faces northeast, dropping from the polar plateau. Features from northwest to southeast include Taylor Outlier, Tabor Spur, Elliot Nunatak, Drake Nunatak and King Peak. A small massif extends the escarpment to the south and includes Mount Powell, Mount Walcott, Mount Wrather, Mendenhall Peak, Smith Knob and Nolan Pillar.

Features

Taylor Outlier

. A relatively isolated rock lying just in front of the west end of the Bermel Escarpment and about east of the lower part of Counts Icefall. Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1959-61. Named by US-ACAN for Alfred R. Taylor USGS geologist, a member of the

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) Victoria Land Traverse, 1959-60.

Tabor Spur

. A narrow, jagged spur jutting out from the front of the Bermel Escarpment between Taylor Outlier and Elliott Nunatak. The name was proposed by Peter Bermel and Arthur Ford, co-leaders of the USGS Thiel Mountains party which surveyed these mountains in 1960-61. Named for Rowland Tabor, USGS geologist with the 1961-62 Thiel Mountains party.

Elliot Nunatak

. A large nunatak, high, jutting out from the center of Bermel Escarpment. The name was proposed by Peter Bermel and Arthur Ford, co-leaders of the USGS Thiel Mountains party that surveyed these mountains in 1960-61. Named for Raymond L. Elliott, geologist with the Thiel Mountains party.

Drake Nunatak

. A nunatak, high, at the base of Bermel Escarpment and east of Elliott Nunatak. The name was proposed by Arthur Ford and Peter Bermel, co-leaders of the USGS Thiel Mountains party of 1960-61. Named for Avery A. Drake, Jr., USGS geologist aboard the USS ''Glacier'' to the Thurston Island and Bellingshausen Sea area, 1960-61.

Hayes Peak

. An isolated, low rock peak, high, rising above the ice surface just south of Bermel Escarpment. The name was proposed by Peter Bermel and Arthur Ford, co-leaders of the USGS Thiel Mountains party which surveyed these mountains in 1960-61. Named for Philip T. Hayes, USGS geologist in the McMurdo Sound dry valley area, 1958-59.

King Peak

. A rock peak, high, surmounting the east extremity of the Bermel Escarpment, west-northwest of Mount Powell The name was proposed by Peter Bermel and Arthur Ford, co-leaders of the USGS Thiel Mountains party which surveyed these mountains in 1960-61. Named for

Clarence King Clarence Rivers King (January 6, 1842 – December 24, 1901) was an American geologist, mountaineer, and author. He was the first director of the United States Geological Survey from 1879 to 1881. Nominated by Republican President Rutherford B. ...

, the first director of the US Geological Survey, 1879-81. Other peaks in the vicinity are named for subsequent directors of the USGS. File:Clarence King.jpg, Clarence Rivers King (1842–1901) File:John Wesley Powell.jpg, John Wesley Powell File:Charles Doolittle Wallcott in 1873.JPG, Charles Doolittle Wallcott in 1873 File:Vincent Ellis McKelvey.jpg, Vincent Ellis McKelvey File:William Embry Wrather.jpg, William Embry Wrather File:Walter Curran Mendenhall 05.jpg, Walter Curran Mendenhall File:George Otis Smith 05.jpg, George Otis Smith File:Thomas Brennan Nolan.jpg, Thomas Brennan Nolan

Southern massif

The names of features in this massif were proposed by Peter Bermel and Arthur Ford, co-leaders of the USGS Thiel Mountains party which surveyed these mountains in 1960-61.

Mount Powell

. A prominent mountain, high, sharing a small massif with King Peak which stands west-northwest. Named for

John Wesley Powell John Wesley Powell (March 24, 1834 – September 23, 1902) was an American geologist, U.S. Army soldier, explorer of the American West, professor at Illinois Wesleyan University, and director of major scientific and cultural institutions. He ...

, second director of the United States Geological Survey, 1881-94.

Mount Walcott

. A mainly ice-free mountain, high, located east of Mount Powell. Named for

Charles Doolittle Walcott Charles Doolittle Walcott (March 31, 1850February 9, 1927) was an American paleontologist, administrator of the Smithsonian Institution from 1907 to 1927, and director of the United States Geological Survey. He is famous for his discovery in 19 ...

, third director of the United States Geological Survey, 1894-1907.

Mount McKelvey

. A rocky, mostly ice-free peak, high, situated less than east of Mount Walcott in the eastern portion of the Thiel Mountains. Surveyed by the USGS Thiel Mountains party, 1960-61. Named by US-ACAN for Vincent E. McKelvey, ninth director of the U.S. Geological Survey, 1971-78. During this period numerous USGS geologic and topographic expeditions, for which he had administrative responsibility, were carried out in Antarctica.

Mount Wrather

. Rock peak, high, south-southeast of Mount Walcott along the east margin of the Thiel Mountains. Named for

William Embry Wrather William Embry Wrather (January 20, 1883 – November 28, 1963) was an American petroleum and economic geologist who served in various administrative roles including as director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). He was awarded the John Fritz ...

, sixth director of the United States Geological Survey, 1943-56.

Mendenhall Peak

. A peak, high, west of Mount Wrather. Named for

Walter Curran Mendenhall Walter Curran Mendenhall (February 20, 1871 – June 2, 1957) was the fifth director of the United States Geological Survey. Life Mendenhall was born in Marlboro, Ohio to William King Mendenhall and Emma P. Garrigues. He graduated from Ohio No ...

, fifth director of the United States Geological Survey, 1931-43.

Smith Knob

. A partly snow-covered rock peak, or knob, standing south-southeast of Mendenhall Peak. Named for

George Otis Smith George Otis Smith (February 22, 1871 – January 10, 1944) was an American geologist. Life and career Smith was born in Hodgdon, Maine. He graduated from Colby College in 1893 and earned a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University in 1896. He ...

, fourth director of the United States Geological Survey, 1907-30.

Nolan Pillar

. A rock pinnacle, high, standing southeast of Smith Knob and marking the east extremity of the Thiel Mountains. Named for Thomas Brennan Nolan, seventh director of the United States Geological Survey, 1956-65.

References

Sources

* * {{Include-USGov , agency=United States Geological Survey Escarpments of Antarctica