The Harold Byrd Mountains () are a group of exposed mountains and

nunatak A nunatak (from Inuit language, Inuit ) is the summit or ridge of a mountain that protrudes from an ice field or glacier that otherwise covers most of the mountain or ridge. They often form natural pyramidal peaks. Isolated nunataks are also cal ...

s which extend in an east–west direction between the lower part of

Leverett Glacier The Leverett Glacier () is about long and wide, flowing from the Antarctic Plateau to the south end of the Ross Ice Shelf through the Queen Maud Mountains. It is an important part of the South Pole Traverse from McMurdo Station to the Admundson ...

and the head 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 ...

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean (also known as the Antarctic Ocean), it contains the geographic South Pole. ...

. They were discovered in December 1929 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 ...

geological party under

Laurence 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 named by Rear Admiral

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 D. Harold Byrd, a cousin of his and a contributor towards the purchase of furs for the expedition.

Location

The Harold Byrd Mountains are in relatively flat country to the northeast of the lower reaches of the

, and to the south of the

. Features include, from west to east, Mount Fridovich, Supporting Party Mountain, Mount Graham, Mount Nichols, Mount Manke, Cresley Peak and Fadden Peak. The Fallone Nunataks are to the north, and the

Bender Mountains The Bender Mountains () are a small group of mountains southwest of the Berry Peaks, between the southeast edge of the Ross Ice Shelf and the Watson Escarpment. Exploration and naming The Bender Mountains were mapped by the United States Geol ...

are to the east. Mount Webster is to the south.

Features

Mount Fridovich

. A small mountain, high, standing at the north side of the terminus of Leverett Glacier and marking the west limit of Harold Byrd Mountains. 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 Lt. (j.g.) Bernard Fridovich, United States Navy, meteorologist with the winter party at McMurdo Sound, 1957.

Supporting Party Mountain

. A mountain, high, standing east of Mount Fridovich in the Harold Byrd Mountains. Discovered in December 1929 by members of theByrd Antarctic Expedition Geological Sledging Party under Laurence Gould. Named by them in appreciation of the splendid cooperative work of their Supporting Party. The mountain was climbed by members of Gould's party who took panoramic photographs from the summit.

Mount Hanson

. A mountain rising to high, standing southeast of Supporting Party Mountain in the Harold Byrd Mountains. Discovered in December 1929 by theByrd Antarctic Expedition geological party under Laurence Gould, and named by R. Admiral Byrd for Malcolm P. Hanson, chief radio engineer of the expedition, and a pioneer in the development of radio communication apparatus for polar regions.

Mount Graham

. Mountain high, in the north part of the Harold Byrd Mountains. Named by US-ACAN for Lt. Cdr. R.E. Graham, officer in charge of the winter-over detachment of United States Navy Squadron VX-6 at Little America V, 1956.

Mount Nichols

. Mountain, high, in the central part of the Harold Byrd Mountains. 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 ground surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1960-63. Named by US-ACAN for William L. Nichols, construction mechanic with the Byrd Station winter party in 1957.

Mount Manke

. A mountain, high, marking the east limit of the Harold Byrd Mountains. Mapped by USGS from ground surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1960-63. Named by US-ACAN for Robert M. Manke, utilitiesman with the Byrd Station winter party in 1960.

Nearby features

Cressey Peak

. Peak, high, located east of Harold Byrd Mountains between the southeast edge of the Ross Ice Shelf and Watson Escarpment. Mapped by USGS from ground surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1960-63. Named by US-ACAN for Richard N. Cressey, storekeeper with the Byrd Station winter party in 1958.

Fadden Peak

. Peak, high, located east of Cressey Peak, between the southeast edge of the Ross Ice Shelf and Watson Escarpment. Named by US-ACAN for Dean E. Fadden, utilitiesman with the Byrd Station winter party, 1958.

Ivory Tower

. A small peak rising to c. high, east of Fadden Peak, between Harold Byrd Mountains and Bender Mountains. The peak was visited by a USARP-Arizona State University geological party, 1977-78, and so named from its composition of nearly all white marble.

Fallone Nunataks

. A chain of nunataks long, located northeast of Harold Byrd Mountains, between the edge of Ross Ice Shelf and Watson Escarpment. Named by US-ACAN for Lt. (jg) Paul R. Fallone, Jr., United States Navy, aide to the Commander, U.S. Naval Support Force, Antarctica, 1962.

Dirtbag Nunatak

. A ridge-like nunatak rising to high, south-southwest of Mount Manke, Harold Byrd Mountains. The feature was mapped by USGS from ground surveys and United States Navy aerial photographs, 1960-63. It was visited in 1977-78 by a USARP-Arizona State University geological party, led by Edmund Stump, and named in the spirit of Coalsack Bluff (q.v.); thin lenses of disintegrating mica and schist form a type of light soil on the slopes of thenunatak.

Mount Webster

. Prominent isolated mountain, high, standing north of Leverett Glacier and northwest of Mount Beazley. Mapped by USGS from ground surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1960-63. Named by US-ACAN for Lt. John B. Webster, United States Navy, flight surgeon with the McMurdo Station winter party in 1962.

References

Sources

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