Molar Massif () is a large mountain

massif A massif () is a principal mountain mass, such as a compact portion of a mountain range, containing one or more summits (e.g. France's Massif Central). In mountaineering literature, ''massif'' is frequently used to denote the main mass of an ...

immediately east of the

Lanterman Range The Lanterman Range () is a mountain range about long and wide, forming the southwest part of the Bowers Mountains in Antarctica. It is bounded by the Rennick Glacier, Sledgers Glacier, Black Glacier and Canham Glacier. Exploration and na ...

in the

Bowers Mountains Bowers Mountains () is a group of north–south trending mountains in Antarctica, about long and wide, bounded by the coast on the north and by the Rennick Glacier, Canham Glacier, Black Glacier and Lillie Glacier in other quadrants. They are we ...

of Antarctica. It was 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 The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

air photos, 1960–1964. The descriptive name was applied 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) because, when viewed in plan, the outline of the massif resembles a

molar tooth The molars or molar teeth are large, flat teeth at the back of the mouth. They are more developed in mammals. They are used primarily to grind food during chewing. The name ''molar'' derives from Latin, ''molaris dens'', meaning "millstone toot ...

Location

The Molar Massif is bounded by the

Sledgers Glacier Rennick Glacier () is a broad glacier, nearly long, which is one of the largest in Antarctica. It rises on the polar plateau westward of Mesa Range and is wide, narrowing to near the coast. It takes its name from Rennick Bay where the glacier r ...

to the west, which separates it from the

. To the north Tobogganers Icefall separates it from Mount Overlook. To the east

Leap Year Glacier Lillie Glacier () is a large glacier in Antarctica, about long and wide. It lies between the Bowers Mountains on the west and the Concord Mountains and Anare Mountains on the east, flowing to Ob' Bay on the coast and forming the Lillie Glacier T ...

separates it from the

Mount Stirling Mount Stirling is a mountain in the Victorian Alps of the Great Dividing Range, located in the Hume region of Victoria, Australia. The mountain has an elevation of above sea level. Mount Stirling is entirely located within the Mount Stirl ...

massif. The

Crown Hills Coleman was an electoral ward and administrative division of the city of Leicester, England, consisting of the Leicester suburbs of Crown Hills and North Evington. It was replaced by North Evington ward in 2015. Geography Coleman was bounde ...

are to the south.

Features

Wisdom Hills

. A cluster of summits which rise to high and form the northwest segment of Molar Massif. Named in 1983 by the

New Zealand Antarctic Place-Names Committee New Zealand Antarctic Place-Names Committee (NZ-APC) is an adjudicating committee established to authorize the naming of features in the Ross Dependency on the Antarctic continent. It is composed of the members of the New Zealand Geographic Board pl ...

(NZ-APC), on a proposal from geologist M.G. Laird, in association with the name Molar Massif.

Dentine Peak

. The highest peak high in the northeast portion of Molar Massif. Named from association with Molar Massif by geologist R.A. Cooper, leader of

New Zealand Antarctic Research Programme The New Zealand Antarctic Research Programme (NZARP) was a research programme that operated a permanent research facility in Antarctica from 1959 to 1996. It was created by the Geophysics Division of New Zealand's Department of Scientific and Indu ...

(NZARP) paleontological parties to this area, 1974-75 and 1981-82.

Incisor Ridge

. A ridge, long, forming the southwest segment of Molar Massif. Named in association with Molar Massif by the NZ-APC (1983) on the proposal of geologist M.G. Laird.

Husky Pass

. A pass between Lanterman Range and Molar Massif, located at the head of Sledgers Glacier and an unnamed tributary, leading to Leap Year Glacier. Named by the

New Zealand Geological Survey Antarctic Expedition The New Zealand Geological Survey Antarctic Expedition (NZGSAE) describes a series of scientific explorations of the continent Antarctica. The expeditions were notably active throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Features named by the expeditions 19 ...

(NZGSAE), 1963-64, for the great efforts made here by dog teams in hauling out of the

Rennick Glacier Rennick Glacier () is a broad glacier, nearly long, which is one of the largest in Antarctica. It rises on the polar plateau westward of Mesa Range and is wide, narrowing to near the coast. It takes its name from Rennick Bay where the glacier r ...

watershed into that of the

Lillie Glacier Lillie Glacier () is a large glacier in Antarctica, about long and wide. It lies between the Bowers Mountains on the west and the Concord Mountains and Anare Mountains on the east, flowing to Ob' Bay on the coast and forming the Lillie Glacier T ...

Evison Glacier

. A small glacier draining from the south end of Molar Massif in the Bowers Mountains. Named by the NZGSAE, 1967-68, for F.F. Evison, New Zealand's first professor of geophysics.

Canine Hills

. A line of mostly snow-covered hills and ridges trending northwest-southeast for and forming the eastern half of Molar Massif. Named by the NZ-APC in 1983 from a proposal by geologist M.G. Laird, in association with the names Molar Massif and Incisor Ridge.

Nearby features

Features to the north of the massif include:

Mount Overlook

. A mostly snow-covered mountain rising to about high and overlooking the middle portion of Sledgers Glacier from the north. The feature was so named by M.G. Laird, leader of a NZARP geological party to the area, 1981-82, because the party obtained an excellent view from the summit.

Mount Bradshaw

. A mountain peak high at the northeast side of the

névé Névé is a young, granular type of snow which has been partially melted, refrozen and compacted, yet precedes the form of ice. This type of snow can contribute to glacier formation through the process of ''nivation''. Névé that survives a ...

of Leap Year Glacier, northwest of

lan Peak Mount Stirling () is a mountain, high, in the Bowers Mountains, Antarctica. It is located southwest of Mount Freed where it forms part of the east wall of Leap Year Glacier. It was named by the New Zealand Geological Survey Antarctic Expedition ...

. Named by the NZ-APC in 1983 after J.D. Bradshaw, geologist, University of Canterbury, N.Z., a member of NZARP geological parties to the area, 1974-75 and 1981-82.

Mount Verhage

. A prominent mountain, high, standing directly at the head of

Smithson Glacier Lillie Glacier () is a large glacier in Antarctica, about long and wide. It lies between the Bowers Mountains on the west and the Concord Mountains and Anare Mountains on the east, flowing to Ob' Bay on the coast and forming the Lillie Glacier T ...

. Mapped by USGS from ground surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1960–62. Named by US-ACAN for Lieutenant Ronald G. Verhage, United States Navy, supply officer at McMurdo Station, winter party, 1967.

References

Sources

* * {{Include-USGov , agency=United States Geological Survey Mountains of Victoria Land Pennell Coast