The Phillips Mountains () are a range of mountains on the north side of

Balchen Glacier Block Bay () is a long ice-filled bay lying east of Guest Peninsula along the coast of Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica. Discovery and name Block Bay was discovered in 1929 by the Byrd Antarctic Expedition (ByrdAE), and named by Richard E. Byrd for ...

and Block Bay in the

Ford Ranges The Ford Ranges () are a collection of mountain groups and ranges standing east of Sulzberger Ice Shelf and Block Bay in the northwest part of Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica. Location The Ford Ranges lie along the coast of Marie Byrd Land to the s ...

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 Phillips Mountains are north of the terminus of

in Block Bay, facing the

Fosdick Mountains The Fosdick Mountains () are an east–west trending mountain range with marked serrate outlines, standing along the south side of Balchen Glacier at the head of Block Bay, in the Ford Ranges of Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica. Location The Fos ...

to the south of the glacier. Hermann Nunatak, Hutcheson Nunataks and Abele Nunatak are to the east and Adams Rocks to the west. Features of the range include, from west to east, Favela Rocks, Webster Bluff, Lewis Rocks, Mount June, Groux Rock, Mount Paige, Mount Carbone and Reddick Nunatak.

Geography and geology

The range spans about from west to east with elevations near 1000 m. Individual mountains are aligned northeast–southwest or northwest–southeast. 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 are composed of either Ford

granodiorite Granodiorite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock similar to granite, but containing more plagioclase feldspar than orthoclase feldspar. The term banatite is sometimes used informally for various rocks ranging from gra ...

(

Devonian The Devonian ( ) is a period (geology), geologic period and system (stratigraphy), system of the Paleozoic era (geology), era during the Phanerozoic eon (geology), eon, spanning 60.3 million years from the end of the preceding Silurian per ...

age), or Byrd Coast

granite Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...

(

Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 143.1 to 66 mya (unit), million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era (geology), Era, as well as the longest. At around 77.1 million years, it is the ...

age). Nunataks are mostly found north of the mountain range.

Discovery and name

The Phillips Mountains were 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; 1928–30) and named 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 Albanus Phillips, Sr., a manufacturer in

Cambridge, Maryland Cambridge is a city in Dorchester County, Maryland, United States. The population was 13,096 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Dorchester County and the county's largest municipality. Cambridge is the fourth most populous city in Ma ...

, United States, and patron of the Byrd expeditions.

Features

Favela Rocks

. A group of rocks at the northwest end of the Phillips Mountains, northwest of Mount June. 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 Rafael Favela, Jr., equipment operator, United States Navy, Byrd Station winter party, 1967.

Webster Bluff

. An ice-covered bluff with a steep, rocky north face, long, forming a northern extension of the Phillips Mountains. Mapped by USGS from surveys and US Navy air photos, 1959-65. Named by US-ACAN for David O. Webster, ionospheric physicist at Byrd Station, 1964.

Lewis Rocks

. An area of rock outcrops in extent, at the southwest foot of Mount June. Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy air photos (1959–65). Named by US-ACAN for John H. Lewis, geologist with the USARP Fosdick Mountains party, 1967-68.

Mount June

. A mountain west of Mount Paige. Discovered by the ByrdAE in December 1929, and named for Harold Island June, airplane pilot with the expedition.

Groux Rock

. An isolated rock outcrop in the north part of the Phillips Mountains, east-northeast of Mount June. Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy air photos (1959–65). Named by US-ACAN for Roger G. Groux, shipfitter, United States Navy, Byrd Station winter party, 1967.

Mount Paige

. A mountain west of Mount Carbone. Discovered and mapped from air photos taken by the ByrdAE (1928–30). Named by US-ACAN for David Paige, artist with the ByrdAE (1933–35).

Mount Carbone

. A mountain east of Mount Paige. Discovered and mapped from air photos by the ByrdAE (1928–30). Named by US-ACAN for Al Carbone, cook with the ByrdAE (1933–35).

Reddick Nunatak

. A nunatak in the east part of the Phillips Mountains, east-northeast of Mount Carbone. Mapped 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) and by USGS from surveys and United States Navy air photos (1959–65). Named by US-ACAN for Warren W. Reddick, Jr., construction electrician, United States Navy, at Byrd Station in 1967.

Nearby features

Herrmann Nunatak

. A nunatak northeast of the east end of the Phillips Mountains. Discovered and mapped by the USAS (1939–41). Named by US-ACAN for John Herrmann, photographer with the ByrdAE (1933–35).

Hutcheson Nunataks

. A small group of nunataks along the north side of Balchen Glacier, about midway between the Phillips Mountains and Abele Nunatak. Discovered and mapped by the USAS, 1939–41. Named by US-ACAN for Guy Hutcheson, radio engineer with the ByrdAE 1933-35.

Abele Nunatak

. A nunatak lying east of Hutcheson Nunataks at the head of Balchen Glacier, in Marie Byrd Land. Mapped from surveys by the USGS and United States Navy air photos (1959–65). Named by US-ACAN for C.A. Abele, Jr., a member of the ByrdAE (1933–35).

Mount Peddie

. An isolated mountain north of Webster Bluff. Mapped from surveys by USGS and U.S. Navy air photos (1959–65). Named by US-ACAN for Norman W. Peddie, geomagnetician and seismologist at Byrd Station, 1964.

Adams Rocks

. Two large rock outcrops that overlook the inner part of Block Bay from northward, located west of Mount June, Phillips Mountains. Mapped by USAS (1939–41) and by USGS from surveys and United States Navy air photos (1959–65). Named by US-ACAN for James G. Adams, builder, United States Navy, of the Byrd Station party, 1967.

References

Sources

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