Saunders Coast () is the portion of the coast of
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 ...
between
Cape Colbeck and
Brennan Point, or between
Shirase Coast in the west and
Ruppert Coast
Ruppert Coast () is that portion of the coast of Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica, between Brennan Point and Cape Burks, or between Saunders Coast in the west and Hobbs Coast in the east. It stretches from 146°31'W to 136°50'W. It was named by R. ...
in the east. It stretches from 158°01'W to 146°31'W. The portion west of 150°W is part of
Ross Dependency
The Ross Dependency is a region of Antarctica defined by a circular sector, sector originating at the South Pole, passing along longitudes 160th meridian east, 160° east to 150th meridian west, 150° west, and terminating at latitude 60th para ...
, while the remaining area is unclaimed by any nation. This coast was explored from the air on December 5, 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 ...
(1928–1930) and was first mapped from aerial photographs obtained on that flight by Capt.
Harold E. Saunders, USN, for whom the coast is named. 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) completely mapped the coast from ground surveys and
U.S. Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...
air photos, 1959–1965.
Saunders Basin () is an undersea basin in the central Ross shelf named in association with Saunders Coast. Name approved 6/88 (ACUF 228).
Coasts of the Ross Dependency
Landforms of Marie Byrd Land
King Edward VII Land
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