The Monument Nunataks () are a group of

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 in Antarctica that have numerous pinnacles and odd-shaped projections resembling monuments, situated north of Sculpture Mountain in the upper part of

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 ...

. The group was named by the Northern Party of 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) of 1962–63.

Location

The Monument Nunataks are on the east side of the upper

. The

Freyberg Mountains The Freyberg Mountains () are a group of mountains in Victoria Land, Antarctica, bounded by the Rennick Glacier, Bowers Mountains, Black Glacier, and Evans Névé. They are west of the Victory Mountains and south of the Bowers Mountains. Nam ...

are to the east, and the

Mesa Range The Mesa Range () is a range of flat-topped mesas comprising the Sheehan, Pain, Tobin and Gair Mesas, situated at the head of the Rennick Glacier in Victoria Land, Antarctica. It was given this descriptive name by the northern party of the New ...

to the south. the

Outback Nunataks The Outback Nunataks () are a series of bare rock nunataks and mountains which are distributed over an area about long by wide. The group lies south of Emlen Peaks of the Usarp Mountains and west of Monument Nunataks and upper Rennick Glacier, ...

are to the west.

Features

Features, from north to south, include:

Mount Lorius

. A mountain, high, standing north of Mount Allison. Mapped by 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 Party, 1959-60. 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 Claude Lorius, French glaciologist, a member of the traverse party.

Mount Allison

. A mountain northeast of Mount Stuart. 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, 1960-64. Named by the US-ACAN for Richard G. Allison, biologist at McMurdo Station, summers 1965-66 and 1967-68.

Mount Stuart

. A mountain, high, standing north of Mount VX-6. Named by the US-ACAN for A.W. Stuart, glaciologist and member of the United States ArmyRP Victoria Land Traverse Party which surveyed this area in 1959-60.

Mount VX-6

. A distinctive, sharp mountain, high, standing north of Minaret Nunatak. Surveyed by the USARP Victoria Land Traverse Party, 1959-60. They named it for United States Navy Air Development Squadron Six (VX-6) which supported the traverse party in the field. On January 1, 1969, the squadron was redesignated Antarctic Development Squadron Six (VXE-6) but its mission remained the same.

Minaret Nunatak

. A minaret-like nunatak, high, standing west of Burkett Nunatak. Named by the Northern Party of NZGSAE, 1962-63.

Burkett Nunatak

. A nunatak, high, standing east of Minaret Nunatak. Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1960-64. Named by US-ACAN for Willis A. Burkett, aviation electronics technician of United States Navy Squadron VX-6. Burkett made six deployments with Deep Freeze expeditions and participated in over 100 flights to McMurdo Sound.

R4D Nunatak

. A nunatak lying southeast of Burkett Nunatak, at the southeast end of Monument Nunataks. Named by the Northern Party of NZGSAE, 1962-63, after the R4D "Dakota" aircraft used by the United States Navy to transport the Northern Party to this area, and to resupply and return the party to Scott Base.

Nearby features

Sculpture Mountain

. A large dissected mountain between the Monument Nunataks and Sheehan Mesa. Named by the Northern Party of NZGSAE, 1962-63, due to the cuspate embayment which has been sculptured into the feature.

Tooth Peak

. A small sharp peak on the north end of Sculpture Mountain in the upper

. Named for its tooth-like shape by the Northern Party of NZGSAE, 1962-63.

Mount Short

. A mountain, high, standing east of Sculpture Mountain. Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1960-64. Named by US-ACAN for Lieutenant Commander John S. Short, United States Navy, LC-130F aircraft commander in Operation Deep Freeze 1967 and 1968.

Cherry Spur

. A prominent rock spur that forms the southwest portion of Sculpture Mountain at the south end of Monument Nunataks. The feature was geologically studied by Ohio State University field parties in the 1981-82 and 1982-83 seasons. Named by the US-ACAN after Eric M. Cherry, geologist with those parties who worked on the spur.

References

Sources

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