Mount Hawkes () is, at , the highest mountain along the

Washington Escarpment The Neptune Range () is a mountain range, long, lying west-southwest of Forrestal Range in the central part of the Pensacola Mountains, Antarctica. The range comprises Washington Escarpment with its associated ridges, valleys and peaks, the Ir ...

, standing at the east side of Jones Valley in the

Neptune Range The Neptune Range () is a mountain range, long, lying west-southwest of Forrestal Range in the central part of the Pensacola Mountains, Antarctica. The range comprises Washington Escarpment with its associated ridges, valleys and peaks, the Iro ...

of the

Pensacola Mountains The Pensacola Mountains () are a large group of mountain ranges and peaks that extend in a northeast–southwest direction in the Transantarctic Mountains System, Queen Elizabeth Land region of Antarctica. They comprise the Argentina Range, Forre ...

, Antarctica.

Discovery and name

Mount Hawkes was discovered and photographed on January 13, 1956, in the course of the trans-Antarctic nonstop plane flight by personnel of United States Navy

Operation Deep Freeze Operation Deep Freeze is the code name for a series of United States missions to Antarctica, beginning with "Operation Deep Freeze I" in 1955–56, followed by "Operation Deep Freeze II", "Operation Deep Freeze III", and so on. (There was an init ...

I from

McMurdo Sound The McMurdo Sound is a sound in Antarctica, known as the southernmost passable body of water in the world, located approximately from the South Pole. Captain James Clark Ross discovered the sound in February 1841 and named it after Lieutenant ...

to the

Weddell Sea The Weddell Sea is part of the Southern Ocean and contains the Weddell Gyre. Its land boundaries are defined by the bay formed from the coasts of Coats Land and the Antarctic Peninsula. The easternmost point is Cape Norvegia at Princess Martha C ...

and return. It was 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 ...

for Commander William M. Hawkes of the

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 ...

, who was the co-pilot of the

P2V-2N Neptune The Lockheed P-2 Neptune (designated P2V by the United States Navy prior to September 1962) is a maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft. It was developed for the US Navy by Lockheed to replace the Lockheed PV-1 Ventura and P ...

aircraft making this flight. The

Hawkes Heights Coulman Island () is an island long and wide, lying southeast of Cape Jones, Victoria Land, Antarctica, in the western Ross Sea. It was discovered in 1841 by Sir James Clark Ross who named it for his father-in-law, Thomas Coulman. Geology ...

are also named for Hawkes, who was assigned to Air Development Squadron Six (

VX-6 Air Development Squadron Six (VX-6 or AIRDEVRON SIX, commonly referred to by its nickname, "puckered penguins") was a United States Navy Air Development Squadron based at McMurdo Station, Antarctica. Established at Naval Air Station Patuxent Rive ...

) in 1955–56.

Location

Mount Hawkes is towards the south of the

, which runs from south to north through the length of the

. The Jones Valley is to its west and the

Iroquois Plateau The Iroquois Plateau () is a large, mainly ice-covered plateau situated east of the southern part of the Washington Escarpment in the Pensacola Mountains, Antarctica. Mapping and name The Iroquois Plateau was mapped by the United States Geologica ...

is to its east.

Gambacorta Peak Gambacorta Peak () is a peak high, standing east of Mount Kaschak in the southern Neptune Range, Pensacola Mountains, Antarctica. Mapping and name Gambacorta Peak was mapped by the United States Geological Survey from surveys and United Stat ...

is to the south and Bennett Spires is to the north. Ridges extending west from Bennett Spires include the West Prongs, Heiser Ridge and Hudson Ridge, which terminates in Meads Peak.

Nearby features

Jones Valley

. A snow-covered valley between West Prongs and

Elliott Ridge Gambacorta Peak () is a peak high, standing east of Mount Kaschak in the southern Neptune Range, Pensacola Mountains, Antarctica. Mapping and name Gambacorta Peak was mapped by the United States Geological Survey from surveys and United State ...

. Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1956-66. Named by US-ACAN for Lieutenant (j.g.) James G.L. Jones, United States Navy, a member of the

Ellsworth Station Ellsworth Scientific Station (, or simply ''Estación Ellsworth'' or ''Base Ellsworth'') was a permanent, all year-round originally American, then Argentine Antarctic scientific research station named after American polar explorer Lincoln Ellswo ...

winter party in 1958.

Bennett Spires

. Two sharp peaks overlooking the head of Jones Valley. Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1956-66. Named by US-ACAN for Staff Sergeant Robert E. Bennett,

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

, radio operator of the Electronic Test Unit in the Pensacola Mountains, summer 1957-58.

West Prongs

. Three distinctive rock spurs that form the west end of the ridge just north of Elliott Ridge. Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1956-66. Named by US-ACAN for Clyde E. West, cook at Ellsworth Station, winter 1958.

Seely Ridge

. A ridge, long, rising to at the south end, trends northeast from West Prongs to join Heiser Ridge. Named by US-ACAN in 1995 after Benjamin W. Seely, who invented the inflatable life raft in 1915 at

Pensacola Naval Air Station Naval Air Station Pensacola or NAS Pensacola (formerly NAS/KNAS until changed circa 1970 to allow Nassau International Airport, now Lynden Pindling International Airport, to have IATA code NAS), "The Cradle of Naval Aviation", is a United Sta ...

Heiser Ridge

. A narrow rock ridge, long, midway between West Prongs and Hudson Ridge. Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1956-66. Named by US-ACAN for James R. Heiser, topographic engineer with the Neptune Range field party, summer 1963-64.

Hudson Ridge

. A narrow rock ridge long, lying north of Heiser Ridge. Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1956-66. Named by US-ACAN for Peter M. Hudson, aviation machinist at Ellsworth Station, winter 1958.

Meads Peak

. A peak, high, standing off the northwest end of Hudson Ridge. Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1956-66. Named by US-ACAN for Edward C. Meads, construction driver at Ellsworth Station, winter 1958.

References

Sources

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