Thiel Mountains
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The Thiel Mountains () are isolated, mainly snow-capped mountains of the
Transantarctic Mountains The Transantarctic Mountains (abbreviated TAM) comprise a mountain range of uplifted rock (primarily sedimentary) in Antarctica which extends, with some interruptions, across the continent from Cape Adare in northern Victoria Land to Coats L ...
System, located in the
Ellsworth Land Ellsworth Land is a portion of the Antarctica, Antarctic continent bounded on the west by Marie Byrd Land, on the north by the Bellingshausen Sea, on the northeast by the base of the Antarctic Peninsula, and on the east by the western margin of t ...
region of
Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean (also known as the Antarctic Ocean), it contains the geographic South Pole. ...
. The mountain range is long, is located roughly between the
Horlick Mountains The Horlick Mountains () are a mountain group in the Transantarctic Mountains of Antarctica, lying eastward of Reedy Glacier and including the Wisconsin Range, Long Hills and Ohio Range. Discovery and naming The mountains were discovered in ...
and 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 ...
, and extends from Moulton Escarpment on the west to Nolan Pillar on the east. Major components include
Ford Massif Ford Massif () is a broad, snow-topped massif long and wide, forming the major topographic landmark of the northern Thiel Mountains in Antarctica. The massif rises to , is essentially flat, and terminates in steep rock cliffs in all but the sou ...
(),
Bermel Escarpment The Bermel Escarpment is a snow and rock escarpment, long, extending from the base of the Ford Massif to King Peak, in the Thiel Mountains of Antarctica. The escarpment drops from the Antarctic Plateau to the ice surface north of these mountains ...
and a group of eastern peaks near Nolan Pillar.


Discovery and naming

The Thiel Mountains were observed and first positioned 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)
Horlick Mountains Traverse The Horlick Mountains Traverse, along with the Little America-Byrd Station Traverse and the Sentinel Mountains Traverse, was one of three Antarctic traverses performed by Dr. Charles Bentley and his team before and during the International Geophy ...
Party, 1958–59. They were surveyed 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) Thiel Mountains parties of 1960–61 and 1961–62. They were named by
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) after
Edward C. Thiel Edward C. Thiel (May 4, 1928 – November 9, 1961), was a geologist from the University of Wisconsin and chief seismologist at Ellsworth Station Antarctica, from 1956 to 1958. He was leader of the traverse party that discovered the Thiel Trough subm ...
, traverse seismologist at
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 ...
and 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 ...
in 1957. In December 1959, he made airlifted geophysical observations along the 88th meridian West, including work near these mountains. Thiel perished with four others in the crash of a
P2V Neptune The Lockheed P-2 Neptune (designated P2V by the United States Navy prior to September 1962) is a Maritime patrol aircraft, maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft. It was developed for the US Navy by Lockheed Corporation, Lockh ...
aircraft soon after take-off from
Wilkes Station Wilkes Station was an Antarctic research station established 29 January 1957 by the United States as one of seven U.S. stations established for the International Geophysical Year (IGY) program in Antarctica. It was taken over by Australia on ...
on November 9, 1961.


Location

File:Thiel Mountains USGS.jpg, Thiel Mountains File:Stewart_Hills_USGS.jpg, Region to the north of Thiel Mountains File:Thiel_Mountains_far.jpg, Distant aerial view of the Thiel Mountains The Thiel Mountains include the Moulton Escarpment to the northwest, which includes Chastain Peak. To the north it contains the
Ford Massif Ford Massif () is a broad, snow-topped massif long and wide, forming the major topographic landmark of the northern Thiel Mountains in Antarctica. The massif rises to , is essentially flat, and terminates in steep rock cliffs in all but the sou ...
. To the southeast is the
Bermel Escarpment The Bermel Escarpment is a snow and rock escarpment, long, extending from the base of the Ford Massif to King Peak, in the Thiel Mountains of Antarctica. The escarpment drops from the Antarctic Plateau to the ice surface north of these mountains ...
, the Davies Escarpment and Lewis Nunatak. The Sontag Nunatak is some distance to the north, and the Stewart Hills are yet further north.


Thiel aircraft refueling depot

As of 2009, Adventure Network International/Antarctic Logistics & Expeditions (ANI/ALE) was the only member of the
International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) was founded in 1991 by seven companies. The primary goal of the association is to "''advocate and promote the practice of safe and environmentally responsible private-sector travel t ...
(IAATO) that provided land-based tourism activities of any extent in the Antarctic. It was formed by a 2003 takeover of Adventure Network International by Antarctic Logistics & Expeditions. ALE/ANI maintains a fuel cache at Thiel Mountains, which provides fuel for long-distance flights and serves as a backup for Search and Rescue. A 2002 description of the fuel depot near the Thiel Mountains said "the landing strip is a flat area within view of the mountains, marked with black garbage bags filled with snow. There are a bunch of 55-gallon drums of fuel and a Canadian flag." Visitors in December 2011 travelling in a Twin Otter from Union Glacier to the South Pole landed close to Thiel Mountains at to refuel on the way. The operator used to fly in fuel barrels, burning one barrel for every four delivered, but now carried the fuel barrels overland, a much more efficient approach.


Features

In addition to the
Ford Massif Ford Massif () is a broad, snow-topped massif long and wide, forming the major topographic landmark of the northern Thiel Mountains in Antarctica. The massif rises to , is essentially flat, and terminates in steep rock cliffs in all but the sou ...
and
Bermel Escarpment The Bermel Escarpment is a snow and rock escarpment, long, extending from the base of the Ford Massif to King Peak, in the Thiel Mountains of Antarctica. The escarpment drops from the Antarctic Plateau to the ice surface north of these mountains ...
, there are various smaller features in or near the Thiel Mountains.


Moulton Escarpment

. A rock and ice escarpment, long, in a semi-isolated position about west of Ford Massif where it forms the western shoulder of the Thiel Mountains. Surveyed by the USGS Thiel Mountains party, 1960-61. Named by US-ACAN for Kendall N. Moulton of the Division of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation. As program manager of the Foundation's Field Operation Program, Moulton made more than a dozen deployments to Antarctica in the years 1958-77.


Chastain Peak

. A peak, , near the center of Moulton Escarpment, at the W margin of the Thiel Mountains. Surveyed by the USGS Thiel Mountains party, 1960-61. Named by US-ACAN after William W. Chastain, Aviation Structural Mechanic, United States Navy, who lost his life in the crash of a P2V Neptune aircraft soon after takeoff from Wilkes Station, Nov. 9, 1961.


Davies Escarpment

. An east-facing ice escarpment over long, located southward of Bermel Escarpment in the southern part of the Thiel Mountains. The feature appears to be devoid of rock outcroppings. The name was proposed by Peter Bermel and Arthur Ford, co-leaders of the USGS Thiel Mountains party of 1960-61. Named after William E. Davies, USGS geologist aboard the icebreaker ''Atka'' in the Antarctic reconnaissance cruise of 1954-55 in search of station sites for use during the International Geophysical Year.


Lewis Nunatak

. An isolated, mainly snow-covered nunatak located about southeast of the Davies Escarpment and southwest of
Nolan Pillar The Bermel Escarpment is a snow and rock escarpment, long, extending from the base of the Ford Massif to King Peak, in the Thiel Mountains of Antarctica. The escarpment drops from the Antarctic Plateau to the ice surface north of these mountains ...
, at the south end of the Thiel Mountains. The name was proposed by Peter Bermel and Arthur Ford, co-leaders of the USGS Thiel Mountains party which surveyed the area in 1960-61. Named for Charles R. Lewis, USGS geologist who worked from various U.S. vessels (Wyandot, Glacier and Eastwind) in conducting research in the McMurdo Sound region and in the Balaena Islands during the 1955-56 season.


Sonntag Nunatak

. A solitary nunatak located east-northeast of
Hamilton Cliff Ford Massif () is a broad, snow-topped massif long and wide, forming the major topographic landmark of the northern Thiel Mountains in Antarctica. The massif rises to , is essentially flat, and terminates in steep rock cliffs in all but the sou ...
, Ford Massif. The nunatak was observed on Dec. 13, 1959 by Edward Thiel and Campbell Craddock in the course of a USARP airlifted geophysical traverse along the 88th meridian West. The name was proposed by Thiel and Craddock for Wayne Sonntag, Operations Director at the Geophysical Institute, University of Wisconsin, 1959–61, logistics officer for the airlifted traverse.


Stewart Hills

. Several small nunataks and snow hills rising above an otherwise featureless terrain, northeast of Ford Massif. Observed by the USARP Horlick Mountains Traverse, 1958–59, and by Edward Thiel and Campbell Craddock in the course of an airlifted geophysical traverse, Dec. 13, 1959. The name was proposed by Thiel and Craddock for Prof. Duncan Stewart, geologist, Carleton College, Minnesota, whose writing and interpretation of Antarctic rock samples have contributed to knowledge of the continent.


Hart Hills

. A line of low, mainly snow-covered hills, long, trending east-west. The hills are isolated, lying west of Pagano Nunatak and north of the Ford Massif of the Thiel Mountains. Observed by Edward Thiel and Campbell Craddock in the course of an airlifted geophysical traverse along the 88th meridian West, December 13, 1959. The name was proposed by them for Pembroke Hart, National Academy of Sciences staff, member of the technical panel on seismology and gravity on the U.S. National Committee for the IGY.


Pagano Nunatak

. A notable rock nunatak with a pointed summit, high, which stands in relative isolation, east of Hart Hills and north-northeast of the Ford Massif. The nunatak was examined and sketched by Edward Thiel in the course of an airlifted seismic traverse along meridian 88°W in the 1959-60 season. Named by US-ACAN after Chief Warrant Officer Gerald Pagano (d.1981), USA, assistant for plans and operations on the staff of the Commander, U.S. Naval Support Force, Antarctica, 1960–65; staff member, Center for Polar Archives, National Archives, 1972-81.


References


Sources

* * * * * * {{Authority control Mountain ranges of Ellsworth Land Transantarctic Mountains