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Transantarctic Mountains

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A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have arisen from the same cause, usually an orogeny . Mountain ranges are formed by a variety of geological processes, but most of the significant ones on Earth are the result of plate tectonics . Mountain ranges are also found on many planetary mass objects in the Solar System and are likely a feature of most terrestrial planets .

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36-508: 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 Land . These mountains divide East Antarctica and West Antarctica . They include a number of separately named mountain groups, which are often again subdivided into smaller ranges. The range

72-538: A Norwegian businessman and patron of science who contributed to numerous Norwegian polar expeditions. Amundsen used this glacier as his route up onto the polar plateau during his successful expedition to the South Pole . According to Sailing Directions for Antarctica (1960), "The Axel Heiberg Glacier, about 6 miles wide and 27 miles long, lies southeastward of the Fridtjof Nansen massif . It trends in

108-529: A northeast.–southwest direction and is steep, reaching an elevation of 10,920 feet at the southem portal. It was discovered and traversed by Amundsen in rovember 1911, on his journey to the south pole." Unlike the big “outlet” glaciers such as the Beardmore , Shackleton and Liv , the Axel Heiberg is in effect an alpine glacier, cut off from the polar plateau by a dolerite rim and fed entirely from

144-578: A party under expedition leader Robert Falcon Scott crossed into East Antarctica at a location now known as Ferrar Glacier , named after the geologist of the expedition. They explored part of Victoria Land on the Antarctic Plateau before returning via the same glacier. In 1908, Ernest Shackleton 's party crossed the mountains through the Beardmore Glacier . Scott returned to that same glacier in 1911, while Roald Amundsen crossed

180-728: Is a valley glacier , 30 nautical miles (56 km; 35 mi) long, descending from the high elevations of the Antarctic Plateau into the Ross Ice Shelf (nearly at sea level ) between the Herbert Range and Mount Don Pedro Christophersen in the Queen Maud Mountains . The glacier was discovered in November 1911 by the Norwegian polar explorer Roald Amundsen , and named by him for Consul Axel Heiberg ,

216-538: Is at work while the mountains are being uplifted until the mountains are reduced to low hills and plains. The early Cenozoic uplift of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado provides an example. As the uplift was occurring some 10,000 feet (3,000 m) of mostly Mesozoic sedimentary strata were removed by erosion over the core of the mountain range and spread as sand and clays across the Great Plains to

252-760: The Andes of South America, extends through the North American Cordillera , the Aleutian Range , on through Kamchatka Peninsula , Japan , Taiwan , the Philippines , Papua New Guinea , to New Zealand . The Andes is 7,000 kilometres (4,350 mi) long and is often considered the world's longest mountain system. The Alpide belt stretches 15,000 km across southern Eurasia , from Java in Maritime Southeast Asia to

288-551: The Annamite Range . If the definition of a mountain range is stretched to include underwater mountains, then the Ocean Ridge forms the longest continuous mountain system on Earth, with a length of 65,000 kilometres (40,400 mi). The position of mountain ranges influences climate, such as rain or snow. When air masses move up and over mountains, the air cools, producing orographic precipitation (rain or snow). As

324-804: The Iberian Peninsula in Western Europe , including the ranges of the Himalayas , Karakoram , Hindu Kush , Alborz , Caucasus , and the Alps . The Himalayas contain the highest mountains in the world, including Mount Everest , which is 8,848 metres (29,029 ft) high. Mountain ranges outside these two systems include the Arctic Cordillera , Appalachians , Great Dividing Range , East Siberians , Altais , Scandinavians , Qinling , Western Ghats , Vindhyas , Byrrangas , and

360-763: The Mithrim Montes and Doom Mons on Titan, and Tenzing Montes and Hillary Montes on Pluto. Some terrestrial planets other than Earth also exhibit rocky mountain ranges, such as Maxwell Montes on Venus taller than any on Earth and Tartarus Montes on Mars . Jupiter's moon Io has mountain ranges formed from tectonic processes including the Boösaule , Dorian, Hi'iaka and Euboea Montes . Axel Heiberg Glacier The Axel Heiberg Glacier ( 85°25′S 163°00′W  /  85.417°S 163.000°W  / -85.417; -163.000 ) in Antarctica

396-889: The Silurian period and continuing into the Jurassic . In many places, the Beacon Supergroup has been intruded by dikes and sills of Jurassic age Ferrar Dolerite . Many of the fossils found in Antarctica are from locations within these sedimentary formations. Ice from the East Antarctic Ice Sheet flows through the Transantarctic Mountains via a series of outlet glaciers into the Ross Sea, Ross Ice Shelf, and West Antarctic Ice Sheet . These glaciers generally flow perpendicular to

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432-1056: The Axel Heiberg Glacier from Cooper Glacier. In its upper reach the glacier descends through the Amundsen Icefall, then flows west to the south of the Herbert Range . It is joined by the Cooper Glacier from the south, and by the Sargent Glacier from the north, to the east of Bell Peak . It turns north and flows into the Ross Ice Shelf to the east of the Strom Glacier and west of the Bowman Glacier and Amundsen Glacier . 85°26′S 168°10′W  /  85.433°S 168.167°W  / -85.433; -168.167 . A mainly ice-covered ridge which extends southward from

468-589: The Herbert Range to enter Axel Heiberg Glacier just southeast of Bell Peak. Probably first seen by Roald Amundsen's polar party in 1911, the glacier was mapped by the ByrdAE, 1928-30. It was named by US-ACAN for Howard H. Sargent III who made ionospheric studies at the South Pole Station in 1964. [REDACTED]  This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of

504-803: The Ross Sea coastline in Victoria Land, while life in the interior of the Transantarctic Range is limited to bacteria, lichens , algae , and fungi. Forests once covered Antarctica, including plentiful Wollemi pines and southern beeches . However, with the gradual cooling associated with the break-up of Gondwana , these forests gradually disappeared. It is believed that the last trees on the Antarctic continent were on Transantarctic Mountains. The Transantarctic Mountains were first seen by Captain James Clark Ross in 1841 from

540-403: The Ross Sea. The range is a natural barrier that must be crossed to reach the South Pole from the Ross Ice Shelf . The first crossing of the Transantarctic Mountains took place during the 1902–1904 British National Antarctic Expedition at the Ross Ice Shelf. A reconnaissance party under the command of Albert Armitage reached 2,700 m (8,900 ft) altitude in 1902. The following year,

576-797: The TAM along their entire length on the Eastern Hemisphere side, while the Western Hemisphere side of the range is bounded by the Ross Sea in Victoria Land from Cape Adare to McMurdo Sound , the Ross Ice Shelf from McMurdo Sound to near the Scott Glacier, and the West Antarctic Ice Sheet beyond. The large summits and dry valleys of the TAM are some of the few places in Antarctica not covered by ice,

612-627: The air descends on the leeward side, it warms again (following the adiabatic lapse rate ) and is drier, having been stripped of much of its moisture. Often, a rain shadow will affect the leeward side of a range. As a consequence, large mountain ranges, such as the Andes, compartmentalize continents into distinct climate regions . Mountain ranges are constantly subjected to erosional forces which work to tear them down. The basins adjacent to an eroding mountain range are then filled with sediments that are buried and turned into sedimentary rock . Erosion

648-617: The continent, which are mainly volcanic in origin. The range was uplifted during the opening of the West Antarctic Rift System to the east, beginning about 65 million years ago in the early Cenozoic , and soon after became occupied by glaciers. The mountains consist of sedimentary layers lying upon a basement of granites and gneisses . The sedimentary layers include the Beacon Supergroup sandstones , siltstones , and coal deposited beginning in

684-506: The divide between the heads of Axel Heiberg and Cooper Glaciers. It was discovered in 1911 by Roald Amundsen, who named it for one of the expedition's chief supporters who lived in Buenos Aires. 85°30′S 164°30′W  /  85.500°S 164.500°W  / -85.500; -164.500 . A tributary glacier, 15 nautical miles (28 km; 17 mi) long, flowing northeast between Butchers Spur and Quarles Range to enter

720-485: The east. This mass of rock was removed as the range was actively undergoing uplift. The removal of such a mass from the core of the range most likely caused further uplift as the region adjusted isostatically in response to the removed weight. Rivers are traditionally believed to be the principal cause of mountain range erosion, by cutting into bedrock and transporting sediment. Computer simulation has shown that as mountain belts change from tectonically active to inactive,

756-520: The edge of the polar plateau 3 nautical miles (5.6 km; 3.5 mi) south of Mount Engelstad and overlooks the south side of the head of Axel Heiberg Glacier. It was discovered in 1911 by Roald Amundsen and named by him for Wilhelm Christophersen, Norwegian diplomat and Minister at Buenos Aires at that time. 85°34′S 166°30′W  /  85.567°S 166.500°W  / -85.567; -166.500 . A high ice-covered spur which descends southwestward from Mount Don Pedro Christophersen to

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792-536: The highest of which rise more than 4,500 metres (14,800 ft) above sea level. The McMurdo Dry Valleys lie near McMurdo Sound and represent a special Antarctic phenomenon: landscapes that are snow and ice-free due to the extremely limited precipitation and ablation of ice in the valleys. The highest mountain of the TAM is the 4,528 m (14,856 ft) high Mount Kirkpatrick in the Queen Alexandra Range . Penguins, seals, and sea birds live along

828-625: The ice divide". These geographic features are likely to have a significant impact on models and calculations related to ice flow through the Transantarctic Mountain region. In geographic order, from the Ross Sea towards the Weddell Sea : Mountain range Mountain ranges are usually segmented by highlands or mountain passes and valleys . Individual mountains within the same mountain range do not necessarily have

864-650: The longest mountain ranges on Earth. The Antarctandes are even longer, having in common with the Transantarctic Mountains the ranges from Cape Adare to the Queen Maud Mountains, but extending thence through the Whitmore Mountains and Ellsworth Mountains up the Antarctic Peninsula . The 100–300 km (60–200 mi) wide range forms the boundary between East Antarctica and West Antarctica. The East Antarctic Ice Sheet bounds

900-427: The orientation of the range and define subranges and peak groups. It has been thought that many of these outlet glaciers follow the traces of large-scale geologic faults . However, the ice flow theories will be re-evaluated in light of new data from recent ice-penetrating radar surveys which revealed the presence of three previously unknown deep subglacial valleys affecting the "mountainous subglacial topography beneath

936-748: The polar plateau at the head of Axel Heiberg Glacier, about midway between Helland-Hansen Shoulder and Mount Wilhelm Christophersen. It was discovered in 1911 by Roald Amundsen and named by him for Captain Ole Engelstad, of the Norwegian Navy, who had been selected as second in command of the Fram to carry the expedition to Antarctica, but who was killed in a scientific experiment preceding its departure. 85°33′S 167°20′W  /  85.550°S 167.333°W  / -85.550; -167.333 . A mound-shaped, ice-covered knob which rises from

972-647: The polar plateau between Mount Fridtjof Nansen and Mount Don Pedro Christophersen. It was named by the Southern Party of the NZGSAE (1961-62) for Captain Roald Amundsen, who ascended Axel Heiberg Glacier enroute to the South Pole in 1911. 85°23′S 163°50′W  /  85.383°S 163.833°W  / -85.383; -163.833 . A steep-walled tributary glacier, flowing southeast from

1008-581: The polar plateau. This feature on the south margin of the Queen Maud Mountains is the location of Roald Amundsen's "Butcher Shop." It was here in November 1911 that his party slaughtered their excess sledge dogs, consuming portions themselves and permitting the remaining sledge dogs a feast, prior to making the final dash to the South Pole, which was reached December 14. 85°32′S 165°47′W  /  85.533°S 165.783°W  / -85.533; -165.783 . A massive, largely ice-covered, gabled mountain 3,765 metres (12,352 ft) high, surmounting

1044-622: The range via the Axel Heiberg Glacier . Much of the range remained unexplored until the late 1940s and 1950s, when missions such as Operation Highjump and the International Geophysical Year (IGY) made extensive use of aerial photography and concentrated on a thorough investigation of the entire continent. The name "Transantarctic Mountains" was first applied to this range in a 1960 paper by geologist Warren B. Hamilton , following his IGY fieldwork. It

1080-627: The rate of erosion drops because there are fewer abrasive particles in the water and fewer landslides. Mountains on other planets and natural satellites of the Solar System, including the Moon , are often isolated and formed mainly by processes such as impacts, though there are examples of mountain ranges (or "Montes") somewhat similar to those on Earth. Saturn 's moon Titan and Pluto , in particular, exhibit large mountain ranges in chains composed mainly of ices rather than rock. Examples include

1116-588: The same geologic structure or petrology . They may be a mix of different orogenic expressions and terranes , for example thrust sheets , uplifted blocks , fold mountains, and volcanic landforms resulting in a variety of rock types . Most geologically young mountain ranges on the Earth's land surface are associated with either the Pacific Ring of Fire or the Alpide belt . The Pacific Ring of Fire includes

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1152-473: The south side of Axel Heiberg Glacier. It was discovered by Rear Admiral Byrd on several plane flights to the Queen Maud Mountains in November 1929, and named by him for Kent Cooper, an official of the Associated Press. 85°28′S 166°42′W  /  85.467°S 166.700°W  / -85.467; -166.700 . A steep and turbulent icefall where the Axel Heiberg Glacier descends from

1188-434: The uncharacteristically heavy snow falling within its own catchment. It falls over 2,700 m (9,000 ft) in 32 km (20 mi), most of it over 11 km (7 mi). The Axel Heiberg Glacier forms below the polar plateau below Helland Hansen Shoulder to the north, Mount Engelstad in the center and Mount Wilhelm Christopherson and Butchers Spur to the south. Mount Don Pedro Christophersen defines the eastern end of Butchers spur, and separates

1224-462: The west portion of Mount Fridtjof Nansen and overlooks the northern side of the head of Axel Heiberg Glacier. It was discovered in 1911 by Roald Armundsen and named by him for Prof. B. Helland Hansen, of the University of Oslo, Norway. 85°29′S 167°24′W  /  85.483°S 167.400°W  / -85.483; -167.400 . A rounded snow-covered summit rising from the edge of

1260-512: Was first sighted by James Clark Ross in 1841 at what was later named the Ross Ice Shelf in his honour. It was first crossed during the British National Antarctic Expedition of 1901-1904. The mountain range stretches between the Ross Sea and the Weddell Sea , the entire width of Antarctica, hence the name. With a total length of about 3,500 km (2,000 mi), the Transantarctic Mountains are one of

1296-596: Was subsequently recommended by the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names , a US authority on geographic names, in 1962. This purely descriptive label (in contrast to many other geographic names on Antarctica) is internationally accepted at present. The Leverett Glacier in the Queen Maud Mountains is the planned route through the TAM for the overland supply road between McMurdo Station and Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station . The Transantarctic Mountains are considerably older than other mountain ranges of

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