Outback Nunataks

Template:Short description Template:Infobox mountain 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, adjacent to the featureless interior plateau.Template:Sfn

Exploration and naming

The Outback Nunataks were discovered by the United States Victoria Land Traverse party, 1959–60, and mapped by United States Geological Survey (USGS) from surveys and United States Navy air photos, 1959–64. They were so named by the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN) for their remote position at the posterior side of the large mountain belt that extends from the Ross Sea to the interior ice plateau.Template:Sfn

Location

File:C72200s1 Ant.Map Welcome Mountain.jpg

1:250,000 scale topographic map of Outback Nunataks showing the course of the U.S. Victoria Land Traverse party 1959–60.

File:C71198s1 Ant.Map Daniels Range.jpg

Region to the north

File:C72193s5 Ant.Map Freyberg Mountains.jpg

Region to the east

File:C73202s5 Ant.Map Sequence Hills.jpg

Region to the south

The terrain to the west of the nunataks is a featureless expanse of the polar plateau.Template:Sfn The Emlen Peaks of the Usarp Mountains and the Helliwell Hills are to the north.Template:Sfn The Rennick Glacier, the Freyberg Mountains, the Monument Nunataks and the Mesa Range are to the east.Template:Sfn The Rennick Névé and the Sequence Hills are to the south.Template:Sfn

Northwestern features

Northwestern features include Mount Southard, Welcome Mountain, De Camp Nunatak, The Office Girls, Oona Cliff, Mount Walton, Mount Chadwick and Coleman Bluffs.Template:Sfn

Mount Southard

. A lone mountain high standing northwest of Welcome Mountain in the northwest extremity of the Outback Nunataks. Named by US-ACAN for Rupert B. Southard, Chief, Office of International Activities, USGS, with responsibility for USGS field parties working in Antarctica; later Chief of the Topograpic Division of USGS.Template:Sfn

Welcome Mountain

. A very prominent mountain that is surmounted by three peaks, the highest high, standing southeast of Mount Southard. Discovered and named by the United States Victoria Land Traverse party, 1959-60. So named because it was the first mountain visited by the traverse party after crossing the interior plateau and not seeing any mountains or landmark features for nearly three months.Template:Sfn

De Camp Nunatak

. A lone nunatak standing southeast of Welcome Mountain. Named by US-ACAN for Michael A. de Camp, biologist at McMurdo Station, 1966-67.Template:Sfn

The Office Girls

. Two prominent rock nunataks along an ice cliff, situated southwest of Welcome Mountain. Named by US-ACAN to express appreciation for the dedicated support provided to Antarctic programs by home-based personnel.Template:Sfn

Oona Cliff

. A north-facing rock and ice cliff, about long, situated just northwest of Mount Walton. Named by US-ACAN for Hain Oona, ionospheric physicist at South Pole Station, 1968.Template:Sfn

Mount Walton

. A sharp, bare mountain high rising midway between Oona Cliff and Mount Chadwick. Named by US-ACAN for Fred W. Walton, geomagnetist/seismologist at South Pole Station, 1968.Template:Sfn

Mount Chadwick

. A small, bare rock mountain high situated east-southeast of Mount Walton. Named by US-ACAN for Dan M. Chadwick, meteorologist at South Pole Station, 1968.Template:Sfn

Coleman Bluffs

. A loose chain of rock and ice bluffs that trend generally north–south for , situated near the center of the Outback Nunataks, about northwest of Mount Weihaupt. Named by US-ACAN for Harold L. Coleman, meteorologist at South Pole Station, 1968.Template:Sfn

Northeastern features

Northeastern features include Doe Nunatak, Doescher Nunatak and Wu Nunatak.Template:Sfn

Doe Nunatak

. A somewhat isolated nunatak, situated west-northwest of Doescher Nunatak and north-northwest of Mount Weihaupt. Named by US-ACAN after Wilfred I. Doe, United States Navy, hospital corpsman with the McMurdo Station winter party, 1967.Template:Sfn

Doescher Nunatak

. A somewhat isolated nunatak situated north of Mount Weihaupt. Named by US-ACAN for Roger L. Doescher, glaciologist, McMurdo Station, 1967-68.Template:Sfn

Wu Nunatak

. A nunatak about north-northeast of Mount Weihaupt. Named by US-ACAN for Tien H. Wu, glaciologist at McMurdo Station, 1966-67.Template:Sfn

Southwestern features

Southwestern features include Mount Joern, Mount Bower, Mount Spatz, Roberts Butte, Miller Butte, Mount Koons, Chan Rocks and Saunders Bluff.Template:Sfn

Mount Joern

. A ridgelike mountain high standing northwest of Mount Bower. Named by US-ACAN for Albert T. Joern, a researcher in physiopsychology with the winter party at South Pole Station, 1968.Template:Sfn

Mount Bower

. A prominent mountain high standing east-northeast of Roberts Butte. Named by US-ACAN for John R. Bower, ionospheric physicist at South Pole Station, 1968.Template:Sfn

Mount Spatz

. A mountain, high, standing west-southwest of Mount Weihaupt. Named by US-AC AN for Richard Spatz, station engineer at McMurdo Station, 1968.Template:Sfn

Roberts Butte

. A striking, flat-topped butte high.that is very prominent and can be seen from great distances standing northwest of Miller Butte. Discovered by the United States Victoria Land Traverse Party, 1959-60. Louis J. Roberts, USGS surveyor with this party, proposed the name "Flattop Mountain," but to avoid duplication the US-ACAN named it for Roberts who was first to survey the feature.Template:Sfn

Miller Butte

. A large rock butte located southeast of Roberts Butte. Named by US-ACAN for Carl D. Miller, geophysicist at McMurdo Station, 1967-68.Template:Sfn

Mount Koons

. A small mountain situated east of Miller Butte. Named by US-ACAN for Robert W. Koons, United States ArmyRP logistics coordinator with the McMurdo Station winter party, 1968.Template:Sfn

Chan Rocks

. A group of rocks along an ice bluff situated southeast of Miller Butte. Named by US-ACAN for Lian Chan, engaged in laboratory management, McMurdo Station winter party, 1968.Template:Sfn

Saunders Bluff

. A small, isolated bluff standing east-southeast of Miller Butte. Named by US-ACAN for Jeffrey J. Saunders, biolab technician at McMurdo Station, 1965-66.Template:Sfn

Southeastern features

Southeastern features include Derbyshire Peak, Mount Blair, Nims Peak, Mount Weihaupt and Womochel Peaks.Template:Sfn

Derbyshire Peak

. A small rock peak north-northeast of Mount Weihaupt. Named by US-ACAN for Edward Derbyshire, geologist at McMurdo Station, 1966-67.Template:Sfn

Mount Blair

. A small but conspicuous mountain high standing northwest of Mount Weihaupt. Named by US-ACAN for Terence T. Blair, biologist at McMurdo Station, 1966-67.Template:Sfn

Nims Peak

. A sharp rock peak about northwest of Mount Weihaupt. Named by US-ACAN for David J. Nims, ionospheric physicist at McMurdo Station, 1968.Template:Sfn

Mount Weihaupt

. A large, bare mountain high which stands east of Mount Bower and is the dominant feature in the east part of the Outback Nunataks. First mapped by the United States Victoria Land Traverse party, 1959-60. Named by US-ACAN for John G. Weihaupt, seismologist with this party.Template:Sfn

Womochel Peaks

. Low rock peaks about south of Mount Weihaupt. Named by US-ACAN for Daniel R. Womochel, biologist at McMurdo Station, 1967-68.Template:Sfn

Nearby features

Nearby features include, clockwise from the north, Potter Nunataks, Fitzsimmons Nunataks, Johannessen Nunataks, Frontier Mountain and Wilds Nunatak.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Potter Nunataks

. A group of small, rather isolated nunataks about southwest of the Helliwell Hills and northeast of Welcome Mountain of the Outback Nunataks. Named by US-ACAN for Neal Potter, economist, McMurdo Station, 1965-66, who made a study of the economic potentials of Antarctica.Template:Sfn

Fitzsimmons Nunataks

. A group of small nunataks about east-northeast of Welcome Mountain of the Outback Nunataks and southeast of Helliwell Hills. Named by US-ACAN for John M. Fitzsimmons, biologist at McMurdo Station, 1965-66.Template:Sfn

Johannessen Nunataks

. An isolated, ridgelike outcropping of rocks about long, standing south of Mount Weihaupt in the south extremity of the Outback Nunataks. Named by US-ACAN for Karl R. Johannessen, meteorologist at McMurdo Station, 1967-68.Template:Sfn

Frontier Mountain

. A large, mainly ice-free mountain high situated south-southeast of Roberts Butte of the Outback Nunataks, and west-northwest of the Sequence Hills, near the edge of the featureless, interior ice plateau. Named by the northern party of NZGSAE, 1962-63, because of its geographical location.Template:Sfn

Wilds Nunatak

. A lone nunatak located west of the south end of Frontier Mountain. Named by US-ACAN for Ronald F. Wilds, aviation machinist's mate with USN Squadron VX-6 at McMurdo Station, 1966.Template:Sfn

Sources

• Template:Include-USGov