Iapetus Nunatak () is an isolated
nunatak
A nunatak (from Inuit ''nunataq'') 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 are also called glacial islands. Examples are natural pyramidal peaks. ...
at the southwest margin of
Satellite Snowfield, about midway between the
Walton Mountains and the
Staccato Peaks
Staccato Peaks () is a series of rock peaks extending 11 miles (18 km) in a north–south direction, rising to about 940 m with Hageman Peak
Hageman Peak () is a montane landform pinnacle rising to about at the northwest end of the Stac ...
in southern
Alexander Island,
Antarctica
Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest contine ...
. It was mapped by the
Directorate of Overseas Surveys
The Ordnance Survey International or Ordnance Survey Overseas Directorate its predecessors built an archive of air photography, map and survey records for the United Kingdom from 1946 to 1999. The Ordnance Survey International Collection (formerly ...
from satellite imagery supplied by the U.S.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research.
NASA was established in 1958, succeeding th ...
in cooperation with the
U.S. Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and ...
, and was named by the
UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee
The UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee (or UK-APC) is a United Kingdom government committee, part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, responsible for recommending names of geographical locations within the British Antarctic Territory (BAT) and ...
from association with
Saturn Glacier
Saturn Glacier () is a glacier lying in southeast Alexander Island, Antarctica. The glacier is 15 nautical miles (28 km) long and 6 nautical miles (11 km) wide, flowing southeast into the George VI Ice Shelf of George VI Sound north of ...
(nearby to the east), after
Iapetus
In Greek mythology, Iapetus (; ; grc, Ἰαπετός, Iapetós), also Japetus, is a Titan, the son of Uranus and Gaia and father of Atlas, Prometheus, Epimetheus, and Menoetius. He was also called the father of Buphagus and Anchiale in other ...
, one of the
satellites
A satellite or artificial satellite is an object intentionally placed into orbit in outer space. Except for passive satellites, most satellites have an electricity generation system for equipment on board, such as solar panels or radioisotop ...
of
Saturn
Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second-largest in the Solar System, after Jupiter. It is a gas giant with an average radius of about nine and a half times that of Earth. It has only one-eighth the average density of Earth; h ...
.
[
]
See also
* Appalachia Nunataks
The Appalachia Nunataks () are a group of nunataks rising to about on the west side of the Elgar Uplands, Alexander Island, Antarctica. They are situated 5.62 km southwest of Lyubimets Nunatak, 9 km southwest of Kozhuh Peak and 9.65& ...
* Franck Nunataks
The Franck Nunataks () are a scattered group of small rock outcrops, in extent, at the base of the Beethoven Peninsula in the southwest part of Alexander Island, Antarctica. They were first mapped from air photos taken by the Ronne Antarctic Res ...
* Hyperion Nunataks
The Hyperion Nunataks () are a group of about 10 nunataks lying south of Saturn Glacier and west of the Corner Cliffs, in the southeastern part of Alexander Island, Antarctica. The group was first seen and photographed from the air by Lincoln Ells ...
* Enceladus Nunataks
The Enceladus Nunataks () are a group of about eight nunataks scattered over a wide area at the head of the drainage basin of Saturn Glacier, in southern Alexander Island, Antarctica. They were mapped from trimetrogon air photography taken by the ...
References
Nunataks of Alexander Island
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