The Keyhole (Antarctica)

Hidden Valley () is the ice-free valley next south of Miers Valley through which an alpine glacier formerly moved to coalesce with Koettlitz Glacier.
The mouth of the valley is completely blocked by the Koettlitz moraine, the only one of the numerous valleys tributary to the Koettlitz isolated in this fashion.
The main valley is hidden not only from the coast but from most of the surrounding ridges.
The valley was traversed during December and January by the New Zealand Victoria University of Wellington Antarctic Expedition (VUWAE) 1960-61 who applied the name.

Location

Hidden Valley is in the Denton Hills.
It is one of the McMurdo Dry Valleys.
It lies to the southwest of Miers Valley, southeast of Adams Glacier and northwest of Ward Glacier.
The valley opens onto the Koettlitz Glacier to the southeast.

Features

The Keyhole

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A narrow ice-carved slot, or defile, between the Adams Glacier and Hidden Valley.
It provides the only low-level entrance to Hidden Valley, and is the key to easy passage between Lake Miers and Ward Glacier. Named by the New Zealand VUWAE who used it on several occasions during the summer of 1960-61.

Lake Keyhole

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A very small lake on the south, or Hidden Valley side of The Keyhole.
Named by the New Zealand VUWAE, 1960-61, because of its proximity to The Keyhole.

Mirabilite Pond

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An alkali pond at a high elevation in the southern part of Hidden Valley.
The pond is located on the northern side of the ridge that bounds the southeast part of Hidden Valley.
The feature was studied by United States geologist Troy L. Péwé (1957-58) whose finding of a thin film of white salt mirabilite (Glauber's salt) around the edge of the pond suggested the name.

References

Sources

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{{Include-USGov , agency=United States Geological Survey

Valleys of Antarctica