Walton Mountains is an isolated chain of three predominantly snow-covered
mountain
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited Summit (topography), summit area, and ...
masses, rising to about 1,450 m at
Mount McArthur, extending south from
Schubert Inlet
Schubert Inlet () is an ice-filled inlet, 14 nautical miles (26 km) long and 5 nautical miles (9 km) wide, indenting the west coast of Alexander Island lying between the Colbert north of the inlet and the Walton Mountains south of the ...
for 25 miles (40 km) in central
Alexander Island
Alexander Island, which is also known as Alexander I Island, Alexander I Land, Alexander Land, Alexander I Archipelago, and Zemlja Alexandra I, is the largest island of Antarctica. It lies in the Bellingshausen Sea west of Palmer Land, Antarc ...
,
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 ...
. The mountains were first sighted from the air by
Lincoln Ellsworth
Lincoln Ellsworth (May 12, 1880 – May 26, 1951) was a polar explorer from the United States and a major benefactor of the American Museum of Natural History.
Biography
Lincoln Ellsworth was born on May 12, 1880, to James Ellsworth and Eva F ...
on November 23, 1935, and roughly mapped from photos obtained on that flight by
W.L.G. Joerg. Resighted from the air by the
United States Antarctic Service
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 presence in the A ...
in 1940, and in 1947 by the
Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition
The Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition (RARE) was an expedition from 1947–1948 which researched the area surrounding the head of the Weddell Sea in Antarctica.
Background
Finn Ronne led the RARE which was the final privately sponsored exp ...
under Ronne. Ronne named the mountains after Lieutenant Colonel
R.C. Walton,
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
, of the
Office of Naval Research
The Office of Naval Research (ONR) is an organization within the United States Department of the Navy responsible for the science and technology programs of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. Established by Congress in 1946, its mission is to plan ...
, who was instrumental in obtaining the loan of a ship from the Navy and in securing Navy assistance for the Ronne expedition.
See also
*
Havre Mountains
The Havre Mountains () are a large group of mountains forming the northwestern extremity of Alexander Island, Antarctica, extending in an east–west direction between Cape Vostok and the Russian Gap. They were first seen in 1821 by a Russian ex ...
*
Lassus Mountains
The Lassus Mountains () are a large group of mountains, long and wide, rising to and extending south from Palestrina Glacier in the northwest part of Alexander Island, Antarctica. They overlook Lazarev Bay and a few minor islands within the bay ...
*
Rouen Mountains
The Rouen Mountains () are a prominent mountain range, reaching to about 2,800 m and extending 35 miles (60 km) NW-SE from Mount Bayonne to Care Heights and Mount Cupola, in north Alexander Island, Antarctica. This mountain range is known ...
References
Mountains of Alexander Island
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