A nunatak (from

Inuit Inuit (; iu, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ 'the people', singular: Inuk, , dual: Inuuk, ) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territorie ...

''nunataq'') is the summit or ridge of a mountain that protrudes from an ice field or

glacier A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires distinguishing features, such a ...

that otherwise covers most of the mountain or ridge. They are also called glacial islands. Examples are natural

pyramidal peak A pyramidal peak, sometimes called a glacial horn in extreme cases, is an angular, sharply pointed mountain peak which results from the cirque erosion due to multiple glaciers diverging from a central point. Pyramidal peaks are often examples ...

s. When rounded by glacial action, smaller rock promontories may be referred to as rognons. The word is of Greenlandic origin and has been used in English since the 1870s.

Description

The term is typically used in areas where a permanent

ice sheet In glaciology, an ice sheet, also known as a continental glacier, is a mass of glacial ice that covers surrounding terrain and is greater than . The only current ice sheets are in Antarctica and Greenland; during the Last Glacial Period at La ...

is present and the nunataks protrude above the sheet.J. J. Zeeberg, ''Climate and Glacial History of the Novaya Zemlya Archipelago, Russian Arctic''. pp. 82–84 Nunataks present readily identifiable landmark reference points in glaciers or ice caps and are often named. While some nunataks are isolated, sometimes they form dense clusters, such as

Queen Louise Land Queen Louise Land ( da, Dronning Louise Land; kl, Nuna Dronning Louise) is a vast mountainous region located west of Dove Bay, King Frederick VIII Land, northeastern Greenland. Administratively it is part of the Northeast Greenland National P ...

in Greenland. Nunataks are generally angular and jagged, which hampers the formation of glacial ice on their tops, although snow can accumulate on them. They usually contrast strongly with the softer contours of the glacially eroded land after a glacier retreats. Nunataks are not greatly affected by frost weathering given the low frequency of freeze-thaw cycles in areas of ice caps and ice sheets. Typically nunataks are the only places where plant life can survive on ice sheets or ice caps. Lifeforms on nunataks are frequently isolated by the surrounding ice or glacier, providing unique habitats.ice cap – National Geographic Society
/ref>

List

Aitken Nunatak Aitken Nunatak is a small rock nunatak, high, standing southwest of Mount Bumstead in the Grosvenor Mountains in Antarctica. Named by Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names for William M. Aitken, United States Antarctic Research Program aurora ...

Åkerlundh Nunatak Åkerlundh Nunatak () is a nunatak which lies northwest of Donald Nunatak between Bruce Nunatak and Murdoch Nunatak in the Seal Nunataks group, off the east coast of Antarctic Peninsula. Charted in 1947 by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Su ...

Allan Hills The Allan Hills are a group of hills at the end of the Transantarctic Mountains System, located in Oates Land and Victoria Land regions of Antarctica. They are mainly ice free and about long, lying just north-west of the Coombs Hills near th ...

aka Allan Nunatak. *

All-Blacks Nunataks All-Blacks Nunataks () is a group of conspicuous nunataks lying midway between Wallabies Nunataks and Wilhoite Nunataks at the southeast margin of the Byrd Névé in Antarctica. Named by the New Zealand Geological Survey Antarctic Expedition (196 ...

Altsek Nunatak Altsek Nunatak (Nunatak Altsek \'nu-na-tak al-'tsek\) is a rocky hill projecting from the Murgash Glacier in Dryanovo Heights on Greenwich Island, Antarctica. The peak is named after Khan Altsek, whose Bulgars settled in Italy in the 7th cent ...

* Anderson Nunataks * Anoritooq * Appalachia Nunataks *

Arena Corner Arena Corner () is an arcuate (curved) nunatak at the north end of the Traverse Mountains, east of McHugo Peak, on the Rymill Coast, Palmer Land. It was named in 1977 by the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee The UK Antarctic Place-Names Commit ...

* Arkhangel'skiy Nunataks *

Arrowhead Nunatak Arrowhead Nunatak () is a long, narrow nunatak southeast of Sullivan Nunatak near the head of Nimrod Glacier. It was mapped and so named by the northern party of the New Zealand Geological Survey Antarctic Expedition (1960–61) because in pla ...

Atanasoff Nunatak Atanasoff Nunatak (Atanasov Nunatak \a-ta-'na-sov 'nu-na-tak\) is a nunatak, a sharp peak rising to in the east extremity of Bowles Ridge, Livingston Island, Antarctica. The peak surmounts Huron Glacier to the south and east, and Struma Glacie ...

Aviator Nunatak Aviator Nunatak () is the northernmost of three large nunataks in the upper Liv Glacier, standing east of Mount Wells, Antarctica. It was named by the Southern Party of the New Zealand Geological Survey Antarctic Expedition (1961–62) for th ...

Belknap Nunatak Thurston Island is an ice-covered, glacially dissected island, long, wide and in area, lying a short way off the northwest end of Ellsworth Land, Antarctica. It is the third-largest island of Antarctica, after Alexander Island and Berkner ...

Berg Mountains The Berg Mountains are two ridges of six nunataks in Antarctica, south of Cape Buromskiy, Krylov Peninsula. They were photographed by U.S. Navy Operation Highjump, 1946–47, the Soviet Antarctic Expedition, 1958, and the Australian National Anta ...

Bering Nunatak Bering Nunatak () is a nunatak lying east-southeast of Mount Carrara in the Sky-Hi Nunataks. It was named by the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names after Edgar A. Bering, a physicist at the University of Houston The University of Houston ...

Bon Docteur Nunatak Bon Docteur Nunatak, also known as Good Doctor Nunatak, is a small coastal nunatak, high, standing at the west side of the Astrolabe Glacier Tongue, south of Rostand Island in the Geologie Archipelago of Antarctica. It was photographed from the ...

Bradley Nunatak Bradley Nunatak () is a prominent nunatak standing southwest of Mount Tidd in the Pirrit Hills, Marie Byrd Land Marie Byrd Land (MBL) is an unclaimed region of Antarctica. With an area of , it is the largest unclaimed territory on Earth. It ...

Branson Nunatak Branson Nunatak () is a nunatak between Mount Burnett and Price Nunatak in the Framnes Mountains, Mac. Robertson Land. It was mapped by Norwegian cartographers from air photos taken by the Lars Christensen Expedition, 1936–37, and named Horntin ...

Brusilov Nunataks The Brusilov Nunataks () are a group of nunataks lying north of Mount Morrison in the Tula Mountains, Enderby Land. The geology of the nunataks was investigated by the Soviet Antarctic Expedition The Soviet Antarctic Expedition (SAE or SovAE) ( ...

Butcher Nunatak Butcher Nunatak () is a nunatak at the south end of the Birchall Peaks, southwest of Swarm Peak, in the Ford Ranges of Marie Byrd Land. It was mapped by the United States Geological Survey from surveys and from U.S. Navy air photos (1959–65), ...

Cabrera Nunatak Cabrera Nunatak () is a nunatak northeast of Putzke Peak in the McCuddin Mountains, Marie Byrd Land. It was mapped by the United States Geological Survey from surveys and from U.S. Navy air photos, 1959–65, and named by the Advisory Committee on ...

* Calfee Nunatak * Cameron Nunataks *

Canisp Canisp (Scottish Gaelic: ''Canasp'') is a mountain in the far north west of Scotland. It is situated in the parish of Assynt, in the county of Sutherland, north of the town of Ullapool. Canisp reaches a height of and qualifies as a Corbett an ...

, formed as a Nunatak *

Carapace Nunatak Carapace Nunatak () is a prominent isolated nunatak, the most westerly near the head of Mackay Glacier in Victoria Land, standing southwest of Mount Brooke where it is visible for a considerable distance from many directions. It was so named by ...

* Cassandra Nunatak * Castillo Nunatak *

Castor Nunatak Castor Nunatak () is a nunatak southwest of Oceana Nunatak in the Seal Nunataks group, off the east coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. It was first seen and mapped as an island in December 1893 by a Norwegian Sealing expedition under C.A. Larsen, ...

* Cat Nunatak * Catenary Nunatak *

Cathedral Peak Cathedral Peak may be any of several mountains, typically those with steep sides and towers reminiscent of a cathedral. In the United States alone, the USGS identifies 17 summits named "Cathedral Peak". In other countries: *Cath ...

* C. H. Ostenfeld Nunatak * Chain Nunataks * Cheeks Nunatak * Chocolate Nunatak *

Clem Nunatak Clem Nunatak is an isolated rock nunatak, high, standing at the west side of Skelton Glacier, southwest of Halfway Nunatak. It was named by the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names in 1964 for Willis R. Clem, a construction mechanic at McMurdo ...

* Cone Nunatak * Copper Nunataks * Cowie Nunatak * Crash Nunatak * Crosby Nunataks * Daniels Hill * Dean Nunataks * Dee Nunatak * Director Nunatak * Dodd Nunatak * Dome Nunatak * Dotten Nunatak * Dow Nunatak * Downs Nunatak * Drury Nunatak * Du Toit Nunataks *

Dziura Nunatak Dziura Nunatak () is an ice-free nunatak, high, located northwest of Mount Remington in the northwestern extremity of the Helliwell Hills of Victoria Land, Antarctica. The geographical feature was first mapped by the United States Geological Surv ...

* Eaton Nunatak * Eckins Nunatak * Else Nunataks * Erehwon Nunatak * Erven Nunataks * Esther Nunatak * Everett Nunatak * Exile Nunatak *'' Exiles Nunataks'' * Fallone Nunataks *

Faraway How Faraway How is a nunatak in King Christian X Land, East Greenland. Administratively it falls under the Northeast Greenland National Park zone. This geographic feature was named by the 1926 Cambridge Expedition to East Greenland led by Sir James ...

* Farquharson Nunatak * Ferguson Nunataks * Fiebelman Nunatak *

Filson Nunatak Filson Nunatak () is a small nunatak east of Trost Peak in the eastern part of the Framnes Mountains, Mac. Robertson Land, Antarctica. It was photographed from Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE) aircraft in 1958 and seen by ...

* Fin Nunatak * Florence Nunatak * Foltz Nunatak * Fomalhaut Nunatak * Footscrew Nunatak * Fraser Nunatak * Friedmann Nunataks * Galkin Nunatak * Gallen Nunatak * Gardner Nunatak * Gillett Nunataks * George Nunatak * Gomez Nunatak * Goodwin Nunataks * Gootee Nunatak *

Gora Severny Nunatak Gora Severny or Gora Severnyy Nunatak (russian: Гора Северный Нунатак) is a nunatak in Novaya Zemlya. It is one of the very few nunataks of the Russian Federation. Administratively it falls under the Arkhangelsk Oblast. Geogra ...

Gordon Nunataks The Gordon Nunataks () are a group of nunataks on the south side of Mosby Glacier, near its head, in south-central Palmer Land, Antarctica. They were mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey from aerial photographs taken by the U.S. Navy, 1966–69. ...

* Gould Nunataks * Gratton Nunatak * Grayson Nunatak * Gromov Nunataks *

Gronau Nunataks The Gronau Nunataks ( da, Gronau Nunatakker) is a mountain range in King Christian IX Land, eastern Greenland. Administratively this range is part of the Sermersooq Municipality. History This group of nunataks at the edge of the vast Greenland ...

Grossman Nunataks The Grossman Nunataks () are a group of about a dozen nunataks in Palmer Land, Antarctica, rising in elevation and running northwest–southeast for between the Lyon Nunataks and the Sky-Hi Nunataks. The group includes features from the Smith ...

* Guardian Nunatak * Haigh Nunatak *

Half Century Nunatak Half Century Nunatak () is a prominent nunatak, displaying a high east-facing rock escarpment, located north of Dismal Buttress at the west side of upper Shackleton Glacier, Antarctica. It was named by the Southern Party of the New Zealand Geolog ...

Half Dome Nunatak Half Dome Nunatak () is a nunatak lying south of the Cobham Range in Antarctica, at the mouth of Lucy Glacier. It was so named by the northern party of the New Zealand Geological Survey Antarctic Expedition The New Zealand Geological Survey Anta ...

Halfway Nunatak Halfway Nunatak () is an isolated nunatak in the Antarctica, on the west side of The Landing, and almost in the center of the upper Skelton Glacier. It was surveyed and descriptively named in 1957 by the New Zealand party of the Commonwealth Trans ...

* Hamner Nunatak * Harter Nunatak * Harvey Nunataks * Haupt Nunatak * Henry Nunataks *

Herrmann Nunatak Herrmann Nunatak () is a nunatak northeast of the east end of the Phillips Mountains, in Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica. It was discovered and mapped by the United States Antarctic Service (1939–41), and was named by the Advisory Committee on Antar ...

* Heuser Nunatak * Heverley Nunataks * Holt Nunatak * Hopalong Nunatak * Horne Nunataks * House Nunatak * Hutchins Nunataks * Jaques Nunatak * Jane Peak * Jarina Nunatak * John Nunatak * Johnson Nunataks * Jorgensen Nunataks * Jutulsessen * Kalafut Nunatak * Kamenev Nunatak * Kenfield Nunatak * Kinter Nunatak * Kjuklingen Nunatak * Klawatti Peak * Klinck Nunatak * Knight Nunatak * Koehler Nunatak * Komatsu Nunatak * Kozlov Nunataks * Krasin Nunataks * Krasnaya Nunatak * Krigsvold Nunataks * Kyle Nunataks * Lacroix Nunatak *

Lands End Nunataks The Lands End Nunataks () are two rock nunataks north-northwest of Airdrop Peak at the north end of Ebony Ridge, Antarctica. The nunataks lie at the east side of the terminus of Beardmore Glacier and mark the northern termination of the Commonweal ...

Lang Nunatak Lang Nunatak () is an isolated nunatak located in the interior of southern Palmer Land, Antarctica, about west of the head of Irvine Glacier. It was mapped by the United States Geological Survey from surveys and U.S. Navy air photos, 1961–67, and ...

* Laputa Nunataks *

Last Cache Nunatak Last Cache Nunatak () is the southernmost and last nunatak on the ridge forming the eastern wall of Zaneveld Glacier. Though not large, it is an important navigational landmark on the polar plateau in the vicinity of the head of Shackleton Glacier ...

* Lawson Nunatak * Lawson Nunataks * Leach Nunatak * Lee Nunatak * Lepley Nunatak * Lewisohn Nunatak * Lilliput Nunataks *

Lodalskåpa Lodalskåpa is the highest nunatak on the Norwegian glacier Jostedalsbreen. It is located on the border between the municipalities of Stryn and Luster in Vestland county, Norway, within Jostedalsbreen National Park. The tall Lodalskåpa is lo ...

* Lonely One Nunatak * Lonewolf Nunataks * Longs Nunatak * López Nunatak * Luck Nunatak * Luff Nunatak * Luhrsen Nunatak * McCarthy Nunatak * McDaniel Nunatak * MacDonald Nunataks * McGrath Nunatak *

McNair Nunatak McNair Nunatak () is a small, clearly defined rock exposure in Antarctica, situated east of the central part of the Masson Range and south-southeast of Russell Nunatak. It was first seen by R. Dovers during the Australian National Antarctic Res ...

* Maish Nunatak * Marcoux Nunatak * Marshall Nunatak * Martin Nunataks * Mathis Nunataks *'' Marujupu Peak'' *

Meade Nunatak Meade Nunatak () is a nunatak north of Blanchard Hill, rising to in the Pioneers Escarpment, Shackleton Range, Antarctica. It was photographed from the air by the U.S. Navy, 1967, and was surveyed by the British Antarctic Survey, 1968–71. In ...

* Meyers Nunatak * Miller Nunatak * Miller Nunataks * Milles Nunatak * Mirfak Nunatak * Mizar Nunataks * Moody Nunatak * Moltke Nunataks * Moreland Nunatak * Morgan Nunataks * Morse Nunataks * Mulgrew Nunatak * Musson Nunatak * Neptune Nunataks * Névé Nunatak *

Newman Nunataks Newman Nunataks () These are a group of nunataks about 19 km west of Aker Peaks, and 26 km west of Mount Elkins, in Enderby Land, Antarctica. Their position was plotted from air photographs taken by ANARE in 1956 and 1960. They were name ...

* Nødtvedt Nunataks * Noble Nunatak * Nodule Nunatak * Nunatakassak * Nunatarsuaq * Nunatarsuaq (Tasiusaq Bay) * Olander Nunatak * Olson Nunatak * Omega Nunatak * Organpipe Nunatak * Orsugissap Qaqqarsua *

Outrider Nunatak Outrider Nunatak () is a prominent nunatak (1,250 m) in the north-central portion of the Arkhangel'skiy Nunataks. The feature was photographed from aircraft of U.S. Navy Operation Highjump on January 4, 1947. The summit of the nunatak was intersect ...

Packsaddle Island Packsaddle Island (5,640 feet) is a nunatak located in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, in Alaska. It is surrounded by the Kennicott Glacier, and sits near the base of Mount Blackburn Mount Blackburn is the highest peak in the Wrangell Mou ...

* Papanin Nunataks * Pawley Nunataks * Pollux Nunatak * Potter Nunataks * Price Nunatak *

* Quest Nunatak *

Quilty Nunataks Quilty Nunataks () is a group of nunataks (exposed ice-free ridges) which extend over 8 miles (13 km), located 15 miles (24 km) southwest of the Thomas Mountains in Palmer Land. Discovered by the Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition (RARE ...

* R4D Nunatak * Ranney Nunatak * Rebholz Nunatak * Recess Nunatak * Rescue Nunatak * Reynolds Nunatak * Ringed Nunatak * Robertson Nunatak * Rutland Nunatak * Sage Nunataks * Salient Nunatak * Sanders Nunatak * Savin Nunatak * Sawyer Nunatak * Scheimpflug Nunatak * Schloredt Nunatak * Schoofs Nunatak * Seacatch Nunataks * See Nunatak * Sevier Nunatak * Shelton Nunataks *'' Ship Nunatak'' * Shoemake Nunatak * Singleton Nunatak * Slusher Nunatak * Småhausane Nunataks * Smørstabben Nunatak * Solitary Nunatak * Sonntag Nunatak * Spectator Nunatak * Stac Pollaidh, formed as a Nunatak * Stanford Nunatak *

Starr Nunatak Starr Nunatak () is a nunatak marking the north side of the mouth of Harbord Glacier, on the coast of Victoria Land, Antarctica. Mapped by United States Geological Survey (USGS) from surveys and U.S. Navy air photos, 1957–62. Named by Advisory ...

Static Nunatak Static Nunatak () is a nunatak 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) south-southwest of Altar Mountain, Quartermain Mountains, in Victoria Land. The name is one of a group in the area associated with surveying applied in 1993 by New Zealand Geographic Boa ...

* Stewart Hills *

Stinear Nunataks Stinear Nunataks () is a group of dark brown nunataks about 16 nautical miles (30 km) north of Anare Nunataks in Mac. Robertson Land. Visited by an ANARE (Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions) southern party (1954) led by R.G. ...

* Striated Nunatak *

Suilven Suilven ( gd, Sùilebheinn) is a mountain in Scotland. Lying in a remote area in the west of Sutherland, it rises from a wilderness landscape of moorland, bogs, and lochans known as Inverpolly National Nature Reserve. Suilven forms a steep- ...

, formed as a Nunatak *

Svarthamaren Mountain Svarthamaren Mountain is a prominent ice-free mountain or large nunatak on the east side of the mouth of Vestreskorve Glacier in the Muhlig-Hofmann Mountains of Queen Maud Land, Antarctica. It was mapped from surveys and aerial photographs by ...

* Swarsen Nunatak * Swartz Nunataks * Symes Nunatak * Syningen Nunatak * Table Nunatak * Taurus Nunataks * Teltet Nunatak * Temnikow Nunataks * Tern Nunatak * Tester Nunatak * Themis Nunatak * Threshold Nunatak * Tomandl Nunatak * Tommeliten Rock * Tomovick Nunatak * Toth Nunataks * Trillingane Nunataks * Trioen Nunataks * Trubyatchinskiy Nunatak * Tuning Nunatak * Turret Nunatak * Tuttulikassak * Twin Nunataks * Utsteinen Nunatak * Varney Nunatak * Velchev Rock *

Vesleskarvet Vesleskarvet is a nunatak on the west side of Ahlmann Ridge located in Queen Maud Land, Antarctica. Its western side consists of a series of cliffs, approximately 250 m high, while the eastern side slopes more gradually down to the icefields. The ...

* Velie Nunatak * Vesthaugen Nunatak * Vorta Nunatak * Vulcan Nunatak * Walker Nunatak * Wallis Nunataks * Walsh Nunatak *

Wandel Land Wandel Land is a nunatak ( kl, nunataq) in Avannaata municipality in northwestern Greenland. It is one of several nunataks in the Melville Bay region of Greenland, where the Greenland ice sheet ( kl, Sermersuaq) drains into the bay alongside i ...

* Ward Nunataks *

Watkins Range The Watkins Range ( da, Watkins Bjerge) is Greenland's highest mountain range. It is located in King Christian IX Land, Sermersooq municipality. The range was named after British Arctic explorer Gino Watkins. History Made up entirely of nuna ...

* Weather Guesser Nunataks * Weikman Nunataks * Whichaway Nunataks * Whistler Nunatak * White Nunataks * Wilds Nunatak *

Willan Nunatak Willan Nunatak is an ice-free tipped peak rising to 449 m on the glacial divide between Huntress Glacier and Balkan Snowfield on Hurd Peninsula in eastern Livingston Island Livingston Island (Russian name ''Smolensk'', ) is an Antarctic is ...

* Williams Nunatak * Willows Nunatak * Windscoop Nunataks * Witte Nunataks * Wold Nunatak * Wyers Nunataks * Yingling Nunatak * Young Nunataks * Zohn Nunataks

References

External links

*{{commonscat inline
Nunatak survival of the high Alpine plant Eritrichium nanum
Glaciology

Nunatak A nunatak (from Inuit language, 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 p ...

Description

List

See also

References

External links