Thiel Mountains

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox mountain The Thiel Mountains (Template:Coord) are isolated, mainly snow-capped mountains of the Transantarctic Mountains System, located in the Ellsworth Land region of Antarctica. The mountain range is Template:Convert long, is located roughly between the Horlick Mountains and the Pensacola Mountains, and extends from Moulton Escarpment on the west to Nolan Pillar on the east. Major components include Ford Massif (Template:Convert), Bermel Escarpment and a group of eastern peaks near Nolan Pillar.Template:Sfn Template:TOC limit

Discovery and naming

The Thiel Mountains were observed and first positioned by the United States Antarctic Research Program (USARP) Horlick Mountains Traverse Party, 1958–59. They were surveyed by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Thiel Mountains parties of 1960–61 and 1961–62. They were named by Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN) after Edward C. Thiel, traverse seismologist at Ellsworth Station and the Pensacola Mountains in 1957. In December 1959, he made airlifted geophysical observations along the 88th meridian West, including work near these mountains. Thiel perished with four others in the crash of a P2V Neptune aircraft soon after take-off from Wilkes Station on November 9, 1961.Template:Sfn

Location

• Thiel Mountains USGS.jpg

  Thiel Mountains

• Stewart Hills USGS.jpg

  Region to the north of Thiel Mountains

• Thiel Mountains far.jpg

  Distant aerial view of the Thiel Mountains

The Thiel Mountains include the Moulton Escarpment to the northwest, which includes Chastain Peak. To the north it contains the Ford Massif. To the southeast is the Bermel Escarpment, the Davies Escarpment and Lewis Nunatak.Template:Sfn The Sontag Nunatak is some distance to the north, and the Stewart Hills are yet further north.Template:Sfn

Thiel aircraft refueling depot

Template:Infobox airport As of 2009, Adventure Network International/Antarctic Logistics & Expeditions (ANI/ALE) was the only member of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) that provided land-based tourism activities of any extent in the Antarctic. It was formed by a 2003 takeover of Adventure Network International by Antarctic Logistics & Expeditions.Template:Sfn ALE/ANI maintains a fuel cache at Thiel Mountains, which provides fuel for long-distance flights and serves as a backup for Search and Rescue.Template:Sfn

A 2002 description of the fuel depot near the Thiel Mountains said "the landing strip is a flat area within view of the mountains, marked with black garbage bags filled with snow. There are a bunch of 55-gallon drums of fuel and a Canadian flag."Template:Sfn Visitors in December 2011 travelling in a Twin Otter from Union Glacier to the South Pole landed close to Thiel Mountains at Template:Coord to refuel on the way. The operator used to fly in fuel barrels, burning one barrel for every four delivered, but now carried the fuel barrels overland, a much more efficient approach.Template:Sfn

Features

In addition to the Ford Massif and Bermel Escarpment, there are various smaller features in or near the Thiel Mountains.

Moulton Escarpment

Template:Coord. A rock and ice escarpment, Template:Convert long, in a semi-isolated position about Template:Convert west of Ford Massif where it forms the western shoulder of the Thiel Mountains. Surveyed by the USGS Thiel Mountains party, 1960-61. Named by US-ACAN for Kendall N. Moulton of the Division of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation. As program manager of the Foundation's Field Operation Program, Moulton made more than a dozen deployments to Antarctica in the years 1958-77.Template:Sfn

Chastain Peak

Template:Coord. A peak, Template:Convert, near the center of Moulton Escarpment, at the W margin of the Thiel Mountains. Surveyed by the USGS Thiel Mountains party, 1960-61. Named by US-ACAN after William W. Chastain, Aviation Structural Mechanic, United States Navy, who lost his life in the crash of a P2V Neptune aircraft soon after takeoff from Wilkes Station, Nov. 9, 1961.Template:Sfn

Davies Escarpment

Template:Coord. An east-facing ice escarpment over Template:Convert long, located southward of Bermel Escarpment in the southern part of the Thiel Mountains. The feature appears to be devoid of rock outcroppings. The name was proposed by Peter Bermel and Arthur Ford, co-leaders of the USGS Thiel Mountains party of 1960-61. Named after William E. Davies, USGS geologist aboard the icebreaker Atka in the Antarctic reconnaissance cruise of 1954-55 in search of station sites for use during the International Geophysical Year.Template:Sfn

Lewis Nunatak

Template:Coord. An isolated, mainly snow-covered nunatak located about Template:Convert southeast of the Davies Escarpment and Template:Convert southwest of Nolan Pillar, at the south end of the Thiel Mountains. The name was proposed by Peter Bermel and Arthur Ford, co-leaders of the USGS Thiel Mountains party which surveyed the area in 1960-61. Named for Charles R. Lewis, USGS geologist who worked from various U.S. vessels (Wyandot, Glacier and Eastwind) in conducting research in the McMurdo Sound region and in the Balaena Islands during the 1955-56 season.Template:Sfn

Sonntag Nunatak

Template:Coord. A solitary nunatak located Template:Convert east-northeast of Hamilton Cliff, Ford Massif. The nunatak was observed on Dec. 13, 1959 by Edward Thiel and Campbell Craddock in the course of a USARP airlifted geophysical traverse along the 88th meridian West. The name was proposed by Thiel and Craddock for Wayne Sonntag, Operations Director at the Geophysical Institute, University of Wisconsin, 1959–61, logistics officer for the airlifted traverse.Template:Sfn

Stewart Hills

Template:Coord. Several small nunataks and snow hills rising above an otherwise featureless terrain, Template:Convert northeast of Ford Massif. Observed by the USARP Horlick Mountains Traverse, 1958–59, and by Edward Thiel and Campbell Craddock in the course of an airlifted geophysical traverse, Dec. 13, 1959. The name was proposed by Thiel and Craddock for Prof. Duncan Stewart, geologist, Carleton College, Minnesota, whose writing and interpretation of Antarctic rock samples have contributed to knowledge of the continent.Template:Sfn

Hart Hills

Template:Coord. A line of low, mainly snow-covered hills, Template:Convert long, trending east-west. The hills are isolated, lying Template:Convert west of Pagano Nunatak and Template:Convert north of the Ford Massif of the Thiel Mountains. Observed by Edward Thiel and Campbell Craddock in the course of an airlifted geophysical traverse along the 88th meridian West, December 13, 1959. The name was proposed by them for Pembroke Hart, National Academy of Sciences staff, member of the technical panel on seismology and gravity on the U.S. National Committee for the IGY.Template:Sfn

Pagano Nunatak

Template:Coord. A notable rock nunatak with a pointed summit, Template:Convert high, which stands in relative isolation, Template:Convert east of Hart Hills and Template:Convert north-northeast of the Ford Massif. The nunatak was examined and sketched by Edward Thiel in the course of an airlifted seismic traverse along meridian 88°W in the 1959-60 season. Named by US-ACAN after Chief Warrant Officer Gerald Pagano (d.1981), USA, assistant for plans and operations on the staff of the Commander, U.S. Naval Support Force, Antarctica, 1960–65; staff member, Center for Polar Archives, National Archives, 1972-81.Template:Sfn

Sources

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