Wilkniss Mountains#Pivot Peak

The Wilkniss Mountains were named by United States Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN) in 1992 after Peter E. Wilkniss, a chemist who from 1975 has served in various positions at the National Science Foundation, including Deputy Assistant Director of the Directorate for Scientific, Technological, and International Affairs; Director, Division of Polar Programs, 1984–93; senior science associate to the assistant director for Geosciences, from 1993.{{sfn|Alberts|1995|p=814}}

The Wilkniss Mountains are south of the Knobhead massif, the southeastern part of the Quartermain Mountains. They are separated from Knobhead by the Ferrar Glacier, which flows east from its head near Mount Blackwelder.{{sfn|Taylor Glacier USGS}}

The Palais Glacier ({{coord|78|02|S|161|19|E|name=Palais Glacier}}) is a broad glacier, about {{convert|8|nmi}} long, that flows north between Wilkniss Mountains and the Colwell Massif to enter Ferrar Glacier near its head.{{sfn|Alberts|1995|p=553}}

The Wilkniss Mountains are east of The Portal and Portal Mountain.

Rampart Ridge is to the south.{{sfn|Mount Harmsworth USGS}}

There is a glacial drift deposit with a terminal moraine {{convert|1|to|4|m}} high in Vernier Valley at an elevation of {{convert|1400|to|1500|m}}, one of four moraines deposited by ice flowing from the Ferrar Glacier into the valley.{{sfn|Florindo|Siegert|De Santis|Naish|2021|p=441}}

The Ferrar drifts have ages around 4.0–3.4 million years, 1.2 million years, 700 thousand years and 50 thousand years.{{sfn|Staiger|Marchant |Schaefer |Oberholzer |2006|p=489}}

This stability of ice surface elevation suggests that over the last 4 million years the upland regions of the McMurdo Dry Valleys have experienced minimal climatic amelioration.{{sfn|Staiger|Marchant |Schaefer |Oberholzer |2006|p=490}}

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File:C77198s1 Ant.Map Taylor Glacier.jpg

File:C78198s1 Ant.Map Mount Harmsworth.jpg

Features include:

{{coord|77|58|S|161|09|E}}.

An ice-free valley on the east side of Mount Blackwelder in the northeast part of Wilkniss Mountains, Victoria Land.

The name is one of a group in the area associated with surveying applied in 1993 by NZGB; vernier being a graduated scale used on measuring instruments to allow the reading of finer subdivisions.{{sfn|Alberts|1995|p=780}}

{{coord|77|59|S|161|04|E}}.

A sharp, mainly ice-free peak in north Wilkniss Mountains, rising to {{convert|2,340|m}} west of Vernier Valley and {{convert|6|nmi}} north of Pivot Peak.

Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy aerial photographs, 1947–59.

Named by US-ACAN in 1984 after Lieutenant Commander Billy G. Blackwelder, United States Navy, Senior Helicopter Pilot, Antarctic Development Squadron Six (VXE-6), United States Navy OpDFrz, 1971–72 and 1975–77.{{sfn|Alberts|1995|p=71}}

{{coord|77|59|S|161|16|E}}.

A nunatak, {{convert|1|nmi}} long and {{convert|0.2|nmi}} wide, located {{convert|2.2|nmi}} east-southeast of Mount Blackwelder.

The distinctive shape resembles an upturned canoe.

Named by Alan Sherwood, NZGS party leader in the area, 1987–88.{{sfn|Alberts|1995|p=116}}

{{coord|78|01|S|161|10|E}}.

Glacier, {{convert|4|nmi}} long, flowing northeast from Creagh Icefall to the vicinity of Canoe Nunatak.

Named by US-ACAN in 1994 after Father Gerry Creagh (d. 1994), a New Zealand citizen, who served as honorary United States Navy chaplain for over 25 summer seasons at the Chapel of the Snows, McMurdo Station.

He was unofficially known as the "Chaplain of Antarctica."{{sfn|Alberts|1995|p=160}}

{{coord|78|02|S|161|08|E}}.

Icefall at the head of Creagh Glacier.

Named by US-ACAN in 1994 in association with Creagh Glacier.{{sfn|Alberts|1995|p=160}}

{{coord|-78.0666667|161.1333333}}.

A chain of nunataks that extend southeastward from Fulcrum and the head of Creagh Glacier.

The name is suggested by the position and linear arrangement of the group away from Fulcrum.

Named by New Zealand Geographic Board (NZGB) in 1994.{{sfn|Lever Nunataks USGS}}

{{coord|-78.032125|161.123654}}.

A peaked nunatak rising to about {{convert|2000|m}} at the north end of Lever Nunataks.

The position of the nunatak suggests a fulcrum upon which Lever Nunataks act.

Named by the New Zealand Geographic Board (NZGB) in 1994.{{sfn|Fulcrum USGS}}

{{coord|-78.023958|161.219589}}.

A nunatak rising to {{convert|2175|m}} at the east side of the head of Creagh Glacier.

So named by New Zealand Geographic Board (NZGB) (1994) because a buttress spur on the east side of the nunatak leads to the summit.{{sfn|Buttress Nunatak USGS}}

{{coord|78|02|S|161|01|E}}.

Prominent conical peak, {{convert|2,470|m}} high, distinguished by a large northeast cirque and as the highest point in Wilkniss Mountains.

The New Zealand Northern Survey Party of the CTAE (1956–58) established a survey station on its summit on January 21, 1958.

So named by them because its prominent appearance and location make it the focal point of the topography in that area.{{sfn|Alberts|1995|p=579}}

{{coord|77|59|S|161|08|E}}.

A distinctive ice-free valley which descends northeastward from the Pivot Peak cirque, in Wilkniss Mountains, Victoria Land.

One of a group of names in the area associated with surveying applied in 1993 by NZGB.

A surveyors level is an instrument designed primarily to funish a horizontal line of sight.{{sfn|Alberts|1995|p=430}}

{{reflist|25em}}

{{sfn whitelist |CITEREFLever_Nunataks_USGS |CITEREFFulcrum_USGS |CITEREFButtress_Nunatak_USGS}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{citation|url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/fedgov/70039167/report.pdf |accessdate=2024-01-30 |edition=2

|editor-last=Alberts |title=Geographic Names of the Antarctic |editor-first=Fred G.

|publisher=United States Board on Geographic Names |year=1995}} {{Include-USGov |agency=United States Board on Geographic Names}}

• {{cite gnis2 |type=antarid |id=17067

|name=Buttress Nunatak}}

• {{citation |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N8DvDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA441 |accessdate=2024-02-11 |title=Antarctic Climate Evolution

|last1=Florindo |first1=Fabio |first2=Martin |last2=Siegert |first3=Laura |last3=De Santis |first4=Tim |last4=Naish |publisher=Elsevier |year=2021|isbn=978-0-12-819110-1 }}

• {{cite gnis2 |type=antarid |id=17085

|name=Fulcrum}}

• {{cite gnis2 |type=antarid |id=17244

|name=Lever Nunataks}}

• {{citation |url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:C78198s1_Ant.Map_Mount_Harmsworth.jpg |accessdate=2024-02-11

|title=Mount Harmsworth |publisher=USGS: United States Geological Survey |ref={{harvid|Mount Harmsworth USGS}} }}

• {{citation |journal=Earth and Planetary Science Letters |volume=243 |year=2006 |pages=489–503 |publisher=Elsevier

|last1=Staiger |first1=J.W. |first2=D.R. |last2=Marchant |first3=J.M. |last3=Schaefer |first4=P. |last4=Oberholzer |first5=J.V. |last5=Johnson |first6=A.R.

|last6=Lewis |first7=K.M. |last7=Swanger |title=Plio-Pleistocene history of Ferrar Glacier, Antarctica: Implications for climate and ice sheet stability}}

• {{citation |url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:C77198s1_Ant.Map_Taylor_Glacier.jpg |accessdate=2024-02-11

|title=Taylor Glacier |publisher=USGS: United States Geological Survey |ref={{harvid|Taylor Glacier USGS}} }}

{{refend}}

{{Include-USGov |agency=United States Geological Survey}}

Category:Mountain ranges of Victoria Land

Category:Scott Coast