- Ellsworth Mountains
The Ellsworth Mountains are the highest
mountain range s inAntarctica , forming a 360 km (200 mi) long and 48 km (30 mi) wide chain ofmountain s in a north to south configuration on the western margin of theRonne Ice Shelf .They are bisected by
Minnesota Glacier to form the northernSentinel Range and the southernHeritage Range . The former is by far the higher and more spectacular withVinson Massif (4,892 m) constituting the highest point on the continent. The mountains were discovered onNovember 23 ,1935 , byLincoln Ellsworth in the course of a trans-Antarctic flight fromDundee Island to theRoss Ice Shelf . He gave the descriptive name Sentinel Range.Mapping
The mountains were mapped in detail by USGS from ground surveys and U.S. Navy aerial photography, 1958-66. When it became evident that the mountains comprise two distinct ranges, the US-ACAN restricted the application of Sentinel Range to the high northern one and gave the name Heritage Range to the southern one; the Committee recommended the name of the discoverer for this entire group of mountains.
Climate
Temperatures in the Ellsworth Mountains average around -30 °C (-20 °F). The best months for expeditions are December through February, summer in the Southern Hemisphere. However, arranging an outing here is difficult task, requiring either official scientific sponsorship, or considerable financial resources.
References
*gnis|4460|type=antarid
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