Thurston Island is an ice-covered, glacially dissected island, 215 km (134 mi) long, 90 km (56 mi) wide and 15,700 km2 (6,062 sq mi) 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 Island.
Shackleton Ice Shelf is an extensive ice shelf fronting the coast of East Antarctica for about 384 km, projecting seaward about 145 km in the western portion and 64 km in the east. It occupies an area of 33,820 km². It is part of Mawson Sea and separates the Queen Mary Coast to the west from the Knox Coast of Wilkes Land to the east. The existence of this ice shelf was first made known by the USEE under Charles Wilkes who mapped a portion of it from the Vincennes in February 1840. It was explored by the Australian Antarctic Expedition under Douglas Mawson (1911–14) who named it for Sir Ernest Shackleton. The extent of the ice shelf was mapped in greater detail in 1955, using aerial photography obtained by US Navy Operation Highjump, 1946-47. Further mapping by the Soviet Expedition of 1956 showed the portion eastward of Scott Glacier to be a part of this ice shelf.
Queen Mary Land or the Queen Mary Coast is the portion of the coast of Antarctica lying between Cape Filchner, in 91° 54' E, and Cape Hordern, at 100° 30' E. It is claimed by Australia as part of the Australian Antarctic Territory. It was discovered in February 1912 by the Australasian Antarctic Expedition (1911-14) under the leadership of Douglas Mawson, who named it for Mary of Teck, queen consort of George V.
David Island is an ice-covered island, 10 miles (16 km) long and 6 miles (10 km) wide, marked by rock exposures along its north and east sides, lying off Davis Peninsula in the Shackleton Ice Shelf in Antarctica. It was discovered in November 1912 by the Western Base party of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition (AAE) under Mawson, and named by him for Professor Sir T.W. David Hunt, a member of the AAE Advisory Committee.
The Western Base Party was a successful exploration party of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition. The eight-man Western Party was deposited by the Aurora on the Shackleton Ice Shelf at Queen Mary Land. The leader of the team was Frank Wild and the party included the geologist Charles Hoadley.
The Gillies Islands are three small, rocky islands protruding above Shackleton Ice Shelf 3 nautical miles (6 km) north of Cape Moyes.
Posadowsky Glacier is a glacier about 9 nautical miles long, flowing north to Posadowsky Bay immediately east of Gaussberg. Posadowsky Bay is an open embayment, located just east of the West Ice Shelf and fronting on the Davis Sea in Kaiser Wilhelm II Land. Kaiser Wilhelm II Land is the part of East Antarctica lying between Cape Penck, at 87°43'E, and Cape Filchner, at 91°54'E, and is claimed by Australia as part of the Australian Antarctic Territory. Other notable geographic features in this area include Drygalski Island, located 45 mi NNE of Cape Filchner in the Davis Sea, and Mirny Station, a Russian scientific research station.
Wohlschlag Bay is a large bay indenting the west side of Ross Island between Harrison Bluff and Cape Royds. Charted by the Discovery Expedition under Scott, 1901-04. Named by the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN) in 1964 for Donald E. Wohlschlag, professor of biology at Stanford University, who outfitted the biology laboratories on the USNS Eltanin and at McMurdo Station, where he worked five summer seasons from 1958-64.
Cape Charcot is a rocky headland at the northeast end of the Melba Peninsula, 3 nautical miles (6 km) west of David Island. It was discovered by the Australasian Antarctic Expedition under Mawson, 1911–14, who named it for Dr. Jean-Baptiste Charcot, French Antarctic explorer.
Noville Peninsula is a high ice-covered peninsula about 30 nautical miles (60 km) long, between Peale and Murphy Inlets on the north side of Thurston Island in Antarctica. Delineated from aerial photographs made by U.S. Navy Operation Highjump in December 1946. Named for George O. Noville, executive officer of Byrd Antarctic Expedition, 1933-35.
Watson Bluff is a dark bluff 225 m, at the east end of David Island. Discovered by the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, 1911–14, under Mawson, and named for Andrew D. Watson, geologist with the expedition.
The Doublets are rock outcrops located centrally on the western side of David Island. The feature was discovered and named by the Western Base party of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition (1911–14) under Douglas Mawson.
Pelter Glacier is a glacier about 5 nautical miles long on Thurston Island, flowing from the east side of Noville Peninsula into the west side of Murphy Inlet. Delineated from air photos taken by U.S. Navy Squadron VX-6 in January 1960. Named by Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN) for J.A. Pelter, aerial photographer with the Byrd Antarctic Expedition in 1933-35.
Smith Peaks is a group of peaks standing close south of Mount Hordern in the David Range of the Framnes Mountains. Mapped by Norwegian cartographers from aerial photographs taken by the Lars Christensen Expedition, 1936-37. Remapped by ANARE, 1957–60, and named by Antarctic Names Committee of Australia (ANCA) for F.A. Smith, diesel mechanic at Mawson Station, 1957.
Evans Peninsula is an ice-covered peninsula about 30 nautical miles (60 km) long, between Koether Inlet and Cadwalader Inlet in the northeast part of Thurston Island. Cape Braathen is an ice-covered cape at the northwest termination of Evans Peninsula. It was discovered in flights from the USS Burton Island and USS Glacier by personnel of the U.S. Navy Bellingshausen Sea Expedition in February 1960, and was named by the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN) for Commander Griffith Evans, Jr., commander of the icebreaker Burton Island during this expedition.
Cape Moyes is an ice-covered headland fronting on the Shackleton Ice Shelf, 18 nautical miles (33 km) west of Cape Dovers. It was discovered by the Australasian Antarctic Expedition (AAE) under Mawson, 1911–14, and named by him for Morton H. Moyes, meteorologist with the AAE Western Base party.
Hippo Island is a steep, rocky island, 0.5 nautical miles (1 km) long, which rises above the Shackleton Ice Shelf of Antarctica 1.5 nautical miles (3 km) north of Delay Point. It was discovered by the Western Base Party of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition under Mawson, 1911–14, who so named it because of its hippo-like shape.
Cape Hunter is a rocky promontory on the west shore of Commonwealth Bay, Antarctica, 8 nautical miles (15 km) west of Cape Denison. It was discovered in 1912 and explored the following year by the Australasian Antarctic Expedition under Douglas Mawson, who named it for John G. Hunter, chief biologist of the expedition.
Mount Hordern is a peak, 1,510 metres (4,950 ft) high, standing 4 nautical miles (7 km) south of Mount Coates in the David Range of Antarctica. It was discovered in February 1931 by the British Australian New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition under Mawson, and named for Sir Samuel Hordern, a patron of this expedition and of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition under Mawson, 1911–14.
Tierney Peninsula is an ice-covered peninsula about 14 nautical miles (26 km) long, between Savage Glacier and Morgan Inlet in the east end of Thurston Island. The east extremity of the peninsula is Cape Annawan. These features were discovered on helicopter flights from the USS Burton Island and Glacier of the U.S. Navy Bellingshausen Sea Expedition in February 1960 and named by the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN). The peninsula was named for J.Q. Tierney, oceanographer aboard the Burton Island on this expedition. The cape was named for the ship Annawan of the United States Expedition of 1829-31, which with the Penguin sailed west from the South Shetland Islands in February 1830, holding a course between 62S and 58S and exploring as far as 103W, northward of this cape.
