Triton Point

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Triton Point ( 71°42′S68°12′W / 71.700°S 68.200°W / -71.700; -68.200 ) is a rocky headland at the east end of the high ridge separating Venus Glacier and Neptune Glacier on the east coast of Alexander Island, Antarctica. Lincoln Ellsworth first observed the coast in this vicinity from the air by on 23 November 1935, and it was roughly mapped from photos obtained on that flight by W.L.G. Joerg. The British Graham Land Expedition roughly surveyed Triton Point in 1936 by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey more accurately defined it in 1949. The United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee named it for its association with nearby Neptune Glacier, Triton being one of the satellites of the planet Neptune, the eighth planet of the Solar System. [1] [2]

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Geology

Triton Point is the type locality of the Triton Point Member of the Neptune Glacier Formation. [3] At Triton Point, the fluvial sedimentary strata of this member of the Neptune Glacier Formation contains numerous, well preserved Cretaceous plant fossils, including rare, high-latitude (about 74° degrees paleolatitude), fossil forests composed of in situ, upright standing, fossil tree trunks. Because the non-marine Triton Point Member is overlain and underlain by fossiliferous marine strata, the age of the upright standing, fossil tree trunks can be determined to be late Albian age. [4] [5]

See also

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Coal Nunatak is a flat-topped rock mass with steep cliffs facing south, standing 2 nautical miles (4 km) southwest of Corner Cliffs on the southeast corner of Alexander Island, Antarctica. Lincoln Ellsworth first noted it from the air on November 23, 1935, and mapped it from photos obtained on that flight by W.L.G. Joerg. Observed from the northwest, only the summit protrudes above the coastal ice, and it was uncertain whether this was a peak on Alexander Island or an island in George VI Sound. Its true nature was determined by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (FIDS) who visited and surveyed this nunatak in 1949. So named by FIDS for exposures of thin lenses of coal occur there.

Neptune Glacier is a glacier on the east coast of Alexander Island, Antarctica, 12 nautical miles (22 km) long and 4 nautical miles (7 km) wide, flowing east into George VI Sound and the George VI Ice Shelf to the south of Triton Point. Although Neptune Glacier is not located within the mountain range Planet Heights, the glaciers name derives from the mountain range along with many other nearby glaciers named after planets of the Solar System. There are also other nearby landforms named in association with these glaciers. The glacier was first sighted from the air by Lincoln Ellsworth on November 23, 1935, and roughly mapped from photos obtained on that flight by W.L.G. Joerg. The mouth of the glacier was positioned in 1936 by the British Graham Land Expedition (BGLE). Named by the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee (UK-APC) for the planet Neptune following a Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (FIDS) survey in 1949. The head of the glacier was mapped from air photos taken by the Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition (RARE), 1947–48, by Searle of the FIDS in 1960.

Planet Heights is a series of summits running along an ice-free ridge, extending 24 nautical miles (44 km) in a north-south direction between the southernmost extremity of the LeMay Range and George VI Sound in the east part of Alexander Island, Antarctica. Many landforms and nearby features are named in association with this mountain range; some of these include landforms named after astronomers, satellites, planets and other things related to astrology and astrophysics. The mountain range was first mapped from air photos taken by the Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition (RARE), 1947–48, by Searle of the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (FIDS) in 1960. Named by the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee (UK-APC) from association with the nearby glaciers named for planets of the Solar System. The only planet that is not featured in any of these glaciers is the planet Earth, as there are no glaciers named "Earth Glacier" and this glacier does not exist.

Pluto Glacier is a glacier on the east coast of Alexander Island, Antarctica, 10 nautical miles (18 km) long and 4 nautical miles (7 km) wide, which flows east into George VI Sound to the north of Succession Cliffs. Although Pluto Glacier is not located within nearby Planet Heights, the glacier was named in association with the mountain range along with many other nearby glaciers that are named after planets of the Solar System. The glacier was first photographed from the air on November 23, 1935, by Lincoln Ellsworth and mapped from these photos by W.L.G. Joerg. Roughly surveyed in 1936 by the British Graham Land Expedition (BGLE). Named by the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee (UK-APC) for Pluto, then considered the ninth planet of the Solar System, following Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (FIDS) surveys in 1948 and 1949.

Eros Glacier is a glacier on the east coast of Alexander Island, Antarctica, 7 nautical miles (13 km) long and 2 nautical miles (4 km) wide at its mouth, flowing southeast from the Planet Heights into George VI Sound immediately north of Fossil Bluff. It was probably first seen on November 23, 1935, by Lincoln Ellsworth, who flew directly over the glacier and obtained photos of features north and south of it. The mouth of the glacier was observed and positioned by the British Graham Land Expedition in 1936 and the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (FIDS) in 1948 and 1949. The glacier was mapped in detail from air photos taken by the Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition, 1947–48, by D. Searle of the FIDS in 1960. It was named by the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee after the minor planet Eros in association with nearby Pluto Glacier and Uranus Glacier.

Mars Glacier is a glacier in the southeastern corner of Alexander Island, Antarctica, 6 nautical miles (11 km) long and 2 nautical miles (4 km) wide, flowing south into the George VI Ice Shelf. The glacier lies between Two Step Cliffs and Phobos Ridge. Mars Glacier was first sighted from the air by Lincoln Ellsworth on November 23, 1935, and roughly mapped from photos obtained on that flight by W.L.G. Joerg. It was first surveyed in 1949 by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey and named by the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee for the planet Mars, the fourth planet from the sun in the Solar System.

The Hyperion Nunataks are a group of about 10 nunataks lying south of Saturn Glacier and 8 nautical miles (15 km) west of the Corner Cliffs, in the southeastern part of Alexander Island, Antarctica. The group was first seen and photographed from the air by Lincoln Ellsworth on November 23, 1935, and mapped from these photos by W.L.G. Joerg. It was surveyed in 1949 by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey, and so named by the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee in association with nearby Saturn Glacier, Hyperion being one of the satellites of the planet Saturn.

Venus Glacier is a glacier on the east coast of Alexander Island, Antarctica, 10 nautical miles (18 km) long and 6 nautical miles (11 km) wide at its mouth flowing east into George VI Sound lying between Keystone Cliffs and Triton Point. The coast in this vicinity was first seen from the air by Lincoln Ellsworth on November 23, 1935 and roughly mapped from photos obtained on that flight by W.L.G. Joerg. The glacier was first surveyed in 1949 by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey and named by the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee for the planet Venus, the second planet of the Solar System.

Mount Lassell is a snow-covered peak, 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) high, overlooking the head of Neptune Glacier in the southeast part of Alexander Island, Antarctica. The peak appears to have been first sighted from the air by Lincoln Ellsworth on November 23, 1935, and roughly mapped from photos obtained on that flight by W.L.G. Joerg. It was remapped from air photos taken by the Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition, 1947–48, by D. Searle of the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey in 1960. The peak was named by the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee for William Lassell, an English astronomer who discovered Umbriel and Ariel, satellites of the planet Uranus, and the satellite Triton, orbiting the planet Neptune.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geology of the Ellsworth Mountains</span> Geology of the Ellsworth Mountains, Antarctica

The geology of the Ellsworth Mountains, Antarctica, is a rock record of continuous deposition that occurred from the Cambrian to the Permian periods, with basic igneous volcanism and uplift occurring during the Middle to Late Cambrian epochs, deformation occurring in the Late Permian period or early Mesozoic era, and glacier formation occurring in the Cretaceous period and Cenozoic era. The Ellsworth Mountains are located within West Antarctica at 79°S, 85°W. In general, it is made up of mostly rugged and angular peaks such as the Vinson Massif, the highest mountain in Antarctica.

References

  1. ↑ Stewart, J., 2011. Antarctica: An Encyclopedia, 2nd ed. Jefferson, North Carolina and London, McFarland & Company, Inc. 1771 pp. ISBN   978-0-7864-3590-6
  2. ↑ "Triton Point". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  3. ↑ Moncrieff, A.C.M. and Kelly, S.R.A., 1993. Lithostratigraphy of the uppermost Fossil Bluff Group (early Cretaceous) of Alexander Island, Antarctica: history of an Albian regression.Cretaceous Research, 14(1), pp.1-15.
  4. ↑ Kelly, S.R.A. and Moncrieff, A.C.M., 1992. Marine molluscan constraints on the age of Cretaceous fossil forests of Alexander Island, AntarcticaGeological Magazine, 129(6), pp.771-778.
  5. ↑ Cantrill, D., 1995. The occurrence of the fern Hausmannia Dunker (Dipteridaceae) in the Cretaceous of Alexander Island, Antarctica.Alcheringa, 19(3), pp.243-254.
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