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4 unusual facts about UK Antarctic Place-names Committee


Bareback Ridge

The UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee name stems from the absence of surficial material and vegetation from its top and sides.

Berntsen Ridge

It was named in 1991 by the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee after Captain Søren Berntsen, a Norwegian whaler who established Husvik whaling station for Tonsberg Hvalfangeri and became its first manager in 1910; later Master of SS Orwell, a whaling factory ship.

Fanning Ridge

The ridge was named by the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee, following its mapping by the South Georgia Survey in 1951–52, for Captain Edmund Fanning of Stonington, CT, who with the Aspasia took 57,000 fur seal skins at South Georgia in 1800–01, and published the earliest account of sealing there.

Ravelin Ridge

The UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee (UK-APC) applied the name in 1971 following mapping by the Joint Services Expedition, 1970-71.


Abbott Island

Named by the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee (UK-APC) after Maude Abbott, a Canadian authority on congenital heart disease.

Aeolus Ridge

Named in 1987 by the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee after Aeolus, the Greek god of wind, in reference to prevailing weather encountered here by British Antarctic Survey parties.

Archer Glacier

It was first charted by the Belgian Antarctic Expedition under Adrien de Gerlache, 1897–99, and named by the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee in 1960 for Frederick Scott Archer, an English architect who in 1849 invented the wet collodion process of photography, the first practical process on glass.

Arrol Icefall

The feature was mapped from surveys by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (1960–61), and named by the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee after the Arrol-Johnston car, which was adapted for use by Ernest Shackleton's Nimrod Expedition (1907–09) and was the first mechanical transport used in Antarctica.

Astarte Horn

The feature was mapped from trimetrogon air photography taken by the Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition, 1947–48, and from survey by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey, 1948–50, and named by the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee in association with nearby Venus Glacier; the goddess Venus being identified with the Phoenician goddess Astarte in mythology.

Athene Glacier

It was surveyed by FIDS in November 1960, and was named by the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee after Athene, daughter of Zeus and goddess of the city of Athens in Greek mythology.

Auster Point

It was named by the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee after the Auster aircraft used by British expeditions in this area.

Bernard Rocks

They were named by the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee for Claude Bernard, French physiologist who made important contributions to the understanding of digestion, function of the liver and the methods of experimental medicine.

Biggs Island

It was named by the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee in 1963 for Louie Spence, a Falkland Islander, coxswain of the launch of RRS John Biscoe, which was used by the Royal Navy Hydrographic Survey Unit to chart this island in 1963.

Bonney Bowl

In association with the names of glacial geologists grouped in this area, it was named by the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee in 1971 after the Reverend Thomas George Bonney (1833–1923), English geologist who worked on the origin of cirques; he was Professor of Geology, University College London, 1877–1901.

Brewster Island

It was shown on an Argentine government chart of 1950, and named by the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee in 1960 for Sir David Brewster, Scottish natural philosopher who in 1844 improved the mirror stereoscope invented by Sir Charles Wheatstone by substituting prisms.

Conway Island

It was named by the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee in 1959 for Martin Conway, 1st Baron Conway of Allington, an English mountaineer and a pioneer of polar skiing during his crossing of Vestspitsbergen in 1896.

Dee Ice Piedmont

It was photographed by the Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition, November 1947 (trimetrogon air photography), and was named by the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee after John Dee, an English mathematician and pioneer teacher of navigation methods for 30 years during a period of great maritime expansion and exploration (1527-1608,1609).

Deschampsia Point

It was descriptively named by the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee in 1991, following British Antarctic Survey ecological research, after the Antarctic hair grass Deschampsia antarctica, which grows on the slopes near the point.

Dinsmoor Glacier

Named by United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee (UK-APC) for Charles Dinsmoor of Warren, PA, who invented the endless tracking "vehicle" in 1886, a forerunner of the modern continuous track and tracked vehicles.

Dorsey Mountains

They were mapped by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey from surveys and air photos, 1956–59, and named by the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee for Noah Ernest Dorsey, an American physicist, author of Properties of Ordinary Water-Substance (New York, 1940), a comprehensive study of ice.

Eijkman Point

It was first mapped by the British Graham Land Expedition under John Rymill 1934-37, and was named by the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee in 1959 for Christiaan Eijkman, a Dutch biologist who in 1890–97 first produced experimental beriberi and initiated work on its prevention.

Frölich Peak

The peak was charted by the French Antarctic Expedition, 1908–10, under Jean-Baptiste Charcot, and was named by the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee in 1959 for Theodor C.B. Frölich, a Norwegian biochemist who in 1907, with Axel Holst, first produced experimental scurvy and laid the foundations for later work on vitamins.

Haller Rocks

They were named by the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee for Albrecht von Haller, a Swiss physiologist who made important contributions to medical knowledge, for example, mechanism of heartbeat, action of bile.

Holst Point

It was first charted by the British Graham Land Expedition under John Rymill, 1934–37, and was named by the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee in 1959 for Axel Holst, a Norwegian biochemist who in 1907, with Theodor C.B. Frölich, first produced experimental scurvy and laid the foundations for later work on vitamins.

Jenner Glacier

Photographed by Hunting Aerosurveys Ltd in 1956–57, and mapped from these photos in 1959, it was named by the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee for Edward Jenner, an English physician who was a pioneer of preventive medicine, and who instituted the use of cowpox vaccine in smallpox vaccination.

John S. Bibby

Bibby Point, a steep rocky point at the northeast corner of Brandy Bay, was named after John S. Bibby by the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee (UK-APC).

Jordan Cove

It was surveyed by the South Georgia Survey in the period 1951–57, and named by the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee for David Starr Jordan, an American naturalist and the first president of Stanford University from 1891–1913.

Koch Glacier

It was named by the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee for Robert Koch, the pioneer German bacteriologist who discovered Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium responsible for most cases of tuberculosis.

Krogh Island

The island was mapped from air photos taken by the Falkland Islands and Dependencies Aerial Survey Expedition (1956–57), and was named by the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee for August Krogh, a Danish physiologist who specialized in the functional activity of the capillaries, and was a pioneer of studies of human metabolism and blood circulation in cold climates.

Maclaren Monolith

In association with the names of glacial geologists grouped in this area, it was named by the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee in 1971 after Charles Maclaren, a Scottish naturalist who in 1842 was the first to recognize the glacial control of sea level.

Malpighi Glacier

It was named by the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee for Marcello Malpighi, an Italian physiologist and pioneer histologist who first demonstrated the existence of the blood capillaries.

Malus Island

It was charted by the British Graham Land Expedition under John Rymill, 1934–37, and was named by the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee in 1960 for French physicist Étienne-Louis Malus, who discovered the polarization of light by reflection, a fact subsequently used in the design of snow goggles.

Megaw Island

The island was named by the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee for British physicist Helen Megaw, who in 1934 made accurate measurements of the cell dimensions of ice.

Mercator Ice Piedmont

The ice piedmont was surveyed by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey in December 1958, and was named by the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee after Flemish mathematician and geographer Gerardus Mercator, the originator, in 1568, of the map projection which bears his name.

Mount Grendal

It was mapped by the United States Geological Survey in 1962 from U.S. Navy aerial photographs taken 1947–59, and was named by the New Zealand Antarctic Place-Names Committee in 1983 from association with Mount Beowulf after Grendal (Grendel), the monster in the Old English epic poem Beowulf.

Mount Imhotep

The mountain was photographed by Hunting Aerosurveys Ltd in 1956–57, mapped from these photos in 1959, and named by the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee for Imhotep, who lived in Ancient Egypt and was the first physician to emerge as an individual.

Mount Pendragon

The name was applied to this highest mountain on Elephant Island by the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee (UK-APC) in 1971 and acknowledges Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, as royal patron of the Joint Services Expedition.

Mount Phoebe

Named by United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee (UK-APC) from association with Saturn Glacier after Phoebe, one of the satellites of the planet Saturn, the sixth planet of the Solar System.

Mount Rorqual

The name is one of a group in the area applied by United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee (UK-APC) that reflects a whaling theme, the Rorquals being a species of baleen whales.

Muller Point

Surveyed by the SGS in the period 1951-57, and named by the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee (UK-APC) for Johannes Muller, Second Officer and navigator of the Deutschland during the German Antarctic Expedition, 1911-12.

Pinel Point

Named by the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee (UK-APC) for Philippe Pinel (1745–1826), French physician who held advanced views on investigation of disease and first succeeded in abolishing severe physical restraints on mental cases, in 1796.

Röntgen Peak

Named by the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee (UK-APC) for Wilhelm Röntgen (1845–1923), German physicist who discovered X-rays in 1895.

Serpent Nunatak

Descriptively named by United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee in 1977 because of the nunataks shape, the reverse letter S supposedly resembles a Serpent.

Shaler Cliffs

In association with the names of glacial geologists grouped in this area, named by the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee (UK-APC) after Nathaniel S. Shaler (1841-1906), American geologist, joint author with geographer William Morris Davis of Glaciers (Boston, 1881) and of papers on glacial geology, 1884-92.

Shmidt Point

Named in 1954 by the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee (UK-APC) for Professor Otto Schmidt, director of the Arctic Institute at Leningrad in 1930-32, head of the Chief Administration of the Northern Sea Route in 1932-39, and leader of many Arctic expeditions.

Spume Island

Spume Island was named by the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-names Committee (UK-APC) because heavy seas break over the island in a gale; spume is blown over it.

Swinnerton Ledge

In association with the names of geologists grouped in this area, named by the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee (UK-APC) after Henry H. Swinnerton (1876–1966), British zoologist and paleontologist, Professor of Geology, University college of Nottingham (later Nottingham University), 1912–46; President, Geological Society, 1938-40.

Twitcher Glacier

Named by the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee (UK-APC) for John Montagu, fourth Earl of Sandwich, First Lord of the Admiralty, 1771–82, who was popularly known as "Jemmy Twitcher."

Usnea Ridge

Named by the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee (UK-APC) in 1991 after lichens of the genus Usnea, which form a main element of the plant life on the ridge.

Werenskiold Bastion

Named by United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee (UK-APC) for Werner Werenskiold (1883–1961), Norwegian geographer who worked on the theory of glacier flow.

Woodbury Glacier

Named by the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee (UK-APC) in 1960 for Walter B. Woodbury (1834–1885), English pioneer of photomechanical printing in 1865 and of serial film cameras for use in balloons and kites in 1877.


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