Setting: Geography and Topography

The Transantarctic Mountain Range stretches for 3500 km from the Weddell Sea in the North to the Ross Sea in the South. The highest peak is Mount Kirkpatrick with a summit of 4530 m above sea level, found next to the Beardman Glacier. Varying in width from 100 km to 300 km it separates the continent into two distinct regions (east and west). Remarkably virtually none of the mountains forming the range appear above the snow (and those that do) do so by only metres.

Near McMurdo Cove, across from Ross Island are the dry valleys. These are rocky areas once occupied by glaciers and now free from snow and ice, containing only sand and pebbles. Fallen snow within the valleys is immediately blown away by the continuous winds. The dry valleys were discovered by Robert Scott who named them the ‘Valleys of Death’ because of the unusual numbers of mummified seals found there. The valleys rise up from sea level to heights of 500 m and are surrounded by peaks 1500-2500m in height. A new mineral called ‘Antarcticite’ - a form of calcium chlorite (CaCl) crystal - has been identified there.

To the south, Ross Island is the site of two volcanoes, Mount Erebus and Mount Terror. Mount Erebus is one of three active volcanoes found along the range (see volcanism). There are ten volcanoes recognized on the continent, many of which are buried beneath 2000m of snow and ice.

The prescence of correlatory fossils prove the existence of a Gondwanan supercontinent of which Antarctica was at the centre (see palaeogeography). Fossil plants, reptiles and small mammals indicate that Antactica was warm and ice free in the geological past.

The Transantarctic Mountain Range has a number of economic resources; coal beds within the range and the possibility of petroleum in the Ross Sea. Also about 220 (economic) minerals exist within Antarctica including copper, chromium, gold, iron, lead, managanese and zinc.

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