Endeavour Massif facts for kids

Endeavour Massif is a very large, flat-topped mountain area in Antarctica. It's located on the Scott Coast in a region called Victoria Land. This huge landform is part of the Kirkwood Range.

Endeavour Massif

Endeavour Massif is a massive, flat-topped landform in Antarctica. You can find it on the Scott Coast in Victoria Land. It stretches from Pa Tio Tio Gap south to Fry Glacier. This massif forms the southern part of the Kirkwood Range. The northern part is called Robertson Massif.

Several mountains rise from the southern part of Endeavour Massif. These include Shoulder Mountain, Mount Belgrave, and Mount Creak. The eastern side of the massif has steep cliffs along the coast. It also has ridges that stick out. But if you go west from its wide, snowy top, the slope is gentle.

How Did Endeavour Massif Get Its Name?

This large landform was first named "Mount Endeavour." This happened in October 1957. It was named by a survey team from New Zealand. This team was part of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition.

Later maps from New Zealand and the U.S. showed "Mount Endeavour" as a specific peak. This peak is about 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) (5,900 feet) tall. It is located about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) (5.6 km) northwest of Mount Creak.

In 1999, the United States Geological Survey did more mapping. They talked with the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names and the New Zealand Geographic Board. They decided to change the name of the southern part of the Kirkwood Range. It became "Endeavour Massif." This new name better describes this large, complex area.

To keep the history alive, the name Mount Endeavour was kept for the specific peak. This peak is still northwest of Mount Creak.

The Ship That Inspired the Name

Both Endeavour Massif and Mount Endeavour are named after a ship. The ship was called HMNZS Endeavour. Before that, its name was John Biscoe. This ship was a supply vessel. It helped the 1957 New Zealand Northern Survey Party.