Mount Brewster (Antarctica) facts for kids
Daniell Peninsula is a large piece of land in Antarctica, shaped like a finger pointing out into the ocean. It's located between two capes, Cape Daniell and Cape Jones, along the coast of Victoria Land.
This peninsula looks a bit like other peninsulas in the area, such as Adare Peninsula and Hallett Peninsula. It's made of a type of rock called basalt and rises up to about 2,000 meters (6,560 feet) high.
The Daniell Peninsula is partly separated from the Victory Mountains by a large ice river called Whitehall Glacier. However, it's connected to these mountains by higher land near Mount Prior. The peninsula was named by the New Zealand Geological Survey Antarctic Expedition (NZGSAE) in 1957–58. They named it after Cape Daniell, and also because it's similar to the nearby Adare and Hallett peninsulas.
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What is Daniell Peninsula Made Of?
The Daniell Peninsula is actually formed by at least four shield volcanoes that overlap each other. These volcanoes are part of a larger group called the Hallett Volcanic Province, which belongs to the McMurdo Volcanic Group.
Mount Brewster: The Highest Point
Mount Brewster is right in the middle of the Daniell Peninsula. It's the highest point, reaching about 2,026 meters (6,647 feet) tall. Scientists have studied rocks from Mount Brewster and found that some are about 12.4 million years old, while others are around 6.9 million years old.
Southern Volcanoes
At the southern end of the peninsula, there's another shield volcano. It has been deeply carved out by a natural bowl-shaped valley called the Mandible Cirque. This area also includes a smaller peak called Tousled Peak and the ice-covered Mount Lubbock. Rocks found here suggest this part of the peninsula is about 9.5 million years old.
Cape Daniell Volcano
The Cape Daniell shield volcano is at the northern tip of the peninsula. It reaches about 1,910 meters (6,270 feet) high. The top of this volcano has a flat area several kilometers wide, which might be a small caldera (a large volcanic crater) filled with ice. Rocks from Cape Daniell show ages of about 5.8 million years and 5.6 million years.
Where is Daniell Peninsula Located?
The Daniell Peninsula stretches along the western coast of the Ross Sea, which is to the east of the Victory Mountains.
Several glaciers flow around and onto the peninsula:
- The Borchgrevink Glacier flows along the southwest coast. It gets ice from the Langevad Glacier and the Bargh Glacier.
- Mount Prior overlooks where the Humphries Glacier joins the Borchgrevink Glacier.
- The Humphries Glacier is connected to the Whitehall Glacier. The Whitehall Glacier flows north from below Mount Brewster along the east coast. It empties into Tucker Inlet at the northern end of the peninsula.
Important Points on the Peninsula
- Cape Jones is the southernmost tip of the peninsula.
- North of Cape Jones, you'll find Mount Lubbock, Tousled Peak, Narrow Neck, the Mandible Cirque, and Cape Phillips.
- Cape Daniell is on the northeast side of the peninsula. It marks the entrance to Tucker Inlet, across from Cape Wheatstone on the Hallett Peninsula.
Named Places on Daniell Peninsula
Many parts of the Daniell Peninsula have special names. Here are some of them:
Mount Prior
Mount Prior is a mountain about 1,220 meters (4,000 feet) high. It's located about 10 nautical miles (18.5 km) west of Mount Brewster. This mountain rises at the top of Whitehall Glacier in the western part of the Daniell Peninsula. It was named by the New Zealand Geological Survey Antarctic Expedition (NZGSAE) in 1957–58. They named it after George T. Prior, who studied rocks from this area.
Mount Brewster
Mount Brewster is a small peak, but it's the highest point on the Daniell Peninsula, reaching 2,025 meters (6,644 feet). Sir James Clark Ross named it in 1841 after Sir David Brewster, a famous Scottish physicist.
Cape Jones
Cape Jones is the cape located just southeast of Mount Lubbock. It marks the very southern tip of the Daniell Peninsula. Sir James Clark Ross discovered this cape in January 1841 and named it after Captain William Jones of the Royal Navy.
Mount Lubbock
Mount Lubbock is a coastal peak, 1,630 meters (5,350 feet) high. It rises just north of Cape Jones at the southern end of the Daniell Peninsula. Sir James Clark Ross discovered it in January 1841. He named it after Sir John Lubbock, who was the treasurer of the Royal Society.
Tousled Peak
Tousled Peak is a small, ice-covered peak, about 1,220 meters (4,000 feet) high. It's located about 3.5 nautical miles (6.5 km) northwest of Mount Lubbock's summit. The New Zealand Antarctic Place Names Committee (NZ-APC) named it in 1966 because its icy top looks very broken and messy.
Narrow Neck
Narrow Neck is a thin but high strip of land. It lies between Langevad Glacier and Mandible Cirque in the southern part of the Daniell Peninsula. This "neck" connects Tousled Peak and the Mount Lubbock area to the main part of the peninsula. The NZ-APC gave it this descriptive name in 1966.
Mandible Cirque
Mandible Cirque is a very impressive bowl-shaped valley that cuts into the coast of Daniell Peninsula. It's about 5 nautical miles (9.3 km) west-southwest of Cape Phillips. The NZ-APC named it in 1966 because of how it looks from above and from the side, like a jawbone.
Cape Phillips
Cape Phillips is a cape located roughly halfway along the eastern side of Daniell Peninsula. It's about 8 nautical miles (14.8 km) southeast of Mount Brewster. Sir James Clark Ross discovered it in January 1841 and named it after Lieutenant Charles G. Phillips.
Cape Daniell
Cape Daniell is at the very northeast end of the Daniell Peninsula. It marks the southern side of the entrance to Tucker Inlet. Sir James Clark Ross discovered it on January 15, 1841. He named it after Professor John Frederic Daniell, a chemist and a foreign secretary of the Royal Society.
