Mount Terror (Antarctica) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mount Terror |
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Mount Terror (right) and Mount Erebus (left) seen from the Hut Point Peninsula, the southernmost point on Ross Island.
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 3,230 m (10,600 ft) |
| Prominence | 1,728 m (5,669 ft) |
| Listing | Ultra |
| Geography | |
 Mount Terror
Location in Antarctica
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| Geology | |
| Age of rock | 820,000–1.75 million years |
| Mountain type | Shield volcano (extinct) |
| Volcanic belt | McMurdo Volcanic Group |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1959 |
| Easiest route | snow/ice climb |
Mount Terror is a huge, old shield volcano found on Ross Island in Antarctica. It makes up the eastern part of this icy island. A shield volcano is a type of volcano that looks like a warrior's shield lying on the ground, with gentle slopes. Mount Terror has many smaller cinder cones and domes on its sides. Most of the mountain is covered in thick snow and ice.
Mount Terror is the second largest of the four volcanoes on Ross Island. It's often overshadowed by its taller neighbor, Mount Erebus, which is about 30 kilometers (19 miles) to the west. Sir James Clark Ross named Mount Terror in 1841. He named it after his second ship, HMS Terror. The captain of the Terror was Francis Crozier, a close friend of Ross. A nearby place, Cape Crozier, is named after him.
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About Mount Terror
Scientists haven't studied the rocks right at the top of Mount Terror yet. However, rocks from the lower parts of the mountain are between 0.82 and 1.75 million years old. This means Mount Terror is a very old volcano. It hasn't shown any signs of erupting recently, so it's considered an extinct volcano.
Exploring the Mountain
The first time anyone climbed to the top of Mount Terror was in 1959. A group of climbers from New Zealand successfully reached the summit.
Nearby Features Named Terror
Because Mount Terror is such a big and important landmark, several other places nearby are also named after it.
Terror Point
Terror Point is a piece of land located just below Mount Terror. It marks the eastern edge of Fog Bay. This name was first used by members of the British National Antarctic Expedition between 1901 and 1904. They named it because it's so close to Mount Terror.
Terror Saddle
Terror Saddle is a snowy, low area between two mountains. It sits about 1,600 meters (5,200 feet) high between Mount Terra Nova and Mount Terror. It's one of three main snow saddles on Ross Island. It was named because of its connection to Mount Terror, which rises to the east of it.
Terror Glacier
Terror Glacier is a large river of ice found between Mount Terra Nova and Mount Terror on Ross Island. This glacier flows south into a place called Windless Bight. A.J. Heine from the New Zealand Geological Survey Antarctic Expedition (NZGSAE) named it in 1962–63. He chose the name because of its close link to Mount Terror.
See also
In Spanish: Monte Terror para niños
