Wilkniss Mountains

'The Wilkniss Mountains (-78.01667°N, 161.11667°W) form a prominent group of conical peaks and mountains, 10 nmi long running north–south, located 9 nmi east-southeast of Mount Feather in the Quartermain Mountains, Victoria Land, Antarctica. The mountains are 3 nmi wide in the north portion where Mount Blackwelder, 2,340 m high, and Pivot Peak 2,450 m high, rise above ice-free valleys. Except for an outlying southwest peak, the south portion narrows to a series of mainly ice-covered smaller peaks.

Name
The Wilkniss Mountains were named by United States Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN) in 1992 after Peter E. Wilkniss, a chemist who from 1975 has served in various positions at the National Science Foundation, including Deputy Assistant Director of the Directorate for Scientific, Technological, and International Affairs; Director, Division of Polar Programs, 1984–93; senior science associate to the assistant director for Geosciences, from 1993.

Location
The Wilkniss Mountains are south of the Knobhead massif, the southeastern part of the Quartermain Mountains. They are separated from Knobhead by the Ferrar Glacier, which flows east from its head near Mount Blackwelder. The Palais Glacier (-78.03333°N, 161.31667°W) is a broad glacier, about 8 nmi long, that flows north between Wilkniss Mountains and the Colwell Massif to enter Ferrar Glacier near its head. The Wilkniss Mountains are east of The Portal and Portal Mountain. Rampart Ridge is to the south.

Glaciology
There is a glacial drift deposit with a terminal moraine 1 to 4 m high in Vernier Valley at an elevation of 1400 to 1500 m, one of four moraines deposited by ice flowing from the Ferrar Glacier into the valley. The Ferrar drifts have ages around 4.0–3.4 million years, 1.2 million years, 700 thousand years and 50 thousand years. This stability of ice surface elevation suggests that over the last 4 million years the upland regions of the McMurdo Dry Valleys have experienced minimal climatic amelioration.

Features
Features include:

Vernier Valley
-77.96667°N, 161.15°W. An ice-free valley on the east side of Mount Blackwelder in the northeast part of Wilkniss Mountains, Victoria Land. The name is one of a group in the area associated with surveying applied in 1993 by NZGB; vernier being a graduated scale used on measuring instruments to allow the reading of finer subdivisions.

Mount Blackwelder
-77.98333°N, 161.06667°W. A sharp, mainly ice-free peak in north Wilkniss Mountains, rising to 2,340 m west of Vernier Valley and 6 nmi north of Pivot Peak. Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy aerial photographs, 1947-59. Named by US-ACAN in 1984 after Lieutenant Commander Billy G. Blackwelder, United States Navy, Senior Helicopter Pilot, Antarctic Development Squadron Six (VXE-6), United States Navy OpDFrz, 1971-72 and 1975-77.

Canoe Nunatak
-77.98333°N, 161.26667°W. A nunatak, 1 nmi long and 0.2 nmi wide, located 2.2 nmi east-southeast of Mount Blackwelder. The distinctive shape resembles an upturned canoe. Named by Alan Sherwood, NZGS party leader in the area, 1987-88.

Creagh Glacier
-78.01667°N, 161.16667°W. Glacier, 4 nmi long, flowing northeast from Creagh Icefall to the vicinity of Canoe Nunatak. Named by US-ACAN in 1994 after Father Gerry Creagh (d. 1994), a New Zealand citizen, who served as honorary United States Navy chaplain for over 25 summer seasons at the Chapel of the Snows, McMurdo Station. He was unofficially known as the "Chaplain of Antarctica."

Creagh Icefall
-78.03333°N, 161.13333°W. Icefall at the head of Creagh Glacier. Named by US-ACAN in 1994 in association with Creagh Glacier.

Lever Nunataks
-78.06667°N, 161.13333°W. A chain of nunataks that extend southeastward from Fulcrum and the head of Creagh Glacier. The name is suggested by the position and linear arrangement of the group away from Fulcrum. Named by New Zealand Geographic Board (NZGB) in 1994.

Fulcrum
-78.03212°N, 161.12365°W. A peaked nunatak rising to about 2000 m at the north end of Lever Nunataks. The position of the nunatak suggests a fulcrum upon which Lever Nunataks act. Named by the New Zealand Geographic Board (NZGB) in 1994.

Buttress Nunatak
-78.02396°N, 161.21959°W. A nunatak rising to 2175 m at the east side of the head of Creagh Glacier. So named by New Zealand Geographic Board (NZGB) (1994) because a buttress spur on the east side of the nunatak leads to the summit.

Pivot Peak
-78.03333°N, 161.01667°W. Prominent conical peak, 2,470 m high, distinguished by a large northeast cirque and as the highest point in Wilkniss Mountains. The New Zealand Northern Survey Party of the CTAE (1956-58) established a survey station on its summit on January 21, 1958. So named by them because its prominent appearance and location make it the focal point of the topography in that area.

Level Valley
-77.98333°N, 161.13333°W. A distinctive ice-free valley which descends northeastward from the Pivot Peak cirque, in Wilkniss Mountains, Victoria Land. One of a group of names in the area associated with surveying applied in 1993 by NZGB. A surveyors level is an instrument designed primarily to funish a horizontal line of sight.