Mount Bird was originally a separate island, which through volcanic activity has become a rounded peninsula on the northwestern tip of Ross Island. At its southernmost point, where it is connected with the rest of the island by a 10-kilometre (6.2mi) wide isthmus, a 500-metre (1,600ft) high pass, Bird Pass, separates the bulk of Mount Bird from the northern slopes of Mount Erebus. The peninsula is flanked to the west and east by two large and frequently ice-bound bays, Wohlschlag Bay in the west and Lewis Bay in the east.
Geology
Mount Bird is a basaltic shield volcano that was active from 4.6 to 3.8 million years ago. On the flanks of the volcano there are poorly exposed basalt scoria cones, and phonolitedomes and flows. The coastal cliffs display the shield's thick stack of basalt lava flows.[2]
Glaciers and streams
Several glaciers or meltwater streams flow from the mountain to the sea.
Fitzgerald Stream
77°16′S166°21′E / 77.267°S 166.350°E / -77.267; 166.350.
A stream between Fitzgerald Hill and Inclusion Hill on the lower ice-free west slopes of Mount Bird, flowing to McMurdo Sound across McDonald Beach.
Explored by the NZGSAE, 1958-59, and named by the NZ-APC for E.B. Fitzgerald, deputy leader of the expedition.[3]
77°17′S166°26′E / 77.283°S 166.433°E / -77.283; 166.433.
A meltwater stream which flows from the ice-free lower west slopes of Mount Bird, to the south of Alexander Hill, and over steep sea cliffs into Wohlschlag Bay.
Mapped by the NZGSAE, 1958-59, and named by the NZ-APC for J. Wilson, mountaineer assistant with the expedition.[6]
Quaternary Icefall
77°18′S166°30′E / 77.300°S 166.500°E / -77.300; 166.500.
A western lobe of the Mount Bird icecap, descending steeply into Wohlschlag Bay 1 nautical mile (1.9km; 1.2mi) south of Cinder Hill.
Mapped and so named by the NZGSAE, 1958-59, because of the Quaternary glacial period marine shells carried by the glacier and deposited in terminal moraines.[7]
Endeavour Piedmont Glacier
77°24′22″S166°42′37″E / 77.406111°S 166.710398°E / -77.406111; 166.710398.
A piedmont glacier, 6 nautical miles (11km; 6.9mi) long and 2 nautical miles (3.7km; 2.3mi) wide, between the southwest part of Mount Bird and Micou Point.
In association with the names of expedition ships grouped on this island, named after HMNZS Endeavour, tanker/supply ship which for at least 10 seasons, 1962-63 to 1971-72, transported bulk petroleum products and cargo to Scott Base and McMurdo Station on Ross Island.[8]
Inland features around the north of Mount Bird include:
Takahe Nunatak
77°12′54″S166°48′12″E / 77.21506°S 166.803196°E / -77.21506; 166.803196.
The northern of two similar nunataks that lie 0.3 nautical miles (0.56km; 0.35mi) apart and 3.3 nautical miles (6.1km; 3.8mi) north-northeast of Mount Bird in northwest Ross Island. It rises to about 1,100 metres (3,600ft) high and, like Kakapo Nunatak is one of several features near Mount Bird assigned the native name of a New Zealand mountain bird. Named by New Zealand Geographic Board (NZGB), 2000.[9]
Kakapo Nunatak
77°13′14″S166°47′45″E / 77.220489°S 166.795824°E / -77.220489; 166.795824.
The southern of two similar nunataks that lie 0.3 nautical miles (0.56km; 0.35mi) apart and 3.3 nautical miles (6.1km; 3.8mi) north-northeast of Mount Bird in northwest Ross Island. It rises to about 1,200 metres (3,900ft) high and, like Takahe Nunatak close NE, appears to be part of an ice-covered crater rim. Kakapo Nunatak is one of several features near Mount Bird assigned the native name of a New Zealand mountain bird. Named by New Zealand Geographic Board (NZGB), 2000.[10]
77°14′25″S166°38′05″E / 77.240196°S 166.634762°E / -77.240196; 166.634762.
Two parallel rock ridges 2.2 nautical miles (4.1km; 2.5mi) northwest of the summit of Mount Bird. The feature rises to about 1,400 metres (4,600ft). It is one of several landmarks near Mount Bird assigned the native name of a New Zealand mountain bird. Named by New Zealand Geographic Board (NZGB), 2000.[12]
Nash Peak
Walter Nash
77°15′08″S166°44′21″E / 77.252198°S 166.739187°E / -77.252198; 166.739187.
A prominent peak 1.4 nautical miles (2.6km; 1.6mi) north of the Mount Bird summit in northwest Ross Island.
The feature rises to over 1,600 metres (5,200ft).
Named by the New Zealand Geographic Board (NZGB) (2000) after Sir Walter Nash, who was deeply involved in promoting New Zealand's role in Antarctica and who signed the Antarctic Treaty for New Zealand as Prime Minister.[13]
Features near the coast to the west of Mount Bird include, from north to south,
Inclusion Hill
77°15′S166°25′E / 77.250°S 166.417°E / -77.250; 166.417.
A prominent steeply conical hill, 335 metres (1,099ft) high, between McDonald Beach and the Mount Bird icecap.
It is a trachyte plug, in parts containing numerous inclusions of basalt. Explored and descriptively named by the NZGSAE, 1958-59.[16]
Fitzgerald Hill
77°16′S166°25′E / 77.267°S 166.417°E / -77.267; 166.417.
A hill, 230 metres (750ft) high, standing west of Mount Bird between Fitzgerald Stream and Shell Glacier.
Mapped by the NZGSAE, 1958-59, and named by the NZ-APC for E.B. Fitzgerald, deputy leader of the expedition.[3]
77°17′S166°25′E / 77.283°S 166.417°E / -77.283; 166.417.
A hill, 220 metres (720ft) high, with a prominent seaward cliff face, lying south of Harrison Stream and Cinder Hill on the lower ice-free west slopes of Mount Bird.
Mapped by the NZGSAE, 1958-59, and named by the NZ-APC for B.N. Alexander, a surveyor with the expedition.[18]
Trachyte Hill
77°17′S166°25′E / 77.283°S 166.417°E / -77.283; 166.417.
A prominent hill, 470 metres (1,540ft) high, just south of Shell Glacier in the center of the ice-free area on the lower west slopes of Mount Bird.
Mapped and so named by the NZGSAE, 1958-59, because of the rock type composing the hill.[19]
77°18′41″S166°32′37″E / 77.311348°S 166.543478°E / -77.311348; 166.543478.
An ice-free coastal bluff rising to over 400 metres (1,300ft) high between the terminus of Shearwater Glacier and Quaternary Icefall in northwest Ross Island.
The bluff overlooks Wohlschlag Bay. At the suggestion of P.R. Kyle, named by Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN) (2000) after Julie Palais, Program Manager for Glaciology, Office of Polar Programs, NSF. As a Ph.D. student at Ohio State University, collected snow samples and short ice core on Ross Island to examine the volcanic record. She has made many trips to Antarctica.[21]
Kea Nunataks
77°17′23″S166°51′30″E / 77.289588°S 166.858327°E / -77.289588; 166.858327.
A line of several nunataks 1.2 nautical miles (2.2km; 1.4mi) southeast of the summit of Mount Bird. The feature trends NW-SE and is 1.5 nautical miles (2.8km; 1.7mi) long. Kea Nunataks is one of several features near Mount Bird assigned the native name of a New Zealand mountain bird. Named by New Zealand Geographic Board (NZGB), 2000.[22]
Kaka Nunatak
77°17′11″S166°50′20″E / 77.286419°S 166.838939°E / -77.286419; 166.838939.
The most prominent of the Kea Nunataks, rising to about 1,400 metres (4,600ft) high near the center of the group. It stands 2 nautical miles (3.7km; 2.3mi) southeast of the summit of Mount Bird in northwest Ross Island. Kaka Nunatak is one of several features near Mount Bird assigned the native name of a New Zealand mountain bird. Named by New Zealand Geographic Board (NZGB), 2000.[23]
Bird Saddle
77°22′41″S166°53′39″E / 77.378174°S 166.89418°E / -77.378174; 166.89418.
The feature is one of three prominent snow saddles on Ross Island, this one at about 800 metres (2,600ft) high between Mount Bird and Mount Erebus. Named in association with Mount Bird, which rises to 1,800 metres (5,900ft) high to the north of this saddle.[24]
Coastal features
Coastal features around Mount Bird include Romanes Beach, McDonald Beach, Caughley Beach, Cape Bird Hut and Cape Bird.[25]
Romanes Beach
77°17′S166°22′E / 77.283°S 166.367°E / -77.283; 166.367.
Beach on the north shore of Wohlschlag Bay just south of Harrison Bluff.
Mapped by a party of the NZGSAE, 1958-59, landed there by the USS Arneb.
Named by the NZ-APC for W. Romanes, mountaineer assistant with the expedition.[26]
77°15′S166°21′E / 77.250°S 166.350°E / -77.250; 166.350.
An extensive beach lying west of Inclusion Hill and 6 nautical miles (11km; 6.9mi) southwest of Cape Bird.
Named by the NZGSAE, 1958-59, after Captain Edwin A. McDonald, then Deputy Commander, United States Naval Support Force, Antarctica, who provided extensive transport and other facilities to the NZGSAE in support of the survey of the Cape Bird area.[27]
Keys Point
77°14′31″S166°21′48″E / 77.241966°S 166.363249°E / -77.241966; 166.363249.
A projecting point of land at McDonald Beach, 1 nautical mile (1.9km; 1.2mi) northwest of Inclusion Hill in northwest Ross Island. At the suggestion of P.R. Kyle, named by Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN) after John R. (Harry) Keys, New Zealand geochemist who worked several seasons during the 1970s and 1980s under the auspices of NZAP and United States Antarctic Research Program (USARP) on investigations as to the origin of salts in the McMurdo Sound area, the Mount Erebus volcano, and the quantity, shapes, and sizes of icebergs in the Antarctic marine environment.[28]
Harrison Bluff
77°17′S166°23′E / 77.283°S 166.383°E / -77.283; 166.383.
A pale-colored trachyte headland forming the seaward termination of Trachyte Hill and marking the southern end of McDonald Beach on the western side of Mount Bird.
Many skuas nest on the bluff.
A survey station marked by a rock cairn was placed on the top of the northwest corner of the bluff by E.B. Fitzgerald of the Cape Bird Party of the NZGSAE, 1958-59.
Named by the NZ-APC for J. Harrison, mountaineer-assistant with the expedition.[29]
Waipuke Beach
77°14′S166°24′E / 77.233°S 166.400°E / -77.233; 166.400.
Beach between McDonald and Caughley Beaches, lying 6 nautical miles (11km; 6.9mi) southwest of Cape Bird.
So named by the NZGSAE, 1958-59, because of periodic flooding by meltwater from the Cape Bird icecap, which has been destructive to nearby penguin rookeries.
Waipuke is the Maori word for flood.[30]
76°56′S166°56′E / 76.933°S 166.933°E / -76.933; 166.933.
An island in the Ross Sea, the northernmost feature of the Ross Archipelago, lying 12 nautical miles (22km; 14mi) north of Cape Bird.
Discovered and named in 1841 by Ross for Captain Francis Beaufort, Royal Navy, Hydrographer to the Admiralty.[32]
Wright, A.C.; Kyle, P.R. (1990), "A.15. Mount Bird", in LeMasurier, W.E.; Thomson, J.W. (eds.), Volcanoes of the Antarctica Plate and Southern Oceans, Antarctica Research, vol.48, American Geophysical Union, archived from the original on 2013-10-29, retrieved 2022-02-26
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