320 POLAR PROBLEMS 



trending northeast, Prestrud collected from Scott's Nunataks (1700 

 feet) a series of rocks determined by Schetelig as white granite, 

 granodiorite, hornblende and biotite-quartz diorites and quartz- 

 diorite schists. This assemblage, as Schetelig points out, can be com- 

 pared with the pre-Cambrian rocks of the horst west of Ross Sea. The 

 interior of the Pacific Quadrant has been traversed by Amundsen on 

 his journey to the pole. The ranges of Carmen Land discovered by 

 him commence at a point 86° S. and 160° W. and trend in an east- to- 

 northeast direction at least as far as 84° S. Though wisely refraining 

 from inserting on the map a range in the region intervening between 

 Carmen Land and the high bare land apparently trending northeast, 

 situate between 81° and 82° S. in 157° W., Amundsen states "what 

 we have seen apparently justifies us in concluding that Carmen Land 

 extends from 86° S. to this position, about 81° 30' S., and possibly 

 farther to the northeast." The Shiraze Japanese expedition traveling 

 southeast from the Bay of Whales reached at 150 miles an elevation 

 of 1300 feet, and though no rock was visible it was confidently believed 

 that land was present. It is, therefore, likely that the Ross Barrier 

 is bounded along its eastern border by one continuous range extending 

 from Amundsen's point of entry to the plateau to King Edward VII 

 Land and beyond. From the point of view of Antarctic tectonics this 

 is one of the crucial areas and problems and would well repay detailed 

 investigation by the scientific sledge parties of future expeditions. 



The great ranges of South Victoria Land extend beyond Beardmore 

 Glacier to 86° S. and 160° W., where they join up with those of Carmen 

 Land to form the Queen Maud Range, which, with heights rising 

 to over 15,000 feet (Mt. Nilsen, 15,500 feet), stretch southeastwards 

 until they disappear below the horizon, as seen from Amundsen's 

 poleward route. Seen from a point in 88° S. and 170° W., this mighty 

 range could be observed to extend southeastward beyond the range 

 of vision of the pole-seekers, and Amundsen concludes that the 

 chain traverses the Antarctic Continent to where, if their trend 

 remains unaltered, they would reach the encircling ocean in the 

 neighborhood of Weddell Sea. 



On the ice plateau, beyond the Queen Maud Range, on the route 

 to the pole, Amundsen discovered an ice divide near 87° 40' S. (in 

 170° W.), and it is probable that Shackleton reached, and Scott 

 traversed, a continuation of this parting near Shackleton's farthest 

 south in 88° 23'. 



Shackleton 



lat. 85° 55' S. height of ice plateau 7,865 feet. 

 lat. 88° 23' S. " " " " 10,050 feet. 



Amundsen 



lat. 87° 40' S. " " " " 11,075 feet, 

 south pole " " " " 10,260 feet. 



