Gronau Nunataks

Gronau Nunataks
Gronau Nunatakker

Southward bend in the Christian IV Glacier with the Gronau Nunataks in the background and the NW part of the Watkins Range in the forefront.
Highest point
Peak Highest point
Elevation 2,810 m (9,220 ft)
Dimensions
Length 80 km (50 mi) E/W
Width 33 km (21 mi) N/S
Geography

Location

Country Greenland
State/Province Sermersooq
Range coordinates 69°27′N 30°15′W / 69.45°N 30.25°W / 69.45; -30.25Coordinates: 69°27′N 30°15′W / 69.45°N 30.25°W / 69.45; -30.25

The Gronau Nunataks (Danish: Gronau Nunatakker)[1] is a mountain range in King Christian IX Land, eastern Greenland. Administratively this range is part of the Sermersooq Municipality.

History

This group of nunataks at the edge of the vast Greenland Ice Sheet was first reported by German aviation pioneer Wolfgang von Gronau during his 1930 transatlantic flight on a Dornier Wal.[2]

The existence of the range was later confirmed by Lauge Koch during flights in 1933 that were part of the 1931–34 Three-year Expedition to East Greenland (Treårsekspeditionen). Following the subsequent survey and mapping of the mountains they were named after Wolfgang von Gronau.[3]

Geography

The Gronau Nunataks is a long cluster of nunataks. It is located north of the Watkins Range, beyond the large Christian IV Glacier and to the northeast of the Lindbergh Range. The Greenland Ice Sheet lies to the north and the Wager Nunataks further to the east. The Gronau Glacier is located in the western part of the mountains. The area of the range is remote and uninhabited.[4]

The Dødemandstoppene (Danish for "Mountains of the Dead", lit. "Peaks of the Dead Men") is a geographic division or part of the Gronau Nunataks located on the eastern side of the Grønlands Styrelse Glacier. The name originated in 1934 at the time of the British Trans-Greenland Expedition by Sir Martin Lindsay in which the dark pyramid or tomb-like mountains were deemed sinister when first seen.[3]

Defense Mapping Agency map of Greenland sheet.

Peaks

The highest point of the Gronau Nunataks is a 2,810 m mountain. The area has been explored in recent decades by alpinists and some of the peaks have been named, but data are lacking regarding the exact location of certain peaks.[5][6][7][8] Some of the summits named recently are the following:

Climate

Being so close to the Greenland Ice Sheet, Polar climate prevails in the Gronau Nunataks. The average annual temperature in the area of the range is -18 °C. The warmest month is July when the average temperature reaches -4 °C and the coldest is February when the temperature sinks to -25 °C.[9]

See also

References

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 8/11/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.