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| Asgard Range | |
|---|---|
| Name | Asgard Range |
| Country | Antarctica |
| Region | Victoria Land |
| Coordinates | 77°30′S 162°00′E |
| Length km | 50 |
| Highest | Mount Odin |
| Elevation m | 2872 |
Asgard Range is a mountain range in the McMurdo Dry Valleys region of Victoria Land on the continent of Antarctica. The range lies north of Taylor Glacier and separates several of the ice-free valleys known collectively as the McMurdo Dry Valleys, forming part of the transverse mountain systems near McMurdo Sound, Ross Sea, and the Transantarctic Mountains. The area has been a focus for Antarctic research spanning glaciology, geology, and microbiology led by institutions such as the British Antarctic Survey, the United States Antarctic Program, and universities including University of Cambridge, Columbia University, and University of New Hampshire.
The Asgard Range occupies a portion of the Transantarctic Mountains adjacent to Taylor Valley, Wright Valley, and Victoria Valley, with ridgelines and cirques dominating the local topography. Prominent neighboring features include Mackay Glacier, Northwind Glacier, and the coastal approaches from McMurdo Station and Scott Base. The range’s relief produces steep escarpments, nunataks, and valley glaciers feeding into the Taylor Glacier system and terminating near the Onyx River and Lake Vanda. Surveying and mapping efforts by teams from New Zealand's Antarctic Division and the United States Geological Survey refined topographic models used by expeditions and satellite missions from National Aeronautics and Space Administration and European Space Agency.
Geologically, the Asgard Range exposes sedimentary and metamorphic sequences correlated with the Beacon Supergroup and intrusions related to the Ferrar Dolerite province, echoing tectonic histories of the Ross Orogeny and the breakup of Gondwana. Structural studies connect rock units to regional faults mapped during campaigns involving the Scott Polar Research Institute and the Geological Survey of New Zealand. Glaciological research documents cold-based glaciers in the range that preserve subglacial stratigraphy and permafrost studied by teams from University of Wisconsin–Madison, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and Ohio State University. Ice-flow dynamics here inform models of paleo-ice sheets used in reconstructions by researchers at Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory and laboratories collaborating with National Science Foundation programs.
The Asgard Range sits within one of the driest polar deserts on Earth, contributing to the hyper-arid conditions of the McMurdo Dry Valleys recognized by ecologists at Australian Antarctic Division and Smithsonian Institution. Microbial mats, endolithic communities, and extremophiles discovered by teams from McMurdo Station, Victoria University of Wellington, and University of Colorado Boulder colonize rock surfaces and transient meltwater streams like those feeding Lake Fryxell and Lake Hoare. Studies led by researchers at California Institute of Technology, University of Cambridge, and Yale University examine adaptations to ultraviolet radiation and freeze–thaw cycles. Atmospheric and meteorological monitoring coordinated with World Meteorological Organization and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration helps link local microclimates to Southern Ocean circulation and El Niño–Southern Oscillation teleconnections.
Exploration of the Asgard Range occurred during 20th-century Antarctic expeditions including work by teams associated with British Antarctic Expedition (1910–13), later surveys by Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names, and field parties from Victoria University of Wellington Antarctic Expeditions. Logistical support has often come from USS Glacier, USCGC Glacier, and aircraft operations coordinated with Wellington International Airport via Scott Base and McMurdo Station. Scientific field camps and traverse routes have been recorded in expedition reports from institutions such as University of Canterbury and Columbia University. Conservation and management policies affecting access involve signatories to the Antarctic Treaty and guidance from the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research.
Research in the Asgard Range is centered around seasonal field camps and data collection points supplied from McMurdo Station and Scott Base, with instrumentation deployed by teams from National Science Foundation, British Antarctic Survey, and universities including University of California, Santa Cruz. Long-term ecological research projects coordinated with the Long Term Ecological Research Network and cryospheric studies funded by National Science Foundation and collaborators at University of Texas at Austin have produced time-series on soil chemistry, microbial diversity, and permafrost dynamics. Remote sensing campaigns using platforms from NASA and the European Space Agency complement ground-based work by groups at Plymouth Marine Laboratory and Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
Notable summits and features near the Asgard Range include Mount Odin (the range high point), Mount Thor, Mount Thorvaldson, Cathedral Rocks, and nearby glacial landmarks such as Taylor Glacier and Gaisser Valley. Lakes and valleys of importance include Lake Vanda, Lake Fryxell, Lake Hoare, Taylor Valley, and Wright Valley, each the subject of studies by research teams from University of Wisconsin–Madison, University of Colorado Boulder, and Victoria University of Wellington. Field sites recognized in scientific literature and managed under the Antarctic Treaty System attract international collaborations involving the United States Antarctic Program, British Antarctic Survey, New Zealand Antarctic Programme, and academic partners worldwide.
Category:Mountain ranges of Victoria Land