Context:
Recently, Kerala government employee Shaikh Hassan Khan has climbed Mount Vinson.
Relevance:
Facts for Prelims
Dimensions of the Article:
- Mount Vinson and the Ellsworth Mountains
- Ellsworth Mountains: Key Facts
Mount Vinson and the Ellsworth Mountains:
Mount Vinson:
- Mount Vinson stands as the highest mountain in Antarctica.
- Soaring to an elevation of 4,892 meters (16,050 feet) above sea level.
- Positioned within the Sentinel Range of the Ellsworth Mountains, near the Ronne Ice Shelf.
- Together with the next five highest summits in the vicinity, Mount Vinson is part of the Vinson Massif.
Vinson Massif:
- Vinson Massif encompasses Mount Vinson and the five other prominent mountains in the same area.
- The collective term refers to the next five highest summits on the continent of Antarctica.
Geographical Location:
- Mount Vinson is situated approximately 1,200 kilometers from the South Pole.
- The region ranks among the coldest places on Earth.
Ellsworth Mountains: Key Facts:
- The Ellsworth Mountains constitute the mountain ranges in Antarctica.
- This mountainous region spans a length of 360 kilometers (224 miles) and a width of 48 kilometers (30 miles), configured in a north-to-south alignment.
- The Minnesota Glacier bisects the Ellsworth Mountains, giving rise to the Sentinel Range in the north and the Heritage Range in the south.
- The Sentinel Range, notably higher and more spectacular, hosts Mount Vinson, the highest point on the Antarctic continent.
-Source: The Hindu
