Difference between revisions of "Template:Westarctica.wiki:Today's featured article"

From Encyclopedia Westarctica
Jump to navigation Jump to search
(updated new article)
 
(176 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
[[File:Inspecting the GPS antenna at Toney Mountain.jpg|300px|left]]
[[File:Crabeater Pléneau Bay.jpg|250px|left]]
'''[[Toney Mountain]]''' is an elongated [[snow]]-covered shield volcano, 60 km (38 mi) long and rising to 3,595 meters at Richmond Peak, located 56 km (35 mi) southwest of the [[Kohler Range]] in [[Westarctica]].
The '''[[crabeater seal]]''' is a true seal with a circumpolar distribution around the coast of [[Antarctica]]. They are found primarily on the free-floating [[pack ice]] that extends seasonally out from the Antarctic coast, which they use as a platform for resting, mating, social aggregation and accessing their prey. They are by far the most abundant seal species in the world. While population estimates are uncertain, there are at least 7 million and possibly as many as 75 million individuals. This success of this species is due to its specialized predation on the abundant [[Antarctic krill]] of the [[Southern Ocean]], for which it has uniquely adapted, sieve-like tooth structure.


A 3 km-wide summit caldera tops the volcano, and is elongated in east-west direction; this orientation is shared with calderas on other volcanoes in Westarctica and reflects regional tectonic stress. The slopes of the volcano feature parasitic vents and glacial corries, and are much steeper north of the volcano than south of it. Toney Mountain was probably among those viewed from a distance by Admiral Byrd and others of the U.S. Antarctic Survey in plane flights from the ship ''Bear'' in February 1940. It was mapped in December 1957 by the oversnow traverse party from Byrd Station to the Sentinel Range, 1957–58, led by C.R. Bentley who proposed the name.
Despite its name, crabeater seals do not eat crabs. As well as being an important [[krill]] predator, the crabeater seal is an important component of the diet of [[leopard seal|leopard seals]], which consume about 80% of all crabeater pups.


The mountain was after [[George R. Toney]], the scientific leader at [[Byrd Station]] in 1957. Toney was also a participant in several [[Antarctic]] and Arctic operations, serving in both field and administrative capacities.
'''([[crabeater seal|Full Article...]])'''
 
'''([[Toney Mountain|Full Article...]])'''

Latest revision as of 13:37, 19 March 2026

Crabeater Pléneau Bay.jpg

The crabeater seal is a true seal with a circumpolar distribution around the coast of Antarctica. They are found primarily on the free-floating pack ice that extends seasonally out from the Antarctic coast, which they use as a platform for resting, mating, social aggregation and accessing their prey. They are by far the most abundant seal species in the world. While population estimates are uncertain, there are at least 7 million and possibly as many as 75 million individuals. This success of this species is due to its specialized predation on the abundant Antarctic krill of the Southern Ocean, for which it has uniquely adapted, sieve-like tooth structure.

Despite its name, crabeater seals do not eat crabs. As well as being an important krill predator, the crabeater seal is an important component of the diet of leopard seals, which consume about 80% of all crabeater pups.

(Full Article...)