McHenry Range Conservation Zone

The McHenry Range Conservation Zone (76°50′S 126°06′W) is a protected area of Westarctica created to preserve the volcanic landscape of the McHenry Range. It was created via Royal Decree on 20 April 2005 by Grand Duke Travis. It falls under the oversight of the Westarctican Parks Service.

Peak of Mount Sidley in the Conservation Zone

History

The range was discovered on 15 December 1940 by the United States Antarctic Service expedition on a reconnaissance flight. It was named Executive Committee Range for the Antarctic Service Executive Committee. Individual mountains (e.g. Mount Hampton, Mount Waesche) are named in honor of members of the committee, except for Mount Sidley, the most imposing mountain in the range, which was discovered and named by Rear Admiral Byrd in 1934. The entire range was mapped in detail by USGS from surveys and U.S. Navy aerial photography, 1958-60.

In November 2013, Lough et al. reported deep long period volcanic earthquakes centered at depths of 30-40 km approximately 55 km S of Mount Sidley that were interpreted as indications of present deep crustal magmatic activity beneath the Executive Committee Range. Ice penetrating radar results reported in this study indicated a sub-ice topographic feature, interpreted as a volcano, above the seismic swarms. The study also reported a mid-icecap (1400 m depth) ash layer about 8,000 years old that was interpreted as probably originating at nearby Mount Waesche.

On 4 September 2023, the Senate of Westarctica passed Westarctican Ordinance WO-2023-003 which renamed the Executive Committee Range to the McHenry Range, in honor of Grand Duke Travis. The justification for the change was that the members of the committee are all honored with geographic features within the range, and a desire to memorialize the efforts of Grand Duke Travis to preserve and raise awareness for Westarctica.

The McHenry Range was on the January 2024 list of ten sites that should be considered for eventual protection as a national park of Westarctica. The range was initially considered for protection as a national monument, as its striking vistas and Mount Sidley's status as the highest volcanic mountain on the continent of Antarctica draw world-class hikers; most notably those tackling the Volcanic Seven Summits. Despite this, it was decided that recent indications of deep-earth magma activity required more research into the likelihood of parts of the range becoming active again in the near future. While this is being conducted, it was recommended to protect the site as a Conservation Zone, which allows for more finely tuned recommendations of responsible access.

It was on the list of five recommended areas to protect made by Jordan Farmer to Grand Duke Travis in March of 2025. On 20 April 2025, Grand Duke Travis declared the McHenry Range a conservation zone under the oversight of the Westarctican Parks Service. McHenry Range Conservation Zone has been identified as a potential candidate for elevation to the status of national park, but more research into the volcanic factors of the area are being conducted in order to ensure this action is appropriate first.

Conservans Protectorem

Those nobles whose titles were named for features within the memorial when it was established were afforded the additional honorific Conservans Protectorem to use in conjunction with said title. McHenry Range Conservation Zone granted that honorific to the following:

• Duke of Boudette
• Duke of Hampton
• Duke of Le Vaux
• Duke of Waesche
• Count of Mintz
• Viscount of Annexstad
• Baron of Bennett
• Baroness of Feyerharm
• Baron of Lavris
• Baron of Weiss

Features

The zone comprises the five mountains of the McHenry Range, which includes Mount Sidley, Antarctica's highest mountain.

Key locations

The boundaries of McHenry Range Conservation Zone

• Mount Cumming (76°40′S 125°48′W) is a low, mostly snow-covered mountain, volcanic in origin, located midway between Mount Hampton and Mount Hartigan. A circular snow-covered crater occupies the summit area. Discovered by the USAS (1939-41) on a flight, December 15, 1940, and named for Hugh S. Cumming, Jr., State Department member of the USAS Executive Committee. Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy trimetrogon photography, 1958-60.

• Annexstad Peak (76°41′S 125°52′W) is a partially ice-free peak 2,610 metres (8,560 ft) high on the west side of the crater rim of Mount Cumming. Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy trimetrogon photography, 1958-60. Named by US-ACAN for John O. Annexstad, geomagnetician and station seismologist at Byrd Station, 1958; later with the Meteorite Working Group, Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas.

• Le Vaux Peak (76°40′S 125°43′W) is a small peak on the east side of the crater rim of Mount Cumming. Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy aerial photographs, 1958-60. Named by US-ACAN for Howard A. Le Vaux, auroral physicist at Byrd Station, 1959, and a member of the Marie Byrd Land Traverse Party, 1959-60.

• Woolam Peak (76°41′S 125°49′W) is a small peak on the southern part of the crater rim of Mount Gumming. Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy trimetrogon photography, 1958-60. Named by US-ACAN for Alvis E. Woolam, ionospheric physicist at Byrd Station, 1959.

• Mount Hampton (76°29′S 125°48′W) is an impressive mountain 3,325 metres (10,909 ft) high with a circular ice-filled crater occupying much of the summit area. It is the northernmost of the extinct volcanoes which comprise the Executive Committee Range. Discovered by the United States Antarctic Service (USAS) on a flight, December 15, 1940, and named for Ruth Hampton, United States Department of the Interior member of the USAS Executive Committee. Mapped in detail by USGS from surveys and United States Navy trimetrogon photography, 1958-60.

• Marks Peak (76°30′S 125°45′W) is a rocky peak 3,325 metres (10,909 ft) high on the south side of the crater rim of Mount Hampton. Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy trimetrogon photography, 1958-60. Named by US-ACAN for Keith E. Marks, electronics engineer, National Bureau of Standards, a member of the Marie Byrd Land Traverse Party, 1959-60.

• Whitney Peak (76°26′S 126°03′W) isa conspicuous peak 3,005 metres (9,859 ft) high rising 3 nautical miles (5.6 km; 3.5 mi) northwest of Mount Hampton, from which it is separated by a distinctive ice-covered saddle. Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy aerial photographs, 1958-60. Named by the United States Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN) for Captain Herbert Whitney, United States Navy Reserve, commander of the Navy's Mobile Construction Battalion responsible for the building of Antarctic stations for use during the International Geophysical Year. Whitney wintered over at Little America V in 1956.

• Mount Hartigan (76°52′S 126°00′W) is a broad, mostly snow-covered mountain with several individually named peaks which rise up to 2,800 metres (9,200 ft). It is situated immediately north of Mount Sidley in the Executive Committee Range, Marie Byrd Land. Discovered by the United States Antarctic Service expedition on a flight, December 15, 1940, and named for R. Admiral Charles C. Hartigan, United States Navy, Navy Department member of the Antarctic Service Executive Committee.

• Boudette Peak (76°50′S 126°02′W) is a twin peaks 2,810 metres (9,220 ft) high and 2,815 metres (9,236 ft) high located 1 nautical mile (1.9 km; 1.2 mi) west-southwest of Lavris Peak in the northern portion of Mount Hartigan. Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy trimetrogon photography, 1958-60. Named by US-ACAN for Eugene L. Boudette, Geologist, USGS, a member of the Marie Byrd Land Traverse Party, 1959-60.

• Lavris Peak (76°49′S 125°56′W) is a snow-capped peak which rises to 2,745 metres (9,006 ft) high in the northeast portion of Mount Hartigan. Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy trimetrogon photography, 1958-60. Named by US-ACAN for William C. Lavris, Meteorological Technician at Byrd Station, 1959.

• Mintz Peak (76°53′S 126°03′W) is a small peak rising above the southeast corner of Mount Hartigan. Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy trimetrogon photography, 1958-60. Named by US-ACAN for Jerome Mintz, Meteorological Electronics Technician at Byrd Station, 1959.

• Tusing Peak (76°51′S 126°00′W) is a snow-capped peak 2,650 metres (8,690 ft) high rising from the central portion of Mount Hartigan. Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy trimetrogon photography, 1958-60, Named by US-ACAN for Alien D. Tusing, meteorologist at Byrd Station, 1959.

• Mount Sidley (77°02′S 126°06′W) is a massive, mainly snow-covered mountain 4,285 metres (14,058 ft) high which is the highest and most imposing of the five extinct volcanic mountains that comprise the Executive Committee Range. The feature is marked by a spectacular caldera on the southern side and stands northeast of Mount Waesche in the southern part of the range. Discovered by R. Admiral Richard E. Byrd on an airplane flight, November 18, 1934, and named by him for Mabelle E. Sidley, the daughter of William Horlick, manufacturer, who was a contributor to the Byrd Antarctic Expedition, 1933-35.

• Doumani Peak (77°07′S 126°03′W) is a subsidiary peak 2,675 metres (8,776 ft) high on the southern slopes of Mount Sidley. Named by US-ACAN for George A. Doumani, Traverse Seismologist at Byrd Station, a member of the Executive Committee Range Traverse (February 1959) and Marie Byrd Land Traverse (1959-60) that carried out surveys of this area.

• Feyerharm Knoll (77°00′S 125°46′W) is an ice-covered knoll on the lower northeastern slope of Mount Sidley. Surveyed by USGS during the Executive Committee Range Traverse of 1959. Named by US-ACAN for William R. Feyerharm, Meteorologist at Byrd Station, 1960.

• Parks Glacier (77°07′S 125°55′W) is a glacier draining southeastward from Weiss Amphitheater, a caldera in southern Mount Sidley. Mapped by USGS on the Executive Committee Range Traverse of 1959. Named by US-ACAN for Perry E. Parks, Jr., exploration geophysicist and assistant seismologist on the Marie Byrd Land Traverse, 1959-60.

• Weiss Amphitheater (77°04′S 126°06′W) is an amphitheater-like caldera, 2 nautical miles (3.7 km; 2.3 mi) wide and breached at the southern side, occupying the south-central part of Mount Sidley. Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy trimetrogon photography, 1958-60. Named by US-ACAN for Bernard D. Weiss, Meteorologist-in-Charge at Byrd Station, 1959.

• Mount Waesche (77°10′S 126°54′W) is a large and prominent mountain 3,290 metres (10,790 ft) high of volcanic origin, standing immediately southwest of Mount Sidley and marking the southern end of the Executive Committee Range. The feature is snow covered except for rock exposures on the south and southwest slopes. Discovered by the United States Antarctic Service expedition on a flight, December 15, 1940. Named for V. Admiral Russell R. Waesche, United States Coast Guard, member of the Antarctic Service Executive Committee.

• Bennett Saddle (77°05′S 126°26′W) is the deep snow saddle between Mount Waesche and Mount Sidley. Named by US-ACAN for Gerard A. Bennett, Traverse Specialist at Byrd Station, a member of the Executive Committee Range Traverse (February 1959) and Marie Byrd Land Traverse (1959-60) that carried out surveys in this area.

• Chang Peak (77°04′S 126°38′W) is a snow-covered subsidiary peak 2,920 metres (9,580 ft) high on the northeastern slope of Mount Waesche. Mapped by USGS from surveys and United States Navy trimetrogon photography, 1958-60. Named by US-ACAN for Feng-Keng (Frank) Chang, Traverse Seismologist at Byrd Station, 1959, and a member of the Marie Byrd Land Traverse Party that explored this area, 1959-60.