Protocol Smoothes Path for Ross Sea Region

From Mount Abbot to Zykov Glacier, the geographic names of the Ross Sea region of Antarctica tell a fascinating story.

From the purely prosaic (Nameless Glacier) to the whimsical (Catspaw Glacier), the names are a permanent record of the culture and history of the people who have explored and worked in this part of the white continent. Blizzard Peak, Mount Terror, Mount Overlord, Mount Thor and Misery Peak are not products of a fantasy writer's imagination, but real places in a harsh environment.

Gallipoli Heights and Pearl Harbour Glacier reflect important milestones in the histories of the two countries with the greatest operational and scientific interests in the Ross Sea region: New Zealand and the United States.

Both nations have a long history of cooperation in the Antarctic, and this tradition has been further strengthened with the signing of a Relationship Protocol regarding the assigning of geographic names.

The agreement between the New Zealand Geographic Board Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa (NZGB) and the United States Board on Geographic Names (USBGN) establishes principles and protocols for assigning further geographic names in the Ross Sea region.

NZGB Chair Don Grant explained that under the agreement, the two parties will advise each other on a proposed name, with the aim of having it approved by the respective boards. Of course, just as couples can't always agree on a name for their child, countries may also have different views on what to call a place. The new agreement recognises this, and allows a name to be assigned by one board and perhaps not the other, should there not be consensus. However all efforts will be made to adopt each other's names, despite differences in respective naming guidelines.

“The protocol represents a firm commitment by both parties to collaborate when assigning geographic names in the region,” Don said. “Both countries retain their own naming guidelines, allowing for unique naming characteristics of each country to be applied and respected.”

Don said the Ross Sea region still has many unnamed hydrographic and geographic features, and there will be plenty of opportunities for both countries to continue to assign names. “New place names on topographic maps are generally assigned by both New Zealand and the United States on a 50/50 share basis.”

The NZGB's jurisdiction over Antarctic place naming was formalised by the New Zealand Geographic Board (Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa) Act 2008, which was passed last month (see Act extends geographic naming frontiers).

Download a map image of the Antarctic Ross Sea region at 1:3 million scale. Find out more about Antarctic place names.