Proposing Antarctic Feature Names

The New Zealand Geographic Board Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa (NZGB) has a legislative responsibility to name features in New Zealand's area of interest in Antarctica. Note that there are different requirements for proposing other types of names.

What Antarctic features can be named?

The NZGB can assign names on the land (and ice) of the Ross Sea region in Antarctica and other areas of operational interest. There are different requirements for proposing names for undersea features within the Ross Dependency's continental shelf.

The following types of features can be named:

• a natural feature such as a mountain, peak, valley, glen, forest, lagoon, swamp, creek, stream, river, ford, lake, glacier or ice feature (including man-made features of the same type)
• a site, area or similar place.

Ross Sea Dependency and Ross Sea region

The NZGB assign names within the Ross Sea region under the New Zealand Geographic Board (Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa) Act 2008. The Ross Dependency is the area south of 60º South, and between 160º East and 150º West. The area was claimed by Britain in 1923. New Zealand has assumed responsibility since then. The region can be defined geographically as the area bounded by and including the Siple and Shirase Coasts in the east and the Trans-Antarctic Mountains in the west, and including as far south as the South Pole.

View a map of the Ross Sea region or find out more from Antarctica New Zealand.

Areas of operational interest

The NZGB can also assign names outside the Ross Sea region where New Zealand has an operational interest. These names must be considered in consultation with appropriate national and international naming authorities with an interest in the area.

In an agreement between with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and LINZ, provision is made for liaison between the naming authorities of the two countries. The United States Board on Geographic Names (USBGN) has a sub-committee called the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN), which the NZGB consults when considering names in the Ross Sea region, and vice versa. Find out more about the NZGB's international cooperation.

How the NZGB considers proposals

Proposals are considered following a defined process.  The general process of a successful proposal for Antarctic names is:

1. the person/group making the proposal undertakes research and consultation, then fills in a proposal form
2. proposal received by NZGB the secretariat
3. research, investigation and validation by the secretariat, plus consultation - if required
4. the NZGB considers the proposal and weighs it against the naming rules
5. if supported, the NZGB makes the final determination
6. the official Antarctic name is published in the NZ Gazette, is publicly notified, and is entered into the New Zealand Gazetteer of Official Geographic Names
7. the official Antarctic the name is included in the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) Composite Gazetteer of Antarctica (CGA).

Note: no public notification occurs for Antarctic name proposals.

Download a detailed flow-chart of the process for naming Antarctic features (pdf 97KB).

How to make a proposal

Use the following steps to help you prepare your proposal.

1. Check for existing names and recent decisions

All current official names are listed in the New Zealand Gazetteer of Official Geographic Names, you should check this list to determine whether your proposed feature or place already has an official name. You should also check the CGA to see whether your proposed feature or place has an existing name - learn about finding Antarctic names. Many features also have unofficial names - get help finding names.

Check the details of proposals that are currently and have recently been considered by the NZGB in consultation and decisions.

2. Fill in the proposal form

All proposals must be made on the official proposal form. Use the RTF version if you would like to open and edit. Use the PDF version if you would like to print the form.

• Antarctic names proposal form (rtf 193KB) and (pdf 108KB)
• Notes for completing Antarctic names proposal form (rtf 209KB) and (pdf 122KB)

The Te Reo Māori versions of the above forms, online proposals and submissions are not available at this stage.

3. Provide supporting documentation

Provide as much information as possible to explain and support your proposed name.

It is especially important to clearly and unambiguously identify the location and extent of the feature that you are proposing a name for. This is best achieved by identifying the feature on a map with a defined scale. It is also important to include a coordinate or grid reference of the feature (get help understanding datums and projections.)

You also need to explain why your proposed name should be adopted for the particular feature. Useful information to provide could include documentary evidence of the history, origin, meaning and significance of both the name and feature. Note that the NZGB has certain rules around what features can be named and what they can be named after - find out more about the NZGB's naming rules, criteria, standards, guidelines and policies . Other information such as research material, photographs and references can also be useful to the NZGB.

4. Consultation

Consultation is not mandatory prior to proposing a name, but it is encouraged by the NZGB. If you consult other people or groups about your proposal, be sure to include any documentary evidence of their support or views.

5. Send proposal to the NZGB

Post or email proposals to the address in contact the NZGB. Note that proposals and supporting material provided to the NZGB will not be returned.

Privacy

Once the NZGB has received a proposal it becomes a public record. If the NZGB publishes information about the proposal, it will generally omit names of private individuals to protect their privacy. However, the NZGB may be required to release all information including all correspondence under the Official Information Act 1982 or other legislation.