Ellsworth Land

Ellsworth Land, formerly Ellsworth Highland, region in Antarctica at the base of the Antarctic Peninsula, between the Ronne Ice Shelf and the Bellingshausen Sea, east of Marie Byrd Land. It embraces several mountain ranges, including the Ellsworth Mountains, the tallest peak of which, Vinson Massif (16,050 feet [4,892 metres] above sea level), is the highest in Antarctica. The rugged ice-covered area was discovered in 1935 by the American explorer Lincoln Ellsworth and his pilot Herbert Hollick-Kenyon during their aerial crossing of the continent and was named for the explorer’s father. Claimed in part by Argentina, Chile, and the United Kingdom, Ellsworth Land remains incompletely explored.