[2] By the mid-1960s scientists were becoming increasingly intrigued by the paradoxical fact that the valley lay immediately adjacent to the permanent East Antarctic Ice Sheet, yet had remained ice-free for at least thousands of years.

[4] Increasing summer field activity and a clear need to establish a winter record led New Zealand's Antarctic Division and the National Science Foundation of the United States to plan a more permanent base in the valley.

An extensive flat upland area which has been deeply eroded at the west end of Wright Valley, in Victoria Land.

A pass, or saddle, at about 1,600 metres (5,200 ft) between Apollo Peak and Mount Electra in the Olympus Range, Victoria Land.

An elongated mesa between Labyrinth and Lake Vanda in the western part of Wright Valley, in Victoria Land.

In the next three months, a USARP party with George H. Meyer and others made several trips to study the pond.

They named it Don Juan Pond for Lieutenants Donald Roe and John Hickey, United States Navy Air Development Squadron Six, who were of assistance to the field party.

Lake, 3 nautical miles (5.6 km; 3.5 mi) long, just east of the Dais in Wright Valley, Victoria Land.

Named by the VUWAE (1958-59) after a dog used by C. Bull, leader of this party, in the British North Greenland Expedition.

Named by US-ACAN for Frederick S. Brownworth, USGS topographic engineer who worked several seasons in Antarctica.

In 1970-71 he supervised aerial photography of the dry valleys of Victoria Land, including this lake.

A small, mainly ice-free valley located north-northeast of Mount Thundergut in the Asgard Range.

Named by the NZ-APC, presumably in association with nearby Mount Thundergut, "donner" being a German word for "thunder.

film director Jeremy Sykes who perished in a helicopter accident at nearby Mount McLennan, Nov. 19, 1969.

Named by US-ACAN for construction driver Ollie B. Hartley, United States Navy, who was killed on January 14, 1957, when the vehicle (weasel) he was driving dropped through the sea ice at Hut Point, McMurdo Sound.

A small hanging glacier which drains the northwest slopes of Mount Newall and terminates on the south wall of Wright Valley.

A pond, 0.25 nautical miles (0.46 km; 0.29 mi) long, between Mount Loke and the west side of Denton Glacier.

The cirque is 1 nautical mile (1.9 km; 1.2 mi) wide and its floor, 850 metres (2,790 ft) elevation, is nearly ice free.

Named by Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN) (1997) after Craig J. Martin , who had 10 years involvement in Antarctic construction and engineering projects at Siple, South Pole, and McMurdo Stations and various field camps in McMurdo Dry Valleys from 1977; from 1989, Director, Engineering, Antarctic Support Associates (ASA), with responsibility for the management of engineering, construction, and facilities maintenance efforts that directly support United States scientific research in Antarctica.

[29] This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Geological Survey.