subdivision of the Transantarctic Mountains of central Antarctica, extending southeastward for 500 miles (800 km) from the head of Ross Ice Shelf. Discovered in 1911 by the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, it was named for the queen of Norway. The rugged, glacier-studded range, with several peaks more than 13,000 feet (4,000 m) above sea level, contains extensive coal reserves.