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Mt Melbourne Volcano - John Seach
Victoria Land, Antarctica
74.35 S, 164.70 E
summit elevation 2732 m
Stratovolcano
Mt Melbourne is the only active volcano on the mainland of Antarctica. The volcano is in fumarolic stage. These photos were taken by John Seach on an overflight in 1998.
Observations of the volcano in 1972 and 1983 showed 3 areas of steaming ground, anf fumarolic ice towers.
Mt Melbourne, 2733 m, stands isolated near the coast of
Terra Nova Bay.
Mount Melbourne in the top right of the photo.
Mt Melbourne is visible in the distance. Some areas on the north flank are devoid of snow.
Previous expeditions have found active fumaroles.
Trans Antarctic mountains. The air is so clean that the horizon can be seen 400 km away!
The classic back-lit yellow horizon is visible. These cragy peaks are in sharp contrast to the
smooth stratovolcano shape of Mt Melbourne.
These Katabatic winds at Cape Denison, Commonwealth Bay, are the strongest in the world. The 300 km/hr winds can be seen driving snow off the frozen ocean. On this day the sea was frozen 800 km further north of this point. The winds are the result of cold air falling off the Antarctic Plateau to the coast.
The moss Compylopus pyriformis occurs on two small areas of steam-warmed snow-free ground near its summit.
Shield Nunatak is a flat-topped complex of eruption centers, rising to 300 m above present day sea level within the south-eastern part of the Mt. Melbourne volcano. An estimated total volume of 0.15 cubic km of alkali-basaltic magrna was erupted at Shield Nunatak.
Mt. Melbourne volcanic field consists of about 60 exposed, ice covered, eruption centers which surround Mt. Melbourne stratovolcano.
Mt Melbourne Volcano Eruptions
Currently only fumarolic activity.