Melville Peak

Melville Peak
Highest point
Elevation 549 m (1,801 ft) [1]
Coordinates 62°1′S 57°41′W / 62.017°S 57.683°W / -62.017; -57.683Coordinates: 62°1′S 57°41′W / 62.017°S 57.683°W / -62.017; -57.683 
Geography
Location King George Island, Antarctica
Geology
Age of rock Unknown[1]
Mountain type Stratovolcano[1]
Last eruption Unknown[1]

Melville Peak is a prominent peak surmounting Cape Melville, the eastern cape of King George Island, in the South Shetland Islands off Antarctica.[2] It represents an eroded stratovolcano of unknown age and contains a volcanic crater at its summit. A volcanic ash layer similar in composition to Melville Peak has been identified 30 km (19 mi) away from the volcano and may indicate Melville Peak has been volcanically active in the last few thousand years.[1]

This peak, which was probably known to early sealers in the area, was charted by the French Antarctic Expedition under Jean-Baptiste Charcot, 1908–10, and takes its name from Cape Melville.[2] It was climbed from the northeast in September 1949 by Geoff Hattersley-Smith and Ken Pawson.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Melville". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2018-01-18.
  2. 1 2 "Melville Peak". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2013-09-17.
  3. ↑ Damien Gildea (4 March 2015). Antarctic Peninsula - Mountaineering in Antarctica: Travel Guide. Nevicata. ISBN 978-2-511-03136-0.

 This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Geological Survey document "Melville Peak" (content from the Geographic Names Information System).

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