| Marie Byrd Land Volcanic Province | |
|---|---|
  Marie Byrd Land Volcanic Province Location in Antarctica | |
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Mount Sidley[1] |
| Elevation | 4,181 m (13,717 ft)[1] |
| Coordinates | 77°02′S 126°06′W / 77.04°S 126.10°W |
| Geography | |
| Region | Marie Byrd Land, West Antarctica |
| Geology | |
| Formed by | Shield volcanoes, subglacial volcanoes |
| Rock age | Eocene-to-Holocene |
The Marie Byrd Land Volcanic Province is a volcanic field in northern Marie Byrd Land of West Antarctica, consisting of over 18 large shield volcanoes, 30 small volcanic centres and possibly many more centres buried under the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.[1][2] It overlies a 500 km (310 mi) wide and 800 km (500 mi) long dome that has formed as a result of fault blocking within the West Antarctic Rift System.[2]
Volcanism in the Marie Byrd Land Volcanic Province commenced at least 36 million years ago during the latest Eocene epoch.[1][3] This activity has continued into the current Holocene epoch, with the largest volcanic eruption in the last 10,000 years having possibly taken place about 2,300 years ago.[1]
- ^ a b c d e Liggett, Daniela; Storey, Bryan; Cook, Yvonne; Meduna, Veronika (2015). Exploring the Last Continent: An Introduction to Antarctica. Springer. pp. 20, 21. ISBN 978-3-319-18946-8.
- ^ a b LeMasurier, Wesley (2013). "Shield volcanoes of Marie Byrd Land, West Antarctic rift: oceanic island similarities, continental signature, and tectonic controls". Bulletin of Volcanology. 75 (6). Springer: 18. Bibcode:2013BVol...75..726L. doi:10.1007/s00445-013-0726-1. ISSN 0258-8900. S2CID 128816343.
- ^ Wilch, T.I.; McIntosh, W.C. (2000). "Eocene and Oligocene volcanism at Mount Petras, Marie Byrd Land: implications for middle Cenozoic ice sheet reconstructions in West Antarctica". Antarctic Science. 12 (4). Cambridge University Press: 477. Bibcode:2000AntSc..12..477W. doi:10.1017/S0954102000000560. ISSN 0007-0262. S2CID 129298738.