The Cape Purvis volcano, Dundee Island (northern Antarctic Peninsula): late Pleistocene age, eruptive processes and implications for a glacial palaeoenvironment

Smellie, J.L.; McIntosh, W.C.; Esser, R.; Fretwell, P.T. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1988-5844. 2006 The Cape Purvis volcano, Dundee Island (northern Antarctic Peninsula): late Pleistocene age, eruptive processes and implications for a glacial palaeoenvironment. Antarctic Science, 18 (3). 399-408. 10.1017/S0954102006000447

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0954102006000447

Abstract/Summary

Cape Purvis is a conspicuous promontory on southern Dundee Island. It forms a prominent mesa that contrasts with the smooth, shield-like (snow-covered) topography of the remainder of the island. The promontory is composed of fresh alkaline basaltic (hawaiite) volcanic rocks compositionally similar to younger lavas on Paulet Island 5 km to the east. The outcrop is one of the youngest and northernmost satellite centres of the James Ross Island Volcanic Group. 40Ar/39Ar isotopic dating indicates that the Cape Purvis volcano is 132 ± 19 ka in age. The examined sequence probably formed as a lava-fed delta during a subglacial eruption late in the glacial period corresponding to Isotope Stage 6, when the ice sheet surface elevation was 300–400 m higher than at present. A remarkable unidirectional age progression is now evident, from volcanic centres in Prince Gustav Channel (c. 2.0–1.6 Ma), through Tabarin Peninsula (1.69–c. 1 Ma) to Cape Purvis and Paulet islands (132–few ka). The age variations are tentatively ascribed to construction of progressively younger volcanic centres at the leading edge of an easterly-opening deep fault system, although the origins of the postulated fault system are unclear.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1017/S0954102006000447
Programmes:	BAS Programmes > Global Science in the Antarctic Context (2005-2009) > Greenhouse to Icehouse. Evolution of the Antarctic Cryosphere and Palaeoenvironment
ISSN:	0954-1020
Format Availability:	Electronic, Print
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:	Full text not available from this server
Additional Keywords:	Volcanoes
NORA Subject Terms:	Earth Sciences
Date made live:	30 Jul 2007 11:32 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/126

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

10.1017/S0954102006000447

Programmes:

BAS Programmes > Global Science in the Antarctic Context (2005-2009) > Greenhouse to Icehouse. Evolution of the Antarctic Cryosphere and Palaeoenvironment

ISSN:

0954-1020

Format Availability:

Electronic, Print

Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:

Full text not available from this server