Sir Robin Irvine Scholarship

Pierre-Simon Ross
Department of Geology, University of Otago, PhD

Investigation of a preserved volcanic vent complex in the Coombs Hills, south Victoria Land

For effective eruption predictions, we need to understand how volcanoes work, and particularly the internal processes involved. As monitoring of active volcanoes relies strongly on remote sensing, the processes taking place in vents during eruptions are not well known, especially for those involving discontinuous eruptions and intermittent ejection of material. Detailed field studies of debris-filled vents, within partially eroded volcanoes, can therefore lead to a better understanding of the eruptive process. Such vents have been identified in the Coombs Hills of southern Victoria Land, and are the subject of this study.

Publications

Ross, P.- S. White, J. D. L. Discontinuous volcanic eruptions in a phreatomagmatic vent complex: Coombs Hills, South Victoria Land. Canadian Antarctic Research Network newsletter 16: 4-6, 2003.

Ross, P.-S. Volcanology of the Mawson Formation at Coombs and Allan Hills, South Victoria Land, Antarctica. PhD thesis, University of Otago. 2005.