Infrared imagery from the Metop satellite showed a possible rising steam plume from the area of Siple on 20 June. The imagery, as interpreted by Mark Drapes, indicated that the volcano was about -22 degrees Celsius, about 6 degrees warmer that the surrounding landscape, and the base of the plume was about -55 degrees Celsius. [Correction: Further investigation and/or analysis of satellite imagery by Philip Kyle (New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology), Paul Morin (University of Minnesota), and Matthew Lazzara (University of Wisconsin) confirmed that an eruption did not occur.]

All times are local (= UTC - 9 hours [or 8 hours early April-late October])

2012: June |

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20 June 2012            Back to Top

Infrared imagery from the Metop satellite showed a possible rising steam plume from the area of Siple on 20 June. The imagery, as interpreted by Mark Drapes, indicated that the volcano was about -22 degrees Celsius, about 6 degrees warmer that the surrounding landscape, and the base of the plume was about -55 degrees Celsius. [Correction: Further investigation and/or analysis of satellite imagery by Philip Kyle (New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology), Paul Morin (University of Minnesota), and Matthew Lazzara (University of Wisconsin) confirmed that an eruption did not occur.]

Sources: Mark Drapes , EUMETSAT

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Below is a summary of eruption dates and Volcanic Explosivity Indices (VEI).

The following references are the sources used for data regarding this volcano. References are linked directly to our volcano data file. Discussion of another volcano or eruption (sometimes far from the one that is the subject of the manuscript) may produce a citation that is not at all apparent from the title. Additional discussion of data sources can be found under Volcano Data Criteria.

Dort W, 1972. Late Cenozoic volcanism in Antarctica. {In}: Adie R J (ed) {Antarctic Geol and Geophys}, IUGS Ser-B(1): 645-652

LeMasurier W E, Thomson J W (eds), 1990. {Volcanoes of the Antarctic Plate and Southern Oceans}. Washington, D C: Amer Geophys Union, 487 p

Smithsonian Institution-SEAN, 1975-89. [Monthly event reports]. {Bull Scientific Event Alert Network (SEAN)}, v 1-14

Mount Siple is a youthful-looking shield volcano that forms an island along the Pacific Ocean coast of Antarctica's Marie Byrd Land. The massive 1800 cu km volcano is truncated by a 4-5 km summit caldera and is ringed by tuff cones at sea level. Its lack of dissection in a coastal area more susceptible to erosion than inland Antarctic volcanoes, and the existence of a satellite cone too young to date by the Potassium-Argon method, suggest a possible Holocene age (LeMasurier and Thomson 1990). The location of Mount Siple on published maps is 26 km NE of the actual location. A possible eruption cloud observed on satellite images on September 18 and October 4, 1988 was considered to result from atmospheric effects after low-level aerial observations revealed no evidence of recent eruptions (Smithsonian Scientific Event Alert Network Bulletin).