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Amsterdam Island   »  Summary

Amsterdam Island

Amsterdam Island Photo

Country:France
Subregion Name:Southern Indian Ocean
Volcano Number:0304-001
Volcano Type: Stratovolcano
Volcano Status:Holocene
Last Known Eruption: Unknown
Summit Elevation: 881 m 2,890 feet
Latitude: 37.83°S 37°50'0"S
Longitude: 77.52°E 77°31'0"E

The elliptical 7 x 10 km Amsterdam Island is the northernmost subaerial volcano on the Antarctic Plate. The basaltic volcano is located near the axis of the East Indian Ocean Ridge adjacent to the Indian Plate. Amsterdam volcano was formed during two episodes of cone growth accompanied by the formation of small calderas. The caldera of the youngest eruptive center, 2 km ENE of the earlier one, contained a lava lake that fed several stages of lava outflows. Minor late-stage eruptions formed more than two dozen scoria cones and many small lava flows. No historical eruptions are known, although the fresh morphology of the latest volcanism at Dumas Crater on the NE flank suggests it may have occurred as recently as a century ago (Nougier, 1982).

Global Volcanism ProgramDepartment of Mineral SciencesNational Museum of Natural HistorySmithsonian Institution

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