 | Aerial view of the Mount Sidley caldera from the southwest (U.S. Navy photo) <click to enlarge> |
Mount Sidley
13717 ft (4181 m) Highest volcano in Antarctica . |
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| Location: | Executive Committee Range, Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica | ||
| Lat / Long: | 77.1° S, 126.1° W | ||
| Volcanic Type: | Dissected shield volcano with caldera | ||
| Volcanic Status: | Dormant / extinct | ||
| First Ascent: | |||
| First Ski Descent: | |||
| Skiable Vertical: | over 7000 ft (2100 m) | ||
| Mount Sidley is the highest volcano in Antarctica and also the highest mountain in Marie Byrd Land. Despite its stature, it rests in almost complete obscurity, unknown to most except the volcanologists who have studied it. Yet Mount Sidley is an outstanding mountain, a steep-sided shield volcano whose 3 mile (5 km) wide summit caldera has been shattered by an explosive eruption about 4.7 million years ago, the last major activity known to have occurred. This blew out most of the south side of the rim, forming a basin (called Weiss Amphitheater on the map) which is open to the south, with extensive hydrovolcanic deposits from the subglacial eruption extending outward for several miles. The 4000 ft (1200 m) wall on the north side of the caldera provides the best view of the interior of any the Marie Byrd Land volcanoes. On its smoother undissected north and east sides, Mount Sidley should provide a superb ski descent of over 7000 ft (2100 m) onto the flats of the surrounding ice sheet. | |||
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Some useful links: United States Antarctic Resource Center USGS Atlas of Antarctic Research (online maps & photos) |
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| Topographic map of Mounts Sidley and Waesche (1:250,000 scale) from USGS Mount Sidley and Mount Hampton <click to enlarge> |
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More photos and info about routes, access, etc. may be added in the future ... |
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