Buckle Island
Stratovolcano in Antarctica
Key Facts
Elevation
1,239 m (4,065 ft)
Type
Stratovolcano
Location
-66.780°, 163.250°
Region
Balleny Hotspot Volcano Group
Rock Type
Trachybasalt / Tephrite Basanite
Tectonic Setting
Rift zone
Location
Loading map...
Overview
Buckle Island is in the center of a 160-km-long chain of volcanic islands forming the Balleny Islands off the coast of Antarctica's Victoria Land. The islands are located at the southern end of a submarine ridge system that extends north to New Zealand, but is offset by the Indian-Antarctic ridge system. The elongated, 21-km-long island is capped by an gently sloping icecap that descends steeply to the sea between rocky cliffs.
Dark eruption columns were reported during 1839 and 1899, but no detailed geological studies exist for the Balleny Islands volcanoes.
Volcanic Hazards & Risk Assessment
Primary Hazards
- Pyroclastic flows
- Lava flows
- Volcanic bombs and ballistics
- Lahars and mudflows
Risk Level
Geological Composition & Structure
Rock Types
Tectonic Setting
Age & Formation
Eruption Statistics & Analysis
| Metric | Value | Global Ranking | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Recorded Eruptions | Unknown | Low | Moderately active volcano |
| Maximum VEI | VEI Unknown | Minor | Local impact potential |
| Recent Activity | 127 years ago | Historical | Historically active |
Monitoring & Alert Status
Monitoring Networks
Current Status
Nearby Volcanoes in Antarctic-Scotia Volcanic Regions
Quick Info
- •Smithsonian ID: 390010
- •Evidence: Eruption Observed
- •Epoch: Holocene
About the Photo
The 21-km-long Buckle Island near Antarctica is shown in this 2 March 2019 Sentinel-2 satellite image (N is at the top). It is one of three main Balleny islands of similar size with Young to the N and Sturge S and is 110 km NNE of Belousov Point.
Satellite image courtesy of Copernicus Sentinel Data, 2019.
Authority Sources
Related Volcanoes
Basic Information
This page shows basic data from the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program. For more detailed information, visit the official Smithsonian page.