Castle Rock (Antarctica)
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| Castle Rock | |
|---|---|
 Castle Rock | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 415 m (1,362 ft) |
| Coordinates | 77°48′S 166°46′E / 77.800°S 166.767°E |
| Geography | |
  | |
| Continent | Antarctica |
| Region | Ross Dependency |
Castle Rock (77°48′S 166°46′E / 77.800°S 166.767°E) is a bold rock crag, 415 metres (1,362 ft) high, standing 3 nautical miles (5.6 km; 3.5 mi) northeast of Hut Point on the central ridge of Hut Point Peninsula, Ross Island, Antarctica. It was discovered by the British National Antarctic Expedition, 1901–04, under Robert Falcon Scott, who so named it because of its shape.[1] The feature was a landmark for sledging parties returning from journeys to the south.[2]
Castle Rock is part of the McMurdo Volcanic Group, a large group of Cenozoic alkaline volcanic rocks found from Cape Adare south to the Ross Ice Shelf in the West Antarctic Rift System.[3] It is within the Erebus province of this group, which includes Mount Erebus and the Hut Point Peninsula.[4] It is a flat-topped monolith with steep sides. Its distinct shape is mostly formed by hyaloclastite sequences, and is very similar to subglacial volcanoes found in Iceland and the Antarctic Peninsula. The steep sides are due to the volcano being confined by glacial ice each time it erupted.[5]
