Cape Royds, Ross Island

The chemical compositions of volcanic rocks of the Erebus volcanic province reported by Goldich et al. (1975) and Stuckless et al. (1981) range widely in Fig. 16.4 from low-silica basanites (Bn) to tephrites (Tp), phonotephrites (Ptp), tephriphonolites (Tpp), benmoreites (Bm), and phonolites (P). The silica concentrations of these rocks range from 41.3% (basanite. Brown Peninsula) to 58.1% (benmoreite. Cape Royds, Ross Island). The basanites in Fig. 16.4 have low... 

Fig. 1.13 Shaddeton s hut at Cape Royds on Ross Island accommodated the 15-man team of the British (Nimrod) Expedition diming the winter of 1908 (May to September). The group departed on March 25,1909, withaU hands onboard. The interiorof Shackleton s hut remains as its occupants left it with canned goods stacked neatly...

Fig. 1.14 Scott s hut at Cape Evans on Ross Island from which he started his trek to the South Pole during the British (Terra Nova) Expedition of 1910-1913. Cape Evans in Figure 1.11 is located only 24 km from McMurdo Station compared to 35 km for Cape Royds. Scott s hut at Cape Evans was later occupied by...

Meanwhile, another drama was unfolding on Ross Island during the summer of 1915 because a solid sheet of ice prevented the Aurora from landing at Cape Royds and forced Captain Mackintosh to land at Cape Evans instead. Before all of the supplies had been unloaded, the Aurora drifted away and was trapped in the pack ice for a period of 10 months. EventnaUy, Lieutenant J.R. Stenhouse managed to free the ship and returned it to New Zealand. 

Fig. 2.8 McMurdo Station of the USA and Sott Base of New Zealand are both located at the southern tip of the Hut Point Peninsula on Ross Island. Castle Rock is a mass of hyaloclastite that rises to 413 m above sea level (a.sJ.) and is located about 6 km northeast of McMurdo Station. Cape Evans and Cape Royds contain the huts from which Robert Scott rmd Ernest Shackleton started their treks to the geographic South Pole, respectively. The Erebus Glacier Tongue is a prominent landmark for scientists traveling from McMurdo Station to Cape Evans and Cape Royds. The summit crater of Mt. Erebus is at 3,794 m a.s.1. (Adapted from the topographic map of Ross Island, Antarctica (ST 57-60/6, 1970, US Geol. Survey))...

Fig. 2.17 Most geological field parties take an overnight trip to Cape Evans or Cape Royds on Ross Island in order to practice driving snowmobiles, setting up their Scott tents, cooking a meal, and communicating with McMurdo Station on their shortwave field radio (This photo was taken at Cape Royds with Mt. Erebus in the background in 1992 by T.M. Mensing)...

Trachyte occurs at Mt. Cis between Cape Royds and Cape Evans. It is oversaturated with respect to silica (i.e., it is quartz normative) and contains abundant inclusions (Thomson 1916 Jensen 1916 Treves 1967). The inclusions consist of sanidinite, pyroxene granulite, diabase, and metamorphosed sandstone. These inclusion suggest that Ross Island may be underlain by granitic basement rocks. Beacon sandstones, and perhaps even by Ferrar Dolerite. 

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