Since the last eruptions were probably less than 4000 yrs ago, I think it may be quite probable. What do you know of this possibility?

Dear Volcanologist,

recently visited Mt. Gambier in South Australia for a first year field trip. Unfortunately my lecturers could not give any real indication of whether the region could possibly become volcanically active in the near future. Since the last eruptions were probably less than 4000 yrs ago, I think it may be quite probable. What do you know of this possibility?
Thanks for your time,
Lynelle.

Lynelle Beinke

Dear Lynelle,

There is an overall trend of southward younging volcanism in eastern Australia over the last 35 million years (based on average ages of volcanic centers). This is probably related to the northward migration of the Indo-Australian Plate over a mantle hot spot. The Bass Strait has been suggested as a possible location for the hot spot at the present time. The hot spot is suspected to be elongate north-south and somewhat leaky. This doesn't mean we will see a volcanic eruption in our lifetimes (although I'd welcome it) but there probably will be an eruption in the near geologic future. Write again if you need a more complete answer.

Steve Mattox, University of North Dakota

Source of Information:
Johnson, R.W., Knutson, J., and Taylor, S.R., (eds.) 1989, Intraplate volcanism in eastern Australia and new Zealand: Cambridge England, Cambridge University Press, 408 p.

O'Reilly, S.Y., and Zhang, Ming, 1995, Geochemical characteristics of lava-field basalts from eastern Australia and inferred sources: connections with the subcontinental lithospheric mantle?: Contributions to Mineralogy and petrology, v. 121, p. 148-170.


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