Geological Field Observations from Heard Island Expedition

1948 expedition notes contain geological observations from Heard Island, a remote volcanic island in the South Indian Ocean. The work was carried out by geologist J.F. Ivanac during a 1947-1948 scientific expedition. The dataset describes geomorphology and xenolithic ejectamenta from specific locations like Rogers Head.

Use Cases

• Analyze descriptions of xenolithic ejectamenta from Rogers Head tuffs for petrological studies.
• Study geomorphological notes on Kaiser Wilhelm Peak's 10,000-foot cone and caldera structure.
• Map volcanic vent distribution and island formation along the described east-south-east fissure.
• Compare geological features of Cape Laurens Peninsula and Cave Bay, noted as approximately 2,000 feet high.

Strengths

• Provides primary source field observations from a rare 1947-1948 expedition to a remote location.
• Includes specific geographic coordinates (Latitude 53 S, Longitude 73.5 E) and dimensional data (island is 25 miles long, 10 miles wide).

Limitations

• Data is a scanned textual report; no structured tabular data or quantified measurements are provided.
• Observations are limited to a single, short-term expedition, offering a temporal snapshot rather than longitudinal study.
• Sample size of described features (e.g., ejectamenta) is likely very small given the expedition's scope.

Provenance

Source

AU_AADC (Australian Antarctic Data Centre), sourced from NASA Earthdata.

Collection Method

Field observations and sample collection by a geologist during a scientific expedition.

Time Range

Observations made during the summer of 1947-1948.

Freshness

Data is historical, recorded in 1948 with no indication of updates.

Geography

Heard Island, South Indian Ocean (Latitude 53 S, Longitude 73.5 E).