Mount Berlin

Mount Berlin
Highest point
Elevation	3,478 m (11,411 ft)
Coordinates	76°03′S 136°00′W / 76.05°S 136°W / -76.05; -136
Geography
Topographic map of Mounts Moulton and Berlin (1:250,000 scale)
Location	Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica
Parent range	Flood Range
Geology
Mountain type	Shield volcano
Last eruption	8350 BCE ± 1000 years

Mount Berlin is the sixth highest volcano in Antarctica, located 16 km west of Mount Moulton in Marie Byrd Land near the eastern coast of the Ross Sea. It is composed of two coalesced shield volcanoes: Merrem Peak (3,000 m) and Berlin Crater (3,478 m). The volcanic structure is considered active, as steaming fumaroles have been observed near the rim of the northern and western calderas, producing fumarolic ice towers.

Mount Berlin was named by the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names for Leonard M. Berlin, leader of the United States Antarctic Program party which sledged to this mountain in December 1940.

Mount Berlin is 3,478 metres (11,411 ft) high and lies in Marie Byrd Land. It is the highest volcano in the Flood Range and the most impressive as well. Mount Moulton lies 30 kilometres (19 mi) farther east, it is a 40 kilometres (25 mi) long volcanic mountain range with ages of 5.3 million years ago. Mount Berlin lies 100 kilometres (62 mi) away from the coast. The volcano protrudes from the West Antarctic Ice Cap and is itself covered with ice in its summit area.

Mount Berlin belongs to a group of large volcanoes in West Antarctica, together with Mount Takahe. A number of other volcanoes may exist there as well but do not extend above the ice sheets.

Mount Berlin is a large stratovolcano. It has a summit crater 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) wide, with pyroclastic materials exposed in its rims. A subsidiary crater is known as Merrem Crater, which is 2.5 by 1 kilometre (1.55 mi × 0.62 mi) wide and lies 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) west of the main summit. These two volcanoes coalesce together to form the Berlin volcano.Mafic volcanic rocks on the north flank may indicate that monogenetic cinder cones formed. An ignimbrite has been identified on the southeastern flank, a type of volcanic activity which is uncommon for Marie Byrd Land volcanoes. Older volcanics are exposed at Brandenburger Bluff, dates range around 2,738,000 ± 63,000 years ago. Brandenburger Bluff lies northwest of the main summit. Unlike the rest of Mount Berlin, which is formed by flow rocks, Brandenburger Bluff is formed by layered hyaloclastite tuffs. One interpretation is that Mount Berlin is formed by two trachytic volcanoes on top of a hydroclastic base. Incipient glacial cirques have been identified.