Mount Rittmann
Mount Rittmann is a volcano in Antarctica. Discovered in 1988–1989 by an Italian expedition, it was named after the volcanologist Alfred Rittmann (1893–1980). It features a 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) or 8 by 5 kilometres (5.0 mi × 3.1 mi) wide caldera which crops out from underneath the Aviator Glacier. The volcano was active during the Pliocene and into the Holocene, including large explosive eruptions; a major eruption occurred in 1254 CE and deposited tephra over much of Antarctica. Currently, the volcano is classified as dormant.
| Mount Rittmann | |
|---|---|
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 2,600 m (8,500 ft) |
| Coordinates | 73.45°S 165.5°E |
| Naming | |
| Etymology | Volcanologist Alfred Rittmann |
| Geography | |
| Parent range | Mountaineer Range |
| Geology | |
| Age of rock | Pliocene |
| Mountain type | Volcano |
| Volcanic belt | McMurdo Volcanic Group |
| Last eruption | >1254 CE |
The volcano is fumarolically active. The geothermal activity keeps part of the caldera ice-free; mosses and various microorganisms grow on this ice-free terrain. Such an occurrence of mosses on fumarolically active volcanoes of Antarctica is limited to Mount Rittmann, Mount Melbourne and Mount Erebus and has led to efforts to establish a protected area on the volcano.