Mawson Peak
Volcano on Heard Island
title: "Mawson Peak" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["mountains-of-australia", "volcanoes-of-heard-island-and-mcdonald-islands", "highest-points-of-countries"] description: "Volcano on Heard Island" topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mawson_Peak" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Volcano on Heard Island ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox mountain"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Mawson Peak |
| photo | ISS018-E-038182 lrg.jpg |
| photo_alt | Mawson Peak, Heard Island. |
| photo_caption | Satellite image of the southern tip of Heard Island. Cape Arkona is seen on the left side of the image, with Lied Glacier just above and Gotley Glacier just below. Big Ben Volcano and Mawson Peak are seen at the lower right side of the image. |
| elevation_m | 2745 |
| elevation_ref | |
| prominence_m | 2745 |
| listing | Country high point |
| Ultra | |
| Ribu | |
| location | Heard Island, Australia |
| map | Indian Ocean |
| map_caption | Location of Heard Island |
| map_size | 350 |
| label_position | right |
| coordinates | |
| range | Big Ben |
| topo | RAN Heard Island 291 |
| type | Volcanic cone |
| last_eruption | 2012 to 2018 |
| :: |
| name = Mawson Peak | photo = ISS018-E-038182 lrg.jpg | photo_alt = Mawson Peak, Heard Island. | photo_caption = Satellite image of the southern tip of Heard Island. Cape Arkona is seen on the left side of the image, with Lied Glacier just above and Gotley Glacier just below. Big Ben Volcano and Mawson Peak are seen at the lower right side of the image. | elevation_m = 2745 | elevation_ref = | prominence_m = 2745 | prominence_ref = | listing = Country high point Ultra Ribu | location = Heard Island, Australia | map = Indian Ocean | map_caption = Location of Heard Island | map_size = 350 | label_position = right | coordinates = | coordinates_ref = | range = Big Ben | topo = RAN Heard Island 291 | type = Volcanic cone | age = | last_eruption = 2012 to 2018 | first_ascent = | easiest_route =
Mawson Peak is an active volcanic summit of the Big Ben massif on Heard Island, an external Australian territory in the Indian Ocean.
With an elevation of 2745 m, it is the third highest peak in any state, territory or claimed territory of Australia, higher than the 2228 m Mount Kosciuszko, and surpassed only by the 3490 m Mount McClintock and the 3355 m Mount Menzies in the Australian Antarctic Territory. The Australian Antarctic Territory is a territorial claim unrecognised by most other countries, meaning that Mawson Peak is the highest mountain over which Australia has true sovereignty. The peak erupts fairly frequently, and as recently as May 2023. Mawson Peak is ranked the 30th of Earth's most topographically isolated summits.
Discovery and naming
Mawson Peak was named by the 1948 Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions Heard Island Expedition after the Australian geologist and explorer Sir Douglas Mawson, the leader of the British Australian and New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition 1929–1931, who visited the island in NovemberDecember 1929.
On 20 February 1950, whilst aboard HMAS Lebuan, Thomas Gratton Young OAM observed and recorded in the ship's log that Mawson Peak was an active volcano.
In 1964 an expedition to Heard Island was led by Major Warwick Deacock, with the schooner Patanela skippered by Major Bill Tilman. They succeeded in climbing Mawson Peak for the first time. An earlier attempt on the peak during the 1953–1954 research expedition was described by its leader, John Béchervaise.
References
Citations
Sources
References
- (16 March 2009). "Mawson Peak, Heard Island".
- (25 July 2018). "Heard Island".
- (15 May 2014). "Highest mountains on external territories". Australian Government – Geoscience Australia.
- {{gnis
- ["Antarctic Region"](https://www.state.gov/key-topics-office-of-ocean-and-polar-affairs/antarctic/#:~:text=Seven%20countries%20(Argentina%2C%20Australia%2C,has%20not%20made%20a%20claim.).
- (February 2016). "Scientists witness 'amazing' eruption of volcano on sub-Antarctic island".
- [https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/may/30/big-ben-volcano-heard-island-near-antarctica-spewing-lava-captured-satellite-spewing-lava Readfearn G. Australian volcano near Antarctica captured on satellite spewing lava. ''The Guardian'', 30 May 2023]
- "Mawson Peak". Australian Antarctic Division.
- [[#Bechervaise1962. Béchervaise (1962)]]
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