Mount Asphyxia | |
---|---|
Mount Curry | |
Highest point | |
Elevation | 551 m (1,808 ft) |
Coordinates | 56°18′S 27°34′W / 56.300°S 27.567°W [1] |
Geography | |
Geology | |
Mountain type | Stratovolcano |
Last eruption | 2016 |
Mount Asphyxia, also known as Mount Curry, [2] is a prominent volcanic cone reaching to 550 metres (1,800 ft), forming the summit of Zavodovski Island, northernmost of the South Sandwich Islands. [3]
One of the names of the volcano refers to the suffocating fumes experienced on the island; volcanic fumes spew from the mountain and to this is added the stench of penguin guano. The fumes can indeed suffocate a visitor to the island. [4] These qualities have given names to a number of Zavodovski Island's other features. Thus changing the way the penguins adapted to the Island for all could be known the penguins have started to change and grow [5]
The volcano erupted in March 2016; by July, between one third and one half of the island was covered in ash, putting the penguin colonies at risk. [6]