Eruption Points of Newer Volcanic Province

This information has been obtained from the report:

Eruption Points of the Newer Volcanic Province of Victoria

by Neville Rosengren. This report was published in 1994 and was prepared for the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) and the Geological Society of Australia (Victorian Division). The review of eruption points was based on an earlier unpublished manuscript

Catalogue of the Post-Miocene Volcanoes of Victoria

compiled by O P Singleton and E B Joyce (Geology Department, University of Melbourne, 1970).

The term Newer Volcanic Province describes the area of volcanic activity in Western Victoria younger than 7 million years ago (Wellman 1974). This province is an irregular area that covers a significant amount of the northern part of the Corangamite region. Within the Province there is a rich array of features typical of a basaltic lava field and because of their relatively young age, many of the volcanic features are well preserved. The eruption points are often quite conspicuous and form dominant landscape features.

Geological heritage sites, including sites of geomorphological interest and volcanic heritage sites, are under regular revision by the Geological Society of Australia, especially in the assessment of significance and values. Reference should be made to the most recent reports. See the

Earth Science Heritage

section of the Geological Society of Australia website (external link) for details of geological heritage reports, and a bibliography.

Eruption Points of the
Newer Volcanic Province

Increasingly, the eruption points and associated volcanic features are being degraded by human activity. In many cases quarrying, agricultural activities and urbanisation have significantly altered or even obliterated features. Conversely, in some instances quarrying has provided excellent sections through eruption points, exposing details that would otherwise not be visible. The purpose of this study was to examine the eruption points of the Newer Volcanic and identify those that are significant. Once these important volcanic features are destroyed or badly degraded, the community has lost a valuable scientific, educational and/or aesthetic asset.

Lake Gnotuk is an outstanding example of a deep, simple maar.

References:

Rosengren, N. J., 1994. Eruption points of the Newer Volcanics Province of Victoria: an inventory and evaluation of scientific significance. National Trust of Australia and Geological Society of Australia, Victorian Division.

Singleton, O.P. & Joyce, E.B., 1970. Catalogue of the post-Miocene volcanoes of Victoria (unpubl.).

Wellman, P., 1974. Potassium-argon ages on the Cainozoic volcanic rocks of eastern Victoria, Australia. Journal of the Geological Society of Australia 21, pp. 359-376.

Page top