Members of this department are involved in collaborative research with Uppsala University and the University of Fort Hare, under the auspices of the South African National Antarctic Programme.  David Hedding (now at Northwest University) has just completed his MSc investigating geomorphic responses to climate change in the interior of the Island.  Werner Nel (now a lecturer at the University of Fort Hare) spent a year on the Island conducting his MSC research.  The research conducted by members of this department includes basalt weathering (Paul Sumner), mass movement (Werner Nel), the origin of coastal sedimentary sequences, the geomorphic evolution of the island (Ian Meiklejohn), soil forms and processes (Ian Meiklejohn, Johan van der Waals, Natalie Callaghan and Barend van der Merwe) ground thermal monitoring (Ian Meiklejohn, Jacqui Davis and Jan Boelhouwers), and a spatial database for cryogenic research (Ian Meiklejohn, Werner Nel and David Hedding).  An indication of how much warming has impacted on Marion Island is seen in the following image of the fossil ice-cap (called the Ice-Plateau) taken by David Hedding in May 2004, with a screen of the 1966 ice level superimposed.

A small volcanic eruption was observed by a member of the South African National Antarctic Programme’s over-wintering team on Marion Island on 24 June 2004. David Hedding a Geomorphologist from the Department of Geography, Geoinformatics, and Meteorology, University of Pretoria is part of a team conducting research into landscape responses to climate change observed. While conducting fieldwork in a mountainous area on the south of the Island, David was able to video an eruption that comprised gas and small pieces of scoria (a few cm in diameter). Scoria is vesicular lava that resembles pumice, but is denser and normally has a different mineral composition.

In May 2005, evidence was seen from a helicopter flight over the region for a small eruption in the interior of the Island at one of the highest peaks.  This was clearly only gaseous as no new lava was observed; snow that had melted in a small caldera was the only evidence for the eruption.

Marion Island is one of two volcanic islands comprising the Prince Edward Group, which is located almost 1800km south-east of Port Elizabeth and is managed by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism as a Special Nature Reserve. As it is on the edge of the African Continental Plate, where it meets the Antarctic Plate, it is not surprising that periodic volcanic activity occurs. The Island itself originated through volcanic eruptions and is geologically very young (approximately 500 000 years old). Marion is visually dominated by over 100 volcanic cones comprising scoria and black lavas that have erupted in the last 10 000 years, following the melting of the ice-sheets from Last Glacial Maximum (18 000 years ago).

While it has been assumed that small volcanic eruptions often take place on Marion Island, the remoteness and hilly terrain over much of the Island has meant that such events have not been witnessed. The last confirmed eruption on Marion took place in 1980 when ornithologists found a basaltic lava flow no more than a few days old on the western side of the Island. Given the remoteness and small size of the new eruption, there is no cause for alarm or concern for the safety and wellbeing of the over-wintering team on Marion Island.

Geomorphological research on Marion Island is conducted in a collaborative project funded by the South African National Antarctic Programme with the Universities of Pretoria, Transkei and Uppsala (Sweden).

For more details contact: Ian Meiklejohn (012-420 4049; ian.meiklejohn@up.ac.za.

 

	Vegetated lava from the 1980 eruption.
	Site of the May 2005 eruption; a few days (est.) after the eruption.
	Site of the May 2005 eruption; a week (est.) after the eruption.

Ian Meiklejohn, Dave Hedding, and Barend van der Merwe, together with 2 Swedish academics, Charlotte Sjunneskog and Hanna Ridefeldt, spent the 2004 takeover on Marion Island as part of a collaborative project with Uppsala University, under the auspices of the South African National Antarctic Programme.  The project involves investigations into cryogenic processes and landforms and their use as palaeoenvironmental indicators.   The takeover was largely used to repair and replace data logging equipment, while some weathering research was conducted, together with an investigation of palaeolandforms and their interpretation.  Dave Hedding is staying on the Island for 14 months and will be conducting research for his MSc dissertation.

Ian Meiklejohn, Raina Kutranov and Natalie Callaghan teamed up with David Hedding (who had been there for a year) to complete a research project on geomorphology and climate change.  In the case of Raina, a project was started investigating waste management at all three SANAP bases (Marion, Gough and SANAE); the project is collaborative work with the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment at the University of Pretoria.

Ian Meiklejohn, Werner Nel (University of Fort Hare), Natalie Callaghan and Jacqui Davis participated in the 2006 takeover at the start of a SANAP project funded by the National Research Foundation and Logistically supported by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism on Geomorphology and Climate Change.  Two logging stations were established in the interior of the Island that conform to International Permafrost standards (CALM) for thermal monitoring of the active layer.  In addition research commenced on soil formation and classification, which will be extended to consider the role of climate change.

These are from the entire Geomorphology team (from all institutions involved) that has worked on Marion Island:

Boelhouwers, J., 2003: Sensitivity and responses to climate change in the Subantarctic periglacial environment. In: Phillips, M., Springman, S-M., Arenson, L.U. (eds.) Permafrost - ICOP 2003, Swets and Zeitlinger, Lisee, 67-71.

Boelhouwers, J., Holness, S. and Sumner, P., 2000: Geomorphological characteristics of small debris flows on Junior’s Kop, Marion Island, maritime Subantarctic, Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 25, 341-352.

Boelhouwers, J., Holness, S. & Sumner, P.D. 2003: The Subantarctic: A distinct periglacial environment. Geomorphology, 52, 39-55.

Hedding, D., Sumner, P.D., Holness, S.D. and Meiklejohn, K.I. (in prep.): Retrogressive development of a pronival rampart on Marion Island. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes.

Hedding, D., Nel, W. & Meiklejohn, K.I. (in prep.): 2004 Volcanic eruption on Marion Island.

Holness, S.D., 2001: The orientation of sorted stripes in the maritime Subantarctic, Marion Island, Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 26, 77-89.

Holness, S.D. 2003a: Sorted circles in the maritime Subantarctic Marion Island. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 28, 337-347.

Holness, S.D. 2003b: The periglacial record of Holocene environmental change, subantarctic Marion Island. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, 14, 69-74.

Holness, S.D. 2004: Sediment movement rates and processes on cinder cones in the maritime Subantarctic (Marion Island). Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 29, 91-103.

Holness, S. & Boelhouwers, J., 1998: Some observations on Holocene changes in periglacial activity at Long Ridge Marion Island, South African Journal of Science, 94, 399-403.

Mauquoy, D., Sjunneskog, C., Yeloff, D., Barber, K. E., Way, S., van Geel, B. and Turney, C. S. M. (in preparation). A mid-to late-Holocene multi-proxy record of environmental change on sub-Antarctic Marion Island. Quaternary Science Reviews.

Nel, W., Meiklejohn, K.I., Sumner, P.D. & Hedding, D.W. (in prep.): Sub-Antarctic Marion Island: A Glacial Conundrum from the Late Quaternary.

Nel, W., Holness, S, & Meiklejohn, K.I., 2003: Observations on Rapid Mass Movement on Sub-Antarctic Marion Island. South African Journal of Science, 99, 177- 181.

Sumner, P.D. 2004: Rock weathering rates on sub-Antarctic Marion Island. Arctic, Antarctic and Alpine Research, 36, 122-126.

Sumner, P.D. & Meiklejohn, K.I. 2004: On the development of autochthonous blockfields in the grey basalts of sub-Antarctic Marion Island. Polar Geography, (In Press).

Sumner, P.D., Meiklejohn, K.I., Boelhouwers, J.C. & Hedding, D.W. 2004: Climate change melts Marion Island's snow and ice. South African Journal of Science, 100, 395-398.

Sumner, P.D & Nel, W.N. 2002: The effect of rock moisture on Schmidt hammer rebound: tests on rock samples from Marion Island and South Africa. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 27, 1137-1142.

Sumner, P.D, Nel, W., Holness, S. & Boelhouwers, J. 2002: Rock weathering characteristics as relative-age indicators for glacial and post-glacial landforms on Marion Island. South African Geographical Journal, 84, 153-157.

These are from the entire Geomorphology team (from all institutions involved) that has worked on Marion Island:

Boelhouwers J and Holness, S. 1999: The frost environment of Marion Island, maritime sub-Antarctic, INQUA Congress, Durban.

Boelhouwers, J. 2000: Geomorphological research on Marion Island: 1996-2000, Biennial conference of the SA Ass. Geomorphologists, Hammanskraal.

Boelhouwers, J., 2001: Geomorphic responses to climate change in the Antarctic: science questions and possible approach, First European Permafrost Conference, Rome, March 26-29. Boelhouwers, J., 2001: Present-day soil frost activity on Marion Island, First European Permafrost Conference, Rome, March 26-29.

Boelhouwers, J. and Holness, S., 2001: On the distinctiveness of the maritime Subantarctic periglacial environment, Int. Geomorphology Conference, Tokyo, 14-18 August.

Meiklejohn, K.I. 1998: Sedimentary sequences on Marion Island: Volcanogenic or Glacigenic? Vth Biennial SAAG Conference, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 27 June - 2 July.

Meiklejohn, K.I. & Sumner, P.D. 2004: Morpho-Structural Geomorphology of Marion Island: Santa Rosa Valley. Southern African Association of Geomorphologists, Biennial Conference, Knysna, 4-6 April.

Nel, W., Meiklejohn, K.I. & Sumner, P.D. 2004: Anomalies in the interpretation of the extent of Late Quaternary glaciation on sub-Antarctic Marion Island. Southern African Association of Geomorphologists, Biennial Conference, Knysna, 4-6 April.

Nel, W & Sumner, P. 2000. Schmidt hammer rebound values: what influence rock moisture content? Southern African Association of Geomorphologists. IVth Biennial Conference, University of Pretoria, Hammanskraal Campus, 9-12 July.

Sumner, P.D. & Hedding D. 2004: Retrogressive Development of a Pronival Rampart on Marion Island, Biennial Conference, Knysna, 4-6 April.

Sumner, P.D. , Meiklejohn, K.I., Boelhouwers, J.C., Mauquoy, D., Nel, W. and Hedding, D. 2005: Geomorphic sensitivity to climate change on sub-Antarctic Marion Island. Poster presented at the Society of South African Geographers Biennial Conference, University of the Western Cape.

Sumner, P.D., Meiklejohn, K.I. & Hedding D. 2004: Marion Island's last ice: recent melting of the "Ice Plateau". Southern African Association of Geomorphologists, Biennial Conference, Knysna, 4-6 April.

Sumner, P.D. & Nel, W. 2004: Environmental controls and rates of rock weathering on sub-Antarctic Marion Island. Poster presented at the First Science Meeting of the European Science Foundation - Network SEDIFLUX, Iceland, 18-21 June.