Salvesen Range
Encyclopedia
The Salvesen Mountains or Salvesen Range is a mountain range
on the southern tip of South Georgia, rising to a maximum elevation of 2330 metres (7,644 ft). They were created 127 million years ago and are made mainly from granite
. The Cretaceous
granite is pretruded into the Jurassic
basalt
ic lava
s and dolerite dykes
. Both of which are black so they create a striking colour contrast in exposures. Both the granite
and the basalt
were formed from rising magma
formed on the divergent plate boundary where the southern Atlantic Ocean
opened. The main ranges of South Georgia famously crossed by Ernest Shackleton
in 1916, are less rugged and precipitous than the Salvesen Mountains as they are formed from folded sandstone
. These were formed from sand
deposition, the sediment for which was derived from erosion
of the igneous rock
s and rifting continental blocks.
The range was surveyed by the SGS, 1951-52, and named for Sir Harold Salvesen, a director of Messrs. Chr. Salvesen and Co., Leith, who gave great assistance to the SGS, 1951-52 and 1953-54.
Mountains in the range include -
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
on the southern tip of South Georgia, rising to a maximum elevation of 2330 metres (7,644 ft). They were created 127 million years ago and are made mainly from granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
. The Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
granite is pretruded into the Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
ic lava
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
s and dolerite dykes
Dike (geology)
A dike or dyke in geology is a type of sheet intrusion referring to any geologic body that cuts discordantly across* planar wall rock structures, such as bedding or foliation...
. Both of which are black so they create a striking colour contrast in exposures. Both the granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
and the basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
were formed from rising magma
Magma
Magma is a mixture of molten rock, volatiles and solids that is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and is expected to exist on other terrestrial planets. Besides molten rock, magma may also contain suspended crystals and dissolved gas and sometimes also gas bubbles. Magma often collects in...
formed on the divergent plate boundary where the southern Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
opened. The main ranges of South Georgia famously crossed by Ernest Shackleton
Ernest Shackleton
Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton, CVO, OBE was a notable explorer from County Kildare, Ireland, who was one of the principal figures of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration...
in 1916, are less rugged and precipitous than the Salvesen Mountains as they are formed from folded sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
. These were formed from sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
deposition, the sediment for which was derived from erosion
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
of the igneous rock
Igneous rock
Igneous rock is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic rock. Igneous rock is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava...
s and rifting continental blocks.
The range was surveyed by the SGS, 1951-52, and named for Sir Harold Salvesen, a director of Messrs. Chr. Salvesen and Co., Leith, who gave great assistance to the SGS, 1951-52 and 1953-54.
Mountains in the range include -
- Mount CarseMount CarseMount Carse is a mountain having several peaks, the highest , standing north of the head of Drygalski Fjord in the south part of the Salvesen Range of South Georgia. Surveyed by the South Georgia Survey between 1951 and 1957 and named for V. Duncan Carse, leader of the four SGS expeditions during...
- Mount PatersonMount PatersonMount Paterson is a mountain, 2,195 m, standing 2 miles north-northwest of Mount Carse in the Salvesen Range of South Georgia. Surveyed by the SGS in the period 1951-57, and named for Stanley B. Paterson, assistant surveyor of the SGS, 1955-56....