Geology of Scott and Balleny Islands, Ross Sea, Antarctica, and morphology of adjacent seafloor

Scott and Balleny Islands are volcanic edifices in the Ross Sea. Scott Island rocks are phonolites similar to rocks found in the Hallett volcanic province, Antarctica. New samples from the Balleny Islands presented in this paper are undersaturated alkali lavas identical to those on other oceanic islands. It is suggested that intraplate stress within the Antarctic plate may be responsible for the Scott and Balleny Islands and other large seamount groups within the Ross Sea.