Late Miocene to Plio-Pleistocene volcanic and paleoenvironmental history of the Cerro Domo and Ventisqueros Mesa area, northwest James Ross Island, northern Antarctic Peninsula

We present the description and interpretation of a James Ross Island Volcanic Group (JRIVG) succession around Cerro Domo Ventisqueros Mesa area. Our aim is to reconstruct volcanic evolution provide new palaeoenvironmental information for northwest sector Island, northern Antarctic Peninsula . representative stratigraphic logs that are combined with chronological constraints provided by 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages 87 Sr/ 86 Sr isotope analyses demonstrate record late Miocene earliest Pleistocene. The first activity registered associated tuff cone deposits resulted from marine hydromagmatic eruptions, close 6.18 ± 0.14 Ma. Subsequently, lodgement till grounded glacial advance. Overlying glacigenic deposits, fossil-bearing sediments or glacimarine environment following ice sheet retreat, an age 6.02 (+0.09, −0.09) Ma dates ice-poor conditions. A lava-fed delta system, which yields 5.37 0.12 Ma, prograded over previous deposits. Stacked pillow lavas , curvy columnar-jointed basalts subaerial tabular lavas, 4.9 0.10 age, were emplaced after deposition. Another located north previously units yielded 3.57 0.19 pavement carved into top these records second advance in final Domo, large edifice was centre explosive eruptions. presence pristine, articulated bivalves life position within lower together 3.16 (+0.59, −0.43) strong indicators suggest “interglacial” conditions at this time. Dykes cutting considered coeval eruptions afford 2.62 0.08 2.72 0.09 results insights on glaciation history as well supporting marine, ~6 near right before Plio-Pleistocene boundary, between ~3.2 ~2.6 • New chronologic data volcanism presented. recorded includes deltas Glacial environments occurred association activity. Ice-poor during boundary.