Île de la Possession is part of the Crozet Archipelago.
Possession of the Island was taken by Julien Crozet in 1772.
The island developed during at least five phases of activity.
The center is located on the west side of the island.
Phase I is represented by marine palagonitized hyaloclastites.
Phase II subaerial rocks are exposed in valley floors on the
east side of the island.
These consist of thick basaltic lava flows with volcaniclastic
rocks becoming increasingly abundant upwards in the succession.
Ring dikes and cone sheets were intruded near the end of this
phase.
Phase three consists of a basal conglomerate overlain by volcaniclastic
rocks interbedded with thin lava flows and sills.
Phase IV culminated with a 10m thick plateau basalt from a
rift system trending at 135º.
Phase IV was followed by a glacial period.
Phase V consists of widely scattered cinder cones and lava
flows.
The dated volcanic record is from 8.1 to 0.53 Ma with the
younger cones dating to up to 5,500 BP.
The airmail stamp below was issued in 1970.
The following stamp was issued in a booklet in 2007
Click here to return
to map of Indian Ocean
Click here to return to home page