 A volcanic ash layer similar in composition to Melville Peak has been identified away from the volcano and may indicate Melville Peak has been volcanically active in the last few thousand years.This peak, which was probably known to early sealers in the area, was charted by the French Antarctic Expedition under Jean-Baptiste Charcot, 1908–10, and takes its name from Cape Melville.It was climbed from the northeast in September 1949 by Geoff Hattersley-Smith and Ken Pawson.