Mount Stromlo (formerly Mount Strom[1][2][citation needed]) is a mountain with an elevation of 770 metres (2,530 ft) AHD that is situated in the Australian Capital Territory, Australia. The mountain is most notable as the location of the Mount Stromlo Observatory. The mountain forms part of the catchment area of the Cotter River which in turn is the primary water supply for part of ACT.
The rock on Mount Stromlo consists of ignimbrite from the Laidlaw Volcanics. This erupted in the upper Silurian period over the top of the Deakin Volcanics rhyodacite which is visible on the surface on the lower slopes in the east and southeast sides. The northern lower slopes are covered with a calcareous shale which is included in the Laidlaw Volcanics as it was deposited at the same time. This is cut off on the northwest side by the Winslade Fault, which heads north east to Cook and Kaleen. A spur fault heads off east from the Winslade Fault to under the Scrivener Dam. On the northwest and north side of these faults are middle Silurian period rhyodacite volcanic deposits from the Walker Volcanics. The northern side was uplifted compared with the southern side.[3]
The name Stromlo is taken from the poems of Ossian.[4]
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