The volcano began erupting during the Pliocene and was active into the late Pleistocene-Holocene. Several tephra layers encountered in ice cores all over Antarctica - but in particular at Mount Moulton - have been linked to Mount Berlin, which is the most important source of such tephras in the region. The tephra layers were formed by explosive eruptions/Plinian eruptions that generated high eruption columns. Presently, fumarolic activity occurs at Mount Berlin and forms ice towers from freezing steam.