Monte Burney is the most southern stratovolcano of the Austral Volcanic Zone. Six Quaternary volcanoes form this long volcanic arc. The Antarctic Plate subducts beneath the South America Plate and the Scotia Plate at a pace of about , causing the volcanism. The young age of the subducting crust (12-24 million years old) gives the volcanic rocks a unique chemical composition including adakitic rocks. The movement between the South America Plate and the Scotia Plate is taken up by strike-slip faulting. In terms of composition, Lautaro, Aguilera and Viedma form one group distinct from Burney, and Reclus lies between these two. southeast of Monte Burney lies Fueguino, a volcanic field with possible historical activity in 1820 and 1712. Fueguino is the southernmost Holocene volcano in the Andes. Large explosive eruptions have occurred at Aguilera, Reclus and Burney but due to the long distance between these volcanoes and critical infrastructure they are considered a low hazard.