Mount Erebus, the southernmost active volcano on earth, turns out to be worth its weight in gold. Gold traces from the volcano have been discovered hundreds of kilometers away. Scientists estimate that about 6,000 dollars (about 5,600 euros) are spewed out per day.
According to a 2017 study, the frozen continent of Antarctica has 138 volcanoes, of which about nine are active. With a height of 3,794 meters, Mount Erebus – hidden between the glaciers – is the best known. Erebus is one of three volcanoes that form Ross Island and was discovered in 1841 by Captain James Clark Ross, who conducted magnetic surveys at the site. Nearly two hundred years later, another remarkable discovery has been made.
Scientists still observe the volcano through the Mount Erebus Volcano Observatory and regularly conduct field surveys to look for extreme life forms. The largest Antarctic settlement – McMurdo Station, operated by the United States – is located about 25 kilometers south of Mount Erebus and within sight of the volcano.
Special find
The volcano regularly pumps out gas and steam and Mount Erebus is known to eject boulders of partially molten rock, known as ‘volcanic bombs’. Small crystals of gold are hidden in these bursts of gas, much to the surprise of scientists. They estimate that the volcano spews out about 80 grams of gold per day. That has a value of about 6,000 dollars (about 5,592 euros).
The gold was found hundreds of kilometers from Erebus. The Antarctic researchers have also discovered traces of gold dust in the air up to a distance of 1,000 kilometers from the volcano.
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