According to a 2017 study, the frozen continent of Antarctica has 138 volcanoes, nine of which are active. With a height of 3,794 meters, Mount Erebus – hidden between the glaciers – is the most famous. 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 from the Mount Erebus Volcano Observatory and conduct regular field research to study 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 emits gas and steam and Mount Erebus is known to eject boulders of partially molten rock, known as ‘volcanic bombs’. These eruptions contain small crystals of gold, 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.
The gold was found hundreds of kilometers from Erebus. The researchers also discovered traces of gold dust in the air up to a distance of 1,000 kilometers from the volcano.
Tags: Volcano Antarctica spews gold crystals worth thousands euros day
