Context
Mount Erebus, the world’s southernmost active volcano, has recently attracted attention for emitting tiny crystals of pure gold into the atmosphere, in addition to housing a persistent lava lake.
About Mount Erebus
- Mount Erebus is a stratovolcano located on the western part of Ross Island in the Ross Sea, off the coast of Antarctica.
- It is the second-highest volcano in Antarctica, with an elevation of 3,794 m (12,448 ft) above sea level, after Mount Sidley.
- It is an intraplate volcano belonging to the McMurdo Volcanic Group and is located within the Terror Rift, a part of the West Antarctic Rift System.
- It forms part of the Pacific Ring of Fire and is one of only two active volcanoes in Antarctica, the other being Deception Island.
- It is one of the few volcanoes in the world with a persistent lava lake, which has remained active since at least 1972. Its eruptions are generally Strombolian in nature, ejecting volcanic bombs onto the crater rim.
