Mount Erebus, a volcano located in the icy landscape of Antarctica, has been erupting non-stop since at least 1972. It also contains a lake of molten rock at its summit. The volcano has an unusual chemical composition, releasing a rare combination of minerals, including 80 grams of solidified gold each day. At today’s prices, this amounts to approximately $6,000 of gold daily. However, there’s an even more fascinating aspect to Erebus.
The geological characteristics of darkness
Antarctica is famous for its vast layers of ice and snow, but it’s also an extremely active volcanic area. According to a recent report, the continent has at least 138 volcanoes, and Erebus is among the most active ones. This stratovolcano known as Mount Erebus arises from layers of lava flows and tephra, which is a mixture of volcanic ash, pumice, and other debris. Its peak stands at an elevation of 3,794 meters (12,450 ft), making it the second tallest volcano in Antarctica after the dormant Mount Sidley. What sets Erebus apart is its continual lava lake, which is one of only a few in the world and is located inside the main crater.An image from NASA presents a satellite view of Mount Erebus with the glow emanating from its persistent lava lake.
Mount Erebus is a stratovolcano, formed from layers of lava flows and tephra — a mix of volcanic ash, pumice, and other debris. Its summit reaches an altitude of 3,794 meters (12,450 ft), making it the second-tallest volcano in Antarctica, after the dormant Mount Sidley. What sets Erebus apart is its persistent lava lake (one of only a handful on Earth), which resides within the main crater.
Mount Erebus’ activity is characterized by so-called “strombolian eruptions”. These are moderate bursts of explosive activity. Basically, the volcano regularly emits plumes of gas and steam and occasionally, propels bombs of molten lava high into the air.
In 1841, explorer James Clark Ross and his crew sailed past the island on which Erebus lies and found it erupting. The explorer named it (and its neighbor, Mount Terror) after his ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror. In Greek mythology, Erebus is the personification of darkness and one of the first creatures to exist, born out of chaos and the night.
The volcano was first surveyed in December 1912 by a science party from Robert Falcon Scott’s Terra Nova expedition. The researchers documented the main features of the volcano and gathered geological samples, which was an impressive achievement given the challenging conditions of the site.
A peculiar type of magma
Despite its active nature, Erebus’s eruptions are generally small and contained, posing minimal danger to the brave researchers who study it up close in the harsh conditions. Presently, the largest settlement in Antarctica, the McMurdo Station, operated by the US, is situated close to the volcano. The station functions as a logistical center for scientists investigating Erebus and other Antarctic phenomena.
During the summer season, the population at McMurdo swells to over 1,000 residents, predominantly scientists and support personnel from all over the world. The station provides crucial assistance for volcanic research, serving as a base for launching research expeditions and analyzing collected data. Researchers also have seismic sensors installed around the volcano to monitor its activity. Human communities near Erebus. Image credits: Alan Light.oiIn 1992, the interior of Mount Erebus was explored by Dante I, a robotic explorer with eight legs designed for tethered descents. Dante was assigned the task of collecting gas samples from the
Mount Erebus has an unusual type of explosion, mostly because of its magma lake phonolitic magma
, which is uncommon among Earth’s volcanoes. Phonolitic magma is a type of volcanic rock formed from molten rock with a specific kind of chemistry. It includes minerals like nepheline or leucite instead of the more typical quartz. Erebus spotted from a satellite. Image credits: Copernicus / ESA.Gold explosion
This is not a recent discovery.
Researchers learned about the gold explosion
in the early 1990s. But what this means is that, starting in 1972, the volcano has erupted around $110,000,000 worth of gold. However, you won’t find that gold in nice nuggets. Instead, it’s scattered in tiny particles all around. Even if you could get close to it, it doesn’t really make economic sense to try and process the eruption materials. You’d spend more money than you’d make. The gold also doesn’t neatly gather in one place. The presence of gold has been detected as far as 1000 km (621 miles) from the volcano. Although researchers note that other valuable materials like copper and sulfur are also released, it isn’t economically feasible to mine them. It’s not the only volcano that erupts gold. A few others, including the White Volcano in New Zealand, have the same characteristics. While it’s not out of the question to mine some of those in the future, the cold, inaccessible Antarctic is just not worth it. A peek into the Earth Erebus has been active for around 1.3 million years and is the southernmost active volcano on Earth. The fact that it erupts gold is an interesting oddity, but other aspects about it are far more compelling.
As one of the few volcanoes with an active and accessible lava lake, Erebus offers direct observations of molten rock dynamics, including circulation and gas emissions
These observations can help scientists to understand the behavior of molten rock under the Earth’s surface, particularly in terms of how gases escape from molten rock and how this influences volcanic eruptions.
Erebus’s phonolitic magma composition is also significant because it is relatively uncommon, leading to a specific type of eruption. Studying this type of magma can help volcanologists predict and model eruptions of similar volcanoes worldwide.
This extends to biology as well. The heat from Erebus affects the surrounding ice and creates subglacial environments that can harbor extremophiles — organisms that thrive in extreme environments. Studying these organisms can expand our knowledge of life’s adaptability. This could potentially offer parallels for extraterrestrial life, especially on icy worlds with internal heat sources like Jupiter’s moon Europa.
Even if you could get there, you’re not getting that gold.
This spills into biology as well. The heat from Erebus affects the surrounding ice and creates subglacial environments that can harbor extremophiles — creatures that thrive in extreme environments. Studying these organisms can expand our knowledge of life’s adaptability. This could potentially offer analogs for extraterrestrial life, especially on icy worlds with internal heat sources like Jupiter’s moon Europa
