Mount Erebus:
Antarctica’s second largest volcano, Mount Erebus, is spewing out gold dust, which has left scientists in complete shock.
- Mount Erebus is the world’s southernmost active volcano.
- It is situated on Ross Island, Antarctica.
- It was discovered in 1841 by the British explorer Sir James Clark Ross, who named it after his ship, the Erebus.
- It’s a stratovolcano characterized by a conical shape and layers of hardened lava, tephra, and volcanic ash.
- Mount Erebus is known for its persistent lava lake.
- The lake has been active since at least 1972and is one of only a few long-lived lava lakes on Earth.
- It constantly churns and occasionally spews bombs of molten rock in Strombolian eruptions.
- Because the volcano is in a remote location, researchers monitor it using satellites.
- The largest Antarctic settlement—McMurdo Station, operated by the United States—stands within sight of the volcano (about 40 kilometers or 25 miles away).
