Antarctica, a continent known for its extreme temperatures and icy landscapes, hides a golden secret. Mount Erebus, one of the most active and southernmost volcanoes on the planet, daily emits a quantity of gold dust estimated at approximately 80 grams, with a market value of approximately 6,000 dollars. This discovery was made by researchers who analyzed the gaseous emissions of the volcano, finding small crystals of metallic gold inside them.
Gold dust from Mount Erebus can travel long distances, with traces of gold found in the air up to 1,000 kilometers away from the volcano. Mount Erebus sits above a thin slice of the Earth’s crust, which allows molten rock to easily rise from inside the Earth. According to NASA, the volcano regularly emits columns of gas and steam and sometimes ejects rocks in Strombolian-type eruptions.
Mount Erebus overlooks the McMurdo Research Station on Ross Island and has a lava lake in its summit crater that has remained active since 1972. Because of its remote location, researchers have been monitoring the volcano using satellites.
