Scientists have discovered that in Antarctica there is an active volcano that erupts small golden metallic crystals. That’s right: it’s the volcano Erebus attic since 1972 which releases approximately 80 grams of gold per day.
Erebus, the Antarctic volcano that emits gold crystals
In Antarctica, the continent surrounding the South Pole and opposite the Arctic, located in the southern hemisphere of the Earth and almost entirely included within the Antarctic polar circle, it is still possible to find active volcanoes. Among these there is theErebusa one of a kind volcano as it emits small golden metallic crystals every day. The volcano is located on Ross Island, off the coast of West Antarctica and, according to the NASA Observatory, its highest point is 3,794 meters above sea level. It is a volcano that has been active since 1972 and has been studied several times by the Department of Geography of the University of Cambridge due to the presence of a constantly active lava lake located in the summit crater.
The peculiarity of this volcano concerns its ability to produce gold dust in the air as studied and reported also by the magazine Science. After long observations, in fact, it was discovered that the volcano loses tiny gold minerals with Philip Kyle of the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro promptly pointing out: «no one will ever be able to get rich from Mount Erebus». Every day the volcano releases around 80 grams of gold per day and according to experts it will reach a value of around 6000 dollars!
Scientists explained why Erebus volcano emits gold crystals into the air
Philip Kyle of the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro also specified that the material emitted by the volcano it is not suitable for any type of assembly as it is small and changes in contact with air and wind. For the scientist, in fact, it is just a “geological curiosity” also due to the fact that the lava of Mount Erebus emits hot gases that “in contact with air, the gas cools to a temperature below 100 degrees Celsius, which leads to deposition of many materials, including metals such as zinc and copper“.
There first discovery dates back to 1991 when a group of American geologists realized this peculiarities of the Erebus volcano. Ever since then researchers and scientists have identified the emission of gold from the volcano’s crater with a daily rating of approximately 80 grams. Even NASA emphasized about the nature of the volcano: «regularly emits plumes of gas and steam and occasionally spews rock (bombs)». Conor Bacon of the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University, New York specified: «these they are actually quite rareas some very specific conditions need to occur to ensure that the surface never freezes.”
