Mount Erebus in Antarctica
23.04.2024
Mount Erebus in Antarctica
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For Prelims: About Active Volcano Mount Erebus, Important points |
Why in the news?
According to recent news, gold worth $6000 is raining every day from Mount Erebus in Antarctica.
Important points:
- Mount Erebus, an active volcano in Antarctica, is in the news for spewing gold dust worth $6000 every day; This is approximately 80 grams of gold dust that is being emitted daily.
- According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Earth Observatory, it can be said that Mount Erebus in Antarctica is showering gold on the Earth.
- NASA Earth Observatory says that about $6000 worth of gold dust is being extracted from the volcano every day.
- The detection of gold particles in the volcanic gases emitted by Mount Erebus as well as in the surrounding ice is consistent with observations made three decades ago.
About Active Volcano Mount Erebus:
- The world's southernmost active volcano.
- It is the only volcano in the world that is a currently erupting phonolite volcano.
- Mount Erebus is Antarctica's highest active volcano (12,448 feet) and also it’s most violent.
- It is the southernmost active volcano on Earth. It is located on Ross Island in Antarctica.
- It is a stratovolcano, characterized by a conical shape and layers of hardened lava, tephra and volcanic ash.
- Mount Erebus is known for its continuous lava lake.
- The lake has been active since at least 1972 and is one of only a few long-lived lava lakes on Earth.
- It churns constantly and occasionally spews bombs of molten rock in Stromboli an eruptions.
- This volcano is currently in the news for a very surprising and unique reason.
- The active volcano of Mount Erebus in Antarctica is spewing gold worth $6000 every day, which is more than Rs 5 lakh in Indian currency.
- Due to its remote location, no one can reach the volcano, so scientists and researchers are monitoring it with the help of satellites.
Source: The Times of India