Gold Volcano: About 80 grams of gas filled with crystallized gold is coming out into the atmosphere every day from the peak of an active volcano in Antarctica.
Gold is among the precious metals found on Earth. Surprisingly, approximately Rs 5 lakh worth of gold is “disappearing” into our atmosphere every day. According to a report from the New York Post, about 80 grams of gas containing crystallized gold is released into the atmosphere daily from the peak of an active volcano in Antarctica.
This gold-spewing volcano is known as Mount Erebus and is one of the 138 active volcanoes in Antarctica. NASA reports that Mount Erebus is situated atop a thin crust, causing melting rocks to rise from the Earth’s interior and regularly emit gas and steam. Explosions also occur within the volcano. Since 1972, a lava lake has formed within Mount Erebus.
Connor Bacon, associated with an Earth observatory at Columbia University in New York, stated to Live Science that Mount Erebus has been continuously erupting since 1972. The volcano is renowned for its “lava lake,” featuring pits containing molten surface material, a rarity in volcanoes. Due to its geographical location, monitoring Mount Erebus is challenging. Information about the volcano is gathered from Deception Island in Antarctica, where crystallized gold has been detected in the emitted gases. Scientists believe that installing more research instruments around the volcano could yield further insights.
Mount Erebus is difficult for scientists to access and impossible for ordinary individuals to visit. Located 621 miles from Earth’s southernmost Spivar Volcano, Mount Erebus is entirely covered in snow and experiences sub-zero temperatures due to its high altitude.