Discover the mystery of Erebus – the mountain that spews real gold all year round yet no one comes to collect it, a natural phenomenon located in Antarctica. While it may sound like a fairy tale, Erebus truly exists and is one of the most unique volcanoes on Earth. Why is precious gold emitted daily without anyone collecting it? Join us as we explore this unique story and learn why these gold particles cannot be gathered.
Introducing Erebus, the mountain that spews gold
On April 19th, Interesting Engineering reported that researchers have found gold in the gaseous emissions from a volcano as well as in the snow and air around it, approximately 1,000 km from the mountain.
According to scientists’ calculations, this mountain spews out 80 grams of crystallized gold daily, valued at about $6,500.
This is Erebus – an active volcano in Antarctica, located on the eastern coast of Ross Island with an elevation of 3,794 meters above sea level. According to IFL Science, in 1991, while researching at this active volcano in Antarctica, American geologists discovered it emitted real gold all year round.
The mountain was discovered in 1841 by Scottish explorer James Ross, who named it after one of his two ships.
This mountain has been continuously erupting since 1972. Erebus is one of the 138 active volcanoes in Antarctica, located on Ross Island. It is one of the two active volcanoes in the region and spews gold dust daily.
Why does Erebus spew out gold?
Philip Kyle, a researcher at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro, believes that this gold may originate from volcanic rocks. According to experts from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), extremely high temperatures cause the rocks deep within the earth to melt and rise from beneath Erebus volcano along with gold, which is then brought to the surface before it crystallizes.
Tamsin Mather, a British volcanologist, observes: “Erebus is one of the few volcanoes that has a continuously active lava lake within its crater and emits gases 24/7. It releases many small metal particles, including gold and many others. Each volcano has different chemical reactions, and there are a few other volcanoes besides Erebus that also emit gold dust.”
Speaking with Live Science, Conor Bacon, an expert at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in the USA, commented: “These cases are quite rare because they require a number of very specific conditions to ensure that the surface never freezes.”
Why does no one want to collect gold from Mount Erebus?
Researchers explain that no one collects gold from Mount Erebus because the gold emitted by the volcano is in the form of gold dust, which travels great distances. These gold dust particles are only about 0.1 to 20 micrometers in size in the gases and 60 micrometers in the surrounding snow. Due to the minuscule size of the gold particles and their dispersal over a wide area, they are very difficult to collect.
Nonetheless, many people find it fascinating that Erebus emits gold daily, which attracts numerous researchers as well as gold miners.
The concerning dangers of the still-active Erebus volcano
For scientists, volcanic eruptions in Antarctica are not only fascinating but also raise significant concerns. Most of the volcanoes in Antarctica are buried under ice layers more than 4 kilometers thick.
When a volcano erupts, the heat released melts massive ice caverns, creating substantial amounts of meltwater. This is when things start to deteriorate.
The newly formed meltwater causes the ice layer above it to move faster and begin to flow into the ocean. The icebergs of Antarctica will come into contact with warmer ocean currents and melt. If all the ice in Antarctica were to melt, it would raise global sea levels by about 60 meters.
Rising sea levels could contribute to making large storms move slower and rain more, devastating the Earth’s surface. Widespread flooding would occur. Animals and humans would lose their habitats, and we could soon face a catastrophic disaster.
Despite its magnificent and mysterious beauty, Mount Erebus serves as a warning sign of global climate change. Exploring and understanding more about “Erebus – the mountain that spews gold all year round yet no one comes to collect it” not only enhances our scientific knowledge but also reminds us of our responsibility to protect our environment. Let us take action before the changes at Erebus become a belated wake-up call for humanity.
