Posted on 04/30/2024 11:52:19 AM PDT by Red Badger
It sounds like a dream, but it's true in Antarctica, gold rains from the sky. Tucked in among the glaciers, fiery Mount Erebus is the southernmost active volcano on Earth, providing a bit of heat amid the frozen landscape.
The frozen continent features 138 volcanoes, according to a 2017 study, with around nine of them reported as active. With a summit elevation of 12,448 feet (3,794 meters), Mount Erebus is the most well-known.
Erebus is one of three volcanoes that form Ross Island, and it's said that it was erupting when it was discovered in 1841 during the voyage of Captain James Clark Ross, who carried out important magnetic surveys in the Arctic and Antarctic and discovered the Ross Sea and the Victoria Land region of Antarctica. 'HMS Erebus' was the name of one of his ships.
Scientists still observe the volcano through the Mount Erebus Volcano Observatory and conduct field campaigns to look for extreme life forms. The largest Antarctic settlement-McMurdo Station, operated by the United States-is located about 25 south of Mount Erebus and is within sight of the volcano.
Satellite images of Mount Erebus from 2013. (Photo credit: NASA)
Satellite images of Mount Erebus from 2013 show the lava lake at its center. (Photo credit: NASA) Satellite images of the volcano reveal a lava lake that's been bubbling since at least 1972, according to IFL Science.
The volcano regularly pumps out plumes of gas and steam and has been known to eject boulders of partially molten rock known as "volcanic bombs."
While volcanic bombs are exciting, it's the bursts of gas spraying tiny crystals of metallic gold that surprise scientists, who estimate the volcano spews around 80 grams of gold a day -- that's worth around $6,000.
The gold has been found hundreds of miles away from Mount Erebus. Antarctic researchers have detected traces of the gold dust in ambient air up to 621 miles away from the volcano.
there’s gold in seawater. only problem is that it costs more to extract it with current technology than its worth.
that might change in the future.
Watch for China to claim the mountain was “always ours” in 3...2...1...
I bet it is spewing more CO2 than the libs want to admit.
“North To Alaska” was a popular song back in the day; people going north to dig for gold.
Now it’s gotta be: “South To Antarctica”; people going south to freeze in the cold.
“it’s the bursts of gas spraying tiny crystals of metallic gold that surprise scientists”
Not surprising to scientists. Common knowledge that volcanoes bring gold to the surface.
I got one, ouch. I got another, ouch ouch. Nothing like hot gold mining!
how much CO2 can $6000 a day offset?
Check to see if Al Gore has a sale on carbon offset credits. I could be truck loads.
If they’re worth $6,000 a day, then wait a week and they’ll be worth $42,000!
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