Erebus volcano on a map in Antarctica. Altitude, geographic coordinates, where it is. Volcanoes of Antarctica Are there volcanoes in Antarctica

Erebus is a great name for a volcano. In Greek mythology, Erebus was the son of the god of Chaos, and his mother was Gaia, or Earth. He was created from darkness and shadow and filled every corner of the world with his darkness. Erebus Volcano is the southernmost volcano on Earth and the most active in Antarctica. It contains a lake of hot lava with a temperature of 900 degrees Celsius - this is a circulating pool of magma more than a kilometer deep, one of five similar ones that exist on the planet.

While the temperatures inside the volcano are extremely hot, outside can instantly freeze in arctic temperatures. The slopes of the snow-covered volcano are dotted with ice caves, through which volcanic gases, hydrogen and methane, are often released, destroying the Earth's ozone layer. It is above this most active volcano in the world that the thinnest layer of ozone is observed.


Erebus volcano was first discovered by polar explorer Sir James Ross in 1841. Later, in 1907, explorer Ernest Shackleton made the first ascent of Erebus with a specially organized expedition. The territory surrounding the volcano was named Ross Island, in honor of the discoverer


One of the most important features of this volcano is that it is always active. That is why the Mount Erebus Observatory (MEVO) is located here, as it is an ideal object for volcanologists. Instead of being inactive, and then erupting spectacularly once every 100 years, like many other volcanoes, Erebus is always on and seething.



The site is also notorious for the tragic plane crash. During a sightseeing flight, a New Zealand plane fell into thick clouds and crashed into the slope of the volcano. 237 passengers and 20 crew members were killed. The famous explorer and traveler Edmund Hillary was also supposed to take part in the flight, but at the last moment he canceled his trip. Traces of this disaster are still visible on the slope of Erebus, and unidentified remains of the victims are buried at the Weikumete Memorial Cemetery in western Oakland, New Zealand, where a memorial wreath is laid annually.




The Erebus volcano - the southernmost active volcano in the world, covered with glaciers, and has a unique lake of active lava in the crater at the summit. Located on Ross Island, where there are 3 more extinct volcanoes. Its height is 3794 m.The volcano has been constantly active since 1972. The Institute of Mining and Technology of the State of New Mexico, USA, organized a volcano observation station here, and the volcano is also being studied by the Scott base in New Zealand. The volcano is one of 328 active volcanoes that are part of the Pacific Ring of Fire - a strip of volcanoes that fringes the Pacific Ocean.

Erebus volcano is open January 28, 1841 by an English expedition led by polar explorer Sir James Clark Ross on the ships "Erebus" and "Terror". For the first time, six members of Ernst Shackleton's expedition climbed to its summit and reached the edge of an active volcano on March 10, 1908 (the expedition tried to conquer the South Pole). The ship and the volcano were named after Erebus, the oldest Greek god born from Chaos. To the east, a smaller, already extinct volcano is called Terror.

Erebus volcano is at the intersection of faults in the earth's crust and is one of the most active volcanoes on the planet. These faults periodically produce powerful emissions of deep-seated gases, including hydrogen and methane, which, reaching the stratosphere, destroy ozone. The minimum ozone layer is observed over the Ross Sea, where the Erebus volcano is located.

Unusually, the volcano has an outer crater, 100 meters deep and about 650 meters wide, inside which is a smaller crater containing a lake of liquid lava, one of the few "non-healing" lava lakes in the world. In addition to the Antarctic giant, long-lived lakes of liquid lava are found only in the crater of the Kilauea volcano in the Hawaiian Islands and in the crater of the Nyiragongo volcano in Africa. However, the lake of fire among eternal snow and ice makes, without a doubt, a stronger impression. Eruptions inside the lake create "bombs" of lava pieces with a diameter of 6 meters or more, which can land at a distance of up to 1.6 km. The lava of this amazing volcano has a unique composition. The rocks of which the mountains of Kenya are composed, the so-called Kenites, have the same composition, only in a molten state. Erebus is the only active volcano on Earth that spews such magma.

The slopes of the volcano are covered with dots of fumaroles or ice chimneys up to 18 meters high. They form when the inner heat of the mountain melts the snow, forming a cave, and the vapor escaping from there freezes at the moment of contact with the air. Scientists are trying to figure out if these warm ice caves could ever contain life. On smooth boulders of solidified lava, protected by an ice dome from external frosts, moss and algae with the due complex of living creatures are found here and there. The local relict biocenosis is very sensitive, and the caves belong to specially protected areas, and some of them are generally prohibited for third-party visits. Probably, this explains the fact that it was not possible to find photographs on this topic.

First the summit of the volcano was conquered in 1901, by members of the Ernst Shackleton expedition, and the first solo ascent took place only in 1985. Since 1970, the volcano has been monitored, and in 1980 it became permanent, thanks to a network of six seismic stations. From the point of view of science, an important property of the volcano is that its activity is relatively low and surprisingly stable, which makes it possible to study the volcano's mouth from a very close distance. Every year, for about six weeks, from November to January, scientists climb to the summit, to a height of 3,476 m, for active field work.

Glaciers stretch from the volcano to the edges of the island. The Tongue of Erebus glacier varies in thickness from 50 to 300 meters and continues to grow, adding about 160 meters in length each year. The Tongue of Erebus stretches beyond the boundaries of the island, into a bay where it floats in deep water. The frozen waters of Erebus Bay usually melt in summer, and the waves give the edges of the glacier amazing jagged shapes. Broken off parts of the glacier form icebergs. In addition, the waves create caves in the glacier, which are interconnected crevices, covered with snow bridges. These caves attract workers from the nearby McMurdo Station and Scott Base. Those inside talk about stalactite-like icicles on the vaults of the caves, as well as complex ice crystals. Sunlight passing through the ice paints the caves blue.

Unless you are a scientist, it is unlikely that you will end up on Ross Island. Still, there are a small number of cruise ships that visit Antarctica, inquire about their routes. The average temperature here is - 20 ° C in summer and -60 ° C in winter.

November 28, 1979 a passenger plane crashed into the slope of the volcano DC-10 of the New Zealand airline Air New Zealand. The crash of Flight 901 killed 257 people (200 of them were New Zealanders). During the short Antarctic summer, debris can still be clearly seen.

This area of ​​Antarctica attracts researchers from all over the world not only with the active volcano Erebus, the glow above which turned it into a kind of beacon for everyone who swims in the Ross Sea, but also by the fact that nearby, in Victoria Land, was the Earth's South Magnetic Pole. Now its location has shifted to the north, and now the point of the South Pole is in the ocean, near the coast of Antarctica.

PHOTO OF EREBUS VOLCANO IN ANTARCTICA








Which the located on Ross Island... The volcano is a unique combination of fire and ice in the vastness of snow-covered Antarctica. Operating since the 70s of the last century, at the moment it is in a state of volcanic activity. Its last eruption was in 1978. Erebus volcano height is more than 3,000 meters, and it is located as close as possible to the South Pole. It was discovered in 1842 by English forwarders, they also gave him the name of the famous god of disorder and chaos - Erebus.

Ice towers on the Erebus volcano, Antarctica.

The surface of the Erebus volcano is strewn with large ice towers which were formed as a result of steam emission. The Ice Tower is the main attraction of the volcano and Antarctica in general. Due to volcanic activity, the towers gradually change their size, they increase and expand. The most incredible and breathtaking phenomenon appears to a person's gaze. Sometimes it seems that nothing can be more beautiful and majestic than these ice towers in Antarctica. This is the union of two powerful elements and the most incredible natural geological wonder of the world.


Icebergs, thick layers of ice, eternal snow, penguins and polar bears are all associated with Antarctica. There, where is Erebus, always snowy and cold. The presence of fire and heat at the same time in Antarctica is simply impossible to imagine. Nevertheless, this phenomenon exists, and it can rightfully be called one of the wonders of the world. Volcanic activity causes the appearance of steam on the surface of the volcano, the low air temperature in Antarctica forces this steam to freeze without rising high in the air, and freeze to the walls of already high cylindrical ice floes. This is how high ice towers are formed, from which quite large clouds of steam periodically appear. The maximum height of Erebus attractions can reach 20 meters. From some ice towers, steam goes without stopping at all.


Temperature difference erebus volcano and the environment in Antarctica is also the reason for the emergence of many ice caves. At times, these caves release gas vapors containing methane and hydrogen in their chemical composition. These substances have a detrimental effect on the atmosphere, which is why the thinnest ozone layer is observed in this area of ​​the globe.

Given how cold Antarctica, Erebus volcano seems impossible and unbelievable on her. This phenomenon is the only one on our planet, similar ice towers can be found only on planets such as Mars, Neptune, Jupiter, as well as on their satellites. In the crater of the Erebus volcano, there is a large lava lake that is as unique as the entire volcano. The phenomenon of an ice volcano is so unusual and interesting that it involuntarily attracts the attention of both scientists and ordinary lovers of beautiful places. The American Institute of Mining and Technology of the State of New Mexico has established a station in Antarctica to observe the volcano, they study its behavior and control the danger of an eruption.


Also unpleasant incidents are associated with the Erebus volcano. On November 28, 1979, a New Zealand passenger Boeing collided with one of the slopes of the volcano and crashed. There were 257 people on board the plane at that moment, all of them died in the crash.

Travelers who made expeditions to the Erebus volcano in Antarctica, as well as polar explorers who observe the volcano from airplanes, report that “flames are flying out of the volcano,” and the plume of smoke turns purple at night.

The exact coordinates of the Erebus volcano in Antarctica- 72 degrees, 32 minutes south latitude; 162 degrees, 17 minutes east. By the way, there are three more volcanoes on the territory of Ross Island, but they, unlike erebus volcano from his ice towers are not valid.

Photos from open sources

Scientists at the University of Edinburgh, having done a huge research work, recently published a series of materials on behalf of the Geological Society of London, from which follows a disappointing conclusion for our planet: the most dangerous region of the Earth from the point of view of dormant volcanoes is Antarctica. (site)

Under a huge layer of ice on this continent, 47 dormant volcanoes were discovered in the last century, but at the moment, researchers have added 91 more to them - and this is at least since a huge ice shell can hide other volcanic formations. Thus, Antarctica, to the surprise of scientists, ousted from the first place even the East African Volcanic Ridge, which is still considered the most formidable volcanic formation on the planet.

One of the authors of the Antarctic volcanic study, Robert Bingham (Robert Bingham) considers this discovery to be very alarming for our world with its turbulent ecological situation in view of global warming. It is enough even for one of the volcanoes of Antarctica to wake up, as the unstable ice sheet of its western part will begin a massive discharge into the ocean, which can lead to a sharp rise in its water level and flooding of huge coastal areas around the world. And if volcanoes suddenly start working? ..

Photos from open sources

The youngest member of the geological team at the University of Edinburgh, Max Van Wyck de Vries, who is currently while still a student of an educational institution. However, it was he who practically began to implement this project.

A re-analysis of the ice continent was carried out using radars installed on tracked vehicles and aircraft, after which the obtained data were compared with geological information from other aerial surveys and satellites. When extensive data were collected into a single picture and processed into computers, it turned out that there are more than ninety dormant volcanoes in Antarctica, all of them (both old and new) have heights from 100 to 3800 meters and are now covered with ice reaching 4 kilometers in thickness. ... Moreover, all the peaks are concentrated in the western reef system of the mainland, stretching for 3500 kilometers from the Antarctic ice shelf to the Antarctic Peninsula itself.

Photos from open sources

Here's what Robert Bingum has to say about it:

We are simply amazed, because we expected the opposite, that there will be even fewer volcanoes in this icy world, and there are three times more of them here. And they are all concentrated in almost one place - in the western part of Antarctica. Unfortunately, today we have a fear that there may be even more volcanoes at the bottom of the sea, which lies under the enormous Ross Ice Shelf. Therefore, Antarctica, without exaggeration, can be called the most dangerous volcanic region of the Earth. There are much more fire-breathing monsters, albeit sleeping and unnoticed, than in East Africa with the famous volcanoes Kilimanjaro, Nyiragongo, Longonot and so on. Moreover, the eruption of Antarctic volcanoes, if any, will bring the world not just some troubles, but a real disaster - a new Flood.

Volcanoes of Antarctica

There are many volcanoes in Antarctica. Some of them (in particular, those located on the Antarctic islands) have erupted in the last 200 years. Due to the specificity of the climate and the low population of the southern continent, most eruptions took place without human witnesses and were recorded when volcanic activity came to an end, and sometimes in hindsight. Only on the island of Desencion, research stations are located in the zone of one of the volcanoes.

At the top of Mount Melbourne, opposite Ross Island, on the other side of McMurdo Bay, there are active fumaroles - cracks in the earth's crust that eject gas. The combination of steam and freezing temperatures gave rise to many fragile ice columns; in addition, despite the height, a unique bacterial flora has developed around the fumaroles.

In 1893, the Norwegian K.A.Larssen, traveling south on a rare route across the Weddell Sea, recorded that he saw volcanic activity at Sil-Nunatex. For many years this observation was skeptical of geologists, who said that Larsen probably saw the cloud, but recent work has found traces of active fumaroles in the region. A volcanic eruption is always memorable, but the sharp contrast of molten lava and icy snow makes Antarctic eruptions especially spectacular.

James Clark Ross and Francis Crozier, in their ships Erebus and Terror, crossed the pack ice on January 9, 1841 and found themselves in the open water of the Ross Sea. Three days later, they saw a rocky ridge, the peaks of which rose up to 2500 m; it was subsequently named by Ross the Admiralty Ridge. The ships continued to sail south, following the line of the mountains. On January 28, 1841, travelers were struck by the sight of - in the words of Robert McCormick, ship's doctor of the Erebus - "a stunning volcano in an extremely active state." Located north of Ross Island, deep in the Ross Sea, the volcano has been named Mount Erebus, and the smaller, extinct cone to the east is Mount Terror. Erebus is considered the southernmost known active volcano.

In those early days, when the science of geology was experiencing its childhood, an active volcano in the middle of the ice and snow of a frozen continent seemed extremely mysterious. Today geologists are no longer surprised by such phenomena and can easily explain the presence of volcanoes, wherever they appear - climatic conditions in this case are not fundamental. Volcanic rocks are common in Antarctica, although from a geological point of view they are very ancient and represent the product of volcanic activity during those times when the continent did not yet occupy its present polar position.

Volcanic rocks are an important indicator of the movement of continents, useful for determining the routes of ancient movements of continents across the surface of the globe. The geologically young McMurdo Volcanic Region in the Ross Sea region and the associated volcanoes of Mary Byrd Land simply indicate recent continental shifts in Antarctica.

Erebus Volcano - guarding the path to the South Pole - serves as a beacon for all travelers. Climbing the mountain inevitably became one of the goals of early explorers and climbers. During the expedition of Ernest Shackleton on the "Nimrod" in 1907-1909. a group of six people led by 50-year-old Professor Edgeworth David climbed the legendary mountain. On March 10, 1908, they reached a summit with a height of 3794 m and found there a crater with a diameter of 805 m and a depth of 274 m, at the bottom of which there was a pool of molten lava. This lake still exists today, and Erebus is one of three volcanoes showing long-term lava lakes.

In the 1974-1975 season. a geological party from New Zealand descended into the main crater and camped there, but the volcanic activity prevented them from descending into the inner crater. On September 17, 1984, the volcano began to erupt again, throwing out liquefied fire "bombs". Currently, Erebus is still the subject of intensive geological research, but it attracts more than just geologists. Transport ships and planes bound for US McMurdo Station and ships bound for the historic Scott and Shackleton cabins have great views in fine weather. Naturalists, travelers and simply risk-takers cannot resist the urge to photograph a volcano mountain, and in the old days the romantic conquerors of the South Pole felt the need to capture what they saw in the picture. Some of the finest works were by Edward Wilson, a doctor and naturalist on both Scott's expeditions. Botanists are particularly interested in the Tram Ridge, located high on the slopes of the mountain, where rich vegetation has developed in the area of ​​fumaroles on warm soil.

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