Active volcano that spews tiny crystals of gold worth $6,000 a day

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.