A volcano located on the Antarctic Peninsula. Volcano Erebus in Antarctica. Ice towers on Mount Erebus, Antarctica

Antarctica is a continent, and one of the best evidence of this is that the thickness of the earth's crust here is much greater than under the ocean floor. Geologically, it is a rigid platform block surrounded by folded systems of different ages. Under the load of the ice sheet, the earth's crust in the area of the ice sheet bent by 800-1000 meters. In the marginal parts of the continent, manifestations of modern volcanism are observed. World Famous active volcano Erebus, on the slopes of which geysers shoot out from under the snow and ice.

Geysers, or hot springs, are common in many places around the world. Giant geysers are known in Kamchatka, in North America, V Yellowstone Park, in Iceland and a number of other places. One of the distinctive features of Central Antarctica is that the continuous ice cover here is nowhere broken by bedrock outcrops. Based on the latest data, scientists have concluded that the earth's crust in the Antarctic region has caved in under the enormous weight of ice, a cubic kilometer of which weighs about 900 million tons.

Currently, most researchers are of the opinion that if the glaciers of Antarctica, the weight of which bent the earth's crust, melt, then the crust will straighten again and the surface level of the bedrock will rise by an average of 800 meters. A study of all sections of the East Antarctic glacier shows that the depth of most of the depressions of the bed does not exceed 400 meters below sea level. This means that with such a rise in the bedrock of Antarctica, all of it will be above sea level.

We often hear the question: what is Antarctica now - a continent or an archipelago?

Most active volcano Antarctica - Erebus. Based on gravimetric data, it has been established that the thickness of the earth's crust under Antarctica is several times greater than under the surrounding seas. The same thickening of the earth's crust is characteristic of other continents of the globe. It is now clear that in the past it was a continent, which later “sank” under the pressure of ice. Did Antarctica remain a continent? A very definite answer can be given to this question: yes, Antarctica is still a continent. The mechanism of a geyser eruption is due to the fact that in its channel, which goes to great depths, in its bends and elbows under the pressure of steam from boiling water, from time to time a breakthrough occurs, accompanied by emissions of water and steam.

Fig.1. Volcano Erebus

In Antarctica, in addition to the Erebus area, the hot springs on the Heard and Kerguelen islands are well known. Since most of Antarctica is covered with a thick shell of ice, it is possible that in other areas there are also geysers hidden from us by the ice sheet. One of the interesting features of the mysterious continent is aseismicity. Until now, not a single seismic station has registered a single earthquake epicenter over the ice sheet. This is a very strange phenomenon, considering that the earth's crust in the Antarctic region experiences heavy loads and moves up and down as the glacier's mass decreases and increases.

James Clark Ross and Francis Crozier, on their ships Erebus and Terror, broke the pack ice on January 9, 1841 and found themselves on the open water of the Ross Sea. Three days later they saw a ridge whose peaks rose to 2,500 m, which Ross called the Admiralty Ridge. The ships continued to sail south, following the line of the mountains, and on January 28, 1841, travelers were struck by the sight of, in the words of Robert McCormick, the ship's surgeon on the Erebus, "a stunning volcano in an extremely active state." The volcano was named Mount Erebus, and the smaller, extinct cone to the east was named Mount Terror.

In those ancient days, when the science of geology was in its infancy, an active volcano in the midst of the ice and snow of a frozen continent seemed extremely mysterious. Today's geologists are no longer surprised by such phenomena and can easily explain the presence of volcanoes wherever they appear; The climate is not important here. Generally speaking, volcanic rocks are common in Antarctica, although they are mostly very old, from a geological point of view, and represent the product of volcanic activity from a time before the continent occupied its present polar position.

Volcanic rocks are an important indicator of continental movement, useful in 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 Mary Baird Land volcanoes simply indicate recent continental shifts in Antarctica.

Fig.2. Vulcan Terror

Mount Erebus on Ross Island serves as a beacon for all travelers in these places. Climbing the mountain inevitably became one of the goals of early explorers and climbers. During Ernest Shackleton's Nimrod expedition of 1907-1909, a group of six men led by fifty-year-old Professor Edgeworth David climbed the mountain. They reached the 3,794m summit on March 10, 1908. There they discovered a crater with a diameter of 805 m and a depth of 274 m, at the bottom of which there was a lake of molten lava. This lake still exists today, and Erebus is one of three volcanoes that exhibit long-lasting lava lakes.

In the 1974-1975 season, a geological party from New Zealand descended into the main crater and set up camp there, but the activity of the volcano prevented them from descending into the inner crater. On September 17, 1984, the volcano began to erupt again, throwing out volcanic bombs. It continues to be the subject of intense geological research.

Mount Erebus attracts more than just geologists. Modern researchers cannot resist the urge to photograph it in all its forms, and early researchers felt the need to capture it on paper in watercolor. Some of best works belonged to the brushes of Edward Wilson, a doctor and naturalist who participated in both Scott expeditions. Botanists are particularly interested in the Tramway Ridge, located high on the slopes of the mountain, where rich vegetation has developed in the area of fumaroles on warm soil.

Antarctica has many volcanoes: some of them, especially the Antarctic island volcanoes, have erupted in the last 200 years. Many of the eruptions occurred without witnesses and were recorded when volcanic activity came to an end, and sometimes after the fact, because the region is sparsely populated. Only on Decención Island are stations located in the volcano's affected area. At the top of Mount Melbourne, located opposite Ross Island, on the other side of McMurdo Sound, there are active fumaroles. The combination of steam and freezing temperatures created many fragile ice columns; in addition, despite the height, a unique bacterial flora has developed around the fumaroles. In 1893, Norwegian K. A. Larsen, traveling south along a rare route through the Weddell Sea, recorded seeing volcanic activity at Seal Nunatex. For many years this observation was viewed with skepticism by geologists who said he must have seen a cloud, but recent work has found traces of active fumaroles in the region, so perhaps Larsen was right after all. A volcanic eruption is always impressive, but the stark contrast of molten lava and icy snow makes Antarctic eruptions especially impressive.

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 small population of the southern continent, most eruptions occurred without human witnesses and were recorded when volcanic activity came to an end, and sometimes retroactively. Only on Desencion Island are research stations located in the area of one of the volcanoes.

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

In 1893, Norwegian K. A. Larsen, traveling south along a rare route through the Weddell Sea, recorded seeing volcanic activity at Seal Nunatex. For many years the sighting was viewed with skepticism by geologists who said Larsen must have seen a cloud, but recent work has found traces of active fumaroles in the region. A volcanic eruption always produces unforgettable experience, but the stark contrast of molten lava and icy snow makes Antarctic eruptions especially spectacular.

James Clark Ross and Francis Crozier, on their ships Erebus and Terror, broke the pack ice on January 9, 1841 and found themselves on the open water of the Ross Sea. Three days later they saw a rocky ridge, the peaks of which rose to 2500 m; it was subsequently named Admiralty Ridge by Ross. 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, the ship's surgeon on the Erebus - "a stunning volcano in an extremely active state." Located north of Ross Island, in the interior of the Ross Sea, the volcano was named "Mount Erebus", and the smaller, extinct cone to the east was named "Mount Terror". Erebus is considered the southernmost known active volcano.

In those ancient days, when the science of geology was in its infancy, an active volcano in the midst 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 important. Volcanic rocks are often found in Antarctica, although from a geological point of view they are very ancient and represent the product of volcanic activity from times when the continent did not yet occupy its modern polar position.

Volcano Erebus - 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 Ernest Shackleton's expedition on the Nimrod in 1907–1909. a group of six people led by 50-year-old Professor Edgeworth David climbed legendary mountain. On March 10, 1908, they reached a peak with a height of 3794 m and discovered a crater with a diameter of 805 m and a depth of 274 m, at the bottom of which there was a lake of molten lava. This lake still exists today, and Erebus is one of three volcanoes that exhibit long-lasting lava lakes.

During the 1974–1975 season. A geological party from New Zealand descended into the main crater and set up camp there, but the activity of the volcano 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 continues to be the subject of intensive geological research, but it attracts not only geologists. From transport ships and aircraft heading to the American McMurdo Station, and ships heading to the historic Scott and Shackleton houses, in good weather there are magnificent views. Naturalists, travelers and simply risk-takers cannot resist the urge to photograph the volcano mountain, and in the old days, romantic conquerors South Pole felt the need to capture what they saw in the picture. Some of the best work was by Edward Wilson, a doctor and naturalist who participated in both of Scott's expeditions. Botanists are particularly interested in the Tramway 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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Erebus is a great name for a volcano. IN Greek mythology Erebus was the son of the god 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. Mount Erebus is the southernmost volcano on Earth and the most active in Antarctica. It contains a lake of red-hot lava with a temperature of 900 degrees Celsius - this is a circulating pool of magma over a kilometer deep, one of five similar ones existing on the planet

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

Mount Erebus 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 areas surrounding the volcano were named Ross Island, in honor of the discoverer

One of the most important features of this volcano is that it is always active. This is why the Mount Erebus Volcano Observatory (MEVO) is located here, as it is an ideal site for volcanologists. Instead of lying dormant and then erupting spectacularly once every 100 years, like many other volcanoes, Erebus is always on and bubbling.

This place is also infamous for a tragic plane crash. During an excursion flight, a New Zealand plane fell into thick clouds and crashed into the slope of a 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 canceled his trip at the last moment. Traces of this disaster are still visible on the slope of Erebus, and the unidentified remains of the victims are buried at Waikumete Memorial Cemetery in West Oakland. New Zealand, where a memorial wreath is laid annually

Active volcano found under Antarctic ice

Research confirms that its eruption will accelerate the melting of ice on the continent and raise sea levels

An impressive sight in the Antarctic landscape, the peak of Mount Erebus casts a long shadow over the Ross Sea. Mount Erebus is one of the most active volcanoes in Antarctica and one of the few in the world with a permanent lake of molten lava in its crater.

And here's the discovery new powerful volcano under a thick layer of ice continent. Scientists say that its eruption could accelerate the process of melting the ice shell of Antarctica and raising the level of the world's seas.

The discovery of a new volcano was quite accidental. In January 2010, scientists installed a batch of seismometers (earthquake sensors) on Marie Byrd Land in the mountainous region of West Antarctica. The instruments recorded two series of very weak earthquakes ranging from 0.8 to 2.1 magnitude - one in 2010, and the other a year later, in 2011.

The shaking has been observed at depths of approximately 15 to 25 miles (25 to 40 kilometers), close to the boundary between the crust and the mantle, and much deeper than normal earthquakes occurring in the Earth's crust.

The depth at which the earthquakes occurred, as well as their low frequency, indicates that these could be so-called Deep earthquakes, which, as a rule, are a consequence of the movement of volcanic masses. Most scientists believe that there is movement of magma that causes pressure fluctuations in faults within volcanic and hydrothermal systems. In fact, there is no longer a question of whether a volcanic eruption will occur. The question is - when? And what will happen in this case?

The volcano is covered with more than a kilometer of ice, and will even such a strong eruption be able to disturb the surface? There is no direct answer yet. But what is clear is that the ultra-high temperature of an erupting volcano can increase melting at the base of the glacier, and the meltwater can act as a lubricant that will cause the underlying ice to slide into the ocean, which, although not by much, will increase its level. Although, of course, there is no talk yet that this eruption could melt the ice sheet and cause a catastrophic rise in sea level. However, some scientists, such as Douglas Vance, a professor of planetary Earth sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, have not ruled out a scenario in which millions of gallons of melted water rush into the area below the glacier to the sea and create one of the main flows that dumping ice from Antarctica into the Ross Ice Shelf.

When the sailing ships Erebus and Terror approached a continuous strip of ice, members of the expedition saw a high white cone far to the south, above which clouds of smoke rose. Captain James Ross was confident that he had found Antarctica, but it was still only a volcanic island.

The southernmost and most active volcano in Antarctica

Erebus is the second highest and most active volcano in Antarctica. Higher is only the extinct Sidley (4285 m) on Mary Byrd Land.

Erebus is not located on the continental part of Antarctica, but on the large (2460 km 2) Ross Island, and this is not the only volcano on it. The island is generally lucky with volcanoes: in addition to Erebus, it contains the extinct shield Terror (3230 m) about a million years old and a couple of lower volcanoes - Terra Nova (2130 m) and Bird (1765 m).

Mount Erebus is an intraplate volcano that belongs to the McMurdo Volcanic Group, part of the West Antarctic Rift System. Magma beneath Erebus rises from the upper mantle at a rate of about 6 cm/year.

The basis of the volcano is made up of volcanic rocks: basalt, trachyte, phonolite and tuff. On top they are covered with glaciers that go down to the ocean. The largest tongue is from 50 to 300 m thick. Approaching the shore, it sinks into the water and rests on its surface: in this place it is quite deep. In summer, the ice melts and broken parts of the glacier form icebergs. Waves also break through caves in the glacier, where the temperature is about 0°C and the humidity is 100%, which contributes to the formation of huge icicles similar to stalactites and large ice crystals.

The most famous of these ice cavities has its own name - Warren Cave, created by vapor from the volcano. Its bottom is wet, soft soil and rocks, and its walls are ice. Researchers say that in its depths there is pitch darkness, and when they turn on the flashlights, the black walls turn into a multi-colored kaleidoscope of flying sparks.

The crater of the volcano is a caldera with a diameter of about a kilometer, in which there are constantly active fumaroles and geysers. At its bottom there is a crater of a smaller diameter about a kilometer deep, and in it there is a lake of molten lava. Erebus is one of several volcanoes on Earth whose lake of molten kenite (a type of phonolite) has existed for quite a long time - several decades. Erebus is the only active volcano on Earth that erupts kenite magma with a temperature of +900°C; this rock in a solid state is also found in the mountains of Kenya (hence the name).

The underground source of magma that supplies it to the crater of the Erebus volcano was common to all other volcanoes of the island, which are now extinct. It is a magma lake with a diameter of up to 300 km, located at a depth of about 200 km. Below it takes the form of a vertical channel, descending to a depth of 400 km.

According to the nature of the eruption, Erebus is classified as a “Strombolian” type, named after the volcano in the Tirenian Sea. This means that a slow eruption lasts continuously, the volcano remains constantly ready for a stronger, but shorter eruption. The last one was observed in 2011.

During eruptions, clouds of steam are observed, accompanied by rare emissions of ash and volcanic bombs with a diameter of up to 10 m, which fall around Erebus within a radius of one and a half kilometers. At the moments of eruption, gushing geysers also manifest themselves. In this case, lava is ejected from a lake or one of several vents within the inner crater of the volcano, and the lava remains inside the caldera and does not spill out beyond its boundaries.

Erebus is located at the intersection of faults in the earth's crust, from which, according to volcanologists, powerful emissions of deep gases, including hydrogen and methane, periodically occur. Reaching the stratosphere, they destroy the ozone layer, which is why its minimum thickness is observed precisely above where the Erebus volcano is located.

These bright natural disasters look very picturesque against the backdrop of the ice shell of Antarctica. And they are not at all afraid of the colony of half a million Adélie penguins living on the ice of Ross Island.

A thorough study of the unique volcano is facilitated by its relative proximity to the main Antarctic scientific stations of the USA (McMurdo) and New Zealand (Scott Bays), which are located about 35 km away from it.

Volcano discovery

“A stunning volcano in an extremely active state,” is how the ship’s doctor for the James Ross expedition described it. Subsequently, it turned out that Erebus is capable of not only causing delight, but also inspiring horror.

This volcano first appeared to human eyes on January 27, 1841, when two sailing ships approached the shores of the island on which it is located (this was the last long-distance polar expedition to exclusively sailing ships) English expedition led by James Clark Ross (1800-1862). Ross commanded the ship "Erebus", officer Francis Crozier (1796-1848) commanded the ship "Terror". This was the famous British Antarctic expedition of 1839-1843.

Ross happened to arrive on the shores of the island on that rather rare day when Erebus erupted. Having seen two huge ice mountains, Ross did not think long about what names to give them, naming them in honor of his ships, battered by the Antarctic waves, but faithfully serving. And he put the names of the volcanoes Erebus and Terror on the map.

James Ross considered the island part of the mainland due to its continuous ice cover. Therefore, he depicted it on the map connecting to the continental area - Victoria Land. Only in 1901 did the English explorer Robert Scott (1868-1912) establish that this was an island. He named the sea off the coast of Antarctica and the island after the discoverer, James Ross.

The first ascent of Erebus was made by members of the British expedition of Ernest Shackleton (1874-1922), whose goal was to reach the geographic South Pole. Shackleton did not reach the Pole: the expedition turned out to be poorly prepared, and he was forced to turn around, only 180 km short of reaching the goal. But even before that, he decided to conquer the top of the volcano before the polar night began. Shackleton himself did not climb Erebus; six of his men, who had no experience in climbing mountains, went. Surprisingly, but true: in a few days they reached the top, spent four hours on it, and made some scientific measurements. They went down quickly: people simply slid down the icy slopes, as if from a children's slide. The adventure was a success: everyone survived, although they were barely alive from hunger and frostbite. How much all this looked like a miracle is evidenced by the fact that the first solo ascent of Erebus was made only in 1985.

From a scientific point of view, Erebus volcano has a number of advantages for scientists: due to the fact that it is relatively low and has been continuously active since 1972, long-term seismological studies can be carried out close to the crater. Every year from November to January, scientists climb to the top for active field work.

There is life in the caldera of Erebus itself. The slopes of the volcano are covered with fumaroles, which in Antarctic conditions take the form of ice pipes about 20 m high, sticking out here and there across the entire surface of the crater. The internal heat of the mountain melts the snow and ice, forming a “chimney”, and the steam escaping from there freezes upon contact with the air. Here, on the smooth surface of solidified lava, covered with ice from frost, there is a relict biocenosis: moss and algae with microorganisms. “Chimneys” are specially protected areas; only scientists are allowed here.

On November 28, 1979, the silence of Ross Island was disturbed by something other than a volcanic explosion. New Zealand Airlines Flight 901 carried passengers exploring the beauty of Antarctica, including Erebus. These flights have been carried out for two years. This time, in foggy conditions, the DC-10 plane crashed into the slope of the volcano. The disaster killed 257 people. The unidentified remains of the victims are buried at the Waikumete Memorial Cemetery in West Oakland, New Zealand. When the short Antarctic summer arrives, aircraft wreckage appears from under the snow...

General information

Location : Ross Island, Ross Sea, western Antarctica.
Coordinates: 77°32′00″ S w. 167°17′00″ E. long / 77.533333° S w. 167.283333° E. d.
Type: stratovolcano.
Status: active.
Open: 1841
First ascent : 1908
Last eruption : 2011
Nearest Antarctic stations : McMurdo (USA), Scott Bays (New Zealand).

Numbers

Height: 3794 m.
Crater: diameter - 805 m, depth - 274 m.
Age: 1.3 million years.

Climate and weather

Antarctic sea.
Average January temperature : -3°C.
Average temperature in July : -27°C.
Average annual precipitation : about 100 mm.
Average annual relative humidity : 60-80%.

Attractions

Natural

Volcanoes Terror, Terra Nova and Bird
Glaciers and ice caves
Caldera
Lava lake
Fumaroles - “chimneys”
Adelie penguin colony

Historical

Robert Scott's Hut (Cape Evans, 1910-1913)
Memorial Cross to the Deceased Members of the British Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition (Cape Evans, 1916)

Curious facts

Ross's ship was named after Erebus, the ancient Greek god, son of Chaos and personification of the Eternal Darkness. From Erebus himself came the gods of Death (Thanatos), Retribution (Nemesis), Strife (Eris), as well as Charon, the carrier of the souls of dead people to Hades across the River of Oblivion (Lethe). The name of the second ship "Terror" translated from Latin means fear or horror. By naming their ships this way, sailors defied the elements. In the case of these two ships, the elements prevailed. In 1845, while making an expedition in search of the Northwest Passage from the Atlantic to Pacific Ocean, both ships went missing, and with them the participant in the discovery of Erebus, Captain Crozier. The remains of the Erebus ship were found only in 2014, and the Terror in 2016.

Ross Island and, accordingly, the Erebus volcano located on it are part of the Ross territory, which is claimed by New Zealand. “Ross Dependent Territory” is a sector of the Antarctic, transferred by Great Britain to the administration of the Kingdom of New Zealand in 1923. The Queen of New Zealand is Elizabeth II, but the “kingdom” itself has a purely symbolic status, designed to emphasize the historical and spiritual closeness of the metropolis and former colony. In 1961, the Antarctic Treaty signed by New Zealand came into force, according to which the country formally renounced its claims to this sector. Among the countries that have reserved the right to make such claims are Peru, Russia, the USA and South Africa.

The ships of the James Ross expedition belonged to the class of so-called “bombers”: during their construction, the main attention was paid to strength, so that the recoil from firing from heavy mortar bombers would not loosen the ship’s fastenings. This design of the ship helped withstand the extreme pressure of pack ice, but the side was still reinforced with an additional layer of “ice” plating.

On the same island of Ross where Erebus is located, the Church of the Snows was built in 1956: a non-denominational Christian church. Her condition is being monitored by the staff of the American Antarctic station McMurdo. And today it remains the southernmost religious building in the world. Catholic masses are celebrated by a visiting prelate from New Zealand, Protestant services are led by a chaplain from the US Air National Guard. In the same building, rituals of Mormons, Buddhists, Bahais, etc. are held.