Antarctic Volcano Emits $6,000 Worth Of Gold Dust Every Day — But Scientists Say There’s a Catch

A volcano that spits out gold sounds like a dream in the age of capitalism. Mount Erebus is the world’s southernmost active volcano and the second-tallest volcano in Antarctica with a summit reaching 12,448 feet. It is probably the most expensive too. The volcano embedded in the continent’s western ice sheet releases the usual steam, rocks, and specks of gold dust out of its crater regularly. While the gold particles may appear microscopic, the net quantity can make up about 80 grams of the valuable element, estimated to be worth $6000, per a study published in the journal Advancing Earth and Space Sciences. 

The volcanic discharge is loaded with tiny gold crystals that are about 20 micrometers (0.02 millimeters) in diameter. The net total of 80 grams would be of value but that is when mining technologies are advanced enough to tolerate 1000 degrees Celsius of the gas that carries it to the surface before crystallization. The minute particles also travel about 621 miles from the volcano by air, as per the study. Philip Kyle of the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology was in awe of the volcano’s calm nature that contributed to the gold dust formation. “It’s more a geological curiosity than anything else,” the expert told New Scientist suggesting if a potential mining opportunity was possible or not. 

The mountain is one of the only two active volcanoes, the other being Deception Island, out of the 138 discovered in Antarctica, per a report by the University of Leicester. Conor Bacon, a postdoctoral research scientist at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University in New York talked to Live Science about the volcano’s activity over time. Since 1972, Mt. Erebus, apparent from the McMurdo research base on Scott Island, has been “continuously” erupting. Scientists have identified a rare process that allows the surface of Erebus to sustain the molten lava despite the freezing conditions.

"One of its most interesting features is the persistent lava lake that occupies one of [its] summit craters, where molten material is present at the surface," Bacon continued. "These are actually quite rare, as it requires some very specific conditions to be met to ensure the surface never freezes over," the scientist added. It has even spewed massive molten rock boulders, or “volcanic bombs” in the past that confirm its active nature.

Mt. Erebus, which has recently caught mainstream attention, was first discovered by Captain Sir James Clark Ross, naming it after his vessel, in 1841. It took about 130 years for the volcano to become active again and has been since fuming with hot molten lava inside its snowy outer. Other volcanoes in Antarctica are unlikely to erupt but scientists have not been able to predict the active eruptions as well. Reports suggest that scientists face limitations due to a small number of permanent monitoring instruments. “These networks primarily consist of seismometers to detect seismic activity associated with volcanic unrest,” Bacon said. 

The remote location and inaccessibility of the volcanoes influence the frequency of studies conducted. Scientists deploy additional networks of instruments but face the challenge of logistics and other miscellaneous aspects required to further research in those regions. Bacon highlighted the need for sturdy and advanced equipment designed to survive the drastic conditions of the volcanoes and Antarctcia’s polar nights.