Mount Erebus
| Mount Erebus | |
|---|---|
Mount Erebus, 1972
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 3,794 m (12,448 ft) |
| Prominence | 3,794 m (12,448 ft) Ranked 34th |
| Isolation | 121 kilometres (75 mi) |
| Listing | Ultra |
| Coordinates | 77°31′47″S 167°09′12″E / 77.52972°S 167.15333°ECoordinates: 77°31′47″S 167°09′12″E / 77.52972°S 167.15333°E |
| Geography | |
 Mount Erebus
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| Location | Ross Island, Antarctica |
| Topo map | Ross Island |
| Geology | |
| Age of rock | 1.3 million years |
| Mountain type | Stratovolcano (composite cone) |
| Last eruption | 1972 to present |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1908 by Edgeworth David and party |
| Easiest route | Basic snow & ice climb |
Mount Erebus (pronunciation: /ˈɛrᵻbəs/) is the second-highest volcano in Antarctica (after Mount Sidley) and the southernmost active volcano on Earth. It is the sixth highest ultra mountain on an island. With a summit elevation of 3,794 metres (12,448 ft), it is located on Ross Island, which is also home to three inactive volcanoes, Mount Terror, Mount Bird, and Mount Terra Nova.
The volcano has been active since c. 1.3 million years ago and is the site of the Mount Erebus Volcano Observatory run by the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology.
Mount Erebus is currently the most active volcano in Antarctica and is the current eruptive zone of the Erebus hotspot. The summit contains a persistent convecting phonolitic lava lake, one of five long-lasting lava lakes on Earth. Characteristic eruptive activity consists of Strombolian eruptions from the lava lake or from one of several subsidiary vents, all within the volcano's inner crater. The volcano is scientifically remarkable in that its relatively low-level and unusually persistent eruptive activity enables long-term volcanological study of a Strombolian eruptive system very close (hundreds of metres) to the active vents, a characteristic shared with only a few volcanoes on Earth, such as Stromboli in Italy. Scientific study of the volcano is also facilitated by their proximity to McMurdo Station (U.S.) and Scott Base (New Zealand), both sited on Ross Island approximately thirty-five kilometres away.
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