Published by Rosalind on 27 Feb 2009 at 07:15 pm
Antarctic Volcano – Fire and Ice
Mt. Erebus in Antarctica. NASA photos.
This great NASA satellite photo combination shows Mt. Erebus in Antarctica. The small inset photo is a thermal image of the volcano, showing the heat from the lava. The 3794 meter (12,447 feet) volcano is a stratovolcano, made up of layers of hardened ash, rocks from previous eruptions, and solidified lava. It has shown continuous lava lake activity since 1972. Mt. Erebus is named for a figure from Greek mythology; Erebus was the embodiment of darkness, the son of Chaos.
You can find out more about Mt. Erebus and read the journal of John Wood, a California teacher who spent more than a month this winter (the Antarctic summer) helping researchers with seismic experiments at the MEVO (Mt. Erebus Volcano Observatory): MEVO.