Mount Erebus on Ross Island is the southernmost active volcano on Earth and hosts one of the few long‑lived lava lakes in the world
Main claim
Mount Erebus is an active volcano located on Ross Island in Antarctica. It is the most southerly volcano with confirmed ongoing activity and is notable for maintaining a persistent lava lake within its summit crater.
Location and elevation
Erebus stands on Ross Island in the Ross Sea sector of Antarctica and reaches an elevation of about 3,794 metres, making it one of the tallest volcanic edifices on the continent.
Lava lake
One of Erebus’s distinguishing features is its long‑lived convecting lava lake. Persistent magma convection and gas emissions keep the lake active and make Erebus a rare natural laboratory for studying open‑vent magmatic systems.
Activity and history
Erebus has exhibited continuous or recurrent activity during the modern observational era, including strombolian explosions, gas emissions, and periodically eruptive behaviour. These phenomena have been monitored by geologists and volcanologists for decades.
Interaction with ice
Because Erebus sits in a polar environment, volcanic heat and gases interact with snow and ice to form features like fumarolic ice towers and sublimation terraces, but the summit and crater remain largely free of permanent ice due to the volcano’s thermal regime.
Scientific significance
Mount Erebus provides valuable insights into magmatic processes, volcanic gas chemistry, and conduit dynamics under cold‑climate conditions. Its accessibility relative to other Antarctic volcanoes has made it a focal point for field studies.
Conclusion
In summary, there is indeed an active volcano beneath the Antarctic environment: Mount Erebus on Ross Island is an active, well‑studied volcano notable for its persistent lava lake and its interactions with the surrounding ice and atmosphere.