Geophysical research has revealed that Mount Erebus in the Antarctic is bursting with gold worth Rs. 18.9 crores annually. According to a 1991 survey, the Erebus volcano near Ross Island is spewing 80 grams of gold particles into the air every day. Scientists have found that gases released from this volcanic lava are carrying tiny particles of pure gold. They travel up to 1,000 kilometers before settling on the Antarctic ice, he said.
Using an electron microscope, the scientists said they identified these gold crystals, which have a diameter of up to 60 micrometers. The volcano is said to be spewing pure gold micro-crystals into the atmosphere along with lava. Scientists claim that finding gold in hot volcanic gases is not completely unusual. A small amount of gold has also been found at volcanoes such as Kilauea in Hawaii, Mount Etna in Italy, Augustine in Alaska and El Chichon in Mexico.
