Volcano of the Week #12 - Mount Erebus

This volcano was an answer on University Challenge this week (an episode I am yet to watch) which according to my muumy is a good enough reason to for it to be volcano of the week.

Being in Antarctica, Erebus is the most southerly active volcano, it has been constantly active since 1972 and was also active on discovery in 1841 by Henry Peake. The volcano was named after Peake's ship which is named after the Greek God, who represented all darkness and shadow (the child of chaos and darkness).  It wasn't until 1908 that its peak was climbed by Ernest Shackleton, I'm sure avid google logo fans will know it was his birthday a few days ago. The volcano is similar to Etna in some respects as they are both stratovolcanoes with stratocones and eruptions tend to be strombolian. The volcano is 3,794 m high, its phonolitic lava lake is among the longest lasting on Earth and Erebus crystals can be found on its slopes. 

 Penguin and a volcano!

Once again we find a link between volcanoes and air disasters however this time not due to pyroclastic debris in the air (or natures sandblaster). On a sightseeing flight from New Zealand over Antarctica a plane crashed into the volcano and all 257 people on the plane were killed. The crash was due to the coordinates of the flight being changed and the crew not being told (or something similar). The recovery and identification of the bodies was a particularly distressing ordeal. 

Volcano of the week always ends being quite a sad feature I would try and rectify it but it is really the nature of volcanoes.