Antarctic Volcano Strikes Gold! Discovery Beneath the Ice

30th April, 2024 CHIRANJIT MITRA CHIRANJIT MITRA

Location: Antarctica's Ross Island. It is one of Earth's few continuously active volcanoes. (Source: The New York Post)

[{"selector":"#anim-fc82a2ac-2ae7-4c4c-9e43-b4ab0b21d048 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-31.824218639281277%, 0, 0) translate(-25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3656b6cd-cda6-4915-a1be-9f603491976b","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6d498eea-913b-47ba-bd60-d5750e1b7d92","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Surprise in the Steam

[{"selector":"#anim-8dc2493a-7d22-4776-ba9e-37f3fe241869 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(41.40199296830017%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-dd10f75e-bcb8-4fa0-8a3f-3edd675c5dba","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8dc60899-636f-4981-acc6-de0fc8f92839","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-32952afe-6278-45e9-a972-a4a99bad195b","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-416a8725-99d3-4c21-b5a4-2a56e0545298","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Discovery: Tiny particles of gold are carried upward by volcanic gases and fall as "gold dust." (Source: The New York Post)

How Much Gold?

[{"selector":"#anim-21a26531-ed20-4369-9e2a-8a12a78dff92 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0, 6.466773527959467%, 0)","translate3d(0, 0%, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-84218e82-b95b-451f-862c-b1ad39077b78","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-25aee31a-f6a4-4017-9f54-ec0f2bd2c786","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-47623b8a-1f15-4278-978b-f0622f1d5c9b","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-88e5023c-7b39-467e-be16-3d15ff9fa893","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] The Estimate: Up to 80 grams of gold spewed out daily. It adds up over time! (Source: The New York Post)

Origin of the Gold

[{"selector":"#anim-c339ef6d-ea10-44b7-a38d-89528443c96c [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(23.088441935048415%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-de4abc8c-7ae9-482f-9ab5-783e7c0a7d11","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-52909b07-76c2-4574-ad25-762149049c9f","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5546828c-77f9-44cb-86f6-a082eeeaace2","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2b7114d1-86e3-48be-aafa-55c1144d05cf","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] The Theory: Gold likely comes from deep within the Earth, brought up by magma. (Source: The New York Post)

Mining Potential?

[{"selector":"#anim-cd290a71-e3b5-43e4-8d0e-a728fa32f7c0 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(1.2474042829164795%, -2.7529041256697457%) scale(0.9433962264150944)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-56763880-813d-4577-8df9-011f922a6408","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-82eb0c8f-23b8-4ea2-9217-a22d2426ec2f","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4eb6e523-e86f-476f-bb23-b33824e4ab6d","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-937a79ee-79c8-48e7-afdb-ed6360827155","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Challenge : Not really. Conditions are extreme, and it's harmful to disturb this fragile environment. (Source: The New York Post)

Why it Matters

[{"selector":"#anim-04611837-e0a8-494f-a54d-4fbc7888a40e [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0, 1.526180917557509%, 0)","translate3d(0, 0%, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0fa81ead-4549-42f7-a49c-bd034d43fa2c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-edc93ff0-ed03-49b8-be1e-2e553c5ff4c3","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ed087290-b234-4bcb-959f-4a72dfaebfb6","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0266c3c4-57df-45dc-8b52-9688b0228b40","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Insight: Helps us understand how volcanoes and the Earth's deep systems work. (Source: The New York Post)

Antarctic Wonders

[{"selector":"#anim-d65effe5-ec51-4dd4-809e-9e21ac3ea696 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(12.306082233613449%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-525f4b05-0a89-4c37-9e92-1ee1301494fc","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-92aad60d-cd26-44af-a6e4-173cc7aadf8a","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-aa3b6c99-9555-458e-b0e5-4cba1989e1d0","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-728e5b8c-83ec-4510-a457-7f132fc1b0b0","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Reminder: Antarctica hides amazing geological secrets, even those with a touch of glitter!