ET Scientists find Erebus a cooperative volcano By Josh Landis. The summit of Erebus is more than 12,000 feet high. When James Clark Ross sailed through the uncharted sea in 1841 that would later bear his name, he spied a tall, sloping mountain and called it Mt. Erebus. The smoldering peak must have made an impression, because he named it after the lead ship in his expedition. In the world of volcano research, finding a cooperative subject is difficult.
Active volcanoes can be inaccessible, temperamental, and even dangerous.
Erebus is a rare find that's well-suited to study. Its location 20 minutes from The U.S. National Science Foundation's main Antarctic station, McMurdo, is the least of its unique points. The fact that it's in Antarctica is a red herring. The most unique thing about it is the circulating lava lake in its crater. Most volcanoes erupt, then cool, offering scientists little glimpse of their inner workings.