what was mount erebus named after
Sir James Clark Ross, a British naval officer and explorer, discovered Mt. Erebus during an eruption on January 27, 1841. He named it and a nearby volcano after his two ships, Erebus and Terror. Mt. Erebus is the largest active volcano and the second tallest volcano on Antarctica, with a summit elevation of 3,795 meters (12,451 feet). It is the highest point on Ross Island, home to both the U.S.-operated McMurdo Station and New Zealandâs main research station, Scott Base.