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Science: Antarctic gold dust
- 07 September 1991 by JEFF HECHT , Boston
- Magazine issue 1785.
"Although other volcanoes are known to emit gold, Mount Erebus is the only one to emit it in metallic form, posing a puzzle for geologists. No one will get rich from Mount Erebus, however, because it releases only 80 grams of gold a day. 'It's more a geological curiosity than anything else,' says Philip Kyle of the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro. But many gold deposits originate in volcanic rock, so if geologists understand how volcanoes can concentrate the metal, they may be better able to locate gold deposits (Geophysical Research Letters, vol 18, p 1405).
"Lava from Mount Erebus emits hot gas, which carries gold together with other materials which are volatile at 1000 °C. On contact with the air, the gas cools to under 100 °C, precipitating many materials, including metals such as zinc and copper. This occurs within a metre or two of the hot lava. The gas itself contains too little gold to form crystals in the air, says Kyle. He suggests instead that the gold may crystallise at the crusty surface of the lava as the gas emerges.
"Gas is emitted fairly slowly at Mount Erebus, so the particles could grow for minutes or hours before the gas carries them into the atmosphere. According to Kyle's theory, there would not be time for gold particles to grow at the surface of other volcanoes, such as Mount Kilauea in Hawaii and Mount Etna in Italy, because they release their gas more violently."
Another Answer
The gold is traced by scientists to determine wind patterns, since when the gold settles on the ice, the ice melts, highlighting the wind's patterns.
What else can I help you with?
Coned-shaped mountains that spew out lava or gas?
Those are likely volcanoes, which are formed when magma from beneath the Earth's crust erupts onto the surface. The lava and gas that spew out are a result of the intense pressure building up within the volcano.
What types of lava erupts from kilauea volcano?
Pahoehoe lava comes out of the Kilauea volcano. Hope I helped. But hey, do you know any other volcanoes that spew pahoehoe? Need help on homework. Answer it!
Where is gold located in Antarctica?
Ninety-eight percent of Antarctic is covered with an ice sheet. Mining and other resource extraction activities are not allowed south of 60 degrees S, according to the Antarctic Treaty. The volcano, Mt Erebus, however, does spew gold flecks in its eruption ash. Scientists trace the trail of these flecks to confirm the path of wind on the continent. The gold flecks are easy to spot, because the sun warms them, which melts the ice where they land. This pock-marked patterning is what's visible to scientists. This gold is not recoverable, because of the treaty.
What are cone shaped mountains that spew out lava or gas?
Cone shaped mountains that spew out lava or gas are called volcanoes. They form when molten rock (magma) from within the Earth's crust is forced to the surface through vents and erupts explosively or effusively. Volcanoes can be found in various locations around the world and are associated with tectonic plate boundaries.
What actors and actresses appeared in Spew - 2009?
The cast of Spew - 2009 includes: Frank Huckingbush as Spew
Why are volcano's bad?
Because they spew lava and ash everywhere, which means that it would destroy property and vegetation. Volcanoes also create a poisonous gas for humans called carbon monoxide.
How explosively or quietly a volcano erupts is not affected by?
If a volcano erupts more explosively, the lava spewing out tends to reach farther, possibly ruining a near by town. If it erupts more quietly, not as much lava tends to spew out. However, any eruption will cause harm to the atmosphere because it releases harmful pollutants.
How explosively or quietly a volcano erupts is not affected by the?
If a volcano erupts more explosively, the lava spewing out tends to reach farther, possibly ruining a near by town. If it erupts more quietly, not as much lava tends to spew out. However, any eruption will cause harm to the atmosphere because it releases harmful pollutants.
Is spew an onomatopoeia?
It can be argued whether or not spew is an onomatopoeia, but most will agree it is not. The definition of spew is to expel large quantities of something forcibly. Spew can be used to describe vomiting and puking. Onomatopoeia is used to describe a word that sounds like what it means. Such as the word buzz.
Does Mount St Helens spew pahoehoe pillow Aa or Blocky lava?
Mount St. Helens mainly produces blocky lava (andesitic) during its eruptions. However, the volcano has also had episodes where it spewed pahoehoe lava due to changes in eruptive style.
When do volcanoes spew out magma?
when they are exploding
How do you make coke spew?
You shake it!!
