Antarctica Volcanoes

 

While commonly perceived as a continent of ice, Antarctica harbors a surprising number of volcanoes. The West Antarctic Rift System, a zone of crustal thinning, underlies much of West Antarctica and hosts several active volcanoes. Mount Erebus, a towering stratovolcano on Ross Island, is the world’s southernmost active volcano and boasts a persistent lava lake. Deception Island, within the South Shetland Islands, features a caldera formed by a large eruption. Evidence suggests further volcanic centers may lie concealed beneath the vast Antarctic ice sheets, indicating a potentially greater extent of volcanism than currently recognized.

• Mount Erebus
• Mount Michael