The second image uses just thermal infrared wavelengths and reveals where the landscape is warmer (bright white) or cooler (black). The top image is built from a combination of infrared, red, and green wavelengths of light. On December 31, 2013, the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired images of the western end of Ross Island in mid-summer. Mount Erebus is thought to be the southernmost active volcano in the world. At least one lava lake has churned within its caldera since 1972. It regularly emits plumes of gas and steam, and occasionally spits out rock (bombs) in strombolian eruptions. The volcano sits above a thin slice of crust, so molten rock more easily rises up from Earth’s interior.
Erebus is still active, providing a rare bit of warmth in an extremely cold environment. Standing just off the coast of West Antarctica, Ross Island was built by the activity of four volcanoes. Near Mount Erebus, the water is frozen but the rock is liquid.
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