At just under 4,000 metres above sea level, Mount Erebus is not home to the highest gold deposit on earth – that is an honour which belongs to a gold mine near the Peruvian town of La Rinconada at an altitude of 5,100 metres above sea level. Nevertheless, Mount Erebus, located on Ross Island in Antarctica, has something to offer that is probably unique, at least at this altitude: the gold deposits inside the mountain are brought to the surface without human intervention. Mount Erebus is a volcano that has been continuously active since 1972 and – an absolute rarity – has a permanent lava lake. Gold worth almost ... (full story)