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December 26, 2014

Ice cave on Mount Erebus

An ice cave on Mount Erebus, a volcano on Ross Island, Antarctica, takes on an ethereal blue glow from light shining through the ice. Geothermal processes such as the venting of gas and heat from the volcano's magma chamber form fumaroles and ice caves around its flanks. Mount Erebus boasts a rare lava lake.

More about this image
The National Science Foundation runs the U.S. Antarctic Program (USAP). In addition to maintaining three U.S. research stations on the continent, USAP supports research projects in an array of scientific disciplines including aeronomy and astrophysics, biology and medicine, geology and geophysics, glaciology, and ocean and climate systems. Outreach such as the Antarctic Artists and Writers program and education programs are also supported. For more information about USAP, visit the program's website. (Date of Image: December 2010)

Credit: Peter Rejcek, NSF

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