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A steaming fumarolic ice tower above "Sauna Cave" at 3,550 meters on Mt. Erebus, Antarctica. Heat from magma (molten rock) in the volcano melts the snow and ice beneath the ice towers forming caves and tunnels. As the air temperatures are typically colder than -30°C the water vapor freezes into towers of ice. At this latitude and altitude, the ice never melts. The towers can grow over 15 meters high until they become unstable and collapse under their own weight or are blown over. Photo was taken near midnight on the week of the last sunset for many months.

Filename
STNMTZ_20051028_RAW6277.tif
Copyright
© 2005 George Steinmetz
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6144x4088 / 71.9MB
www.georgesteinmetz.com
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Antarctica
A steaming fumarolic ice tower above "Sauna Cave" at 3,550 meters on Mt. Erebus, Antarctica. Heat from magma (molten rock) in the volcano melts the snow and ice beneath the ice towers forming caves and tunnels. As the air temperatures are typically colder than -30°C the water vapor freezes into towers of ice. At this latitude and altitude, the ice never melts. The towers can grow over 15 meters high until they become unstable and collapse under their own weight or are blown over. Photo was taken near midnight on the week of the last sunset for many months.

All images ©George Steinmetz. Please contact us for usage.