Erebus The Ice Dragon: A portrait of an Antarctic volcano

by Colin Monteath

Overview

Haunting and searingly beautiful, Erebus has attracted explorers, mountaineers, artists and scientists; each drawn to the mountain by their own particular vision or curiosity. The mountain is a truly unique geological phenomenon — an active volcano sheathed in ice, with hundreds of ice caves, huge steaming towers around its summit, and a lava lake. Also, in the minds of many New Zealanders, it is a place of destruction and despair, wrought by a single momentous accident.

Antarctica veteran Monteath weaves history, science, art and adventure into a compelling tale, supported by superb images selected from his lifetime of working and voyaging in the area.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781991016362
Publisher:	Massey University Press
Publication date:	08/10/2023
Pages:	368
Product dimensions:	8.45(w) x 10.05(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Colin Monteath is a widely published polar and mountain photographer and writer based in Christchurch. He has spent 32 seasons in Antarctica, from 1973 to 1983 working as the field operations officer for the New Zealand Antarctic Research Programme at Scott Base with science parties, rescue teams and huskies. In 1978, on his third science expedition to Mount Erebus, he made the first descent into the Inner Crater. As a result of his involvement with the recovery operation after the 1979 air crash on Ross Island, Colin was awarded the Queen’s Service Medal and later the Erebus Medal. In 1982, Colin was the guide during Prince Edward’s visit to Ross Dependency.

Table of Contents

Foreword / Peter Barrett Erebus Son of Chaos 1. Antarctica: Carved by ice, forged in fire 2. ‘Mountains of Madness’ : A continent ringed by fiery islands 3. ‘This Splendid Burning Mountain’ : The discovery of Mount Erebus, 1841 4. ‘Keeper of the Southern Gateway’ : The first ascent of Mount Erebus, 1908 5. ‘Give me Erebus for my friend’ : The second ascent, 1912 6. HMS Pemmican sails on Erebus: The third ascent, 1959, and beyond 7. The heartbeat of Erebus: Probing the defences of the volcano, 1970s 8. ‘No Latitude for Error’ : Reflections on the 1979 Ross Island air crash 9. The darkness beckons: Roger Mear’s solo winter ascent of Erebus, 1985 10. Scrambles in the heart of the Antarctic: An ascent of Erebus from Cape Royds, 1991 11. Tread lightly in a land of extremophiles: The unique microbial world of Erebus 12. The magma and the mantle: Solving the Erebus enigma, 1980– 2016 . . . and beyond 13. Shaping a volcano: Erebus and the artistic imagination / Adele Jackson Erebus chronology Air New Zealand Flight TE901 Glossary Notes Further reading About the author Acknowledgements Index