Power Generation on Mount Erebus

The vast majority of all power consumed on Mt. Erebus, whether it be for remote seismic station or for daily living in the lower Erebus hut, is produced from wind and solar energy. All seismic stations and the lower Erebus hut also have large banks of batteries (Absorbant Glass Mat or Gel Cell) that are charged predominantly by solar panels in the austral summer and wind generators in the austral winter. The distribution of the electricity at each site requires sophisticated electronics to control incoming and outgoing charge. These pages look at some of the power generation sites and people working on them.

Original power station at Nausea Knob (for video power).
 One of the wind generator towers at the Truncated Cones seismic station.
 Bill McIntosh testing a power distribution box at the Ray's Shoulder seismic station.
Original power station at Nausea Knob (for video power).
One of the wind generator towers at the Truncated Cones seismic station.
Bill McIntosh testing a power distribution box at the Ray's Shoulder seismic station.
A power control box at one of the Erebus seismic stations.
 Battery boxes at the E1 seismic site.
 Bill McIntosh and Rich Esser hooking up batteries at the Truncated Cones seismic station.
A power control box at one of the Erebus seismic stations.
Battery boxes at the E1 seismic site.
Bill McIntosh and Rich Esser hooking up batteries at the Truncated Cones seismic station.
Rich Karstens and Mario Ruiz installing batteries at the Truncated Cones seismic station.
 Rich Esser servicing battery banks at the Abbott Peak seismic station.
 A solar panel at the E1 seismic station.
Rich Karstens and Mario Ruiz installing batteries at the Truncated Cones seismic station.
Rich Esser servicing battery banks at the Abbott Peak seismic station.
A solar panel at the E1 seismic station.
The 'Mac-Z' seismic station solar panels and antennas.
 The Abbott Peak seismic station.
 Bill McIntosh making sure the blades of a wind generator spin.
The 'Mac-Z' seismic station solar panels and antennas.
The Abbott Peak seismic station.
Bill McIntosh making sure the blades of a wind generator spin.
Wind generator spinning in a stiff wind at the Lower Erebus Hut.
 The wind generator tower at the Hooper's Shoulder seismic station.
Wind generator spinning in a stiff wind at the Lower Erebus Hut.
The wind generator tower at the Hooper's Shoulder seismic station.


 

 

 


 

Mt. Erebus Volcano Observatory
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology