Although often imagined as tectonically quiet, Antarctica hosts active volcanism and measurable seismicity. The continent sits largely on the Antarctic Plate, but the West Antarctic Rift System — one of the largest continental rift zones on Earth — is slowly pulling the crust apart, generating faults and feeding volcanic activity beneath and around the ice sheet.
Its most famous volcano is Mount Erebus, on Ross Island, the southernmost active volcano on the planet and home to a rare persistent lava lake. Seismologists have also detected swarms of deep earthquakes under Marie Byrd Land, hinting at hidden magma movement below the ice, while glaciers themselves trigger 'ice quakes' recorded across the continent.