Latest news with #GoldschmidtConference
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Melting glaciers may lead to more volcanic eruptions
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Climate change is likely to have an explosive consequence: volcanic eruptions. Antarctic glaciers have been slowly melting as temperatures rise, unearthing hidden volcanoes in the process. The eruptions of these could further worsen climate change and disrupt global ecosystems. But melting glaciers will only continue without the proper intervention to curb emissions. Lava locked away As warming temperatures cause glaciers to melt, that melt raises sea levels, which in turn tampers with the oceans' saltwater ecosystems and can lead to flooding. Melting glaciers may also lead to an increase in volcanic eruptions, according to a new study presented at the Goldschmidt Conference in Prague and set to be peer reviewed later this year. "Hundreds of dormant subglacial volcanoes worldwide — particularly in Antarctica — could become more active as climate change accelerates glacier retreat," said a news release about the study. Evidence suggests that the "thick ice caps act as lids on volcanoes," said Inside Climate News. Once the weight is removed, there is no longer pressure on the magma chamber underneath, allowing for eruptions to occur. "When you take the load off, it's just like opening a Coca-Cola bottle or a champagne bottle," Brad Singer, a geoscientist at the University of Wisconsin who led the research, said to Inside Climate News. "It's under pressure, and the dissolved gases in the melt come out as bubbles." The researchers analyzed six volcanoes in Chile to investigate how the Patagonian Ice Sheet's changes over time affected volcanic behavior. While the link between glaciers and volcanoes had been previously observed in Iceland, this study is one of the first to "show a surge in volcanism on a continent in the past, after the last ice age ended," said The Guardian. The same processes could occur in Antarctica, parts of North America, New Zealand and Russia as the ice sheets melt. A glacial pace Increased volcanic activity will likely have detrimental effects on the climate and global ecosystem. "The cumulative effect of multiple eruptions can contribute to long-term global warming because of a buildup of greenhouse gases," Pablo Moreno-Yaeger, who presented the research at the conference, said in the news release. "This creates a positive feedback loop, where melting glaciers trigger eruptions, and the eruptions in turn could contribute to further warming and melting." Unfortunately, the world's glaciers are now melting faster than ever before. Over the past approximately ten years, "glacier losses were more than a third higher than during the period 2000-2011," said the BBC. And the potential consequences go beyond just volcanic eruptions. Eruptions "release sulfate aerosols that reflect sunlight back into space," and this has led to "cooling events following past eruptions, some of which have triggered major famines," said Live Science. One study even found that melting polar ice is causing Earth's rotation to slow. Without intervention, the melting is going to continue. The "amount of ice lost by the end of the century will strongly depend on how much humanity continues to warm the planet by releasing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases," the BBC said. Solve the daily Crossword
Sustainability Times
13-07-2025
- Science
- Sustainability Times
'These Trees Turn CO2 Into Stone': Amazed Scientists Hail Kenya's One-of-a-Kind Forest as the Ultimate Breakthrough Against Climate Change
IN A NUTSHELL 🌍 Kenyan trees have been discovered to convert atmospheric carbon dioxide into stone, offering a natural solution to climate change. have been discovered to convert atmospheric carbon dioxide into stone, offering a natural solution to climate change. 🦠 These trees, with the help of bacteria , transform CO2 into calcium carbonate, effectively sequestering carbon in a solid form. , transform CO2 into calcium carbonate, effectively sequestering carbon in a solid form. 🌱 The process not only reduces carbon emissions but also enriches soil nutrients, promoting healthier ecosystems and sustainable agriculture. 🔍 While promising, further research is needed to determine the scalability and effectiveness of this method in global climate strategies. The marvels of nature never cease to amaze us, particularly when it comes to combatting the pressing issue of climate change. In a groundbreaking discovery in Kenya, certain trees have been found to possess the unique ability to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air into stone. Researchers from the University of Zurich highlighted this fascinating phenomenon at the Goldschmidt Conference, showcasing how these remarkable trees could offer a promising solution to one of our planet's most critical challenges. This revelation underscores the potential of natural processes in providing sustainable environmental solutions. The Magic of Kenyan Trees and Bacteria Throughout history, trees have played a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance. They absorb CO2, a significant contributor to global warming, and convert it into oxygen. However, the discovery of certain fruit-bearing trees in Kenya, specifically the Ficus wakefieldii, adds a new dimension to this natural process. These trees, also found in Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, have been observed to convert CO2 into calcium oxalate. What makes these trees exceptional is their collaboration with bacteria. After the CO2 is transformed into calcium oxalate, bacteria present in the trees and surrounding soil convert it further into calcium carbonate. This compound is a primary component of limestone and chalk, effectively turning gaseous CO2 into a solid form. While the Kenyan fig trees stand out, they are not alone in this capability. The iroko tree, found in tropical Africa, shares this remarkable trait, though it is not a fruit-bearing variety. The European CBAM : an attempt to regulate carbon imports The Effectiveness of Stone Conversion in Fighting Climate Change One of the challenges with traditional carbon sequestration by trees is that the CO2 they store can be released back into the atmosphere when the trees die. However, the unique process observed in Kenyan fig trees ensures that the CO2 is locked away for much longer, even after the tree's life ends. This finding was emphasized by Mike Rowley from the University of Zurich at the Goldschmidt Conference, highlighting the potential of this method as a long-term climate change mitigation strategy. Moreover, the transformation of CO2 into stone offers additional environmental benefits. The mineralization of carbon in the soil raises the pH level, enriching the soil with essential nutrients. This process not only supports the growth of future vegetation but also enhances the overall health of the ecosystem. The enriched soil thus becomes a fertile ground for new trees, ensuring a continuous cycle of carbon sequestration. The potential of replicating this process globally raises questions about the scalability and efficiency of such natural solutions. 'We've Never Faced Heat Like This': Meteorologists Warn of Historic Heatwave Set to Scorch the U.S. With Record-Breaking Temperatures Challenges and Future Prospects While the scientific community is optimistic about these findings, several challenges remain. The primary concern is determining the exact amount of CO2 that these trees can sequester throughout their lifetime. Without this crucial data, it is challenging to assess the full impact of this method on a global scale. Organizing large-scale plantations of these trees could be a potential strategy, but it requires careful consideration and further research. The environmental benefits of these trees go beyond carbon sequestration. As they improve soil quality, they could play a significant role in sustainable agriculture, particularly in regions facing soil degradation. However, understanding the ecological balance and ensuring the preservation of biodiversity is crucial before implementing widespread planting. Collaborative research efforts are needed to explore these aspects and develop a comprehensive strategy for utilizing these trees as a natural solution to climate change. 'They Said It Was Impossible—Now Robots Grow 1.2 Million Strawberries a Year': Inside Dyson's Sci-Fi Mega-Farm Shocking the Entire Agriculture Industry Exploring the Role of Nature in Climate Solutions This discovery in Kenya invites us to reconsider the potential of natural processes in addressing environmental challenges. While technological solutions to climate change are vital, integrating natural methods offers a complementary approach. The ability of certain trees to transform CO2 into stone presents a promising avenue for exploration and implementation. The journey to combating climate change is complex and multifaceted. As we delve deeper into understanding natural phenomena like the Kenyan fig trees, we must ask ourselves: How can we best harness the power of nature to create a sustainable future for generations to come? This article is based on verified sources and supported by editorial technologies. Did you like it? 4.4/5 (22)
Fast Company
09-07-2025
- Science
- Fast Company
More great news about climate change: It's also causing more volcanic eruptions
As global temperatures increase because of climate change, glaciers around the world are melting —contributing to rising sea levels, more extreme weather events, and habitat loss for all sorts of species. But scientists have recently identified another explosive consequence from this disappearing ice: Melting glaciers may lead to more frequent, and more damaging, volcanic eruptions. Those volcanic eruptions could then cause even more climate impacts by spewing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, which will then melt more glaciers. Though individual volcanic eruptions may temporarily cool global temperatures (by releasing aerosols that reflect the sun away from the Earth's surface), multiple, consecutive volcanic eruptions can actually contribute to global warming. 'This creates a positive feedback loop, where melting glaciers trigger eruptions, and the eruptions in turn could contribute to further warming and melting,' Pablo Moreno-Yaeger, a University of Wisconsin-Madison researcher, said in a statement. Moreno-Yaeger presented his team's findings at the geochemistry Goldschmidt Conference in Prague this week; a peer-reviewed paper on the research is forthcoming. Melting glaciers increase volcanic activity because of the way they sit over stores of magma underground. When ice sheets melt and glaciers retreat, it releases the pressure on those magma chambers, making it easier for the magma to break through the surface in a volcanic eruption. That process has already been observed in Iceland, but the new study looking at volcanoes in Chile is one of the first to show how the phenomenon played out at the end of the last ice age. The last ice age peaked around 26,000 to 18,000 years ago, and the thick layer of ice over the planet then suppressed volcanic eruptions. That led a reservoir of magma to build up below the surface. When the ice sheets melted, the loss of all that heavy ice released the pressure over the magma, making the gases in the magma expand so that they erupted from the Earth's surface—like popping the top of a soda can. For the study, the researchers, with funding from the National Science Foundation, looked at rocks around six volcanoes in the Chilean Andes. They were able to date previous volcanic eruptions and analyze the chemistry of these rocks to track how volcanic explosions increased as glacial ice melted. 'The key requirement for increased explosivity is initially having a very thick glacial coverage over a magma chamber, and the trigger point is when these glaciers start to retreat, releasing pressure,' Moreno-Yaeger explains. This activity is currently happening in places like Antarctica, where more than 100 volcanoes sit below the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. The entire Antarctic Ice Sheet covers an area larger than the U.S. and Mexico combined. Climate change, fueled by the burning of fossil fuels, is already causing Antarctic ice to melt more quickly than it can be replaced—and at a rate six times faster than it was melting in the 1990s. The West Antarctic Ice sheet specifically is the 'frontier of dramatic ice loss in Antarctica,' and one of the most rapidly changing ice sheets on the planet, according to the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition. It's not just Antarctica that could see more volcanic eruptions because of melting ice. The researchers say scientists should monitor parts of North America, New Zealand, and Russia for this risk as well. The impact isn't immediate, though; in the Chilean Andes, the volcanic eruptions lagged a few thousand years behind the melting glaciers. But the researchers warn that different volcanoes, made up of different minerals, could respond to this change over a different amount of time. And it's not the only climate impact that could be increasing volcanic activity. Previous research has found that more extreme, heavy rain—which is also increasing because of climate change —could trigger eruptions. And once those eruptions increase, they create a feedback loop that causes even more warming and rain.
Irish Independent
09-07-2025
- Science
- Irish Independent
Climate change may cause more explosive and frequent volcanic eruptions, scientists warn
©UK Independent Dormant volcanoes across the Earth could become more active and erupt more violently as the climate crisis accelerates glacier retreat, scientists warn in a new study. The research, presented yesterday at the Goldschmidt Conference in Prague, assessed six volcanoes in the Chilean Andes and found evidence that rapidly melting glaciers across the planet could set the stage for more explosive and frequent volcanic eruptions.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Study: Melting Glaciers could cause more volcanic eruptions
July 8 (UPI) -- The melting of glaciers due to the climate crisis could make volcanic eruptions more catastrophic than before, scientists cautioned in a study. The loss of ice from the rapid glacial melting releases pressure on magma chambers underground and could cause volcanic eruptions to become more frequent and intense, the study, presented at the Goldschmidt Conference in Prague, said. "As glaciers retreat due to climate change, our findings suggest these volcanoes go on to erupt more frequently and more explosively," Lead researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Pablo Moreno, said. The study placed six volcanoes in Chile under crystal analysis to determine how the shifting of the Patagonia Ice Sheet impacted the strength and frequency of previous volcanic eruptions. Studies linking the impacts of climate change on volcanic eruptions had previously been conducted in Iceland, but the latest study was the first to assess the links to continental volcanic systems. "Our study suggests this phenomenon isn't limited to Iceland, where increased volcanic activity has been observed, but could also occur in Antarctica," said Moreno. "Other continental regions, like parts of North America, New Zealand, and Russia, also now warrant closer scientific attention," "We found that following deglaciation, the volcano starts to erupt way more, and also changes composition," said Moreno. The composition changed as the magma melted crustal rocks while eruptions were suppressed. This made the molten rock more viscous and more explosive on eruption. Scientists found that during the last ice age, thick ice covered and suppressed the number of eruptions. Then, as the Earth heated up, volcanic activity increased by two to six times. "Glaciers tend to suppress the volume of eruptions from the volcanoes beneath them. But as glaciers retreat due to climate change, our findings suggest these volcanoes go on to erupt more frequently and more explosively," said Dr Moreno. "The key requirement for increased explosive is initially having a very thick glacial coverage over a magma chamber, and the trigger point is when these glaciers start to retreat, releasing pressure, which is currently happening in places like Antarctica."
