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National Observer
17-07-2025
- Science
- National Observer
New study surfaces explosive risk hidden beneath Antarctic ice
This story was originally published by The Guardian and appears here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration The melting of glaciers and ice caps by the climate crisis could unleash a barrage of explosive volcanic eruptions, a study suggests. The loss of ice releases the pressure on underground magma chambers and makes eruptions more likely. This process has been seen in Iceland, an unusual island that sits on a mid-ocean tectonic plate boundary. But the research in Chile is one of the first studies to show a surge in volcanism on a continent in the past, after the last ice age ended. Global heating caused by the burning of fossil fuels is now melting ice caps and glaciers across the world. The biggest risk of a resurgence of volcanic eruptions is in west Antarctica, the researchers said, where at least 100 volcanoes lie under the thick ice. This ice is very likely to be lost in the coming decades and centuries as the world warms. Volcanic eruptions can cool the planet temporarily by shooting sunlight-reflecting particles into the atmosphere. However, sustained eruptions would pump significant greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, including carbon dioxide and methane. This would further heat the planet and potentially create a vicious circle, in which rising temperatures melt ice that leads to further eruptions and more global heating. Pablo Moreno-Yaeger, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, US, who led the research, said: 'As glaciers retreat due to climate change, our findings suggest these volcanoes go on to erupt more frequently and more explosively.' The research, which was presented at the Goldschmidt geochemistry conference in Prague, and is in the final stages of review with an academic journal, involved camping high in the Andes, among active and dormant volcanoes. As ice caps and glaciers melt, the pressure they put on volcanoes is released — and the magma that has built up beneath them is more likely to erupt, leading to a vicious circle of heating. Detailed work on one volcano, called Mocho-Choshuenco, used radioisotope dating to estimate the age of volcanic rocks produced before, during and after the last ice age, when the 1,500-metre-thick Patagonian ice sheet covered the area. Analysis of the minerals in the rocks also revealed the depth and temperature at which the rocks formed. This data revealed that thick ice cover had suppressed the volume of eruptions between 26,000 and 18,000 years ago, allowing a large reservoir of magma to build up 10-15km (6.2-9.3 miles) below the surface. After the ice melted, from about 13,000 years ago, the pressure on the magma chamber was released, gasses in the liquid or molten rock expanded and explosive eruptions followed. 'We found that following deglaciation, the volcano starts to erupt way more, and also changes composition,' said Moreno-Yaeger. 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. 'Our study suggests this phenomenon isn't limited to Iceland, where increased volcanicity has been observed, but could also occur in Antarctica,' he said. 'Other continental regions, like parts of North America, New Zealand and Russia, also now warrant closer scientific attention.' Previous research has shown volcanic activity increased globally by two to six times after the last ice age, but the Chilean study was one of the first to show how this happened. A similar phenomenon was reported via the analysis of rocks in eastern California in 2004. A recent review by scientists found there had been relatively little study on how the climate crisis had been affecting volcanic activity. They said more research was 'critically important' in order to be better prepared for the damage caused by volcanic eruptions to people and their livelihoods and for possible climate-volcano feedback loops that could amplify the climate crisis. For example, more extreme rainfall is also expected to increase violent explosive eruptions.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- 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
Indian Express
08-07-2025
- Science
- Indian Express
How melting glaciers can lead to more volcanic eruptions
The rise in melting glaciers and ice caps can result in more frequent and more explosive volcanic eruptions, according to a new study. It also stated that the greatest risk of a resurgence of volcanic eruptions lies in West Antarctica, where approximately 100 volcanoes are buried under thick ice. This ice is expected to disappear in the coming decades and centuries due to soaring global temperatures. The research was presented at the 2025 Goldschmidt Conference, which is currently underway in Prague. It is the largest international conference dedicated to geochemistry, organised by the Geochemical Society and the European Association of Geochemistry. Other continental regions, such as parts of North America, New Zealand, and Russia, could also observe an increase in volcanicity, Pablo Moreno-Yaeger, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (US), said during the presentation. Climate change & volcanic eruptions Scientists first suggested that melting ice could affect volcanic activity in the 1970s. Usually, the weight of the ice exerts pressure on underground magma chambers of volcanoes. However, when glaciers or ice caps melt, this pressure is reduced, and underground gases and magma expand which can ultimately result in explosive eruptions. Such a phenomenon has already occurred on the planet. For instance, in Iceland, during major deglaciation (the last of which occurred between 15,000 and 10,000 years before the present), volcanic eruption rates were 30 to 50 times higher than they are today. Studies have also found that the decrease in pressure due to ice loss can result in the production of magma. That is because rocks held at lower pressure tend to melt at lower temperatures. Another factor which seems to affect volcanic activity is precipitation. 'Precipitation — also modified by climate change — can infiltrate deep underground and react with the magma system to trigger an eruption,' Thomas Aubry, a researcher at the University of Exeter (England), told Polytechnique Insights. The latest study has reiterated these findings. It examined Chile's Mocho Choshuenco volcano to estimate the age of volcanic rocks produced before, during, and after the last ice age. The research found that due to a thick ice sheet over the volcano, pressure had suppressed the volume of eruptions between 26,000 and 18,000 years ago. This led to the formation of a large reservoir of magma that had built up 10 to 15 km below the volcano's surface. However, once this ice sheet melted, about 13,000 years ago, explosive eruptions took place. The fallouts Volcanic eruptions can cause temporary cooling as they release ash or dust into the atmosphere which blocks sunlight. These eruptions also emit sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere which is more effective than ash particles at cooling the climate. Sulfur dioxide goes into the stratosphere and reacts with water to form sulfuric acid aerosols. These aerosols reflect incoming solar radiation, leading to the cooling of the Earth's surface. 'The aerosols can stay in the stratosphere for up to three years, moved around by winds and causing significant cooling worldwide. Eventually, the droplets grow large enough to fall to Earth,' according to the US Center for Science Education. However, sustained volcanic eruptions can release large amounts of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide and methane, which could further heat the planet. This can become a vicious cycle — as global temperatures rise, there will be a higher rate of melting of ice, which could cause more eruptions and further global warming.
Irish Examiner
08-07-2025
- Science
- Irish Examiner
Melting glaciers and ice caps could unleash wave of volcanic eruptions, study says
The melting of glaciers and ice caps by the climate crisis could unleash a barrage of explosive volcanic eruptions, a study suggests. The loss of ice releases the pressure on underground magma chambers and makes eruptions more likely. This process has been seen in Iceland, an unusual island that sits on a mid-ocean tectonic plate boundary. But the research in Chile is one of the first studies to show a surge in volcanism on a continent in the past, after the last ice age ended. Global heating caused by the burning of fossil fuels is now melting ice caps and glaciers across the world. The biggest risk of a resurgence of volcanic eruptions is in west Antarctica, the researchers said, where at least 100 volcanoes lie under the thick ice. This ice is very likely to be lost in the coming decades and centuries as the world warms. Volcanic eruptions can cool the planet temporarily by shooting sunlight-reflecting particles into the atmosphere. However, sustained eruptions would pump significant greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, including carbon dioxide and methane. This would further heat the planet and potentially create a vicious circle, in which rising temperatures melt ice that leads to further eruptions and more global heating. Pablo Moreno-Yaeger, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, US, who led the research, said: 'As glaciers retreat due to climate change, our findings suggest these volcanoes go on to erupt more frequently and more explosively.' The research, which was presented at the Goldschmidt geochemistry conference in Prague, and is in the final stages of review with an academic journal, involved camping high in the Andes, among active and dormant volcanoes. Data revelation Detailed work on one volcano, called Mocho-Choshuenco, used radioisotope dating to estimate the age of volcanic rocks produced before, during and after the last ice age, when the 1,500-metre-thick Patagonian ice sheet covered the area. Analysis of the minerals in the rocks also revealed the depth and temperature at which the rocks formed. This data revealed that thick ice cover had suppressed the volume of eruptions between 26,000 and 18,000 years ago, allowing a large reservoir of magma to build up 10-15km below the surface. After the ice melted, from about 13,000 years ago, the pressure on the magma chamber was released, gasses in the liquid or molten rock expanded and explosive eruptions followed. 'We found that following deglaciation, the volcano starts to erupt way more, and also changes composition,' said Moreno-Yaeger. 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. 'Our study suggests this phenomenon isn't limited to Iceland, where increased volcanicity has been observed, but could also occur in Antarctica,' he said. 'Other continental regions, like parts of North America, New Zealand and Russia, also now warrant closer scientific attention.' Previous research has shown volcanic activity increased globally by two to six times after the last ice age, but the Chilean study was one of the first to show how this happened. A similar phenomenon was reported via the analysis of rocks in eastern California in 2004. The Guardian Read More Tory grandee and Thatcher ally Norman Tebbit dies aged 94
Time of India
08-07-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Antarctica's hidden threat: Melting ice could spark hundreds of explosive volcanoes
A new study has revealed a startling link between climate change and increased volcanic activity, warning that the rapid melting of glaciers and ice caps, especially in regions like West Antarctica, could trigger hundreds of explosive volcanic eruptions worldwide. The research, based on geological data from Chile's Andes Mountains, demonstrates how retreating ice removes pressure on underground magma chambers, making eruptions more likely and more violent. Scientists believe this mechanism, already observed in Iceland, could apply across several glaciated regions of the world. The biggest concern lies beneath Antarctica's thick ice, where at least 100 volcanoes remain buried. As global temperatures rise, this hidden volcanic threat could become a dangerous feedback loop that further accelerates climate change. From ice to fire: The chain reaction beneath our feet According to the study presented at the Goldschmidt Geochemistry Conference in Prague, glaciers suppress volcanic activity by exerting immense pressure on magma chambers beneath Earth's surface. As the ice melts due to global heating, this pressure lifts, allowing gases in magma to expand and erupt explosively. Researchers found that after the last Ice Age, regions like Chile experienced a surge in volcanism, offering a chilling preview of what could happen as modern glaciers disappear. Case study from Chile's Andes Lead researcher Pablo Moreno-Yaeger and his team studied Mocho-Choshuenco, a volcano in Chile, using radioisotope dating of volcanic rocks. Their findings show that thick ice cover between 26,000 and 18,000 years ago suppressed eruptions. Once the ice melted around 13,000 years ago, the volcano erupted more frequently and more violently. The magma became more viscous due to prolonged underground buildup, increasing the explosiveness when finally released. The growing risk in Antarctica The West Antarctic Ice Sheet , already under threat from rising temperatures, covers at least 100 known volcanoes. Scientists warn that the loss of this ice could unleash significant volcanic activity in the region. While eruptions can temporarily cool the planet by releasing sunlight-blocking particles, sustained volcanic activity would inject carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere, intensifying global warming. Global implications beyond Antarctica Though much of the focus is on Antarctica, other glaciated regions such as North America, New Zealand, and Russia could also be at risk. The findings urge scientists and policymakers to monitor glacial regions more closely and prepare for possible climate volcano feedback loops. More research is now considered 'critically important' to understand how warming temperatures may interact with Earth's geologic systems. A call for urgent study Despite the potentially massive impact, volcanism remains under-studied in climate change models. Researchers say it's vital to factor in geological responses like eruptions into our understanding of climate risks. As more glaciers retreat and expose ancient volcanoes, the Earth's response may not be slow or quiet, but loud, explosive, and globally disruptive.
