Latest news with #PatagonianIceSheet
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
The Print
13-07-2025
- Science
- The Print
A fiery side-effect of melting glaciers & paging Dr Droid for gallbladder surgery
The scientists found that after the last ice age, melting glaciers triggered powerful eruptions from deep magma chambers. While the magma system responds slowly, the volcanic activity can be explosive, and even influence global climate. Big eruptions release aerosols that cool the Earth briefly, but repeated eruptions can add greenhouse gases, speeding up warming. They studied six volcanoes in southern Chile using rock dating and crystal analysis to understand the impact of the Patagonian Ice Sheet on past eruptions. They found that thick glaciers can keep magma trapped deep underground. But as the ice melts and the pressure eases, the magma can rise and explode more violently. This process, already seen in Iceland in the 1970s, may also affect other glaciated regions like Antarctica, North America, and New Zealand. New Delhi: New research posits that one of the side effects of melting glaciers due to global warming could be an increasing number of volcanic eruptions. Scientists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison drew this connection in a presentation on 8 July at the Goldschmidt conference of the European Association of Geochemistry. The study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal later this year. Also read: That morning brew could be doing more than just jumpstarting your day—helping your cells age gracefully Robot performs gall bladder surgery without human intervention A robot trained by Johns Hopkins researchers successfully performed a complex portion of a gallbladder removal surgery on a lifelike model. The findings were published in a new paper in the peer-reviewed Science Robotics journal on 9 July. Unlike previous robots that follow strict, pre-programmed instructions, this one, called SRT-H, learned and adapted from voice commands by surgeons, like a real surgical trainee. It was trained using surgery videos and captions and can even respond to voice commands like 'grab the gallbladder head' or 'move left'. Think of it as a surgical assistant that's both incredibly precise and smart enough to think on its feet. The robot handled a full sequence of 17 surgical tasks, adjusted to different anatomy, and coped with unexpected situations like changes in how the gallbladder looked. While slower than a human, its accuracy matched that of surgeons, said the paper. According to the authors, this robot could pave the way for autonomous systems to one day assist or even lead real surgeries, especially in high-risk or remote situations. Airport radar signals might be detected by alien civilisations Every time a plane takes off from Heathrow airport or JFK airport in the US, or a military radar scans the skies for incoming threats, the Earth may be sending out a cosmic 'we're here!' to the universe. New research presented at the Royal Astronomical Society's National Astronomy Meeting on 8 July reveals that the radar systems used by airports and militaries across the globe are powerful enough to be detected by alien civilisations up to 200 light-years away—if those aliens have radio telescopes as sensitive as ours. However, these are preliminary results and have not been published in a journal yet. These unintentional signals radiate far beyond our planet. Researchers from the University of Manchester, who presented this work, simulated how these waves spread into space. They found that from the perspective of nearby stars like Barnard's Star, Earth might appear to blink with distinct, artificial patterns. Military radars, in particular, act like sweeping lighthouse beams, and their focused energy could stand out as clear signs of intelligent life. The research suggests that any technologically advanced planet, not just ours, might light up the cosmos in this way, offering a universal clue to alien astronomers that someone is out there, watching the skies. Why are sharks blue? Blue sharks don't just wear their colour, rather they engineer it. New research presented at the Society for Experimental Biology's Annual Conference on 9 July said that sharks' iconic blue shimmer comes from a hidden world of nanoscopic crystals and pigments embedded deep within their skin's tiny scales, called dermal denticles. These scales are armoured with pulp cavities filled with reflective guanine crystals, which act as mirrors, and melanin vesicles, which absorb light. Together, they act like coordinated teams of glitter and blackout curtains, filtering light to create that signature deep-sea blue. But the twist is that this isn't just a static paint job. These structures may allow the shark to change its color. The research team, using powerful imaging tools and computer models, found that subtle shifts in the spacing of these crystals could shift the shark's hue from vibrant blues to greens and golds. Changes in water depth, water pressure, and even atmospheric humidity causes these shifts in colour. Also read: It's official: New object zipping through our solar system is the 3rd known interstellar visitor
Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
Scientists warn hundreds of dormant volcanoes could soon erupt – with explosions more powerful than ever
A volcano in the throes of eruption truly is a force of nature. Molten rock, ash and gases from deep within the Earth's mantle find their way up to the surface and either flow slowly out of a fissure or explode suddenly into the air. In recent years there have been a number of high-profile eruptions, including ones in Italy and Indonesia. Now, experts are warning that hundreds of dormant volcanoes around the world will likely become more active and erupt thanks to climate change. Researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the USA said melting glaciers could be silently setting the stage for more explosive and more frequent eruptions in the future. And areas such as North America, New Zealand and Russia could be at risk, they said. 'Glaciers tend to suppress the volume of eruptions from the volcanoes beneath them,' Pablo Moreno-Yaeger, one of the study's authors, explained. 'But as glaciers retreat due to climate change, our findings suggest these volcanoes go on to erupt more frequently and more explosively.' His team used argon dating and crystal analysis across six volcanoes in southern Chile, including the now dormant Mocho-Choshuenco volcano, to investigate how the Patagonian Ice Sheet's advance and retreat influenced past volcanic behaviour. By precisely dating previous eruptions and analysing crystals in erupted rocks, the team tracked how the weight and pressure of glacial ice altered the characteristics of magma underground. They discovered that during the peak of the last ice age – around 26,000-18,000 years ago – thick ice cover suppressed the volume of eruptions and allowed a large reservoir of magma to accumulate up to 15km below the surface. But as the ice sheet melted rapidly at the end of the last ice age, the sudden loss of weight caused the Earth's crust to 'relax' and gasses in the magma to expand. This buildup of pressure triggered explosive volcanic eruptions from the deep reservoir. '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 – which is currently happening in places like Antarctica,' Mr Moreno-Yaeger said. 'Our study suggests this phenomenon isn't limited to Iceland, where increased volcanicity has been observed. 'Other continental regions, like parts of North America, New Zealand and Russia, also now warrant closer scientific attention.' The researchers explained that increased volcanic activity could have global climate impacts. In the short term, eruptions release aerosol that can temporarily cool the planet, as seen after the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines, which reduced global temperatures by around 0.5°C. However, with multiple eruptions, the effects reverse. 'Over time the cumulative effect of multiple eruptions can contribute to long-term global warming because of a buildup of greenhouse gases,' Mr Moreno-Yaeger said. 'This creates a positive feedback loop, where melting glaciers trigger eruptions, and the eruptions in turn could contribute to further warming and melting.' The research was presented at the Goldschmidt Conference in Prague. HOW CAN RESEARCHERS PREDICT VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS? According to Eric Dunham, an associate professor of Stanford University's School of Earth, energy and Environmental Sciences, 'Volcanoes are complicated and there is currently no universally applicable means of predicting eruption. In all likelihood, there never will be.' However, there are indicators of increased volcanic activity, which researchers can use to help predict volcanic eruptions. Researchers can track indicators such as: Volcanic infrasound: When the lava lake rises up in the crater of an open vent volcano, a sign of a potential eruption, the pitch or frequency of the sounds generated by the magma tends to increase. Seismic activity: Ahead of an eruption, seismic activity in the form of small earthquakes and tremors almost always increases as magma moves through the volcano's 'plumbing system'. Gas emissions: As magma nears the surface and pressure decreases, gases escape. Sulfur dioxide is one of the main components of volcanic gases, and increasing amounts of it are a sign of increasing amounts of magma near the surface of a volcano. Ground deformation: Changes to a volcano's ground surface (volcano deformation) appear as swelling, sinking, or cracking, which can be caused by magma, gas, or other fluids (usually water) moving underground or by movements in the Earth's crust due to motion along fault lines. Swelling of a volcano cans signal that magma has accumulated near the surface.
Newsweek
07-07-2025
- Science
- Newsweek
More Explosive Volcanoes Expected As Glaciers Melt
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Melting glaciers may be setting the stage for more frequent and explosive volcanic eruptions in the future. This is the conclusion of a study of six volcanoes in the Chilean Andes, which is being presented at the Goldschmidt Conference in Prague this week. Analysis indicates that hundreds of dormant volcanoes currently buried under glacial ice across the globe—particularly in Antarctica—could become more active as climate change accelerates glacier retreat. The connection between retreating glaciers and increased volcanic activity has been known in Iceland since the 1970s. However, the latest study is the first one to explore the phenomenon in continental volcanic systems and helps scientists better understand and predict volcanic activity in glacier-covered regions. Pablo Moreno-Yaeger from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who is presenting the research at the conference, said in a statement: "Our study suggests this phenomenon isn't limited to Iceland, where increased volcanicity has been observed, but could also occur in Antarctica. Other continental regions, like parts of North America, New Zealand and Russia, also now warrant closer scientific attention." Pablo Moreno-Yaeger is collecting samples near the caldera of Mocho-Choshuenco, which the researchers dated at 11,500 years ago. "Mocho" means "headless" in Mapuche language, referring to the caldera that is always covered by ice. Pablo Moreno-Yaeger is collecting samples near the caldera of Mocho-Choshuenco, which the researchers dated at 11,500 years ago. "Mocho" means "headless" in Mapuche language, referring to the caldera that is always covered by ice. Pablo Moreno-Yaeger / UW-Madison In their study, researchers used argon dating and crystal analysis across six volcanoes in southern Chile, including the now dormant Mocho-Choshuenco volcano, to observe how the Patagonian Ice Sheet's advance and retreat previously impacted volcanic behavior. The scientists were able to track how the weight and pressure of glacial ice changes the characteristics of magma—an extremely hot liquid rock mixture found under the Earth's surface, known as lava when it flows onto the Earth's surface—by ascertaining the dates of previous eruptions and analyzing crystals in erupted rocks. Their investigations showed that thick ice cover suppressed the volume of eruptions and allowed a large reservoir of silica-rich magma to accumulate around 32,800 to 49,200 feet below the surface during the height of the last ice age, which is nearly 26,000 to 18,000 years ago. The ice sheet melted rapidly at the end of the last ice age and this sudden loss of weight caused the crust to relax and gasses in the magma to expand. The volcano was formed as a result of this pressure buildup, which caused explosive volcanic eruptions from the deep reservoir. "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," Moreno-Yaeger explained. He added: "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—which is currently happening in places like Antarctica." While the volcanic response to glacial melting is nearly instant in geological terms, the process of changes in the magma system is gradual, taking place over centuries, which allows some time for monitoring and early warning. The scientists warn that heightened volcanic activity could have global climate impacts. In the short run, eruptions release tiny particles in gases, known as aerosol, that can temporarily cool the planet . This occurred after the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines, which dropped global temperatures by about 0.5 degrees Celsius. However, multiple eruptions can see the effects be reversed. Moreno-Yaeger said: "Over time the cumulative effect of multiple eruptions can contribute to long-term global warming because of a buildup of greenhouse gases. "This creates a positive feedback loop, where melting glaciers trigger eruptions, and the eruptions in turn could contribute to further warming and melting," he added. Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about glaciers, volcanoes or climate change? Let us know via science@
