Antarctica's icy veil may awaken hidden volcanoes
Antarctica, a continent 98 per cent covered by a polar ice cap, conceals dormant volcanoes. According to scientists, ongoing climate changes may lead to the awakening of some of these volcanoes.
Beneath the thick ice layer of Antarctica, there are over 130 known volcanoes, most of which remain inactive or completely dormant. However, melting glaciers caused by climate warming could potentially trigger volcanic eruptions, raising concerns among scientists, reports IFL Science. This process has historical precedents, as evidenced by studies concerning the period following the last ice age.
Antarctica hides numerous volcanoes
Approximately 12,000–7,000 years ago, during the deglaciation period, when ice sheets and glaciers receded and melted, volcanic activity on land increased two to six times relative to normal levels. The loss of glacial mass reduced the pressure exerted on the Earth's crust, allowing magma to move more easily to the surface and leading to more frequent eruptions.
Climate changes driven by human activity are causing rapid warming and significant ice loss in Antarctica. This opens up the possibility of similar processes occurring again, though over a much shorter time frame.
The impact of climate change on glacier melting
IFL Science reminds us that one of Antarctica's most well-known active volcanoes is Mount Erebus, which has been erupting continuously for decades, releasing volcanic ash, among other things. If other volcanoes beneath the ice were reactivated due to the reduced pressure of the ice sheets, it could trigger a feedback loop. This means that increased volcanic activity would lead to the release of ash, which diminishes the ice's ability to reflect sunlight, thus accelerating further melting.
Although the connections between climate change and volcanism are a subject of intense research, scientists caution against directly transferring conclusions from the deglaciation period to the present. Building volcanic systems takes hundreds of thousands of years, while climate changes occur over a much shorter timescale.
Virginie Pinel, the director of volcanic research at the French National Institute for Sustainable Development, emphasizes that climate changes provide a unique opportunity to understand the factors influencing eruptions. "It's a kind of live experiment that will allow us to better understand the mechanisms behind volcanic activity," she said in an interview with Polytechnique Insights.
The impact of climate change on volcanic activity remains largely uncertain, but scientists agree on one thing: understanding these connections is crucial for predicting future threats. Antarctica, while still a mystery, might provide answers to fundamental questions regarding the interaction between the Earth and climate.
