Antarctica’s dormant volcanoes: Threat or awakening under ice?
Antarctica, a continent 98 percent covered by a polar ice cap, holds dormant volcanoes. According to scientists, ongoing climate changes may lead to the awakening of some of them.
Beneath Antarctica's thick ice layer, there are over 130 known volcanoes, most of which remain inactive or entirely dormant. However, melting glaciers due to 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 after the last ice age.
Antarctica hides numerous volcanoes
Approximately 12,000–7,000 years ago, during the deglaciation period, or the retreat and melting of ice sheets and glaciers, volcanic activity on land increased two to six times compared to normal levels. The loss of glacier 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.
Modern climate changes, driven by human activity, are causing rapid warming and massive ice loss in Antarctica. This raises the possibility of similar processes being repeated as in the past, though over a much shorter time frame.
The impact of climate change on glacier melting
IFL Science reminds us that one of the most well-known active volcanoes in Antarctica is Mount Erebus, erupting continuously for decades and releasing volcanic ash, among other things. If other volcanoes beneath the ice were reactivated due to 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 reduces 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 applying conclusions from the deglaciation period to the present. The development of volcanic systems takes hundreds of thousands of years, while climate changes occur over decades.
Virginie Pinel, 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 Earth and climate.
