This webpage was developed programmatically, to view the article in its original position you can follow the link below:
https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/a63423395/volcanic-hell-antarctica/
and if you wish to have this article removed from our site please reach out to us
- The West Antarctic Rift System contains over 130 volcanoes, many of which are concealed beneath substantial layers of ice.
- A recent study indicates that glacial retreat combined with isostatic rebound caused by human-induced climate change may significantly affect the volcanism in this area, elevating both eruptive frequency and instability.
- The loss of glacial coverage will notably influence large magma chambers while also initiating the early phases of eruption by decades to centuries.
If there’s one lesson that can be derived from Earth’s geological past, it’s to never underestimate volcanoes. Of the five significant mass extinctions in the planet’s timeline (excluding the current mass extinction for now), four were primarily caused by volcanic activity—and candidly, the jury’s still out on that fifth one. Therefore, when a new study proposes that climate change might hasten volcanism in Antarctica, it certainly merits thorough scrutiny.
Investigating the relationship between volcanism and glaciation over the last 150,000 years, researchers from the U.S. and Germany concluded that mass unloading from the retreat of glaciers, referred to as isostatic rebound, could heighten the frequency and intensity of volcanic activity in the West Antarctic Rift System (WARS). The findings of the research were published in the journal Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems.
Among the most volcanically dynamic regions globally, WARS hosts more than an estimated 130 volcanoes, many of which line the western coast of the icy continent in the ring of fire. While some of these volcanoes, for instance Mount Erebus, are remarkably visible, a greater number remain concealed beneath a thick layer of ice—a layer that is gradually diminishing and retreating.
This page has been generated programmatically, to view the article in its original context you can visit the link below:
https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/a63423395/volcanic-hell-antarctica/
and if you wish to eliminate this article from our site please reach out to us