Strange Sounds – Mar 10, 2021
Antarctica could be at the heart of the Earth’s doomsday if volcanoes beneath the ice were to erupt and speed up a process that could leave the planet “uninhabitable,” scientists have warned.
The icy continent is home to some 5,000 scientists around the world who study the unspoiled region to learn more about the Earth’s history and the effects of climate change.
But researchers got a shock when they discovered more than 100 dormant volcanoes below the continent’s ice sheet, making it the largest volcanic region on Earth.
The find was particularly important because the activity of these volcanoes could have crucial implications for the rest of the planet.
If one erupts, it could further destabilize some of the region’s ice sheets, which have already been affected by Earth changes.
John Smellie, Professor of Volcanology at the University of Leicester, told The Conversation: “The volcanoes would melt huge caverns in the base of the ice and create enormous quantities of meltwater.
“Because the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is wet rather than frozen to its bed – imagine an ice cube on a kitchen worktop – the meltwater would act as a lubricant and could cause the overlying ice to slip and move more rapidly.
“These volcanoes can also stabilise the ice, however, as they give it something to grip onto – imagine that same ice cube snagging onto a lump-shaped object.
“In any case, the volume of water that would be generated by even a large volcano is a pinprick compared with the volume of overlying ice.
“So a single eruption won’t have much effect on the ice flow. What would make a big difference, is if several volcanoes erupt close to or beneath any of West Antarctica’s prominent ‘ice streams’.”