Retreating Glaciers May Trigger Explosive Volcanic Eruptions in Antarctica and Beyond

Retreating Glaciers May Trigger Explosive Volcanic Eruptions in Antarctica and Beyond
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New research reveals that melting glaciers could unleash hundreds of powerful volcanic eruptions worldwide, including in Antarctica, SciTech Daily reported. Scientists studying six volcanoes in Chile’s Andes found that thick glacial ice suppresses eruptions by exerting pressure on magma chambers deep underground. When glaciers retreat, this pressure is released, allowing gases in the magma to expand and trigger explosive eruptions.

The study, presented at the Goldschmidt Conference in Prague, analyzed volcanic activity during the last ice age, showing how the Patagonian Ice Sheet’s melting led to increased eruptions. Researchers used advanced techniques like argon dating and crystal analysis to examine how ice loss affected volcanic behavior over thousands of years.

Lead researcher Pablo Moreno-Yaeger from the University of Wisconsin-Madison explained that glaciers act as a lid on volcanoes, but as they melt due to climate change, volcanoes may erupt more frequently and violently. This process is already occurring in regions such as Antarctica, North America, New Zealand, and Russia.

The team warns that increased volcanic activity could create a climate feedback loop: eruptions release aerosols that temporarily cool the planet, but repeated eruptions emit greenhouse gases that contribute to long-term warming and further glacier melt. The findings underscore the urgent need for monitoring volcanic risks as global ice continues to disappear.