This makes Antarctica the largest volcanic region on Earth, and they are hidden 2 km below the surface of the vast ice sheet that covers western Antarctica.
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh who discovered this network of volcanoes say the largest of them reaches an altitude of about 4,000 meters.
The tops of some volcanoes actually lie above the ice and have been spotted by polar explorers in the last century. Geologists say this vast region is likely to surpass the volcanic ridge of East Africa, which is currently considered to be the densest concentration of volcanoes in the world.
They warn that the activity of this landfill could have alarming consequences. “If one of these volcanoes erupts, it could further destabilize the ice sheets in West Antarctica,” said glacier expert Robert Bingham, one of the study’s authors.
Scientists analyzed measurements made in previous studies using radar penetrating the ice, and then compared the results with satellite records and data from a database, as well as geological information from other aerial surveys. “Basically, we were looking for evidence that volcanic cones were sticking out of the ice.”
All of these newly discovered volcanoes are covered with ice, which is sometimes over 4 km thick in the region. These active peaks are concentrated in the western Antarctic rift system, which extends 3500 km from the Ross Antarctic Ice Shelf to the Antarctic Peninsula.
“We were amazed. There are at least 138 volcanoes, but no one knows exactly how many there are. We also suspect that there are even more of them on the seabed beneath the Ross Ice Shelf, so I think it is highly likely that this region will turn out to be the most dense volcano region in the world, even more than East Africa. where the mountains of Nyiragongo, Kilimanjaro, Longonot and all other active volcanoes are concentrated. ”
This discovery is especially important because if the heat from these volcanoes melts the ice, the outflow of melt water into the Antarctic Ocean could cause sea levels to rise. “We just don’t know how active these volcanoes have been in the past. This is what we need to determine as quickly as possible. ”
My question is: if we don’t even know for sure how many volcanoes can lurk under the ice even today and how many of them are active, how do we know how much ice they (and not people) can melt and what contribution do they make to the melting of Antarctica’s ice?
Recently, everything that happens in Antarctica, be it the melting of glaciers or the breaking away of huge icebergs from the ice shelves, is immediately attributed to “Global Warming”.
It is clear that this is convenient and allows you to support this myth, but is it really scientific to blame people for the results of some global processes caused exclusively by natural forces?
Surely these volcanoes must contribute to the rising sea temperatures, and therefore the ice bergs melting. Has there been any research done on this, or are we all being told it’s due to Global Warming?.