Study: Melting Glaciers could cause more volcanic eruptions
The loss of ice from the rapid glacial melting releases pressure on magma chambers underground and could cause volcanic eruptions to become more frequent and intense, the study, presented at the Goldschmidt Conference in Prague, said.
"As glaciers retreat due to climate change, our findings suggest these volcanoes go on to erupt more frequently and more explosively," Lead researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Pablo Moreno, said.
The study placed six volcanoes in Chile under crystal analysis to determine how the shifting of the Patagonia Ice Sheet impacted the strength and frequency of previous volcanic eruptions.
Studies linking the impacts of climate change on volcanic eruptions had previously been conducted in Iceland, but the latest study was the first to assess the links to continental volcanic systems.
"Our study suggests this phenomenon isn't limited to Iceland, where increased volcanic activity has been observed, but could also occur in Antarctica," said Moreno. "Other continental regions, like parts of North America, New Zealand, and Russia, also now warrant closer scientific attention,"
"We found that following deglaciation, the volcano starts to erupt way more, and also changes composition," said Moreno. The composition changed as the magma melted crustal rocks while eruptions were suppressed. This made the molten rock more viscous and more explosive on eruption.
Scientists found that during the last ice age, thick ice covered and suppressed the number of eruptions. Then, as the Earth heated up, volcanic activity increased by two to six times.
"Glaciers tend to suppress the volume of eruptions from the volcanoes beneath them. But as glaciers retreat due to climate change, our findings suggest these volcanoes go on to erupt more frequently and more explosively," said Dr Moreno. "The key requirement for increased explosive is initially having a very thick glacial coverage over a magma chamber, and the trigger point is when these glaciers start to retreat, releasing pressure, which is currently happening in places like Antarctica."
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