Scientists find 91 volcanoes under Antarctica ice sheets

Scientists have discovered a cluster of 91 volcanoes underneath the ice caps of West Antarctica, some of which are over 12,600ft (3,850m) tall.

The study, undertaken by the University of Edinburgh, has now located a total of 138 volcanoes in a rejoin called the West Antarctic Rift System. It's not known whether these are active or dormant.

Geologists and ice experts say the range has similarities to east Africa's volcanic ridge, currently thought to be "the densest concentration of volcanoes in the world," reports The Independent.

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The scientists analysed the shape of the land below the ice sheets using "ice-penetrating radar", the website says. They then compared the findings with "satellite and database records, as well as geological information from aerial surveys."

Using this method, the study identified volcanoes ranging from 328 feet (100 metres) to just over 12,600 feet (3,850 metres) in height, reports The Verge, with diameters of two miles (3.2km) and up to 40 miles (64.4km).

The findings could have "major implications for our understanding of the region and the massive ice sheet that covers it", the site says. Despite the possibility that some of the volcanoes are active, scientists don't believe "volcanic activity has played a role in the present retreat of the ice sheet."

Dr Robert Bingham from the University of Edinburgh told Sky News that a "better understanding of volcanic activity could shed light on their impact on Antarctica's ice in the past, present and future and on other rift systems around the world".