Melting glaciers may lead to more volcanic eruptions
We're in for a boom


Climate change is likely to have an explosive consequence: volcanic eruptions. Antarctic glaciers have been slowly melting as temperatures rise, unearthing hidden volcanoes in the process. The eruptions of these could further worsen climate change and disrupt global ecosystems. But melting glaciers will only continue without the proper intervention to curb emissions.
Lava locked away
As warming temperatures cause glaciers to melt, the melt raises sea levels, which in turn affects the oceans' saltwater ecosystems and can lead to flooding. Melting glaciers may also lead to an increase in volcanic eruptions, according to a new study presented at the Goldschmidt Conference in Prague and set to be peer reviewed later this year. "Hundreds of dormant subglacial volcanoes worldwide — particularly in Antarctica — could become more active as climate change accelerates glacier retreat," said a news release about the study.
Evidence suggests that the "thick ice caps act as lids on volcanoes," said Inside Climate News. Once the weight is removed, there is no longer pressure on the magma chamber underneath, allowing for eruptions to occur. "When you take the load off, it's just like opening a Coca-Cola bottle or a champagne bottle," Brad Singer, a geoscientist at the University of Wisconsin who led the research, said to Inside Climate News. "It's under pressure, and the dissolved gases in the melt come out as bubbles."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The researchers analyzed six volcanoes in Chile to investigate how the Patagonian Ice Sheet's changes over time affected volcanic behavior. While the link between glaciers and volcanoes had been previously observed in Iceland, this study is one of the first to "show a surge in volcanism on a continent in the past, after the last ice age ended," said The Guardian. The same processes could occur in Antarctica, parts of North America, New Zealand and Russia as the ice sheets melt.
A glacial pace
Increased volcanic activity will likely have detrimental effects on the climate and global ecosystem. "The cumulative effect of multiple eruptions can contribute to long-term global warming because of a buildup of greenhouse gases," Pablo Moreno-Yaeger, who presented the research at the conference, said in the news release. "This creates a positive feedback loop, where melting glaciers trigger eruptions, and the eruptions in turn could contribute to further warming and melting."
Unfortunately, the world's glaciers are now melting faster than ever before. Over the past approximately ten years, "glacier losses were more than a third higher than during the period 2000-2011," said the BBC. And the potential consequences go beyond just volcanic eruptions. Eruptions "release sulfate aerosols that reflect sunlight back into space," and this has led to "cooling events following past eruptions, some of which have triggered major famines," said Live Science. One study even found that melting polar ice is causing Earth's rotation to slow.
Without intervention, the melting is going to continue. The "amount of ice lost by the end of the century will strongly depend on how much humanity continues to warm the planet by releasing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases," the BBC said.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.
-
October 4 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include the Einstein files, defunding the police, and an odd tribute to Jane Goodall
-
Mustardy beans and hazelnuts recipe
The Week Recommends Nod to French classic offers zingy, fresh taste
-
Under siege: Argentina’s president drops his chainsaw
Talking Point The self-proclaimed ‘first anarcho-capitalist president in world history’ faces mounting troubles
-
China vows first emissions cut, sidelining US
Speed Read The US, the world’s No. 2 emitter, did not attend the New York summit
-
Endangered shark meat is being mislabeled and sold in the US
Under the radar It could cause both health and ecological problems
-
How clean-air efforts may have exacerbated global warming
Under the Radar Air pollution artificially cooled the Earth, ‘masking’ extent of temperature increase
-
Earth's seasons are out of whack
Under the radar The seasons' unfixed nature in different regions of the planet may have impacted biodiversity and evolution
-
When does autumn begin?
The Explainer The UK is experiencing a 'false autumn', as climate change shifts seasonal weather patterns
-
How 'freakosystems' are becoming the norm
The explainer Ecosystems are changing permanently
-
Cloudbursts: what are the 'rain bombs' hitting India and Pakistan?
The Explainer The sudden and intense weather event is almost impossible to forecast and often leads to deadly flash-flooding and landslides
-
What do heatwaves mean for Scandinavia?
Under the Radar A record-breaking run of sweltering days and tropical nights is changing the way people – and animals – live in typically cool Nordic countries