Climate Change: Threat to Activate Hundreds of Volcanoes

A new study warns that glacier melting due to climate change could lead to the activation of hundreds of volcanoes currently dormant under ice.

The loss of ice reduces pressure on magma chambers, increasing the frequency and intensity of eruptions. Pablo Moreno-Jaeger of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, lead author of the study, presented the findings at a conference of the European Association of Geochemistry.

The research examined six volcanoes in southern Chile and found that ice reduction after the ice age led to an increase in volcanic activity. Similar phenomena have been observed in Iceland, where the frequency of eruptions increased significantly after the end of the last ice age.

The study highlights that increased volcanic activity could release large amounts of sulfurous particles into the atmosphere, as well as greenhouse gases, creating a positive feedback loop that would exacerbate global warming.

It is noted that there are 245 volcanoes worldwide that are covered or surrounded by glaciers and could be affected by climate change.