Expect More—and More Powerful—Eruptions

The ongoing melting of glaciers and ice caps due to global warming could set off a new wave of volcanic eruptions, potentially reshaping land and amplifying the climate crisis, according to new research. The process works like this: as ice thins out, pressure is lifted from underground magma chambers, making eruptions more likely, per the Guardian. This effect has already been observed in Iceland, but the study undergoing academic review, focused on Chile, is among the first to track a surge in volcanism on a continent in the past, after the last ice age ended.

Lead researcher Pablo Moreno-Yaeger from the University of Wisconsin-Madison explains that when glaciers retreat, volcanoes are likely to erupt more often—and more explosively. The team's work included analyzing volcanic rocks from six volcanoes in southern Chile, including the Mocho-Choshuenco volcano, revealing that thick ice cover previously suppressed eruptions, allowing large pools of magma to accumulate deep underground, per Live Science. Once the ice melted, the pressure dropped, gases in the magma expanded, and a series of explosive eruptions followed.

The study, presented Tuesday at the Goldschmidt Conference in Prague, points out that the risk is greatest in West Antarctica, home to at least 100 volcanoes beneath thick ice that is expected to melt in the coming decades. Other regions, including parts of North America, New Zealand, and Russia, may also see increased volcanic activity as glaciers recede. Volcanic eruptions can briefly cool the planet by releasing particles that reflect sunlight, but long-term eruptions would pump greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, potentially worsening global warming. Researchers say more work is needed to understand the risk and prepare for possible feedback loops that could amplify the climate crisis.