Scientists found an alarming discovery under the Antarctic ice: It is catastrophic

New research has revealed a key link between melting Antarctic ice and increased volcanic activity, raising concerns about long-term impacts on global sea levels, the Daily Mail reports.

Melting Antarctic ice is fueling the possibility of volcanic eruptions in a devastating feedback loop that could accelerate sea level rise and destroy the world's coastal areas.

Northern areas, already extremely sensitive to climate change, are rapidly losing ice due to a newly discovered feedback loop between melting surface ice and underground volcanism.

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Scientists warn that melting ice in Antarctica is reducing pressure on magma chambers beneath the ice sheet, causing them to expand. This process stresses the walls of the chambers and releases gases trapped in the magma, which increases the possibility of eruptions. These eruptions release heat that further accelerates surface melting, thus continuing the cycle.

The scientists' advanced models, which included over 4,000 simulations, showed that melting ice sheets can speed up the early stages of volcanic eruptions by decades or even centuries. In one scenario, scientists simulated the removal of an ice sheet 1,000 meters thick over 300 years, resulting in a significant increase in volcanic activity.

Volcanic eruptions beneath the ice sheet could melt millions of cubic meters of ice annually, indirectly contributing to global sea level rise. If the West Antarctic ice sheet were to melt completely, sea levels could rise by about 58 meters, submerging major coastal cities like New York, Tokyo and Shanghai.

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Although it is predicted that complete collapse could occur by 2300, a feedback loop between melting and volcanism could accelerate this time frame. More research is needed for more precise predictions.

The researchers drew a parallel between their findings and historical data from the Andes, where volcanic activity increased when the Patagonian ice sheet melted 18,000 to 35,000 years ago. This historical precedent reinforces the link between surface ice loss and increased volcanic activity.

The researchers published their findings in the journal Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems. They emphasized that the process they identified is slow and takes hundreds of years. But that means the feedback loop could continue even if human-induced climate change slows.