The colossal ice sheet of West Antarctica hides what appears to be the largest volcanic region on the planet, in light of the results of the study carried out by researchers from the University of Edinburgh (United Kingdom) and collected by the journal Geological Society.
Experts have discovered as many as 91 volcanoes under Antarctic ice, the largest of which is as high as Switzerland’s Eiger volcano, which rises 3,970 meters above sea level.
According to experts, the area bears many similarities to the East African volcanic ridge, which currently holds the record for the densest concentration of volcanoes in the world. They remotely surveyed the bottom of the ice sheet for hidden peaks of basalt rock, like those of other volcanoes in the region whose tips or peaks press above the ice. Thus, by analyzing the shape of the land under the ice and comparing the results with satellite records and databases, as well as geological information from aerial assessments, the geologists found 91 previously unknown volcanoes, with a height between 100 and 3,850. meters.
“We have found 180 peaks, but we have discounted 50 because they did not coincide with the other data,” explains Robert Bingham, co-author of the work. They eventually found 138 peaks beneath the West Antarctic ice sheet, including 47 volcanoes already known because their peaks protrude through the ice, leaving 91 newly discovered.
The peaks of the discovered volcanoes are located in a region known as the Western Rift System of Antarctica, which covers 3,500 kilometers from the Ross Ice Shelf from Antarctica to the Antarctic Peninsula.
Experts do not know if these volcanoes are active, so a seismic surveillance task will begin to detect or not activity. Taking into account that volcanic activity can increase if the ice of Antarctica is diluted , it is a probable scenario considering the global warming situation that our planet suffers.
Either way, this finding will help scientists understand how volcanoes can influence long-term fluctuations in the ice sheet, and perhaps also improve understanding of the continent’s changes during past climates.
“ It is fascinating to discover a wide range of volcanoes on this relatively unexplored continent . A better understanding of volcanic activity could shed light on its impact on the Antarctic ice in the past, present and future, and on other rift systems throughout. the world, “says Bingham.
“Antarctica is still one of the least studied areas in the world and as a young scientist I was excited to learn something new. After examining the existing data on West Antarctica, I began to discover traces of volcanism; naturally I studied it further. , which led to this discovery of almost 100 volcanoes under the ice sheet “, explains Max Van Wyk de Vries, co-author of the study.
Bingham suspects that more volcanoes may exist below the Ross Ice Shelf. If so, it could mean that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and the surrounding area conceal one of the largest volcanic systems in the world, comparable to the largest known. So scientists want to deploy more instruments to find out how active these volcanoes are.
Reference: Maximillian van Wyk de Vries, Robert G. Bingham, Andrew S. Hein. A new volcanic province: an inventory of subglacial volcanoes in West Antarctica. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 2017; SP461.7 DOI: 10.1144 / SP461.7
