Shock as scientists discover 91 volcanoes beneath Antarctica
GETTY Shock as scientists discover 91 volcanoes beneath Antarctica
A project carried out by British-based researchers revealed 91 volcanoes beneath the surface in the west of Antarctica, meaning there are now at least 138 underwater craters in the region. A remote survey discovered 91 volcanoes ranging in height from 100m to 3,850m in a massive region known as the West Antarctic Rift System. If the volcanoes are active, they could erupt at any moment, melting vast amounts of ice and contributing to the already worrisome rising sea levels endangering large swathes of coastal populations around the globe. The team now say they have to find how active they are in double speed.
GETTY The volcanoes were found over a 3,500 kilometre patch in the west of the icy continent
Dr Robert Bingham, of the University of Edinburgh's School of GeoSciences, said: “If one of these volcanoes were to erupt it could further destabilise west Antarctica’s ice sheets. “Anything that causes the melting of ice – which an eruption certainly would – is likely to speed up the flow of ice into the sea. “The big question is: how active are these volcanoes? That is something we need to determine as quickly as possible.” The volcanoes are distributed over a 3,500 kilometre patch in the west of the icy continent and could be the highest density of volcanoes in the world, even bigger than that of the African rift.
GETTY If the volcanoes were to erupt, it could contribute to rising sea levels
Scientists discovered the volcanoes using a digital elevation model known as Bedmap 2 DEM and cross-referencing their information with previous studies which used ground-penetrating radars. Researchers from the University of Edinburgh remotely surveyed the underside of the ice sheet for hidden peaks of basalt rock, like those of other volcanoes in the region whose tips push above the ice. They analysed the shape of the land beneath using measurements from ice-penetrating radar, and compared the findings with satellite and database records, as well as geological information from aerial surveys.
The study, which is the first of its kind, was proposed by Max Van Wyk de Vries, a third-year student at the University of Edinburgh. Mr Van Wyk de Vries, said: "Antarctica remains among the least studied areas of the globe, and as a young scientist I was excited to learn about something new and not well understood. "After examining existing data on West Antarctica, I began discovering traces of volcanism. Naturally I looked into it further, which led to this discovery of almost 100 volcanoes under the ice sheet."
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