One worrying global trend could be the cause for a dramatic uptick in volcanic eruptions in the near future, as scientists issue a major warning that hundreds of dormant volcanoes could see a violent awakening soon.
While there are plenty of volcanic eruptions that occur across the globe every year, the prospect of an increase thanks to one key trend would certainly be destructive.
Recent fears surrounding the eruption of a volcano in Italy show the incredibly dangerous potential that even a single event could have on the surrounding area, and footage of a several-hour-long magma burst in Hawaii shows quite what a single eruption can achieve.
Now, multiply that by hundreds and you can understand why so many scientists are worried about the future, and there appears to be little we can do to alter the fate that awaits volcanoes around our planet.
Why are scientists worried about eruptions?
As reported by the Daily Mail, scientists have evaluated that increasing global temperatures as a consequence of climate change could lead to a significant increase in volcanic eruptions, as melting ice relaxes the pressure on top of a volcano's magma, causing it to rapidly expand and explode out of the top.
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This has been highlighted in a new study by researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as co-author Pablo Moreno-Yaegar outlines:
"Glaciers tend to suppress the volume of eruptions from the volcanoes beneath them, but as glaciers retreat due to climate change, our findings suggest these volcanoes go on to erupt more frequently and explosively."
This mirrors analysis of volcanoes hidden underneath the ice in Antarctica, as rapid melting could cause these to erupt in the future, which would then trigger a domino effect as ice continues to melt away.
Studies involving argon dating and crystal analysis on a number of volcanoes in southern Chile has revealed how melting ice influenced volcanic eruptions in the distant past, which reveals what could be lying in wait for us now.
It's estimated that around 15 kilometers of ice covered and suppressed potential volcanic eruptions, but as that ice began to melt it lessened the weight that kept the magma down, leading to rapid expansion and inevitable eruption.
"The key requirement for increased explosivity is initially having a very thick coverage over a magma chamber," Moreno-Yaegar explained, "and the trigger point is when these glaciers start to retreat, releasing pressure - which is currently happening in places like Antarctica."
How can volcanic eruptions effect climate change?
While climate change will likely be the primary catalyst behind an increase in volcanic eruptions, evidence has shown that they could also contribute further to rising global temperatures and the release of greenhouse gases.
Individually, volcanic eruptions bizarrely reduce temperatures in the short term as aerosol is released in the process, leading to global temperature decreases of around 0.5°C in the past.
Quite the opposite happens in the event of multiple concurrent eruptions though, as illustrated by Moreno-Yaegar:
"Over time, the cumulative effect of multiple eruptions can contribute to long-term global warming because of a buildup of greenhouse gases. This creases a positive feedback loop, where melting glaciers trigger eruptions, and then eruptions in turn could contribute to further warming and melting."
Once the chain of events begins then it appears as if it would be incredibly difficult to break from, leaving the Earth defenceless against the devastation that would likely be created.