An active volcano has been unexpectedly discovered beneath a rapidly vanishing glacier in Antarctica by a team of scientists studying the melting ice shelf.
While rising temperatures in the polar oceans are still by far the biggest contributor to Antarctic melting, volcanoes buried deep beneath the ice are a “wild card” that are likely also playing a role.
Scientists have warned this hidden source of heat must be taken into consideration when predicting future sea level rise.
Antarctica melting faster than ever before, according to major study
West Antarctica is thought to contain well over 100 volcanoes, but finding them and understanding their contribution to ice melting has proved difficult.
During a survey conducted in 2014, a team of British and American scientists stumbled across one of them while exploring the effect of warming ocean waters on the ice shelf.
Chemical data from water samples revealed an active source of volcanic heat beneath the Pine Island glacier, which is the fastest-melting glacier in the entire region.
Though there have been no eruptions in Antarctica for more than 2,000 years, the heat from this hidden volcano could be contributing to this rapid decline.
Channelized lava emerges on Kilauea Volcano's lower East Rift Zone on Hawaii. The USGS said on its website that "a fast-moving pahoehoe lava flow that emerged from fissure 20... continues to flow southeast," with the quickest of three "lobes" progressing at 230 yards (210 meters) per hour.
AFP/US Geological Survey
Lava erupts and flows from a Kilauea volcano fissure in Leilani Estates, on Hawaii's Big Island
Getty Images
A plume of ash rises from a crater in the Mount Kilauea volcano after a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck the area, near Pahoa, Hawaii
EPA/USGS HANDOUT
Kilauea has opened 14 lava-and-gas spewing fissures in total
Rex
United States Geological Survey
Lava from a Kilauea volcano fissure advances up a residential street in Leilani Estates, on Hawaii's Big Island, on May 27, 2018 in Pahoa, Hawaii
Mario Tama/Getty Images
A massive flow of lava consumes houses in Leilani Estates
EPA/PARADISE HELICOPTERS
Lava flows past trees on the outskirts of Pahoa during ongoing eruptions of the Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii.
REUTERS
A plume of ash rises from Kilauea Volcano after a series of earthquakes over the last couple of days
USGS/Handout via Reuters
Lava emerges from the ground after Kilauea Volcano erupted
Steam rises from a fissure on a road in Leilani Estates subdivision on Hawaii's Big Island
AFP/Getty
This thermal image (looking south) shows the active overflows from the lava lake (upper left) onto the Halema'uma'u crater floor. View is toward the south.
Rex
The results of the eruption from Kilauea Volcano on Hawaii's Big Island
AP
Lava is seen coming from a fissure in Leilani Estates subdivision on Hawaii's Big Island
FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images
An aerial view of a flow of lava moves to the doorsteps of the Puna Geothermal Venture facility after a new fissure eruption within Leilani Estates sending a fast moving flow of lava began to consume homes and property, near Pahoa, Hawaii
EPA/BRUCE OMORI/Paradise Helicopters
Smoke rises from the Pu'u 'O'o crater on the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii
EPA
Up to 10,000 people were ordered to evacuate as flows of red lava entered residential areas
Reuters
A fissure erupts in Leilani Estates, one of the communities most vulnerable to Hawaii's Kilauea volcano
AP
Smoke billows from Pu'u 'O'o crater on the Hawaii's Big Island
EPA
Remote image released by U.S. Geological Survey, shows a new lava fissure on Kilauea Volcano's lower East Rift Zone on Makamae and Leilani Streets
USGS via AP
Kilauea volcano's Pu'u O'o vent on Hawaii's main island
AP
Lava flows over a road in the Puna District as a result of the eruption from Kilauea on Hawaii's Big Island
Byron Matthews via AP
Kilauea volcano erupts
AP
Lava flowing over Mohala Street in the Leilani Estates area near Pahoa
Hawaii Electric Light via AP
An aerial view of a massive surface flow entering the sea at Malama Flats
EPA
Satellite photo provided by DigitalGlobe shows lava coming out of fissures caused by Kilauea
AP via DigitalGlobe
The fissure complex, pictured in the upper right, continues to feed a meandering lava flow (in the center). into the Pacific Ocean in southeast of Pahoa during ongoing eruptions of the Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii
REUTERS
Lava erupts from a Kilauea volcano fissure
Getty Images
A U.S. National Guard soldier (R) takes photos as lava erupts and flows from a Kilauea volcano fissure in Leilani Estates, on Hawaii's Big Island
Getty Images
Getty Images/iStockphoto
Channelized lava emerges on Kilauea Volcano's lower East Rift Zone on Hawaii. The USGS said on its website that "a fast-moving pahoehoe lava flow that emerged from fissure 20... continues to flow southeast," with the quickest of three "lobes" progressing at 230 yards (210 meters) per hour.
AFP/US Geological Survey
Lava erupts and flows from a Kilauea volcano fissure in Leilani Estates, on Hawaii's Big Island
Getty Images
A plume of ash rises from a crater in the Mount Kilauea volcano after a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck the area, near Pahoa, Hawaii
EPA/USGS HANDOUT
Kilauea has opened 14 lava-and-gas spewing fissures in total
Rex
United States Geological Survey
Lava from a Kilauea volcano fissure advances up a residential street in Leilani Estates, on Hawaii's Big Island, on May 27, 2018 in Pahoa, Hawaii
Mario Tama/Getty Images
A massive flow of lava consumes houses in Leilani Estates
EPA/PARADISE HELICOPTERS
Lava flows past trees on the outskirts of Pahoa during ongoing eruptions of the Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii.
REUTERS
A plume of ash rises from Kilauea Volcano after a series of earthquakes over the last couple of days
USGS/Handout via Reuters
Lava emerges from the ground after Kilauea Volcano erupted
Steam rises from a fissure on a road in Leilani Estates subdivision on Hawaii's Big Island
AFP/Getty
This thermal image (looking south) shows the active overflows from the lava lake (upper left) onto the Halema'uma'u crater floor. View is toward the south.
Rex
The results of the eruption from Kilauea Volcano on Hawaii's Big Island
AP
Lava is seen coming from a fissure in Leilani Estates subdivision on Hawaii's Big Island
FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images
An aerial view of a flow of lava moves to the doorsteps of the Puna Geothermal Venture facility after a new fissure eruption within Leilani Estates sending a fast moving flow of lava began to consume homes and property, near Pahoa, Hawaii
EPA/BRUCE OMORI/Paradise Helicopters
Smoke rises from the Pu'u 'O'o crater on the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii
EPA
Up to 10,000 people were ordered to evacuate as flows of red lava entered residential areas
Reuters
A fissure erupts in Leilani Estates, one of the communities most vulnerable to Hawaii's Kilauea volcano
AP
Smoke billows from Pu'u 'O'o crater on the Hawaii's Big Island
EPA
Remote image released by U.S. Geological Survey, shows a new lava fissure on Kilauea Volcano's lower East Rift Zone on Makamae and Leilani Streets
USGS via AP
Kilauea volcano's Pu'u O'o vent on Hawaii's main island
AP
Lava flows over a road in the Puna District as a result of the eruption from Kilauea on Hawaii's Big Island
Byron Matthews via AP
Kilauea volcano erupts
AP
Lava flowing over Mohala Street in the Leilani Estates area near Pahoa
Hawaii Electric Light via AP
An aerial view of a massive surface flow entering the sea at Malama Flats
EPA
Satellite photo provided by DigitalGlobe shows lava coming out of fissures caused by Kilauea
AP via DigitalGlobe
The fissure complex, pictured in the upper right, continues to feed a meandering lava flow (in the center). into the Pacific Ocean in southeast of Pahoa during ongoing eruptions of the Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii
REUTERS
Lava erupts from a Kilauea volcano fissure
Getty Images
A U.S. National Guard soldier (R) takes photos as lava erupts and flows from a Kilauea volcano fissure in Leilani Estates, on Hawaii's Big Island
Getty Images
Getty Images/iStockphoto
“The west Antarctic ice sheet has existed for tens of thousands of years and it has happily coexisted with volcanic activity happening within and underneath it,” Dr Rob Larter, a marine geophysicist at the British Antarctic Survey told The Independent.
“Because of the episodic nature of volcanic activity it’s something that’s very difficult to factor into future projections – it’s a wild card.”
Measuring volcanism in Antarctica is problematic as the traditional means of assessing volcanoes – heat and smoke – are difficult to assess in sources buried deep below the ice.
In their current study, published in the journal Nature Communications, a team led by Professor Brice Loose of the University of Rhode Island measured a form of helium in the water they described as “a fingerprint for volcanism”.
Climate change could trigger volcanic eruptions across the world
Recent analysis revealed that ice melting in Antarctica – particularly west Antarctica – is taking place faster than ever before.
The Pine Island glacier is particularly unstable, and made headlines in 2017 when it lost a chunk of ice four times the size of Manhattan.
“The discovery of volcanoes beneath the Antarctic ice sheet means that there is an additional source of heat to melt the ice, lubricate its passage toward the sea, and add to the melting from warm ocean waters,” said Professor Karen Heywood of the University of East Anglia, who was the expedition’s chief scientist.
“It will be important to include this in our efforts to estimate whether the Antarctic ice sheet might become unstable and further increase sea level rise.”
Dr Robert Bingham, a glaciologist at the University of Edinburgh who has discovered dozens of Antarctic volcanoes, said the melting was probably not a major contributor.
New land forms as lava from Hawaii volcano meets the ocean“I don’t think people should look at volcanoes underneath west Antarctica as a serious concern for causing instability,” he said.
However, Dr Bingham, who was not involved in the new study, suggested that as climate change-induced melting increases, volcanic activity could also increase.
“If you have got thinning ice cover over a volcanic region there is every reason to suggest it will increase the volcanism,” he said.
As the pressure exerted on the mantle by the glacier decreases and allows more heat to escape, this could cause a feedback loop in which the melt rate continues to increase.
The researchers behind the new study said understanding the rate of sea level rise due to a melting Antarctica will be crucial in the coming years, and monitoring the region’s volcanoes will be a key part in this process.