Scientists from the University of Edinburgh in the UK have uncovered 138 volcanoes — 91 of which have previously been detected — after surveying the so-called West Antarctic Rift System, and say that it's imperative that we find out which of them remain active. The researchers studied the rift system lying underneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, analysing ice-sheet bed-elevation data for the presence of conical edifices protruding upwards into the ice across West Antarctica — much the same as we see when surface volcanoes extend out of Earth's surface. The volcanoes range from 100 metres (328 feet) to 3,850 metres (12,631 feet), and because they are buried under kilometres of ice, it's unlikely that they pose an immediate threat to anything on the Antarctic surface, but if one or more were to erupt, the heat generated could melt the ice above it, potentially increasing sea levels. To find out more check out Scientists discover 91 volcanoes below Antarctic ice sheet.
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Hi. I'm Carl A. Williams, a science, technology & industry writer living in San Francisco. I have published articles on a broad ranges of topics, from climate change and nanotechnology to quantum computing and artificial intelligence, a selection of which are presented here.
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