Above: Mt Erebus, which was previously the only active volcano in Antarctica
picture by Sean Brocklesby
It seems that we still don’t know everything there is to know about our earth-climate system. Take this for example. Scientists have just now discovered an active volcano under the Antarctic ice that “creates melt-water that lubricates the base of the ice sheet and increases the flow towards the sea”.
Yet many claim the CO2 is the driver for any melting of the Antarctic ice sheet. I wonder how this will figure into that argument?
Larsen Ice Shelves A and B, by the way, sit astride a chain of volcanic vent islands known as the Seal Nunataks, which may figure into melting and breakups like this and this. (h/t Alan)
In fact, there are a LOT of volcanoes in Antarctica as you can see in this image. Notice that many are near the edge of the ice, and there are none in the interior, which may be a lack of discovery of ancient ice buried volcanoes. Most scientific bases are near the sea, rather than inland, for supply and weather tolerance purposes and there are many places in the interior that have yet to be fully explored.
These images showing known Antarctic volcanoes and satellite measured temperature trends from 1992-2004 below tends to back up the idea that where there is volcanic activity, temperatures have been rising.
Volcanic Map Temperature Trends
Here is a link and excerpt of the story:
The first evidence of a volcanic eruption from beneath Antarctica’s ice sheet has been discovered by members of the British Antarctic Survey.
The volcano on the West Antarctic Ice Sheet began erupting some 2,000 years ago and remains active to this day. Using airborne ice-sounding radar, scientists discovered a layer of ash produced by a ‘subglacial’ volcano. It extends across an area larger than Wales. The volcano is located beneath the West Antarctic ice sheet in the Hudson Mountains at latitude 74.6°South, longitude 97°West.
The subglacial volcano has a ‘volcanic explosion index’ of around 3-4. Heat from the volcano creates melt-water that lubricates the base of the ice sheet and increases the flow towards the sea. Pine Island Glacier on the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is showing rapid change and BAS scientists are part of an international research effort to understand this change.
Lead author Hugh Corr of the BAS says, “The discovery of a ‘subglacial’ volcanic eruption from beneath the Antarctic ice sheet is unique in itself. But our techniques also allow us to put a date on the eruption, determine how powerful it was and map out the area where ash fell. We believe this was the biggest eruption in Antarctica during the last 10,000 years. It blew a substantial hole in the ice sheet, and generated a plume of ash and gas that rose around 12 km into air.”
The discovery is another vital piece of evidence that will help determine the future of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and refine predictions of future sea-level rise. Glaciers are like massive rivers of ice that flow towards the coast and discharge icebergs into the sea.
Here is a related story: Lakes Beneath Antarctic Ice Sheets Found To Initiate And Sustain Flow Of Ice To Ocean
h/t ScienceDaily
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A couple of weeks back, I caught the report of a “hot spot” under Northeastern Greenland.
But a regular Westie Hell’s Kitchen?
Now what we want to know is how active it’s been recently and how and if it correlates with the Western Antarctic melt in general. This is particularly relevant, as the East End has been putting on weight in recent years.
Bet that ashfall changed the albedo for a year.
Icelanders have a name for it, “jokulhlaups”.
REPLY: Maybe not, “Jökulhlaups” appears to be a glacial meltwater flood, rather than a volcano under the ice. Perhaps you meant a “Tuya” ?
[Reply #2: He’s an English Major, not an Icelandic Major. ☺ — mod.]
That area is essentially an extension of Patagonia. There is an active subduction zone creating the Peninsula, which is an extension of the Andes.
Oh there you go with your sciency thing again. We’ll have none of that! 😉
I’m still trying to figure out why the Larsen A and B ice shelves are such a big deal if they “fell off”. They’re pretty tiny in the bigger scheme of things.
I knew it all along. 😉
Jeff, the concern (irrational and wrong) was that they were representative of some general “melt” that was going to drown us. Which I say is wrong becuase Antarctica’s net contribution is expected to be negative, and most sea level rise comes from thermal expansion, not melting ice.
I am sure the media is just getting ready to inform the world in that critically accaimed series on the errors of AIT.
Waiting with bated breath.
This post reminds me of a line from one of my favorite songs by Vanessa Williams — “Colors Of The Wind”:
“And if you walk the footsteps of a stranger, you’ll learn things you never knew you never knew.”
The question is: how much more about this planet do we not know? Quite a bit, I’d wager.
“The question is: how much more about this planet do we not know? Quite a bit, I’d wager.”
Erm… Isn’t that a bit like Dilbert being tasked to document every acronym NEVER used?
As we all know volcanic activity is caused by SUV’s and global warming.
I really wish the media would stop publishing so much proof that global warming is natural until I manage to sell all my carbon credits
RG:
Oh, yes.
Although, in some ways it would be a yuk if the Rev’s work caused a panic in the carbon-credit market.
I can see it now (wavy lines): waves of short selling, market shutdowns, angry demands for investigations, History Channel specials featuring Canal shares and Credit Mobilier, Lawsuits naming “2500 scientists of the IPCC” (all of them furiously denying they ever subscribed to its conclusions in the first place), Gore associates pleading the fifth and/or fleeing the country (again) …
Well, I can dream, can’t I?
[…] Emissions and global warming A friend of mine sent this link. It calls to mind the saying, “Numbers don’t lie, statisticians […]
The newest blurb on the Antarctic ice loss. NASA
Check out them “How Not to Measure Temperature” entries. You will not be disappointed!
Mike H., interesting article.
Yikes! Man the life boats — women and children first. Better sell that beach-front lot in Florida while you still can.
Are they kidding? “from .3mm to .5mm” sea level rise? I doubt we even have the ability to measure sea level that accurately.
And of course “primarily concentrated in West Antarctica’s Pine Island Bay sector” Which isn’t even in the antarctic any more, just happens to be connected to the antarctic peninsula. Yet the press release is for the whole antarctic. Really shoddy science, but great propaganda.
Correction: “Connected to the antarctice peninsula” should read “connected to the antarctic continent”.
[…] what might just be yet another blow to climate change alarmism, here’s an interesting finding in Antarctica that’s worth giving some consideration […]
You unclean heretics! Blasphemers! Infidels!
The earth is a BABY, with a FEVER! When will you get that through your Fascist heads!
Unless Maurice Strong, George Soros, Hugo Chavez and I institute our Socialits People’s Perfection Plan worldwide, THE EARTH WILL COME TO AN END IN……IN…….IN……UH, YEARS
I watched a program on the arctic and the Eskimo’s were saying that the ice seems to be melting from below.Can you show the same pic on the arctic?
Anthony, are you the same Anthony Watts that did the weather on KHSL in the Real Northern California?
REPLY: Yes one and the same
Good to see you again. I’ll be stopping by now and then. Lived most of my life in the Redding area, now residing in Big Bend. (CA)
Oh yeah, forgot to tell you how Shocked 😯 I am that the Goracle could be wrong. 😉
[…] what might just be yet another blow to climate change alarmism, here’s an interesting finding in Antarctica that’s worth giving some consideration […]