Cerca de 100 vulcões têm o potencial de entrar em erupção na Antártida

Accelerated melting of ice in Antarctica could activate hidden volcanoes beneath its surface, scientists warned in a recent study.

Led by researchers from the United States and Germany, the study was published in the scientific journal Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems.

The icy continent is divided by the Transantarctic Mountains and is home to imposing volcanoes, such as Mount Erebus, with its famous lava lake.

There are more than 100 volcanoes scattered across Antarctica, some visible on the surface and others hidden under kilometers of ice, according to Live Science.

During the research, scientists ran 4,000 computer simulations to investigate how the climate crisis could impact volcanoes hidden beneath the Antarctic ice.

The results indicate that melting ice is intensifying the activity of subglacial volcanoes, increasing the risk of eruptions in previously stabilized regions beneath the Antarctic ice sheet.

According to researchers, this occurs because the melting of the ice reduces the pressure exerted on the magma chambers located below the surface.

With less pressure, the previously compressed magma expands, increasing the force against the chamber walls, which can lead to eruptions.

Thus, volcanic activity can be more frequent and also more intense.

According to Live Science, these subglacial volcanic eruptions may not be visible on the surface, but they have a significant impact on the ice sheet.

Photo: Unsplash - Paul Summers

The heat released could intensify melting at depth, weakening the ice above and triggering a feedback loop.

The authors highlight that this process occurs slowly, over hundreds of years.

Photo: Unsplash - Tetiana Grypachevska

And even if global warming caused by human activities is contained, the feedback loop could persist for decades, the study reveals.

"Eruptions beneath the ice sheet could intensify melting, compounding the challenges already posed by rising global temperatures," the study said, as quoted by The Independent.

Historical evidence suggests that similar processes may have occurred during the last ice age 12,000 years ago, when the Antarctic ice sheet was significantly thicker.

Subglacial eruptions in Antarctica are a silent danger that immediately put species in the region at risk and slowly threatens all life on Earth.

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