🌋 Fonte of ice could trigger volcanic super-eruptions

The disappearance of ice could awaken sleeping volcanoes. Moreover, reveals a study conducted in the Chilean Andes. Furthermore, This phenomenon, long observed in Iceland, would now extend to other continents with the effect of global warming.

Researchers have been interested in interactions between glaciers and volcanoes for decades. Consequently, An international team has analyzed six Chilean volcanoes, including Mocho-Choshuenco, to understand how ice melting their activity. Moreover, Their results, presented at the Goldschmidt conference, suggest an increased risk of explosive eruptions in several regions of the globe.

A pressure mechanism – 🌋 fonte ice could trigger

During the last glaciation. a thick layer of ice compressed the magmatic chambers, limiting eruptions. Crystalline analyzes show that the magma, rich in silica, has accumulated between 10 and 15 km deep.

The rapid ice 🌋 fonte ice could trigger melting 13,000 years ago released this pressure, causing brutal eruptions. The gases expanded in the magma then fragmented the rock, generating violent explosions. This scenario could reproduce today in Antarctica, where a hundred volcanoes are covered with ice.

Planetary consequences

In the short term, eruptions release aerosols cooling the climate. However, their rehearsal could accelerate warming via the emission of greenhouse gases. Researchers evoke a circle Vicious: the melting of ice triggers eruptions, which then aggravates climate change.

Regions such as Alaska or New Zealand in particular, housing under-Glacial volcanoes, require increased monitoring. Isotopic data reveal that these systems react with a deadline of several centuries after melting. offering a window To anticipate risks.

To go further: how does ice suffocate volcanoes?

The colossal weight of the glaciers exerts constant pressure on the earth’s crust, like a lid on a pressure cooker. This compression prevents the magma from 🌋 fonte ice could trigger going back to the surface and limits eruptions. Studies show that a layer of ice 1,500 meters thick can reduce volcanic activity half.

When the ice melts, this pressure suddenly decreases, releasing the forces contained in the magmatic chambers. The gases dissolved in magma, like Co₂ and water vapor, then expanded, fragmenting the rock into millions of particles. This mechanism explains why post-glacial rashes are often more violent and rich in ashes.

This phenomenon was observed in Iceland after the last glaciation, with a multiplication per 30 of the eruptions. Today, Antarctica and other frozen regions could follow the same scenario. Geochemical data reveal that this process takes decades, even centuries, offering a delay to anticipate risks.