Melting glaciers can lead to more volcanic eruptions, says study

A new study presented at the 2025 Goldschmidt Conference in Prague indicates that the increasing melting of glaciers and ice caps could lead to more frequent and explosive volcanic eruptions.

Key Findings and Mechanisms:

• Pressure Release: The core principle is that the immense weight of glaciers and ice caps typically exerts pressure on underground magma chambers of volcanoes. When this ice melts, the reduced pressure allows underground gases and magma to expand, potentially leading to more explosive eruptions.
• Magma Production: The decrease in pressure due to ice loss can also facilitate the production of magma, as rocks tend to melt at lower temperatures when held at lower pressure.
• Role of Precipitation: Precipitation, also affected by climate change, can infiltrate deep underground and react with the magma system, potentially triggering an eruption.

Areas of Concern and Historical Evidence:

• West Antarctica Risk: The study highlights West Antarctica as a region with the greatest risk of a resurgence of volcanic eruptions. Approximately 100 volcanoes are buried under thick ice in this region, which is expected to disappear in coming decades and centuries due to rising global temperatures.
• Icelandic Precedent: Such a phenomenon has already been observed. In Iceland, during major deglaciation periods (e.g., between 15,000 and 10,000 years before present), volcanic eruption rates were 30 to 50 times higher than they are today.
• Chile’s Mocho Choshuenco Volcano Study:
  • The latest study examined Chile’s Mocho Choshuenco volcano.
  • It found that a thick ice sheet over the volcano between 26,000 and 18,000 years ago suppressed the volume of eruptions, leading to the formation of a large magma reservoir 10 to 15 km below the surface.
  • However, once this ice sheet melted around 13,000 years ago, explosive eruptions occurred.

About the Goldschmidt Conference:

• The Goldschmidt Conference is the largest international conference dedicated to geochemistry, jointly organized by the Geochemical Society and the European Association of Geochemistry. The 2025 conference is currently underway in Prague.

(Source: Ie)