Posted on 10/02/2014 2:08:23 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
From the National Post Is it volcano season? From Japan to Iceland, scientists probe the reasons why there are so many eruptions lately
Eruptions caused by climate change
In recent decades, it has become apparent that the consequences of planetary ice loss might not end with rising sea levels. Evidence has been building that in the past, periods of severe loss of glaciers were followed by a significant spike in volcanic activity.
Around 19,000 years ago, glaciation was at a peak. Much of Europe and North America was under ice. Then the climate warmed, and the glaciers began to recede. The effect on the planet was generally quite favourable for humankind. But, since the mid-1970s, a number of studies have suggested that, as the ice vanished, volcanic eruptions became much more frequent. A 2009 study, for example, concluded that between 12,000 and 7,000 years ago, the global level of volcanic activity rose by up to six times. Around the same period the rate of volcanic activity in Iceland soared to at least 30 times today’s level.
There is supporting evidence from continental Europe, North America and Antarctica that volcanic activity also increased after earlier deglaciation cycles. Bizarrely, then, volcanic activity seems — at least sometimes — to rise and fall with ice levels. But why? Again, this strange effect might come down to stress.
Eruptions cause by the melting of ice
Ice sheets are heavy. Each year, Antarctica’s loses around 40 billion metric tons of ice. The sheets are so heavy, in fact, that as they grow, they cause the Earth’s crust to bend — like a plank of wood when placed under weight. The corollary of this is that, when an ice sheet melts, and its mass is removed, the crust springs back. This upward flexing can lead to a drop in stress in the underlying rocks, which, the theory goes, makes it easier for magma to reach the surface and feed volcanic eruptions.
The link between climate change and volcanism is still poorly understood. Many volcanoes do not seem to have been affected by it. Nor is it a particularly pressing concern today, even though we face an ice-free future. It can take thousands of years after the glaciers melt for volcanic activity to rise.
Yet while it may not be an immediate hazard, this strange effect is a reminder that our planet can respond to change in unforeseen ways. Contrary to their brutish reputation, volcanoes are helping scientists understand just how sensitive our planet can be.
h/t to reader Cam_S
These people are INSANE.
Volcanic emissions lower global temperatures. So I guess this is “negative feedback” the computer models missed.
The only choices we have are that they’re either insane or evil. I’m leaning toward evil.
Volcanos erupt when they want to. Northing to do with global warming.
But, to these folks, putting too much chicken in a soup would cause global warming....
They are all nutcases....
Ridiculous. Ebola causes volcanoes.
Global warming causes higher taxes.
Everything causes some problem that only more government control can solve - power and control is the insatiable desire of leftists.
The first lesson in the first unit I ever studied toward my degree in Cultural Anthropology was the effect climate had and has on human development. Next was the effect of the shift in the Earth’s tectonic plates. Third was the natural cycle of glacial and interglacial phases.
This is elementary stuff yet some how it is overlooked by the manmade climate change crowd.
Thats the first statement about Global Warming I’ve ever believed.
My wife says I am harmful to the environment because I emit too much gas....
“Your Honor, I know I failed to pay taxes for 10 years but it’s all due to climate disruption”
“Honey, that blond hair you found on my suit jacket is all due to Climate change”
“Boss, I know my expense account doesn’t add up but it’s all due to global warming”
“Officer, I know just blew a .165 but I can explain it all on climate degradation”
It’s Bushes fault!!!!
Absolutely false statement according to the high priests of climate change. They have models that know exactly what will happen.
The lost ice has been found, hanging out around the poles in a big, deep way. So now that the ice theory has been laid to rest, we must consider the possibility that cow farts are shaking the ground, causing a butterfly effect that results in volcanoes and earthquakes.
I’ve determined that my diarrhea is a direct result of climate change.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.