July 8 (UPI) -- The melting of glaciers due to the climate crisis could make volcanic eruptions more catastrophic than before, scientists cautioned in a study.
The loss of ice from the rapid glacial melting releases pressure on magma chambers underground and could cause volcanic eruptions to become more frequent and intense, the study, presented at the Goldschmidt Conference in Prague, said.
"As glaciers retreat due to climate change, our findings suggest these volcanoes go on to erupt more frequently and more explosively," Lead researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Pablo Moreno, said.
The study placed six volcanoes in Chile under crystal analysis to determine how the shifting of the Patagonia Ice Sheet impacted the strength and frequency of previous volcanic eruptions.
Studies linking the impacts of climate change on volcanic eruptions had previously been conducted in Iceland, but the latest study was the first to assess the links to continental volcanic systems.
