Radar readings: Image shows a British Antarctic Survey aircraft conducting the survey.
Credit: Carl Robinson/British Antarctic Survey.
PARIS: A powerful volcano erupted under the icesheet of Antarctica around 2,000 years ago and it might still be active today, a finding which raises questions about ice loss from the white continent.
The explosive event – rated "severe" to "cataclysmic" on an international scale of volcanic force – punched a massive breach in the icesheet and spat out a plume some 12 kilometres into the sky, said British scientists behind the find.
Occasional volcanism
Most of Antarctica is seismically stable. But its western part lies on a rift in Earth's crust that gives rise to occasional volcanism and geothermal heat, occurring on the Antarctic coastal margins.
This is the first evidence for an eruption under the ice sheet itself – a slab of frozen water, hundreds of metres thick in places, that holds most of the world's stock of fresh water.
Reporting in the journal Nature Geoscience this week, the investigators from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), In Cambridge, England, describe the finding as "unique."
It extends the range of known volcanism in Antarctica by some 500 km and raises the question whether this or other sub-glacial volcanoes may have melted so much ice that global sea levels were affected, they said.
The volcano, located in the Hudson Mountains, blew around 207 BC, give or take 240 years, according to their paper.
Anomalous radar readings
Evidence for this comes from a British-American airborne geophysical survey completed between 2004 and 2005. This used radar to delve deep under the ice sheet to map the terrain beneath. The team spotted anomalous radar reflections over 23,000 square kilometres - an area bigger than Wales.
They interpret this signal as being a thick layer of ash, rock and glass, formed from fused silica, that the volcano spewed out in its fury.
The amount of material – 0.31 cubic kilometres – indicates an eruption of between three and four on a yardstick called the Volcanic Explosive Index (VEI).
By comparison, the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980, which was greater, rates a VEI of five, and that of Mount Pinatubo in 1991 is a VEI of six.
Bollocks
As it turns out the Antarctic Ice mass has increased past previous records by some 86,000km2 in the last year and ice cover has exceeded 30 yr mean levels. The same goes with the Arctic ice cap and sea ice. Record cold spells are more and more frequent around the globe. Put simply Global Warming...er... Climate Change.......sorry! "Human Induced Climate Disruption" is a crock and anyone who swallows it is a mindless cretin or a globalist shill.
Lighten Up
- "Human Induced Climate Disruption" is a crock and anyone who swallows it is a mindless cretin or a globalist shill."
Why are you so angry? Why insult people? Climate change or not, no one is out to steal your piggy bank or make you wear clean undershorts...
Geez, lighten up. Try a Valium even.
Global warming
Ah! But someone IS trying to rob my piggybank! That fat moron Al Gore, part owner of Occidental Petroleum, major energy waster in his huge mansion, and private jetsetter. All his buddies are playing little games to enrich themselves, and cause workers worldwide to passively accept lower living standards in the name of Gaia. As rejuvenated Communists, they massaged the "Party Line" to a new tune, but to the same end. THEY get the goodies, and the workers pay.
Ah, there it is,. The reason
Ah, there it is,. The reason for all of the rage and anger is that Gore and others have more money than "Visitor", despite their being supposed "communists". Typical of the stupider members of the right.
To "Global Warming"
You sir have the picture clear and the culprits in hand, Globalists (CFR, Trilateral Commission, Club of Rome, Bilderbergers,Rothschilds & Rockefellers). One World Govt, population control, the haves and the have nots, the end of the middle class, the end of private ownership of property. Orwells 1984 and Aldous Huxleys Brave New World were prophetic to the point of being astounding with regard to our current predicament.
The reason why this is coming together is because the valium popping mindless hordes are willing to swallow the agenda hook line and sinker, they will soon give up anything in order to "save the earth" even if their tiny little brains are trying to tell them that this summer was bloody freezing when the talking heads on the tube are telling them it is really hotter??
And that twat wonders why I am angry??
Lighten Up- All around the
Lighten Up-
All around the world Governments are using the climate change as a justification to raise taxes on everything from plastic bags to car tax - so yes they are robbing my piggy bank.
The sooner mainstream media starts asking these governments questions regarding what evidence there is of human produced climate change the better.
in NYC Bully Bollomberg is
in NYC Bully Bollomberg is using global warming as one reason to enact his travel tax if you want to drive into Manhattan - which in turn results in a total surveillance system being erected in NYC so EVERY movement is recorded for Bloomie and his ex-CIA boyfrinds to gloat over.
reply to "visitor"
You clearly fit into the mindless hordes category,You can only be insulted if you fit into one or the other category hmmm? "no one is out to steal your piggy bank" What do you think they are doing with regard to incresing energy costs, carbon credits, climate based rip off scams???? I AM angry and so should everyone be, that is unless you are happy to be ripped off blind due to your ignorance and gullibility?
So called global warming is a scam of global proportions, anyone who follows any data on real climate fluctuations knows this already. In the last 12/12 the 4 world bodies monitoring global temperatures have to the "warmers" dismay recorded a precipitious drop in global temperatures. Sea ice and ice mass has increased past 30yr means in both the arctic and antarctic. The Antarctic has increased in area by some 86,000km2 over previous records. China has it's coldest winter in a century, Snow in Baghdad first time in living memory, snow in Argentina, Britains coldest easter in 40yrs, coldest summer since the 1950's in Sydney, Brisbane records coldest day on record??? Get the idea? The warmest year in the last century was in 1998 and the temp has been falling since, so yes I am angry at being fed a constant diet of lies and distortions which all lead to me and my family being screwed over by huge corporations and those behind the ridiculous and assinine assertion that the world is warming when the exact opposite is the fact of the matter.
If you only knew the real reasons behind the GW agenda you too would be angry..............then again? Maybe you should cut back on the Valium??
Try carbon taxes buddy
Man made global warming is a scam. Al gore is not a scientist , he's a politician. Politicians lie , and make us pay taxes for breathing in the name of saving the environment. Scientists do not all agree with Al Gore.
Totally agree
I totally agree with you that anybody who swallows this global warming hoax is a moron. It makes me also angry 'cos of the zionist controlled world media. btw i don't take any valiums , 'cos i don't use any drugs.