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Antarctica is the world’s southernmost and least-populated continent… Unless you count its colonies of penguins, which are estimated to number around 44 million according to the latest stats by the World Population Review. Known as the highest, driest, coldest, and windiest place on Earth, Antarctica also harbors the planet’s largest ice sheet.
Now, a new study reveals that the melting of this ice sheet—accelerated by the climate crisis—could trigger increased volcanic activity beneath the surface. What could this mean for Antarctica, our planet, and the 44 million penguins that call it home? Click through the gallery to uncover the latest findings.
Antarctica is renowned for its harsh climate, immense ice sheet, and unique wildlife. While it's often featured in documentaries about its icy weather and population of penguins, less attention has been given to the volcanic network hidden beneath its icy surface.
Home to over 100 volcanoes, Antarctica harbors a geological mystery that scientists are now beginning to unravel: melting ice, accelerated by climate change, could trigger volcanic eruptions beneath its vast ice sheet, with profound implications for the planet.
Antarctica is covered by an ice sheet that spans 98% of its surface, an area of nearly 54 million mi² (14 million km²)—roughly the size of the United States and Mexico combined. This ice sheet contains an estimated 7 million mi³ (30 million km³) of ice.
Ice sheets once covered much of the Northern Hemisphere during a series of Pleistocene Ice Ages. Now, Earth has just two ice sheets: one covers most of Greenland, the largest island in the world, and the other spans across the Antarctic continent.
Together, the Antarctic and Greenland Ice Sheets contain more than 99% of the freshwater ice on Earth. Antarctica alone harbors 90% of the world's ice and 60% of the world's total freshwater.
Beneath this icy expanse lies a volcanic network, particularly concentrated along the western coast. While some of these volcanoes are visible above the ice, many remain buried deep below, making them difficult to detect and study.
A team of scientists from Brown University and Lehigh University in America have concluded that the melting of Antarctica's glaciers could lead to more frequent and extensive volcanic eruptions.
Using 4,000 computer simulations, the researchers examined how ice loss affects magma chambers hidden beneath the Antarctic ice sheet. Their findings suggest that as ice melts, it relieves pressure on the rocks below.
This decompression allows the magma within the chambers to expand, increasing pressure on the chamber walls and potentially triggering eruptions. Unlike eruptions from surface volcanoes, subglacial eruptions are not immediately visible. However, their impact on Antarctica’s ice sheet could be severe.
The heat generated by these eruptions could accelerate melting deep beneath the surface, further weakening the ice sheet and creating a dangerous feedback loop between decreased surface pressure and new eruptions.
Scientists emphasize that this is a slow process, taking hundreds of years to unfold. However, the implications for Antarctica’s long-term stability are concerning. Not only is Antarctic ice melting more quickly than new snow can replace it, but the rate of loss due to melting is increasing.
Each year, the ice sheet is shrinking more rapidly. By the year 2020, the speed of ice loss in Antarctica had multiplied sixfold over thirty years. The continent's ice sheet is already a significant contributor to rising sea levels, and increased volcanic activity could exacerbate the problem.
Antarctica’s ice sheet acts as a protective shield for the Earth, reflecting sunlight and helping to regulate the planet’s temperature.
Glaciers, which can range from several hundred to thousands of years old, provide a vital record of historical climate changes. Today, about 10% of Earth’s land area is covered with glacial ice, with nearly 90% of it located in Antarctica.
Rapid glacial melt has far-reaching consequences. As ice on land melts, sea levels rise, threatening coastal communities worldwide. Additionally, the influx of cold glacial meltwater into the oceans disrupts ocean currents, which play a crucial role in regulating global temperatures.
Antarctic sea ice has been shrinking at alarming rates, with near-record lows recorded in 2024. Widespread coastal melting, documented in late 2024 and early 2025, indicates that nearly every region with routine surface snowmelt has experienced more melting days than usual for this time of year.
The potential for increased volcanic activity introduces a new and alarming dimension to Antarctica’s climate crisis. Research indicates that around 80% of Earth's volcanic eruptions occur beneath the ocean, raising questions about how these hidden forces might influence the already fragile Antarctic environment.
If subglacial or underwater eruptions occur in Antarctica, they could further destabilize the region’s ice sheet. The heat from these eruptions could melt vast amounts of ice, contributing to rising sea levels and accelerating global warming.
The melting of Antarctica's ice and the potential for volcanic eruptions pose significant challenges for scientists and policymakers. While the process of triggering volcanic activity may take centuries, the long-term implications are stark.
The Antarctic ice sheet plays a vital role in regulating global sea levels, making its stability crucial to the planet's future. Beyond this, Antarctica’s glaciers are indispensable to the global climate system: they reflect sunlight to help cool the Earth, influence ocean currents, and hold invaluable records of historical climate changes.
As these glaciers continue to melt, the resulting changes in ocean circulation and temperature could have unpredictable effects on weather patterns, biodiversity, and human populations worldwide.
What is considered the largest volcanic region on Earth, with as many as 138 volcanoes, of those volcanoes, 91 were first discovered as part of a 2017 study published in the journal Geological Society. Currently, there are only two volcanoes on the ice-covered continent that are classified as active: Deception Island and Mount Erebus.
Mount Erebus is the highest peak on the continent with a summit topping out at 12,448 feet (3,794 meters). "Erebus, which looms over the McMurdo research base on Ross Island, has been continuously erupting since at least 1972," Conor Bacon, a postdoctoral research scientist at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University in New York, told Live Science.
Since then, Mount Erebus has been known to "emit plumes of gas and steam" and even occasionally spew out rock "bombs," which collectively are known as strombolian eruptions, according to NASA Earth Observatory. The Ross Island peak holds the record as the southernmost active volcano on the planet. The Stratovolcano last erupted in 2015 with rock samples dating back 1.3 million years.
Deception Island, on the other hand, is the caldera of an active volcano, which last erupted in 1970, according to the Deception Island Antarctic Specially Managed Area, which monitors the island for volcanic activity.
While only two of Antarctica's volcanoes are currently active, scientists diligently monitor all 138 for any signs of activity. For now, these hidden giants remain as frozen in action as the icy expanse that surrounds them.
Antarctica’s hidden volcanoes represent both a fascinating geological mystery and a sobering reminder of the interconnectedness of Earth's systems. The melting of its ice sheet, driven by human-induced climate change, has the potential to awaken these long-dormant volcanoes, triggering a cascade of environmental consequences.
As we confront the challenges of a warming planet, understanding the dynamics of Antarctica’s ice and volcanic systems is crucial. This knowledge not only deepens our appreciation for the planet’s complexity but also underscores the urgency of taking action to mitigate climate change and protect the delicate balance of Earth’s ecosystems.
By taking these findings seriously and advancing our understanding of these interconnected systems, we can inform more effective solutions to safeguard the planet's future amidst an era of unprecedented change.
Sources: (National Snow and Ice Data Centre) (British Antarctic Survey) (WWF) (The Independent) (Ocean Today) (CGTN) (Report)
See also: Mapping Antarctica: The journey to charting the frozen continent
New study links melting ice in Antarctica to subsurface volcanic activity
The frozen continent is home to over 100 volcanoes
LIFESTYLE Global warming
Antarctica is the world’s southernmost and least-populated continent… Unless you count its colonies of penguins, which are estimated to number around 44 million according to the latest stats by the World Population Review. Known as the highest, driest, coldest, and windiest place on Earth, Antarctica also harbors the planet’s largest ice sheet.
Now, a new study reveals that the melting of this ice sheet—accelerated by the climate crisis—could trigger increased volcanic activity beneath the surface. What could this mean for Antarctica, our planet, and the 44 million penguins that call it home? Click through the gallery to uncover the latest findings.