LONDON (Dispatches)-Scientists say the world’s biggest volcanic region in western Antarctica may have been discovered.
Researchers at Edinburgh University found a total of 138 volcanoes in the West Antarctic Ice Sheet overlying the West Antarctic Rift System, 91 of which had never before been identified.
Ice coverings have made it difficult to fully map the extent of volcanic activity in the area, scientists report.
They used a mix of aeromagnetic and aerogravity tools, satellite imagery, and a database of already confirmed volcanoes to pinpoint cone-like structures on the ice sheet.
The new findings can help researchers take a closer look at how the area is influencing ice sheet growth, as they cannot currently determine if the volcanoes are active. Even inactive volcanoes can increase heat flux to the subglacial interface, once again leading to increased melting and a faster rate at which the melting ice flows into the sea.