Glacier melt linked to rising drift, volcanic risks
Can melting glaciers influence the acceleration of continental drift and volcanic activity? New research suggests that this is possible and has a significant impact on geological processes on Earth.
Melting glaciers can accelerate the process of continental drift and cause an increase in volcanic activity, or at least this is what research from scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder indicates. As reported by the SciTech Daily portal, researchers discovered that the reduction of glaciers 10,000 years ago significantly influenced the Earth's geological dynamics. Data analysis can reveal what changes might occur in the context of current glacier melting.
The impact of glacier melting on continental movement
Geophysicists Tao Yuan and Shijie Zhong used computer models to examine Earth's conditions from 26,000 years ago. They discovered that the melting of the Laurentide Glacier, which covered a large part of North America, could have accelerated the movement of the North American continental plate by 25 per cent.
Research showed that between 12,000 and 6,000 years ago, drift along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge could have increased by as much as 40 per cent. The scientists emphasize that glacier melting not only caused the uplift of plates but also their lateral movement.
Consequences for the modern world
The results published in "Nature" could have enormous significance for today's world. Glaciers in Greenland are melting rapidly, which may lead to an increase in volcanic activity in Iceland.
The research, financially supported by the National Science Foundation in the USA, suggests that the melting of glaciers in Greenland and West Antarctica could, in the future, increase the spreading of the ocean floor and volcanic activity.
