Experts working at the South Pole have found evidence to support a theory that a gigantic geothermal heat source may be lurking beneath the surface – and it could be as devastating as the Yellowstone volcano.
Scientists first theorised the ice was melting due to a volcano when they noticed a breathing effect was visible on Antarctica’s Marie Byrd Land in the west of the icy continent.
The volcano itself is not a new discovery, but the new research suggests it could be aiding global warming and could be why the ice sheet collapsed 11,000 years ago in a previous example of rapid climate change.
Hélène Seroussi of Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, said: “I thought it was crazy. I didn’t see how we could have that amount of heat and still have ice on top of it.”
Ms Seroussi and Erik Ivins of JPL used the Ice Sheet System Model (ISSM), which is a mathematical model that uses the physics of the ice sheets, to look for heat sources and meltwater deposits.
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The melted water beneath the surface lubricates the ice sheets, allowing glaciers to slide.
And the information can also be used to estimate how much ice will be lost in the future.
The underwater systems in the Antarctic can cause surface ice to rise by at least six metres over a short time frame, allowing scientists to observe concentrations of water sources beneath the surface.
In a statement, Nasa said: “They found that the flux of energy from the mantle plume must be no more than 150 milliwatts per square meter.
“For comparison, in US regions with no volcanic activity, the heat flux from Earth’s mantle is 40 to 60 milliwatts.
“Under Yellowstone National Park – a well-known geothermal hot spot – the heat from below is about 200 milliwatts per square meter averaged over the entire park.”