1 week ago

Glaciers Reveal When Volcanoes Are on Brink of Eruption

New research shows that glaciers near active volcanoes flow faster than other glaciers. The findings suggest it would be possible to predict volcanic eruptions by tracking the speed of glaciers.

For the study, researchers analyzed satellite data on the speed of close to 180,000 glaciers worldwide. Controlling for the local climate, the thickness of ice, and the slope of mountains, they found that glaciers that lie within three miles of an active volcano flow 46 percent faster, on average, than other glaciers. The findings were published in Communications Earth & Environment.

Authors believe that underground heat from active volcanoes is melting the underside of nearby glaciers, causing those glaciers to flow more quickly. Study coauthor Matteo Spagnolo, a geologist at the University of Aberdeen, said that glaciers could provide “much needed forewarning to local authorities to plan the possible evacuation of a nearby city, or impose a no-fly zone, without relying on last-minute decisions.”

In light of the findings, authors also warn that, should volcanoes beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet become active, they could further destabilize the ice, even without erupting.