Volcanic heat source discovered beneath Antarctic's most vulnerable glacier

Volcanic heat source discovered beneath Antarctic © David Nield

The Pine Island Glacier is known to be the fastest-melting glacier in Antarctica, responsible for around a quarter of the continent's ice loss. According to new research though, a warming planet isn't the only reason the glacier is losing ice.

Based on an analysis of the water surrounding the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, which the Pine Island Glacier is part of, there's a volcanic heat source somewhere underneath – and that knowledge is going to be crucial in predicting the future of this huge expanse of ice.

Before we get carried away, despite some headlines out there, this doesn't mean climate change has been replaced as the main cause of the ice melt, according to the international team of researchers.

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