Underwater Antarctic volcanoes discovered in the Southern Ocean

British Antarctic Survey ^ | July 11, 2011 | Unknown

[decimon]

Scientists from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) have discovered previously unknown volcanoes in the ocean waters around the remote South Sandwich Islands. Using ship-borne sea-floor mapping technology during research cruises onboard the RRS James Clark Ross, the scientists found 12 volcanoes beneath the sea surface – some up to 3km high. They found 5km diameter craters left by collapsing volcanoes and 7 active volcanoes visible above the sea as a chain of islands.

The research is important also for understanding what happens when volcanoes erupt or collapse underwater and their potential for creating serious hazards such as tsunamis. Also this sub-sea landscape, with its waters warmed by volcanic activity creates a rich habitat for many species of wildlife and adds valuable new insight about life on earth.

Speaking at the International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Sciences in Edinburgh Dr Phil Leat from British Antarctic Survey said,

"There is so much that we don't understand about volcanic activity beneath the sea – it's likely that volcanoes are erupting or collapsing all the time. The technologies that scientists can now use from ships not only give us an opportunity to piece together the story of the evolution of our earth, but they also help shed new light on the development of natural events that pose hazards for people living in more populated regions on the planet."

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Issued by the British Antarctic Survey Press Office: Athena Dinar, tel. +44 (0) 1223 221414, mobile 07736 921693, email: amdi@bas.ac.uk Linda Capper, tel +44 (0) 1223 221448, mobile 07714 233744, email: lmca@bas.ac.uk

Notes for editors

The volcanoes were mapped at high resolution using multi-beam sonar during two research cruises (2007 and 2010) on the British Antarctic Survey ship RRS James Clark Ross.

Photos are available from the British Antarctic Survey Press Office - details above.

The International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Sciences 2011 will be held at the John McIntyre Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh from 11-15 July. See www.isaes2011.org.uk

A Press Centre will operate at the venue from Mon 11 – Wed 13 July. Contact Athena or Linda as above if you wish to attend. All sessions are open to journalists.

To view the conference sessions programme please see: http://www.geos.ed.ac.uk/isaes2011/sessions_overview_v6.pdf

To view abstracts please see: http://www.geos.ed.ac.uk/isaes2011/abstracts_v2.pdf

The Cambridge-based British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is a world leader in research into global environmental issues. With an annual budget of around £45 million, five Antarctic Research Stations, two Royal Research Ships and five aircraft, BAS undertakes an interdisciplinary research programme and plays an active and influential role in Antarctic affairs. BAS has joint research projects with over 40 UK universities and has more than 120 national and international collaborations. It is a component of the Natural Environment Research Council. More information about the work of the Survey can be found at: www.antarctica.ac.uk

[decimon]

Beyond the sea ping.

[PapaBear3625]

The global warmists were going on about Antarctic ice melts. How much of that was really due to volcanic warming?

[ETL]

Movie: "The Land That Time Forgot"

"Negotiating an underwater tunnel [beneath the ice] to gain the island's interior, those aboard U-33 are amazed to discover a tropical prehistoric world kept warm by volcanic forces. Here dinosaurs that should be long extinct live and roam, as do a curious race of humanoid savages that appear to exhibit all the various phases of Man's evolutionary development. To survive long enough to repair and replenish the U-boat, wartime enemies must put aside their differences and cooperate with one another. But not everyone is playing from the Kumbaya songbook... The Land That Time Forgot is a thoroughly old fashioned sci-fi/fantasy adventure of the type they weren't really making anymore even in 1975. A lot of this has to do with the script sticking to Burroughs' Victorian style. (His Caprona tales were first published in 1918; as late as World War II he'd still be cranking out novels in the writing style of the 19th Century.) The film's a throwback to the likes of the original King Kong and potboilers such as Unknown Island (1948) and The Land Unknown (1957), only in color."
http://www.eccentric-cinema.com/cult_movies/land_time_forgot.htm

[silverleaf]

the GW crowd would never be honest about the science of whether polar warming could occur from the top down....or from the bottom up

[TheBigIf]

Just the fact that scientists admit that they know very little about underwater volcanoes (approx. only 10% have been mapped) is enough to cast huge doubt on any claim of ice melt being cause by global warming.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

FYI, the South Sandwich Islands are in the vicinity of the Falklands, and are British, but also claimed by Argentina.

The North Sandwich Islands have been renamed the Hawaiian Islands.

[TheOldLady]

Click the Bear Butt

Searching Everywhere For New Monthly Donors

Sponsoring FReepers will contribute $10
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[SunkenCiv]

Thanks decimon.

South Sandwich volcano site:freerepublic.com

Google

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[aimhigh]

Underwater Antarctic volcanoes discovered in the Southern Ocean

It would have been awkward to discover the Antarctic volcano in a Northern ocean.

[Quix]

Somewhere along the way in the last 5-8 years or so

I’ve read that there are 15,000 undersea active volcanoes. Anyone else recall such a huge figure?

IIRC, the scientists compiling the data were shocked, too.

[SunkenCiv]

The oceans are about 70% of the Earth’s surface, the Pacific fully half of it; and the Pacific sea floor is closer to the action than anyplace on continents. According to this website, the current number of rumblers on land is about 65:

http://www.geo.mtu.edu/volcanoes/world.html

[Quix]

THX.

INTERESTING.

[FreedomPoster]

I’m sure these are already accounted for in any CAGW models. < /s>

[steelyourfaith]

Thanx for the ping FreedomPoster !

 

Beam me to Planet Gore !