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Fire and Ice

As scientists debate whether the recent cycle of destructive hurricanes is linked to global warming, geologists warn of two more threats that climate change may trigger: volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.

Writing in New Scientist magazine, British geologist Bill McGuire notes that there is growing evidence that global warming can affect the frequency of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and sea-floor landslides.

Here’s how geologists say it works: Glaciers, because of their immense weight, press down upon the earth the way your thumb might exert pressure if pushed against the side of a kickball. As glaciers melt – which they are doing far faster than once predicted – the pressure is released, and the earth pushes back, just as the side of the ball would pop back up once your thumb was removed.

The rebounding action of earthen rock leads to earthquakes and underground landslides. Easing the pressure on the earth’s crust by lifting glacial weight also releases the pressure that prevents volcanic eruptions, experts warn.

Previous studies have shown that the polar ice caps are melting at a much faster rate than scientists had earlier predicted. Growing concerns over the impacts of climate change have increased pressure for Americans, especially, to reduce their dependency on fossil fuels, the burning of which exacerbates warming trends by wrapping the earth in a layer of greenhouse gasses, such as carbon dioxide.

Scientists warn that if we don’t reduce carbon dioxide and other emissions, the consequences of global warming will include dramatic changes in sea level and increasingly frequent severe weather events, such as hurricanes.

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Read the article in New Scientist.

To learn more about what you can do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, visit www.fightglobalwarming.com.

To read more about this and other environmental health issues, go to: www.environmentalhealthnews.org, www.ourstolenfuture.org, or www.healthandenvironment.org