A recent report from the Icelandic Meteorological Office suggests that magma is building up underground near a volcano known as Askja, a mountain about the size of Mount St. Helens in Vatnajokull National Park in Iceland’s central highlands. Although volcanic eruptions are difficult to predict accurately, this indicates a high likelihood that Askja may erupt in the near future
Such events are nothing new in Iceland, an island nation of just 400,000 people that has numerous active volcanoes. But researchers funded by the Icelandic government believe that the rapid retreat of glaciers due to climate change is raising the threat to their nation, and may foreshadow increased volcanic activity all over the world. As glacial ice melts, the downward pressure on Earth’s thin outer crust eases, causing the ground to rebound. That can cause the dynamic subterranean forces below volcanoes to produce increased quantities of magma, leading to more frequent eruptions.
