Melting ice in Antarctica could trigger volcanic eruptions beneath the continent’s vast ice sheet, creating a slow but dangerous feedback loop, scientists warn. A new study suggests the melting of Antarctica’s ice sheet, driven by the climate crisis, may increase volcanic activity under the surface.

Eruptions of subglacial volcanoes may not be visible on the surface, but they can have consequences for the ice sheet. Heat from these eruptions can increase ice melting deep below the surface and weaken the overlying ice sheet — potentially leading to a feedback loop of reduced pressure from the surface and further volcanic eruptions.

A slow climate feedback loop may be bubbling beneath Antarctica's vast ice sheet. The continent, divided east to west by the Transantarctic Mountains, includes volcanic giants such as Mount Erebus and its iconic lava lake.

Climate change is dramatically reshaping Antarctica, a continent long considered one of the most remote and stable regions on Earth. While much attention has been focused on the alarming rise in sea levels and the accelerating loss of ancient ice sheets,