Volcanic eruption in Arctic Ocean discovered
An international team of researchers was able to provide evidence of explosive volcanism in the depths of the ice-covered Arctic Ocean for the first time.
Researchers from an expedition to the Gakkel Ridge, led by the American Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, report in the current issue of the journal Nature they discovered, with a specially developed camera, extensive layers of volcanic ash on the sea floor indicating a gigantic volcanic eruption.
Explosive volcanic eruptions were not thought to be possible at depths below the critical pressure of steam formation, about two miles. The deposits of glassy rock, which is evidence of eruptions, were found at depths greater than 2 1/2 miles.
“Explosive volcanic eruptions on land are nothing unusual and pose a great threat for whole areas,” said Vera Schlindwein of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in the Helmholtz Association.
“Mount Vesuvius in Italy erupted in 79 A.D. and buried thriving Pompeii under a thick layer of ash and pumice,” Schlindwein said. “Far away in the Arctic Ocean, a similar violent volcanic eruption happened, almost undetected, in 1999.”
It’s been determined that a major part of Earth’s volcanism happens at the so-called mid-ocean ridges and often goes undetected on the sea floor. There, the continental plates drift apart and liquid magma moves into the separated plates, constantly forming new sea floor through countless volcanic eruptions. Accompanied by smaller earthquakes, which go unregistered on land, lava flows onto the sea floor. These unspectacular eruptions usually last for only a few days or weeks.
Most of us have seen video of Arctic ice breaking off or melting. Perhaps the increased underwater volcanic activity may be, at least in part, playing a role for these events.
As far as our local weather is concerned, thanks to a dominating stationary ridge of high pressure camped over our region, we’ve seen drier than normal weather and occasionally windy conditions during the month of July. This has led to dangerous “red flag” fire conditions in the region, mostly over Central and Eastern Washington.
Except for a few hot spells, the first half of the summer has been pleasant. However, the second half of the summer is expected to be warmer than the first 45 days of the season; increased thunderstorm activity is also likely, especially across the higher mountains. This could mean some dangerous dry lightning locally that may lead to more wild fires, if these storms are accompanied by strong winds and only spotty rains.