"Three new research studies confirm that geothermal heat flow, not man-made global warming, is the dominant cause of West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) melting," writes geologist James Edward Kamis.
Outlined in red is West Antarctica's subglacial Marie Byrd bedrock mantle plume "hotspot". Red shading shows West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) thinning from 1992 to 2017 (credit research study to NASA, mantle plume outline by J. Kamis).
(1) One study, entitled "Evidence of an active volcanic heat source beneath the Pine Island Glacier", proves that the Pine Island Glacier of West Antarctica is melting and retreating from geothermal heat from a currently active subglacial volcano, not man-made global warming. See National Science Foundation's press release here.
"Our finding of a substantial heat source beneath a major WAIS glacier highlights the need to understand subglacial volcanism, its interaction with the marine margins and its potential role in the future stability of the WAIS," the researchers write in the Nature Communications article.
They also note that volcanic activity could be increasing the rate of collapse of the Thwaites Glacier, which is adjacent to the Pine Island Glacier.
(2) A different study entitled "Bedrock in West Antarctica rising at a surprisingly rapid rate" shows that the Marie Byrd bedrock mantle plume "hotspot" region is rising rapidly and forming an extensive high elevation dome.
Kamis contends that the high elevation rise rate of this plume region is the result of geothermal bottom melting of the ice column and upward bulging of the bedrock, not post-glacial rebound.
Additional information concerning the geologically active Marie Byrd bedrock mantle plume "hotspot" and the giant deep-earth fault that fuels this plume and more than a 100 subglacial volcanoes can be found at these previous Climate Change Dispatch articles (see here, here, here, here, and here).
(3) Yet a third study, entitled "New study suggests surprising wrinkle in the history of West Antarctic Ice Sheet", proves that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) significantly melted and retreated 10,000 years ago, then quickly recovered to its full extent.
This is an event that obviously pre-dates human involvement. Additionally, neither this study or other previous studies have found evidence that the giant East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS) retreated during the same ancient time frame.
This strongly indicates that ancient ice melting of the WAIS is almost certainly related to underlying bedrock geothermal heat flow from geographically specific geological features and not worldwide atmospheric global warming.
It's difficult, if not impossible, for atmospheric warming to significantly melt the WAIS while not melting the adjacent EAIS.
"By combining the data and conclusions of three brand new research studies with very telling older research studies and previous CCD articles, it becomes very clear that melting of West Antarctica's Ice Sheet is the result of bedrock geothermal heat flow, not atmospheric global warming," Kamis concludes.
"Climate scientists strongly advocating the theory of the global warming to explain the WAIS melting should broaden their research and analyzation process to include the impact of geological forces, like subglacial volcanoes."
"It's time for all of us to help these well-intentioned scientists achieve this goal."
See entire article
See National Science Foundation's press release, entitled "Previously unsuspected volcanic activity confirmed under West Antarctic Ice Sheet at Pine Island Glacier"
Also see "Underwater volcanoes melting Arctic Ice, says geologist"
Thanks to Benjamin Napier for these links.
Comment: It can't be global warming when colder summers are killing Antarctica's moss forests.
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