Scientist are basically saying no. I find that hard to believe. Isn't this the reason we're having so much ice melt at the Artic?? If so, what would be done to stop it?? Maybe this is our creator's way to provide more tap water???


http://www.livescience.com/environment/080...-volcanoes.html

Volcanoes Erupt Beneath Arctic Ice



New evidence deep beneath the Arctic ice suggests a series of underwater volcanoes have erupted in violent explosions in the past decade.

Hidden 2.5 miles (4,000 meters) beneath the Arctic surface, the volcanoes are up to a mile (2,000 meters) in diameter and a few hundred yards tall. They formed along the Gakkel Ridge, a lengthy crack in the ocean crust where two rocky plates are spreading apart, pulling new melted rock to the surface.

Until now, scientists thought undersea volcanoes only dribbled lava from cracks in the seafloor. The extreme pressure from the overlying water makes it difficult for gas and magma to blast outward.


With news this week that polar ice is melting dramatically, underwater Arctic pyrotechnics might seem like a logical smoking gun. Scientists don't see any significant connection, however.

"We don't believe the volcanoes had much effect on the overlying ice," Reeves-Sohn told LiveScience, "but they seem to have had a major impact on the overlying water column."

The eruptions discharge large amounts of carbon dioxide, helium, trace metals and heat into the water over long distances, he said.

I'm afraid I'll have to agree with the scientists. There's really no evidence that this hasn't been going on for many years before they discovered it is there? However if this is the cause we'd be screwed to try and stop it.

Hard for me to believe that the Artic water isn't warming due to these volcanic activities. Even if it's only 2 degrees more over the years, that's a form of warming coming from under the ice.

I suppose that could be a viable argument but would it be enough to cause the kind of warming we're talking about. It could be a combination of things and that could figure into it. Like a study I saw recently that said ocean spray was cleaning the atmosphere. It could be that under normal circumstances mother nature could take care of things but with the human element there's more than even she can handle.

How do they explain the melting of the glaciers all around the world, the collapse of entire ice shelves in Antarctica, the rising temperatures. All due to volcanoes?

The ocean is very very big. What if it is only 0.0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000002 degrees? The scientists which studied it say that it isn't significant.

Okay, here is my theory. Read it a nd weap.

See, the oil guys in Alaska are pumping natural gas BaCK into the ground, because they don't want to sell it because then they couldn't tap our wallets for the sweet crude that we love so dearly and to which we are addicted. Due to the natural gas going back into the empty cavities left by crude drilling, this gas has become an oven from the fires that burn in the belly of the Earth. Only these gasses are closer to the Earths crust so the ice is melting.

No, not ALL due to volcanoes.

What if the water temp was 3 degrees instead of 2???? By the way, that's my own example of a guess that water heated by 2 degrees.

These volcanoes were located under certain areas of ice. A higher concentration of heating the water may have taken place in some areas along the ocean floor under the icecap. I say it could very well have contributed to the warm up of the icecap. Scientists have been wrong before just as they have been right before.

It could have an effect on ocean current perhaps, which then affects the weather and the weather then affects the top surface.

It certainly seems like there is a confluence of forces at work with respect to global warming. It's not any one thing. But then, destroying the ozone layer on purpose and creating an overabundance of greenhouse gases and destroying the rain forests around the world..all on purpose isn't helping the situation at all, IMHO.

The destruction of the rain forests is causing the gulf stream here to cross the continent well north of the US. Now it blows across Canada. It's wrecking havoc with our weather...what we're used to. That's progress!

The warmer air crossing the north is causing the ice bergs to melt which might m=not be a problem, but if it occurs too rapidly as it has done in the past, we could then experience much colder winters due to the lowered salinity of the ocean water. More fresh water means the ocean water can freeze more easily instead of the ocean warming the subzero winds.

I think you're overestimating what the effect of a relatively small volcanic area would have on billions of gallons of water.

Sooooooo ............ if we pay an indulgence of higher taxes in the name of Mister Al Gore, will the Volcano Gods stop this global warming of the oceans ........... ?

Best,

I think you're not looking enough at the entire possibilities. If you had half full a bathtub of cool water and you began adding hot water to it from one end, that end of the bathtub of water would begin to warm up. The other end of the bathtub would remain cooler. If a small think layer of ice were on the surface of that bath water, and your hot water feed was coming in at the bottom portion of the tub (where the drain would normally be), would the ice layer at that end of the tub begin to melt first? Sure it would. But by the time the heated part of the water traveled to the other end of the tub, it would no longer be as warm and the ice layer would not be affected. Naturally the further that heated water disperses outward from it's main heat source the cooler that water becomes. The 'area' in which that heated water is released would affect the area in which the ice is and not the ice further away from the original heated source of water.

For those who have found themselves somewhat confused with this fun thread, I would not be saying that the underwater volcanoes were melting the entire Artic Icecap. It would be the general area over those volcanic activies releasing itself on that area of the ocean floor. I'm not also suggesting that there isn't any global warming taking place and that it's JUST volcanic activity playing the roll of the bad guy all by its lonesome. It still would be common sense that tells me that these underwater eruptions would add additional heat to the waters in those areas where to activities take place. If ice just happens to be in those same areas, then a more rapid melt of the ice would occur compared to what rate it was already melting at..... providing extra tap water for the seals, walruses, whales, penguins and polar bears. LOL

Now, on a more serious note, if those volcanic activities largely increased in area and more often, then there could be a significant warming assualt on the Artic Icecap. At this time, I'd certainly say that Northern Canada, Northern Russia, Alaska, Greenland and Iceland are very safe from additional sea ice melts by this current underwater Artic volcanic ridge.

Make the water salt water, cover the surface of the bathtub with ice, and make the heat source the size of an atom and then you'd have a fair analogy.

Just wondering if this relates to the fact that we, the human race are taking so much oil out of the ground, that the Volcano's eruptions is natures way of replinishing the earth with more oil in some wierd way. Taking that much out of the ground just has to have some negative effect on the core of the earth...just my humble opinion.

Someone buy Kathleen a beer!! I think there's some merit to that as far to say that what we pump out of the ground, probably contributes to creating cavities and or the shifting of pressures underground that also contributes to the shifting of the plates, etc etc. The biggest pressure about Earth exists in it's core. It's always looking for a way to get out..... and seeks the weakest areas that develope close to it. That core is one hot den of molten and upon its constant release into the water, that extreme hot molten, steam and gases just has to change the previous temperature of that area of water. If giant icecubes are floating in that area.... wala.... faster rate of melt and more tap water is being created before it's natural time.

Hehehe. Adding salt to ice water makes the water colder because salt causes ice to melt ,(think rock salt, halite), and when that happens the water temp drops below 32 degrees F. Weird, huhg. If you doubt me, try adding salt to the mixture of ice and water in an ice bucket and stick a bottle of wine or champaign into the mix...Actually make two buckets, one with and one without so you can compare and get a good buzz, too. Do it the next time you go out to dinner and order wine/champaign and it comes in an ice bucket.

You should have a good balance between ice & water to start, there should be as much ice as possible but not enough to prevent the bottle from sliding thru the mix to the bottom of the bucket (+) water to cover the ice and up to the wine line in the bottle. You don't want the bottle to float. It has to be just right.

Hey, you could layer a tub/cooler with ice and beer till full, add water to just barely cover and then add a good layer of kosher salt on top if you prefer beer, or do it with soda...mix it a bit with your hand doing a little easy plunger action...oh, and have a thermometer handy to compare. If there's no difference, add more salt.

So, if the volcanoes are releasing any salt(s) right up into the ice, or making the general area more saline, that will cause the ice to melt fer sherr.

General Chemistry Question: Why does salt melt ice?

That cooling process will attract warmer sea water which can slow down the melting process unless the warmer water is more saline. and that's it, see...higher salinity in the water is found in the tropics due to higher surface temperatures that cause the fresh water to evaporate out of the sea water. That warmer, saltier sea water follows along, like a giant convection under the surface too the cooler water.

You're having way too much fun on happy hour!!!! (yuk yuk) Slow down or we'll have to call last call. (chuckles)

I was gonna go there about the saltwater 'stuff' but instead, let it flow on down the road being the nice person that I am. There's even more to add to what you stated about salt water, but since you did very well to put what you had into perspective, I will again...... just let it flow on down the road.

Something else to possibly ponder about about this 'find' under the Artice Icecap is..... they don't know how long these possible activities have been going on. In my own perspective with all of this, it just makes good sense that we've seem to be witnessing more volcanic activity all around planet Earth in which the possibilty of increases of such activity under the Artic Icecap as well. Both air temps and water temps are rising. Global warming is going on.... but for many other reasons as well.... as in 'all the above'.

OK hammer down some more drinks....... tap water included!!!!