The melting ice in Antarctica could awaken an ancient evil: nothing can stop it now.

Under its icy surface, Antarctica conceals an ancient and long-forgotten threat. Beneath the ice of the white continent lie ancient volcanoes, most of which are dormant, but this could soon change, reports IFLScience.

According to scientists, the volcanoes of Antarctica may awaken due to glacial melting, triggering a chain reaction.

The last significant melting of glaciers on Earth occurred 12,000 and 7,000 years ago, marking the end of the last ice age. During this period, volcanic activity on land increased by 2 to 6 times compared to normal levels. Researchers believe that the awakening of the volcanoes was linked to glacial melting, which relieved pressure on the Earth's mantle, allowing more magma to rise to the surface.

The new era of warming is driven by climate change resulting from human activities. Antarctica is increasingly showing signs of stress, including record heat waves and rapidly growing ice loss.

Researchers believe that climate change could trigger a surge of volcanism in Antarctica, similar to the one that occurred 7,000 years ago.

"As the weight of the glaciers decreases, the gases trapped within the magma will begin to escape, like gas from an uncorked champagne bottle, leading to eruptions," say the researchers.

Antarctica is home to over 130 known volcanoes, most of which are hidden beneath the ice, but some remain active. The highest active volcano in Antarctica is Mount Erebus, which has been continuously erupting for decades, releasing not only gas and ash but also gold dust into the atmosphere.

Scientists note that the awakening of these volcanoes could initiate a volcano-ice melt loop. The last time volcanic activity in Antarctica accelerated ice melting, it was because the volcanoes began to emit dark ash, which enhanced the albedo effect—darker surfaces absorb more heat compared to lighter ones.

This effect could occur in Antarctica if climate change provokes volcanic eruptions. It would also lead to an increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, further impacting average temperatures on Earth. This would result in even more ice loss, triggering further eruptions, and so on.

As a reminder, hidden structures have been found beneath the ice of Antarctica. Scientists organized a search mission near the Davidson Glacier, but found no traces of the research apparatus.