New research from the Chilean Patagonia has identified a link between glacial retreat and underground volcanic activity

The work confirms the theory that the pressure applied by heavy ice makes it harder for magma to reach the surface, instead causing it to build up 10-15 kilometers (6-9 miles) below. When the ice melted the reduced weight relaxed the crust, allowing gases within the magma to expand.

As glaciers melt around the world, long-dormant volcanoes may be waking up beneath the ice. New research reveals that massive ice sheets have suppressed eruptions for thousands of years, building up underground pressure.