Huge Volcano's Erupting Under the Arctic: No Big Deal!

Lets play of game of “Internet Scavenger Hunt.” It is a simple game. I will give a subject to search on, and you try and find it.

First run a “News” search on “Arctic Could Be Ice Free.” How many articles did you get back? Probably in excess of 450 stories from numerous different news outlets.(Including Fox, CBS, ABC, NBC, CNN, etc). Many will focus on a news story (LiveScience: Melting Arctic Ice) dated on June 26, 2008.

Now run another “News” search on “Volcano's Erupting Under The Arctic.” How many hits came back? Less than 20 (which included Fox, but not ABC, CBS, or NBC)! This story was featured in LiveScience as well, and appeared on June 28, 2008.

LiveScience: Volcano Erupting Under Arctic

Here is the catcher. Both the melting arctic ice story and the volcano eruptions came to light during the same week. To any reasonable person, the connection would warrant a closer look. However, without any research, and no validation, Robert Reeves-Sohn of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution stated - "We don't believe the volcanoes had much effect on the overlying ice."

Really!? Volcano's expel heat, which rises and warms the water. The currents carry the heated water around the polar cap, which in turn would warm the ice. And what happens to ice when it warms....thats right, it MELTS!

But hey, why would we ever suspect a connection between volcano's and melting ice?