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Scientists Uncover the Role of Undersea Volcanoes in Climate Change – But the Media Don’t Want to Know

by Chris Morrison
7 May 2023 7:00 AM

The recent doubling of known underwater volcanoes is a very significant geological discovery, but it has been largely ignored in mainstream media. It is the latest example of how the promotion of human-caused climate change has led to the downplaying of any science news that runs the risk of opening discussion about the natural forces surrounding the constantly changing climate. A group of oceanographers led by the Scripps Institute of Oceanography in San Diego identified in total 19,325 new volcanoes, or seamounts, to add to the existing known total of 24,643. 

Erupting volcanoes under the sea produce huge quantities of carbon dioxide and must play a part in pushing warming water and nutrients around the surrounding areas, with possible effects on currents and surrounding marine life. Some scientists believe that they play an important part in ocean mixing and have a role in determining long-term climate. The science writer Jo Nova observes that climate modellers take a different view, since they believe all unexplained warming is due to CO2. With a hint of sarcasm, she added: “The Pacific Ocean cycles are the largest driver of climate on Earth, but we ‘know’ as only high priests can, that volcanoes we’ve never studied definitely had no role in it.”

Almost all mainstream media seem to have ignored the story, bar, so far as I can tell from a Google search, The U.K. Sun and Newsweek in the U.S. Since the story broke, the BBC has led its specialist climate page with a variety of clickbait Net Zero stories, noting a recent ‘record’ single day temperature in Spain, a query as to whether climate change is “killing” Australian wine, the use of kitchen fumes to heat a restaurant, and a suggestion that life in the ocean ’twilight’ zone is at risk due to warming. Keen climate fact-check attackers Reuters and Agence France-Presse (AFP) appear quiet on the matter, as do the Guardian, Washington Post, New York Times and CNN.

Curiously, the BBC’s volcanophobia seems a recent condition. In 2015, it ran a story titled ‘Underwater volcanoes discovered off Australia’. The story said that a grand total of four extinct seamounts had been identified near Sydney. Volcano expert Richard Arculus is reported to have told AFP that, “every time we turn the spotlight on the sea floor we see things that we’ve never seen before”.

Only 20% of the ocean floor has been mapped by sonar, and these latest discoveries arise from improvements in the gravity data from satellite altimetry. These allow scientist to gain much more information about the topography of the sea floor. Scientists speculate that there could be many thousands of seamounts still to be discovered. Jo Nova reports that the second largest volcano in the solar system is not to be found on the Jupiter moon Io, but 1,000 miles east of Japan. It is the size of the British Isles. In January 2022, a massive seamount explosion 40 miles off the Tonga coast sent tsunami waves crashing around the region.

The Scripps scientists stress that “seamounts are valuable characteristics of the ocean floor since they provide insight on many of the Earth’s geological, oceanographical and ecological cycles and processes”. In addition they note that ocean floor levels have an important effect on ocean circulation, with large seafloor features such as ridges and plateaus acting as “barriers” that inhibit deep cold water to mix with the warmer waters of the ocean surface. Recent studies are said to suggest that seamounts can have an influence on ocean circulation, which can help scientists better understand the uptake of heat and carbon dioxide in the ocean. Heat transfers between ocean and atmosphere, and the movements from equatorial regions to the poles, are difficult if not impossible to fully plot, but they play a vital part in regulating short-term weather and longer term climate around the world.

The role of seamounts could cause warming or cooling, we simply don’t know.  But only climate models – the ‘high priests’ – have all the answers, and they ignore all the effects of seamounts, particularly the thousands yet to be discovered. The lack of interest in the media about this latest discovery is indicative of how much geology, chemistry, physics and other scientific work is effectively off-limits under the settled climate change guidelines. It is difficult not to conclude that such protection is given, lest the unproven hypothesis of overwhelming human involvement is challenged.

The Daily Sceptic has noted on a number of occasions that over the last seven decades there has been little or no warming in Antarctica. According to a recent paper, sea ice has “modestly expanded” and warming has been “nearly non-existent” over much of the ice sheet. But there has been some warming in one spot, over on the west side of the continent. Carbon dioxide is well mixed in the atmosphere so it is a valid scientific question to ask why it only warns the surface in this one patch? An alternative explanation might note the existence of a chain of volcanoes in the area. In 2017, scientists discovered 91 volcanoes in the West Antarctica Rift System. It brought the number of volcanoes located in the area to 138. The heights ranged from 300 to 12,600 ft, with the tallest as high as Mount Fuji.

The more we learn about the geography of the planet and the science behind the chaotic processes of the oceans and atmosphere, the less we really comprehend how climate evolves. So we rely on the flawed inputs and outputs of basic climate models to convince us we are heading for climate Armageddon, and only a top-down, collectivist Net Zero solution can save us from our folly.

Chris Morrison is the Daily Sceptic’s Environment Editor.

Tags: Climate changeClimate JournalismClimate ModelsNet ZeroThe Science

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33 Comments
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Bill Hickling
Bill Hickling
2 years ago

Nice piece Chris. Joe Bastardi has also been on this theme recently in his weekly Weather Bell video.

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NeilParkin
NeilParkin
2 years ago

Shhh. Say it quietly, but there might be another variable in all this climate stuff. I’ve noticed it the other day, but none of the scientists seems to. Its a large round thing in the sky. I dont think its very close to us, but it is hot, really hot, It appears each morning, moves across the sky getting warmer and warmer, until it goes below the horizon, when it gets colder, much colder. The other day it went from -5c overnight to +15c in the day, 20 degrees, in a few hours. I was reading something, in the restricted section of course, that it can go as high as 50c. in a few hours.

All this 0.1c by 2050. Its nonsense, obviously. Anyway. Mum’s the word. Don’t want to lose our funding now do we…?

143
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For a fist full of roubles
For a fist full of roubles
2 years ago
Reply to  NeilParkin

There is another variable which seems to have increased significantly over recent decades and is responsible for all the anthropogenic warming – it is called green funding.

109
0
FerdIII
FerdIII
2 years ago
Reply to  For a fist full of roubles

And propaganda, rendering homo sapiens, homo stupidus. The matrix is very good at control and brainwashing.

67
0
Dinger64
Dinger64
2 years ago
Reply to  For a fist full of roubles

To the tune of coming trillions!

23
0
Dinger64
Dinger64
2 years ago
Reply to  NeilParkin

Whooo you cad! Why didn’t you tell the rest of us about this? Does Antonio Guterres know about it? Please advise him of it,.. it may stop him from being a monumental twathead!

19
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Tyrbiter
Tyrbiter
2 years ago
Reply to  Dinger64

I can’t imagine any force, natural or supernatural, that could achieve that

9
0
soundofreason
soundofreason
2 years ago
Reply to  NeilParkin

You do realise that that is an out-of-control fusion reactor, don’t you? It should be banned.

22
0
Dinger64
Dinger64
2 years ago
Reply to  soundofreason

If Billy Gates had his way it would be🤣

14
0
Tyrbiter
Tyrbiter
2 years ago
Reply to  Dinger64

Remove the B and the G, you get “ill ates” which is the name of his new insect protein company.

8
0
psychedelia smith
psychedelia smith
2 years ago
Reply to  Dinger64

He absolutely would. CO2 is currently 420PPM – one of the lowest points in the Earth’s history but Bill Gates and his batshit mates want to ‘scrub’ it from our atmosphere. Nobody seems to have pointed out to him that if it drops below 250PPM everything on the planet dies. Including Gates.

21
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David101
David101
2 years ago
Reply to  NeilParkin

It’s a bit like saying that my living room isn’t so much being heated by the roaring wood-burning stove, as it is from the CO2 I’m exhaling from my mouth!

0
0
David101
David101
2 years ago
Reply to  NeilParkin

Earth sits in relatively close proximity to the sun WITHIN the heliosphere (the sun’s atmosphere). Along with geothermal energy, it is one of the two original sources of all the earth’s heat. You could fit about 1.3 million earths within the sun, and it accounts for roughly 99% of the mass of the solar system. It’s like a grain of sand a metre or so away from a giant bonfire… But of course solar activity can have nothing at all do with climate change – it’s all our fault, obviously!

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nige.oldfart
nige.oldfart
2 years ago

Thank you for an excellent article, a touch of common sense amongst so much shrieking and hysteria. Who would have thought that a chain of active volcano’s in antarctica, would not cause some warming of those waters.

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JaneDoeNL
JaneDoeNL
2 years ago

There’s only one (1) thing causing a major, emergency-power requiring event, to which there is only one (1) solution? Which solution, by pure coincidence (of course), can only be provided by multi-billionaires and their acolyte politician buddies who force taxpayers to pay billions in tax money straight into the multi-billionaires pockets? And the multi-billionaires will then turn out to have nothing by way of solution and will then gaslight the entire world saying they and their whore politician buddies never, ever violated any laws, constitutions, fundamental rights, never thieved off the taxpayer and only ever meant to help mankind and it was just ever such bad luck that it failed and they got miserably rich?

Just because the vaxx was not the solution to the “pandemic”, surely does not mean that eradicating all cows and cars on earth is not the solution to “climate change”?

I’d say even Hollywood hacks would think this script is too worn and incredible now, but looking at all the dimbulbs and their EVs and vegan obsession, I guess not. Not being a scientist, maybe I’m just not capable of seeing how cow farts will cause the world to wither and die.

75
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MTF
MTF
2 years ago

A group of oceanographers led by the Scripps Institute of Oceanography in San Diego identified in total 19,325 new volcanoes, or seamounts, to add to the existing known total of 24,643. 

To be clear seamounts are mostly extinct volcanoes and these are only new in the sense that they are newly discovered. They haven’t suddenly popped up! Nor has oceanographers’ estimate of the total number of sea mounts changed (it is about 100,000 depending on how you define them). All that has happened is that a lot more have been identified. Perhaps it is not surprising that the main stream media have made little of this research.

I should add that the referenced paper did not “Uncover the Role of Undersea Volcanoes in Climate Change”. All it did was map sea mounts. In fact there is no mention of climate in the paper at all!

Last edited 2 years ago by MTF
12
-21
godknowsimgood
godknowsimgood
2 years ago
Reply to  MTF

Chris Morrison’s article made it very clear that these are discoveries of existing seamounts and I don’t think anyone would imagine that they’ve suddenly popped up.

And also his article doesn’t claim that the referenced paper explicitly uncovers ‘the role of undersea volcanoes in climate change’. The headline may suggest it, but I suspect that the Daily Sceptic’s clickbait headlines are not written by the writers of the articles.

21
-1
MTF
MTF
2 years ago
Reply to  godknowsimgood

The headline may suggest it, but I suspect that the Daily Sceptic’s clickbait headlines are not written by the writers of the articles.

Whoever wrote it, the headline is false and should be corrected.

1
-1
For a fist full of roubles
For a fist full of roubles
2 years ago
Reply to  MTF

I thought false headlines were a stock in trade of global warming orthodoxy.
And I feel I should remind you that the undersea volcanoes are likely to be in all stages of their lives. I understand that the continents are still subject to movement of tectonic plates and fresh volcanoes arise as a consequence of that, to put it simply for you, molten rock and associated gases ooze out wherever the plates separate or come together. The rock oozing out tends to be quite hot and the gases both carbon and sulphur oxides.
I remind you that putting hot rocks in a pot is one traditional way of cooking.

22
0
Dinger64
Dinger64
2 years ago
Reply to  MTF

See your point, both sides of the science should be considered 👍
Especially as we have knowledge of only 5% of the worlds seabed! (We are more knowledgeable about the surface of the moon!)

Last edited 2 years ago by Dinger64
7
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zebedee
zebedee
2 years ago

Just reading Michael Palin’s book on the first Antarctic expedition, Erebus. Once they breached the pack ice they soon found a couple of volcanoes – Mt Erebus and Mt Terror on Ross Island.

18
0
varmint
varmint
2 years ago

Back in the seventies people like Stephen Schneider were concerned about global cooling. Today these people have forgotten all about global cooling are now on the global warming gravy train. OfCourse the solution to both these crises was———More Government. mmmm. These people come from the “Don’t let a good crisis go to waste” department of government. But it is still the case that a beautiful hypothesis is easily slain by an ugly fact, and when it comes to climate change there are tons of ugly facts flying around. Not that you would know it because BBC and the rest of the bought and paid for media keep them swept firmly under the carpet ———–SSSSHHHHHH.

48
0
Dinger64
Dinger64
2 years ago

How on earth do we have the Arrogance to believe we control anything when we’ve only been on the planet for the last 30 seconds of a 24 hour clock?
We are not the owners of this ball! just temporary custodians!
Life will do what it wants, it doesn’t need a verdict from us!
We should be at nature’s feet in humble thankfulness, not spitting in its eye!

Last edited 2 years ago by Dinger64
49
0
Dinger64
Dinger64
2 years ago

Where’s Greta? Obviously learned that all she spake was put in her mouth by others! Hence the quietness when having to speak for herself. A lot has changed since her future being “stolen”! Nothing has changed, and there lies her dumbness! Proof? Pudding? Strangley, the sea hasn’t engulfed her house since she was 15!
She has single handedly done more damage the the world than any human in history! I hope in her “stolen future” she is proud of that fact!

Last edited 2 years ago by Dinger64
33
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sskinner
sskinner
2 years ago

“…runs the risk of opening discussion about the natural forces surrounding the constantly changing climate”
Please, please please… there are multiple climates on earth, not one. As well as the six major climate zones as defined by the large atmospheric cells, driven by the rotation of the earth and the mass of the atmosphere, there are multiple climates within geographic regions, for example Ethiopia has 14 climates which range from Hot Desert to Humid Subtropical to Subpolar Oceanic.
Climate is defined as “the weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or over a long period.” Therefore how would anyone characterize the Earth’s climate (singular)? In addition many people will live on the boundaries between all these climates and will experience change because there is considerable turbulence within the atmosphere and oceans. So far the various tree lines around the world are exactly where they were 200 or more years ago. Russia has not observed the tree line moving north and trees are not moving up mountain ranges. In addition, the six main climate zones mark out, or determine where the rain forests and deserts are and I cannot see how a small increase in the proportion of a trace gas is going to upset any of the convergence zones.

46
0
psychedelia smith
psychedelia smith
2 years ago
Reply to  sskinner

Spot on.

4
0
Lockdown Sceptic
Lockdown Sceptic
2 years ago

 fake climate scientists ignore Undersea Volcanoes
************************************
Stand in the Park Make friends & keep sane 

Sundays 10.30am to 11.30am
Elms Field 
near play area
Wokingham RG40 2FE

13
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psychedelia smith
psychedelia smith
2 years ago

Great article. I’d like to know how much CO2 these new volcanos are emitting each year of the 97% natural portion and frame it against the £3 trillion (or 43 million nurses) we’re spending in an apparent ‘fight’ with the UK’s anthropogenic 0.00001% portion. Does anyone know what the annual overall volcanic contribution to CO2 is?

6
0
MTF
MTF
2 years ago
Reply to  psychedelia smith

volcanic emissions account for less than 1% of CO2 inputs. Human activities account for about 3% but that 3% is responsible for almost all the increase over the last two centuries. Prior to that CO2 levels had hardly changed for thousands of years. CO2 inputs (including volcanoes) had been in balance with outputs.

1
-2
wryobserver
wryobserver
2 years ago

There are lots of places where heat from the earth’s inner layers escapes. These include volcanoes on earth and under the sea, and smaller vents around which a selection of organisms is able to tolerate high heat. The activity of all these varies. We know that major eruptions on land can spill enough stuff (dust and gas) to cause global cooling. We know that underwater eruptions cause sea warming which will affect ocean currents, as will changes in the topography of the ocean floor. None of this is man made and man cannot alter it.

Other causes of localised climate change include deforestation and river diversion. These are man made but may produce profound change that by the butterfly effect causes more distant change. Thus Himalayan deforestation causes a failure of water holdback and contributes to flooding in the Pakistan plains.

Given all of this what is needed is a careful analysis of how much each contributes to climate change, and what each actually does temperature-wise, up or down. I suspect that global emissions are a minute percentage.

12
0
7941MHKB
7941MHKB
2 years ago

Yet another great piece, Chris.

Just a reminder that Prof. Ian Plimer’s brilliant book “Heaven and Earth”, way back in 2009, pointed out how many undersea volcanos were known then, and pointed out that this number was without doubt grossly underestimated.(Only a brief mention in a very thorough discussion of Climate, but picked on by the GangGreen zealots even then.)

For this, he got Hedge Fund fraudster Jeremy Grantham’s Imperial College Climate Rottweiler, Bob Ward, to run one of his bogus attacks on Plimer in the Times and George Monbiot to ‘interview’ Plimer on Aussie TV.

“What a rude young man!” as Plimer pointed out when the Moonbat spewed out his lies but refused to engage in any discussion.

Fortunately, His dopey Majesty Charles III’s wise old dad had read the book and arranged to discuss the implications face to face with Plimer and Nigel Lawson.

I’d bet anything, that Charles never even bothered to pick it up.

Last edited 2 years ago by 7941MHKB
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Marcus Aurelius knew
Marcus Aurelius knew
2 years ago

“Carbon dioxide is well mixed in the atmosphere so it is a valid scientific question to ask why it only warns the surface in this one patch?”

A very good question.

When I was fourteen, I asked my geography teacher a very similar question about The Hole in The Ozone Layer ™ – why it was only over Antarctica.

I also asked him when The Hole first appeared.

No, I never did get any answers from him.

Last edited 2 years ago by Marcus Aurelius knew
3
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MTF
MTF
2 years ago
Reply to  Marcus Aurelius knew

When I was fourteen, I asked my geography teacher a very similar question about The Hole in The Ozone Layer ™ – why it was only over Antarctica.
I also asked him when The Hole first appeared.

I am sorry that your geography teacher was so ill informed – but of course I don’t know when you were 14. Nowadays the answers to both questions are available on the internet. The second question is easily answered. The hole was predicted in theory from the 1970s but first observed by the British Antarctic Survey in 1985.

The answer to the first question is more complicated.

The ozone hole over Antarctica is formed by a slew of unique atmospheric conditions over the continent that combine to create an ideal environment for ozone destruction.

  • Because Antarctica is surrounded by water, winds over the continent blow in a unique clockwise direction creating a so called “polar vortex” that effectively contains a single static air mass over the continent. As a result, air over Antarctica does not mix with air in the rest of the earth’s atmosphere.
  • Antarctica has the coldest winter temperatures on earth, often reaching -110 F. These chilling temperatures result in the formation of polar stratospheric clouds (PSC’s) which are a conglomeration of frozen H2O and HNO3. Due to their extremely cold temperatures, PSC’s form an electrostatic attraction with CFC molecules as well as other halogenated compounds

As spring comes to Antarctica, the PSC’s melt in the stratosphere and release all of the halogenated compounds that were previously absorbed to the cloud. In the antarctic summer, high energy photons are able to photolyze the halogenated compounds, freeing halogen radicals that then catalytically destroy O3. Because Antarctica is constantly surrounded by a polar vortex, radical halogens are not able to be diluted over the entire globe. The ozone hole develops as result of this process.

2
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