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Published online 17 September 2009 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2009.926

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Volcanoes stirred by climate change

Impact of global warming on geological hazards 'poorly understood', experts warn.

Katharine Sanderson

Geologists are desperately trying to gather data in an attempt to understand how global warming will affect violent geological activity.

As increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels warm the planet, the problems associated with melting ice won't just raise sea-levels; they will also uncap volcanoes.

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  • This has to ranked as one of the most preposterous global warming scare articles of the new century. I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say this, but I find it surprising that this article actually appeared in a peer reviewed journal.

    I find it difficult to believe that the basis for this report is other than hyping very unlikely potential dangers for the purpose of generating research funding.

    I'm all for increased research funding, but this article doesn't present a very convincing case.

    Princeton physics professor William Happer spoke of these sort of boondoggles in the Daily Princetonian on January 12 of this year:



    Managing a budget of more than $3 billion, Happer said he felt compelled to make sure it was being spent properly. “I would have [researchers] come in, and they would brief me on their topics,” Happer explained. “They would show up. Shiny faces, presentation ready to go. I would ask them questions, and they would be just delighted when you asked. That was true of almost every group that came in.”


    The exceptions were climate change scientists, he said.


    “They would give me a briefing. It was a completely different experience. I remember one speaker who asked why I wanted to know, why I asked that question. So I said, you know I always ask questions at these briefings … I often get a much better view of [things] in the interchange with the speaker,” Happer said. “This guy looked at me and said, ‘What answer would you like?’ I knew I was in trouble then. This was a community even in the early 1990s that was being turned political. [The attitude was] ‘Give me all this money, and I’ll get the answer you like.’ ”

    • 19 Sep, 2009
    • Posted by: Fred Houlihan

  • Part of the problem is language not depth and content.
    How do you communicate the implications of current research. science and mythical seem to come closer.
    Research tied to funding.
    funding tied to interests.
    Can none say that what we participate in ,processes that we inherit are too late to change in even twenty years.
    Most people change many times in a lfetime.given reason why can these changes not be integrated within the current cycle.
    If and when chaos ensues in societies 'despite rigorous attempts and contradictory arguments'where will 'language' be in the current of scientific research and thought.

    • 20 Sep, 2009
    • Posted by: john scott

  • It is worth noting that at the forthcoming AGU Fall Meeting in December a session (NH15) will be held on Volcanic forcing of climate change versus climate forcing of volcanism. We should look much more critically at the claims in both directions.

    • 23 Sep, 2009
    • Posted by: Wyss Yim