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So the warnings of harsher heat waves, stronger hurricanes and rising seas
fail to impress. How about volcanic eruptions in the Arctic, or a tsunami off
the coast of Newfoundland?
The latest scientific discipline to enter the fray over global warming is
geology.
And the forecasts from some quarters are dramatic - not only will the earth
shake, it will spit fire.
A number of geologists say glacial melting due to climate change will unleash
pent-up pressures in the Earth's crust, causing extreme geological events such
as earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions.
A cubic metre of ice weighs nearly a tonne and some glaciers are more than a
kilometre thick. When the weight is removed through melting, the suppressed
strains and stresses of the underlying rock come to life.
University of Alberta geologist Patrick Wu compares the effect to that of a
thumb pressed on a soccer ball - when the ...