Destructive geological events may be triggered by global warming and the subsequent melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet, according to the Guelph Mercury.
From the article, "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 pressure of the thumb is removed, the ball springs back to its original shape. Because the earth is so viscous the rebound happens slowly, and the quakes that occasionally shake Eastern Canada are attributed to ongoing rebound from the last ice age more than 10,000 years ago...
"When the glaciers melt, the reliquified water causes sea levels to rise and increases the weight on the ocean floor, which could also have an effect on the grinding tectonic plates deep below the surface. The Earth's crust is more sensitive than some might think. There are well-documented cases of dams causing earthquakes when the weight of the water behind a dam fills a reservoir."
"2008 pres"
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