Richard Cronin

I can’t find a numerical comparison with today vs. past epochs but the important thing to remember is heat transfer through solid land masses is by conduction only vs. heat transfer through the ocean waters via both conduction and convection. The oceans rule, in terms of size as well as heat transfer properties.

How many submarine volcanoes are active at any given time ? The only comparison I can make would be the known subaerial volcanoes. Per the Smithsonian data on volcanoes, since the beginning of the Holocene are 1350 identified volcanoes with 50 to 70 active in any given year. Say 60/1350 = 4.4 %.

There are an estimated 3 million sea mounts which by definition are formed by volcanic source (Hillier & Watt, 2007) but this is only an estimate for the area spanning from 60 degree North to 60 degree South, yet the polar regions are very seismic.

Applied to 3 million x 4.4% = 132,000 active submarine seamount volcanoes in any given year.

Moreover, researchers from Waseda Univ. in Japan have just identified "petit-spot volcanoes” along the edges of oceanic plates bordering trench systems. These types of volcanoes have barely any observable chimney. They are shallow domes without elevated shapes like sea mounts and black smokers (acidic hydrothermal vents associated with oceanic ridge systems).

Acidic black smokers are spitting out metal sulfides which support anaerobic life via sulfur reduction.

On the contrary, petit-spot volcanoes kick out alkaline magma which have significant dissolved CO2 than was known previously.

Up until now it was thought that CO2 was delivered to the oceans only via the turbulence and aeration of the Arctic waters. The highly saline and dense Arctic waters sink down to drive the Atlantic Meroidinal Overturning Current.

Now we know that a previously unknown and vastly larger mechanism is delivering CO2 to the oceans. It’s the edges surrounding trench systems.

Inside the Mariana Trench there is the "Champagne Vent”. It is spewing out liquid CO2 at those conditions.

Yup, yup ….. "The science is settled”.

Petit-spot volcanoes involve the deepest known submarine hydrothermal activity, possibly release CO2 and methane
sciencedaily.com

Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at 11:27 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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