Antarctica

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Scientists have been studying the hundreds of volcanoes which have been hiding silently under the thick and frosty layers of snow in Antarctica and trying to estimate what are the chances of their eruption. 

It is not very well-known that the western ice sheet which covers the continent is considered the largest volcanic region present on Earth, with around 138 volcanoes.

Among those volcanoes, the geologists had discovered 91 of them as part of a study which was carried out in 2017 and published in the journal Geological Society.

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Here's what the geologists found about the chances of eruption of volcanoes

While studying the volcanoes, which come into existence on the surface of the Earth as an expression of the heated material exiting from its interior, the scientists were unable to "distinguish whether or not [they] are volcanically active," wrote the study authors.

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At present, two volcanoes of the continent have been classified as active, which are: Mount Erebus and Deception Island. These two are said to be the southernmost active volcano in the world.

Speaking to Live Science, Conor Bacon, a postdoctoral research scientist at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University in New York, said, "Erebus, which looms over the McMurdo research base on Scott Island, has been continuously erupting since at least 1972."

Since then, Mount Erebus has been seen to "emit plumes of gas and steam" and even occasionally spew out rock "bombs," which collectively are called strombolian eruptions, as per the NASA Earth Observatory.

"One of its most interesting features is the persistent lava lake that occupies one of [its] summit craters, where molten material is present at the surface," said Bacon. 

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"These are actually quite rare, as it requires some very specific conditions to be met to ensure the surface never freezes over," he added.

Meanwhile, Deception Island is the caldera of an active volcano which had last erupted in 1970, as per the data collected by Deception Island Antarctic Specially Managed Area that monitors the volcanic activity on the island.

Even though there are two active volcanoes on the continent, Antarctica is filled with fumaroles and volcanic vents which release vapours and gases into the air.

Even though scientists have been monitoring the volcanoes of Antarctica with instruments, it can be challenging to predict when the next one will erupt.

(With inputs from agencies)