Originally posted by redpencil
The
US Geological Survey (USGS) states: "Human activities release more than 130 times the amount of CO2 emitted by volcanoes."
Plimer responded by saying that this does not account for undersea eruptions. However, when Randerson checked this point with USGS volcanologist Dr Terrence Gerlach, he received this reply:
I can confirm to you that the "130 times" figure on the USGS website is an estimate that includes all volcanoes – submarine as well as subaerial ... Geoscientists have two methods for estimating the CO2 output of the mid-oceanic ridges. There were estimates for the CO2 output of the mid-oceanic ridges before there were estimates for the global output of subaerial volcanoes.
Funny how you run to a blog when it suits you. But Gerlach is way out of date. Volcanoes are all over the ocean floor, not just on the MORs, which is the only place he looked. And they are significant.
https://www.livescience.com/63904-deepest-undersea-volcano.html
Also check out, for example, Gakkel’s ridge under the arctic which until recently was considered non-volcanic and thus would not have been included in Gerlach’s estimates. People that are
looking rather than assuming there’s nothing there are finding volcanoes underwater, and even on land:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-04421-3
So rather than Gerlach’s Kelvinesque “I know everything that there is to be known” attitude mankind will be much better served by investigation rather than arrogant dictats. Especially in the case of the PIG, which could release a 0.75m sea level rise within years, and it’s totally outside of our influence.
