The volcanic fissure that opened up in Iceland early Wednesday has now expanded, and stretches further north than at any time since 2023.Lava and toxic gas continue to spill from the latest eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula.

The concept isn’t hypothetical. Tephra layers in Icelandic peat cores show that eruptions soared six-fold between 12,000 and 10,000 years ago —exactly when

The most alarming case may be West Antarctica, where more than 100 active volcanoes lie buried beneath the ice. One glacier there— Thwaites, often dubbed the “Doomsday Glacier”— is retreating at an alarming pace.