| When we think of Antarctica, we tend to imagine a vast frozen wasteland, without much going on beyond the icy expanse. But that frigid continent harbors a surprising secret: Beneath the massive West Antarctic Ice Sheet lies the largest known volcanic region on Earth, with as many as 138 volcanoes. While some volcanoes rise above the frozen landscape, more recent discoveries have found volcanoes hidden under the ice. Antarctica's most famous volcano, Mount Erebus, was discovered back in 1841. Standing at 12,448 feet above sea level on Ross Island, Erebus is Earth's southernmost active volcano and is also home to one of the planet's few permanent lava lakes, which has been bubbling continuously since at least 1972. Along with Deception Island, located in the South Shetland Islands, Erebus is one of only two volcanoes currently considered active in Antarctica. Over the past century, polar explorers have identified many other volcanoes in Antarctica — at least 40 — typically through the discovery of unusually shaped or prominent mountains that stand out from the icy landscape. With the exception of Erebus and Deception, however, they're all considered dormant. But in 2017, researchers discovered 91 previously unknown volcanoes lurking beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, and published their findings in the journal Geological Society. By using a combination of satellite data, ice-penetrating radar, and aeromagnetic and aerogravity measurements (used to map Earth's geological structure from the air), they identified zones of basaltic, or volcanic, rock below the ice. The results don't indicate whether the newly found volcanoes are active, but it's certainly a possibility. What's more, volcanic activity may increase if Antarctica's ice thins. Robert Bingham, one of the researchers involved in the discovery of the volcanoes, explained to The Guardian that any further loss of ice could release pressure on the volcanoes that lie below, leading to eruptions that could destabilize the ice sheets. | 
