VOLCANOES: Undersea and under review

Randy Mann jumps to conclusions (Aug. 19) just because he has now read about the large number of undersea volcanoes being discovered and thinks he can explain away ocean warming “at least in part” by their presence.

However, he should have done a little more research to find out their likely contribution to ocean warming and climate change.

Yes, there are many, many undersea volcanoes, probably more than a million of them. However, they are not all active, in fact most of them are not. In the last 30 years, scientists have detected about 40 undersea eruptions. Certainly there are more undiscovered eruptions, but just like on land, not every volcano is active.

Another critical question is whether there has been a CHANGE in the number of undersea eruptions. Because these are fairly new discoveries, we have no data on whether there are MORE of these undersea eruptions now compared to in the past. If the number has not changed in the last 200 years, then it’s not a NEW contribution to ocean warming.

Also, these eruptions would heat the lower layers of the ocean first, not the surface. However, it’s the ocean surface that is rising in temperature the fastest.

JAMES FILLMORE

Coeur d’Alene