Experts Say Global Warming May Bring Quakes and Eruptions

Scientists now say earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, and tsunamis may become more common as global warming changes the earth's crust.

At the first major conference of scientists researching the effects of global warming on geological phenomena, experts asserted that the harmful consequences of manmade global warming are not restricted to atmospheric shifts.

"Climate change doesn't just affect the atmosphere and the oceans but the earth's crust as well. The whole earth is an interactive system," said Professor Bill McGuire of University College London. "In the political community people are almost completely unaware of any geological aspects to climate change."

Traumatic geological changes may also set off the release of stored methane, contributing further to atmospheric deterioration.

Published: September 24, 2009