Temperatures in the northern Midwest have been so cold for so long that ice volcanoes — which can grow as tall as humans — have emerged on the Great Lakes this week, but their appearances have become more infrequent and short-lasting due to climate change. During the winter, ice shelves can form on the lakes as liquid flows underneath, and the resulting ice erosion creates the volcanoes. Their formation requires long periods of cold conditions, which are becoming less common as the climate warms. “Whatever you would think are the worst conditions to be outside,” those are the prime conditions for this strange phenomenon to occur Tom Finley, director of education at Milwaukee’s Schlitz Audubon Nature Center, told the Washington Post. (Washington Post $, NBC, Michigan Radio; Climate Signals background: Global Warming)
