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Large expanse of volcanoes discovered beneath Antarctica
File photo. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
One of the world's largest volcanic systems was discovered beneath sheets of ice in Antarctica, according to researchers.
The team identified 138 volcanoes, of which 91 were previously unknown, some as tall as 12,600 feet in the West Antarctic Rift System, according to a study published by the University of Edinburgh.
"The presence of such a volcanic belt traversing the deepest marine basins beneath the center of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet could prove to be a major influence on the past behavior and future stability of the ice sheet," researchers said in the study.
Researchers said there is a volcano every 4,800 square miles. However, they were unable to determine which, if any, are still active.
