A team of scientists unearthed a volcanic region previously hidden under ice sheets, with the geologist who led the team warning of destabilising consequences.

Edinburgh University researchers uncovered almost 100 volcanoes – with the highest almost as tall as Switzerland’s 3,970-metre Eiger.

Geologists think the region, which sits two kilometers below ice in west Antarctica, will dwarf east Africa’s volcanic ridge, which is rated as the world’s densest concentration of volcanoes.