Could Volcanism Provide a Large "Heat Oasis" in a Polar Desert?

So there is an Antarctic like continent in my setting; and just like Antarctica it is the largest and most inhospitable desert in the planet due to how absolutely cold it is.

But what if there was a hotspot? Now it's not just a single volcano with exposed lava like Mt Erebus in real life Antarctica, it's more like Yellowstone, but even more active and extensive.

Thousands of significant geysers, hot springs, and even active volcanoes that are pouring lava like Kilauea are all present in this massive caldera region. Nearby glaciers are exposed to considerable heat, with a few having hotspots beneath them. This is causing much greater precipitation in the region compared to the rest of the interior, and of course some liquid water in places

Would enough heat production in a supremely dry and cold continent create an oasis of sorts? Or would it at least be a better place to live compared to the rest of the wasteland?

Note: The volcanism isn't so significant as to cause noticeable global warming, this is a question about a regional environment.

Bonus: Humans similar to the Inuit and Nenets live on the coast of this super Antarctica, would the volcanic region be a place that they could exploit with herds of reindeer and other arctic life, or would colonizing such a region only be feasible for people with advanced technology?

posted almost 5 years ago

NixonCranium‭

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