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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsNASA/GRL/Science - Collapse Of West Antarctic Ice Sheet Appears To Be Under Way, Likely Unstoppable
The collapse of large parts of the ice sheet in West Antarctica appears to have begun and is almost certainly unstoppable, with global warming accelerating the pace of the disintegration, two groups of scientists reported Monday.
The finding, which had been feared by some scientists for decades, means that a rise in global sea level of at least 10 feet may now be inevitable. The rise may continue to be relatively slow for at least the next century or so, the scientists said, but sometime after that it will probably speed up so sharply as to become a crisis.
This is really happening, said Thomas P. Wagner, who runs NASAs programs on polar ice and helped oversee some of the research. Theres nothing to stop it now. But you are still limited by the physics of how fast the ice can flow. Two papers scheduled for publication this week, in the journals Science and Geophysical Research Letters, attempt to make sense of an accelerated flow of glaciers seen in parts of West Antarctica in recent decades.
Both papers conclude that warm water upwelling from the ocean depths has most likely triggered an inherent instability that makes the West Antarctic ice sheet vulnerable to a slow-motion collapse. And one paper concludes that factors some scientists had hoped might counteract such a collapse will not do so.
EDIT
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/13/science/earth/collapse-of-parts-of-west-antarctica-ice-sheet-has-begun-scientists-say.html?_r=0
pscot
(21,024 posts)I may yet own beachfront property.
sdfernando
(4,948 posts)Casa de Lex, Lutherville, or Otisburg?
karadax
(284 posts)hatrack
(59,602 posts)Sorry for the lack of discussion of white privilege - even the ice, though white, has apparently lost some of its privilege as well.
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)how much I wish the environmental movement had an "Edward Snowden" who could make the global community instantly start paying close attention to this crisis, and start demanding some action...
alfredo
(60,082 posts)GliderGuider
(21,088 posts)1. Anger
2. Bargaining
3. Depression
4. Acceptance
5. Drowning
whatchamacallit
(15,558 posts)Brigid
(17,621 posts)sakabatou
(42,202 posts)alfredo
(60,082 posts)Uncle Joe
(58,524 posts)Thanks for the thread, hatrack.
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)the long-term trends don't look good...
Tribalceltic
(1,000 posts)I'm only at 27 feet above sea level now.
Is America accepting immigrants from FL yet?
pscot
(21,024 posts)the Georgia line. Bring a toothbrush.
Voice for Peace
(13,141 posts)dbackjon
(6,578 posts)alfredo
(60,082 posts)AverageJoe90
(10,745 posts)Edim
(301 posts)and still trending up.
In fact, it has just set a new record for April since measurements began in 1979.
hunter
(38,349 posts)I'm curious...
hatrack
(59,602 posts)How wind helps Antarctic sea ice grow, even as the Arctic melts
EDIT
Dr Lieser said that global warming and, to a lesser extent, the ozone hole, had been found to be the main physical drivers of the increase in westerly winds over the Southern Ocean, what he dubbed a "double whammy from above and below".
He said sea ice is a highly sensitive, easily-movable substance, and if you have strong winds, the sea ice will move around with the wind. He explained that a warmer atmosphere increases convection, producing greater wind speeds in certain bands of the world.
In the Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica, this warmer atmosphere has manifested itself in stronger westerlies, which are pushing the ice out further than it would normally reach. "We know the sea ice is growing because the westerly winds are intensifying around the continent, and that pushes the sea ice further into the southern ocean," said Dr Lieser.
Paradoxically, warmer sea temperatures are also helping to create more sea ice. The warmer water creates a thinner sheet of ice that is then more easily broken up and moved by the increased wind. This spreads the sheet further and actually results in more ice coverage.
EDIT
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2014-03-antarctic-sea-ice-arctic.html#jCp
hatrack
(59,602 posts)The worst of the Southern Ocean winds intensifying and pushing farther south.
Funny how these little things all seem to happen at the same time, no?
hatrack
(59,602 posts)"Quite out there, Sarge."
"Yeah. Too quiet."
NickB79
(19,297 posts)IE, the sea ice is spreading out further as the air above the South Pole has cooled somewhat over the years (due to shifts in the Southern polar winds), while the THICKNESS of the ice overall is FALLING as warm currents are upwelling more and more.
The graphs you posted don't mean what you think they mean.
For example: http://www.skepticalscience.com/antarctica-gaining-ice.htm
farmbo
(3,122 posts)No story that runs in the NY Times based on NASA satellite tomography as interpreted by polar research scientists from a half dozen universities from around the world can stand up to three out-of-context graphs.
Let's get back to talking about Benghazi!
intaglio
(8,170 posts)What do you think happens to the ice that doesn't flash melt?
Well kiddies, it starts to float and push other sea ice further out.
Then, moon of my delight it does not float off, it hangs round for decades melting whilst yet more fresh ice comes off the icecap. This, dear heart, is because of the greater force of the circumpolar winds in the Southern Ocean blocking northward drift
This is why Antarctica is loosing ice mass whilst sea ice extent is increasing.
Now I think it's time for you to go for your afternoon nap before you have a tantrum
groundloop
(11,532 posts)Because there are some really really sharp people here and if you come in only half armed they'll beat you over the head with facts. Just nit-picking one or two tidbits won't do you much good here as it does for the faux news crowd.
DirkGently
(12,151 posts)Last edited Mon May 12, 2014, 08:38 PM - Edit history (1)
blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)Downwinder
(12,869 posts)Turbineguy
(37,412 posts)we can vote for republicans.
riderinthestorm
(23,272 posts)K& R
Control-Z
(15,682 posts)how much I hate greedy, selfish, climate denying republicans?
I really hate them.
I don't hate easily.
geomon666
(7,512 posts)This is really just the beginning. We're still collecting data that will shed light on what future generations, not us, will have to endure. Can you imagine it? 150-200 years from now and the globe looks almost completely different and our decedents wandering around wondering what the fuck happened.
CrispyQ
(36,557 posts)I once heard Dennis Miller say that he didn't care about climate change because, "What do I care about a great-great-great-grandchild? I'll never know them." Fuck you Dennis. Maybe you shouldn't reproduce then, you asshole.
gollygee
(22,336 posts)there isn't anything (or at least enough) happening to make things better. Sigh.
raouldukelives
(5,178 posts)Dopers_Greed
(2,640 posts)are in the tank for Obama