(And no, this thread isn't about drugs.)
"The Pine Island Glacier ice shelf in western Antarctica is in the process of "calving" a massive iceberg that, when it breaks away, will have an area of about 350 square miles (900 square kilometers) -- 15 times the size of Manhattan.
A new NASA video provides a hair-raising view of the jagged-edged fissure up close.
The animation uses data collected during late 2011 research flights over the Antarctic ice, when the crack was first discovered. At the time, the 18-mile (28-km) rift was about 180 feet (55 meters) across and 150 feet (45 meters) deep.
A satellite image of the crack snapped in November showed it was visible from space, and still growing.
The sudden changes are almost undoubtedly caused by climate change and warming oceans in the region.
The Pine Island Glacier is now one of the fastest moving in Antarctica, and NASA scientists say that every year it is losing ice."
http://www.huffingto...=climate-change
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12 replies to this topic
#2
Posted 25 February 2012 - 11:55 PM
Wow what a great share, well sort of. Only sort fo because this is rather scary. Some great pictures at those links. It is such a shame that all this will continue to go massively overlooked, pushed aside, or laughed away. I'm afraid people won't wake up until it is to late, if not already to late. Once coastal cities like NYC wind up under water and permanetly inhabitable then maybe, just maybe.
#3
Posted 26 February 2012 - 10:06 PM
I agree that it can sound scary as it was seriously huge to be seen from the outer space. And specially thinking or just imagining for all its possible effect to the living creatures of the earth as that crack will not stop growing or getting larger.
#4
Posted 21 March 2012 - 11:33 AM
This is a huge iceberg to break off when it does. That was quite amazing to hear that fully melted, it would raise sea levels 16 feet! I would say it is a possibility that the recent quakes and all have contributed to it along with global warming. There has been a lot of activity with earth all over.
#6
Posted 21 April 2012 - 02:52 AM
Ice shelf.
Ice sheet.
Sea ice.
Apparently from some of the comments posted above, some people don't understand the distinctions.
An ice shelf is afloat but attached to land. The ice can be very thick and very old, derived from an ice sheet/glacier. Since it is already floating in seawater, won't raise sea level when it melts. http://www.esr.org/o.../ice_shelf.html
Sea ice is afloat but not attached to land. Derived from frozen seawater.
Ice sheets sit on land, are not afloat. Glaciers are flowing icesheet. Melted icesheet does raise sea level when the water reaches the ocean. http://www.esr.org/o.../ice_sheet.html
Ice sheet.
Sea ice.
Apparently from some of the comments posted above, some people don't understand the distinctions.
An ice shelf is afloat but attached to land. The ice can be very thick and very old, derived from an ice sheet/glacier. Since it is already floating in seawater, won't raise sea level when it melts. http://www.esr.org/o.../ice_shelf.html
Sea ice is afloat but not attached to land. Derived from frozen seawater.
Ice sheets sit on land, are not afloat. Glaciers are flowing icesheet. Melted icesheet does raise sea level when the water reaches the ocean. http://www.esr.org/o.../ice_sheet.html
#7
Posted 21 April 2012 - 02:53 AM
Ice shelf.
Ice sheet.
Sea ice.
Apparently from some of the comments posted above, some people don't understand the distinctions.
An ice shelf is afloat but attached to land. The ice can be very thick and very old, derived from an ice sheet/glacier. Since it is already floating in seawater, won't raise sea level when it melts. http://www.esr.org/o.../ice_shelf.html
Sea ice is afloat but not attached to land. Derived from frozen seawater.
Ice sheets sit on land, are not afloat. Glaciers are flowing icesheet. Melted icesheet does raise sea level when the water reaches the ocean. http://www.esr.org/o.../ice_sheet.html
Ice sheet.
Sea ice.
Apparently from some of the comments posted above, some people don't understand the distinctions.
An ice shelf is afloat but attached to land. The ice can be very thick and very old, derived from an ice sheet/glacier. Since it is already floating in seawater, won't raise sea level when it melts. http://www.esr.org/o.../ice_shelf.html
Sea ice is afloat but not attached to land. Derived from frozen seawater.
Ice sheets sit on land, are not afloat. Glaciers are flowing icesheet. Melted icesheet does raise sea level when the water reaches the ocean. http://www.esr.org/o.../ice_sheet.html
#8
Posted 21 April 2012 - 03:22 AM
still learning, on 21 April 2012 - 02:53 AM, said:
Apparently from some of the comments posted above, some people don't understand the distinctions.
Apparently not.
If it's all melting, does the "title" of it really matter?
#9
Posted 21 April 2012 - 05:15 PM
still learning, on 21 April 2012 - 02:52 AM, said:
Apparently from some of the comments posted above, some people don't understand the distinctions.
I didn't know the difference honestly. I was just reading the whole article where it said if it fully melted, it would raise the sea level 16 feet. I do not know much about the ice and Antarctica. I am learning tho!
#10
Posted 22 April 2012 - 03:35 AM
"The whole of the village and its surroundings are under water.
During my lifetime, it was a 65-square kilometer island,
but now it is less than 25-square kilometers. It is the Kutubdia, what people refer to as one of the disappearing islands
in Bangladesh.
Scientists forecast that Bangladesh will lose one-third of its land in the next 50 years, and that this could cause
30 million forced migrants. In an already densely crowded country, this would be a disaster of unknown proportions.
What I know is that I view them as climate refugees.
And these climate problems are especially tragic for us because we are not responsible for the warming seas,
the rising tide, or for anthropogenic climate change.
We are not heavy emitters and yet we are forced to deal with global warming problems first."
Life as a climate refugee
During my lifetime, it was a 65-square kilometer island,
but now it is less than 25-square kilometers. It is the Kutubdia, what people refer to as one of the disappearing islands
in Bangladesh.
Scientists forecast that Bangladesh will lose one-third of its land in the next 50 years, and that this could cause
30 million forced migrants. In an already densely crowded country, this would be a disaster of unknown proportions.
What I know is that I view them as climate refugees.
And these climate problems are especially tragic for us because we are not responsible for the warming seas,
the rising tide, or for anthropogenic climate change.
We are not heavy emitters and yet we are forced to deal with global warming problems first."
Life as a climate refugee
#11
Posted 23 April 2012 - 01:32 PM
"The rising seas are pushing salty water into freshwater sources like the mighty Mekong River."
But we keep saying-"it's them, it's over there. It doesn't bother me."
Too many heads. Too much sand. So little time.
But we keep saying-"it's them, it's over there. It doesn't bother me."
Too many heads. Too much sand. So little time.
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