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Giant Ice Shelf Snaps

Posted by Zonk on from the as-long-as-the-movie-doesn't-feature-sandra-bullock dept.

Popo writes "Sattelite images have revealed that an ancient 66 square-kilometer ice shelf, the size of 11,000 football fields, has snapped off from an island in Canada's arctic. The Ayles Ice Shelf was one of 6 major shelves remaining in Canada's arctic and is estimated to be over 3000 years old. The collapse was so powerful that earthquake monitors 250 km away picked up tremors. Scientists say it is the largest event of its kind in 30 years and point their fingers at climate change as a major contributing factor."

13 of 529 comments (clear)

  1. How much is that in square furlongs? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    11,000 football fields. Yeah, there's an easy-to-visualize image. What a helpful comparison.

    1. Re:How much is that in square furlongs? by DrSkwid · · Score: 5, Informative

      58 sq km

      So a bit bigger than Bermuda (zoom out) but a bit smaller than San Marino (zoom out)

      --
      There are places where the networks are not touching,and there are places where they are-Boeing's Lori Gunter
  2. Ungrateful scientists by Elentari · · Score: 5, Funny

    It lasted a good deal longer than any shelf I've ever put up.

  3. less ambiguous units please! by JeanBaptiste · · Score: 5, Funny

    the size of 11,000 football fields

    NFL? Canadian? European kickball?

    Besides, this is a nerds site. Don't make athletic references.

    Volkswagen Bugs or Libraries of Congress would be more appropriate.

  4. Well... by Quiet_Desperation · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Scientists say it is the largest event of its kind in 30 years and point their fingers at climate change as a major contributing factor."

    So what was the cause 30 years ago?

    It's a fair question, yes? Like when I hear "such and such place recorded the highest temperature in 150 years this week!" I think "What caused the previous high 150 years agp?" My brain has a pesky habit of continually asking questions. All those X-Files episodes, I guess. Trust no one. Ideologues hate me.

    1. Re:Well... by FhnuZoag · · Score: 5, Insightful

      As for the 150 years thing, it's because they had no thermometers 150 years ago, so their records only go back 150 years.

      And in this case, the 30 years figure is because observations of this kind done with satellites has only been possible for 30 years, and any prior event would be impossible to measure.

    2. Re:Well... by rucs_hack · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I'm no environmental scientist, but surely there would need to be many such events measured before we could really start saying what caused it.

      Is this a natural cycle? How long has this particular event been brewing? Have there been any other factors involved that can be discovered? These questions need to be answered before causes can be decided.

      I am concerned about global warming, but I am also concerned about political motivations determining hypothesis, or special interest groups leaping on events and trumpeting them as being caused by their particular bugbear.

      Such things do not good science make, and we need good science to get to grips with the causes of these events, lest we wander too far from the truth of it.

  5. Geography lesson by mangu · · Score: 5, Funny
    that ice has been outside for a long time with penguins, polar bears and what nots crapping all over it


    I agree with you that the tequila is what makes a good Margarita, but you are wrong about your crap. Penguins do not frequent the same ice as polar bears. Repeat with me, polar bears are in the North, penguins are in the South. Not, they do not meet at the tropics.

  6. Re:Happy Feet... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I also thought we told those penguins they don't live in the northern hemisphere!

  7. Re:Drinks all around! by butterwise · · Score: 5, Informative

    Actually, a real good margarita consists of good tequila, fresh lime juice and triple sec - not a mix.

    --
    If a baby duck is a "duckling," why would anyone want to eat "dumplings?"
  8. Re:I can't wait..... by TubeSteak · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's common for the Extreme Right, and their fellow travelers in the Media, to invent disasters from selected data so they can save us all by the application of Fascism, at the expense of our personal liberties, of course.

    Extremists are extremists.. plain and simple.
    The only difference is which liberties they want you to surrender & why.

    To be fair, sometimes they ask you to do it for the common good
    and not because of some boogeyman.

    --
    [Fuck Beta]
    o0t!
  9. 3000 years old... by LiTa03 · · Score: 5, Funny
    ...and is estimated to be over 3000 years old
    Almost as old as earth itself...
  10. Been There Done That by sycodon · · Score: 5, Informative

    Maybe he should have worked there longer. Follow this link.

    http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic39-1-15. pdf

    In 1984 this study was done in Canada. The first page kind of says it all.

    " Between 1959 and 1974 a total of 48sqkm calved off from Milne and Ayles ice shelves. In addition, the Ayles Ice Shelf moved about 5km out into Ayles Ford"

    Not quite 66 sqkm but close. And it sounds as if the shelf broke off rather recently within a few decades, and somehow reattached itself. No mention of that in the story, but there is a significant emphasis that the ice is 3000 years old and ancient. Making it seem as if this has been the same for 3000 years. Next at the bottom left of the first page.

    "The largest observed ice calving occurred at Ward Hunt Ice Shelf (just north of Ayles) where almost 600SQKM, broke off between 1961 and 1962.

    --
    When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.