Large Ice Shelf Expected To Break From Antarctica

MollyB sends this excerpt from CNN: "A large ice shelf is 'imminently' close to breaking away from part of the Antarctic Peninsula, scientists said Friday. Satellite images released by the European Space Agency on Friday show new cracks in the Wilkins Ice Shelf where it connects to Charcot Island, a piece of land considered part of the peninsula. The cracks are quickly expanding, the ESA said. ... The Wilkins Ice Shelf — a large mass of floating ice — would still be connected to Latady Island, which is also part of the peninsula, and Alexander Island, which is not, said professor David Vaughan, a glaciologist at the British Antarctic Survey. ... If the ice shelf breaks away from the peninsula, it will not cause a rise in sea level because it is already floating, scientists say. Some plants and animals may have to adapt to the collapse."

Comments

Re:Yeah, yeah but but...

[pipingguy]

TWIAVBP, look it up. The "Think Globally, Act Locally" mantra ironically often causes well-meaning individuals to "act" on things they know little about as they are primed by "global" organizations whose main interest is self-perpetuation

Re:If the ice melts

[TapeCutter]

Looks like I upset a freerepublic fan with mod points...

Re:If the ice melts

[TapeCutter]

OT and sarcastic maybe, but Troll?

Tis the truth my lord". I believe but cannot prove it's the origin of the expression "a right royal rogering". Isabella's bastard son was the subsequent king of england and Roger was his voice until the rest of the Lord's ganged up on him and killed him ala Braveheart (btw: the father was portrayed as William Wallace in the movie Braveheart, nobody really knows but it's most likely Roger was the farther). For her part Isabella was locked up and went insane.

The family were king-makers in the UK for 400yrs and are mentioned in Shakespear's Henry V long after the line pasted to the Plantangenets, they basically owned a large chunks of the UK particularly around wales. They initialy obtained this claim by contributing a small fleet of stocked and manned viking ships to William the conquerer's invasion (IIRC 22 ships).

Of course I do not claim to be a direct descendant, just that I carry one of the oldest family names in Europe, was born near their stomping ground in england, and find my name's history interesting even if others don't.