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City-Sized Ice Shelf Breaks Free Of Antarctica
LeadSongDog writes "Germany's TerraSAR-X satellite is showing that the Antarctic's Pine Island ice shelf has calved a 'berg of 720 square kilometres, 'the size of Hamburg.' Angelika Humbert says 'The Western Antarctic land ice is on land which is deeper than sea level. Its "bed" tends towards the land. The danger therefore exists that these large ice masses will become unstable and will start to slide.' The article extrapolates that 'If the entire West Antarctic ice shield were to flow into the Ocean, this would lead to a global rise in sea level of around 3.3 meters.' Goodbye Florida.
I knew those 569 acres of land on the Arizona/California border would gain some value. Just didn't think it would happen so soon. Anyone want to buy my new ocean-front property?
sudo make me a sandwich
Dooomed we are all doooom.
Dooooooomed!
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
I think the point is that the boundary between the ice and the rock is below sea level.
Could somebody translate that into Chicago-units? Here in the US we're having trouble visualizing this.
Wait what?
By definition, that is land. My guess is that you meant to ask if it is impossible to have land below sea level, and the answer is no. Much of New Orleans and Death Valley in the US are below sea level, they just happen to be surrounded by natural (and some artificial) barriers that keep the water out.
My understanding of the point is that the ice in question is standing on solid land below the ocean's surface, which means that its volume is not currently reflected by the height of the oceans today. In addition, the land is sloped towards the rest of the ocean so, should the ice in question calve off it will enter the ocean rather than simply cracking but staying put.
Darn metric system! How many Libraries of Congress is that equivalent to?
Wait what?
By definition, that is land. My guess is that you meant to ask if it is impossible to have land below sea level, and the answer is no. Much of New Orleans and Death Valley in the US are below sea level, they just happen to be surrounded by natural (and some artificial) barriers that keep the water out.
My understanding of the point is that the ice in question is standing on solid land below the ocean's surface, which means that its volume is not currently reflected by the height of the oceans today. In addition, the land is sloped towards the rest of the ocean so, should the ice in question calve off it will enter the ocean rather than simply cracking but staying put.
An added issue, which has been seen in the past couple of decades in Greenland, is that if the ice calves and slides into the ocean, not only will mass previously perched on land enter the ocean, but the mass removed from the antarctic plate will cause the plate to rise significantly... causing less volume for the ocean in that area, and REALLY messing with plate tectonics.
Some people think there's a correlation between the rising landmass in Greenland and some of the recent quakes in the Pacific.
>> The Western Antarctic land ice is on land which is deeper than sea level.
Umm.. isn't it impossible to have land that isn't deeper than sea level?
If it's possible anywhere on Earth, it's surely possible on a continent that can have a "western" part despite covering all geographic longitudes.
Ezekiel 23:20
Of course subdivided in smaller units, Hamburgers, of about 1/1.500.000 that size.
A 3m rise in sea level is significant, but will hardly wipe out Florida or California. Check your map before you start building that new condo.
Every year we get at least one or two pieces of ice breaking from the main shield. Happens at both poles. It's normal.
And every year the article ends with some kind of fatalistic "IF blah blah blah we are DOOOMED!"
Puhlease... We have worse things to worry about than fantasy threats.
To Terminate, or not to Terminate, that's the question - SCSIROB
Thankfully the fine folks over at xkcd pointed the way to the solution yesterday: http://what-if.xkcd.com/53/
All we need is a portal to... anywhere not in Earths gravitational influence I guess, and we'll be set!
Ever hear about Mobile, Alabama?
Hint: Alabama already has a Gulf Coast....
"I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"
The oppressive regime of Antarctica has long been opressing its constituents.
The world celebrates the ice shelf's newly found freedom, and hopes this will pave the way to democracy in the entire region. When asked about what the ice shelf plans to do with its newly found freedom, it humbly replied "just going to drift a few kms that way, hopefully leading the way for many others to follow."
When asked for comment, the visibly agitated Penguin Brotherhood declined to comment beyond blaming the west-sponsored Carbon Revolution.
I wouldn't worry. You're already in Alabama, so it can't get much worse.
His analysis is spot on. The "article extrapolates" [to absurdity] isn't unusual when it comes to these things, because absurd extrapolation generates grant funding from government.
1. Tell everyone in Florida that 3.3 meters of water is coming
2. Allow the person who understands what 3.3 meters of water means to move to wherever they want
3. Celebrate
Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
I also wonder if a big piece (like say a few cubic km) of ice slides in the water at few km/h. a really big tsunami ?
Yes, if that were to happen the result would be quite dramatic. But the chunk we're talking about is the leading tongue of an ice shelf that is already floating at sea level and the crack that caused this calving has been tracked since 2011 so it's not exactly a dramatic change as the media would like you to believe.
XML is a known as a key material required to create SMD: Software of Mass Destruction
Mobile Alabama is already adjacent to the sea.
Plus it's mobile, so it can just move inland if the sea rises.
Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
Either Jesus will come back and end everything before climate change makes a difference, or God will never let us hose His perfect creation.
The trouble is, there are folks in Congress who believe this and set policy based on it...
Maybe it's just time to build Noah's Ark II.
Also known as the /b/ Ark.
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff