Antarctic Ice Sheet Likely to Collapse, New Data Show

Antarctic Ice Sheet Likely to Collapse, New Data Show

www.foxnews.com

The West Antarctic ice sheet collapsed periodically between 3 million and 5 million years ago, adding more than 16 feet to global sea level, according to the first examination of soil cores far below the surface of the Ross ice shelf.

Also, new computer models suggest that warmer waters nearby attacked the ice from below, triggering those collapses.

Both findings appear in studies published Thursday in the journal Nature.

"What we're seeing in the past would lead us to believe that we are on track for losing parts of the West Antarctic ice sheet," said Tim Naish, director of the Antarctic Research Centre at Victoria University in New Zealand and leader of the study that looked at dirt cores.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Researchers are always learning more and more about Antarctica by the day. Now, regardless of whether or not you believe in man-made global warming (or solar maximums etc.) this is not good news.


Exactly where we don't want warming! The poles!



This piece of information supports global warming as a natural occurance I believe.
But this is the scary part:


At least not yet......

www.foxnews.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

im sorry, but the article says that it is a natural occuring deal, and that itsbeen going on for thousands of years,
"West Antarctica regularly melted about every 40,000 years "
and that is when it was 5 degrees warmer than it is now!
I think you are turning this into a global warming deal caused by man, when its not. Its a natural occurance.

reply to post by Common Good


I said that regardless of what you believe, it is scary news.

I'm not sold on it being man-made.....
Thats why I put this article on here; due to the data regarding melting over a 40,000 year time scale as well as the correlation to shifts of the axis.
In fact, if one wanted to do so, they could interpret this data as evidence against man-made global warming.

So no, I am not turning this article or the data contained therein to any sort of man-made evidence.

reply to post by awake_awoke



Couldnt agree more with that, regardless the cause if the planet is warming its still global warming. And even if its natural i dont think it will be very pleasant to be under 16ft of water. We really do need to keep an eye out for this type of thing as it is not just voodoo manbearpig it is real, ignore it at our peril.

I just heard an report yesterday that it isn't gonna collapse anytime soon. But when it does, we are sol.

Just so long as no one begins to claim that carbon-tax will save the Antarctic Ice Sheets - I'm understanding the research opportunities here.

A far as global warming, I still feel it's misnamed and should be referred to as climate shifting, which we as a species will have to endure as long as we exist.

I think for lay people it is very difficult to interpret the varying data on global warming, climate change or whatever it should be called. I agree that it makes no difference what is going on...it is not good.

If we are adding to this warming then something needs to be done whether or not the carbon we are adding is the cause or not. If man is adding to the situation then man needs to get his collective act together. Of course we already know that is not going to happen as long as the oil boys are in control, as far as I can see they are and will remain so.

Check out the wikipedia article on the giant Iceberg B-15 that broke off of Antarctica back in March 2000. It mainly discusses the life of the iceberg and its eventual break up. There’s an image in the article that shows where B-15 came from. Match up that image with the image below and you’ll see there should be more major iceberg break ups in the future.


This image shows the warming patterns of Antarctica. The western side is heating up the most, which is shown in red.
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/files/5768fb1aeb5c9126.jpg[/atsimg]
National Geographic-Antarctica Warming

I'm about 600 ft above sea level, and in about the middle of the continent. I would think I'm ok. But those of you on coastlines, and New Orleans, might want to move at some point.

Originally posted by Mekanic
I'm about 600 ft above sea level, and in about the middle of the continent. I would think I'm ok. But those of you on coastlines, and New Orleans, might want to move at some point.

I never quite understood how the sea levels would rise?

can someone explain that to me?

Originally posted by awake_awoke
reply to post by Common Good

 

I said that regardless of what you believe, it is scary news.

I'm not sold on it being man-made.....
Thats why I put this article on here; due to the data regarding melting over a 40,000 year time scale as well as the correlation to shifts of the axis.
In fact, if one wanted to do so, they could interpret this data as evidence against man-made global warming.

So no, I am not turning this article or the data contained therein to any sort of man-made evidence.

However one thing that struck me as I read this is that, man-made or not, Humanity as a species has not existed in any way as long as even one of these cycles has from beggining to end and to me that indicates danger. It is possible that all sorts of questions could arise about humanity and its predecessors (if there are indeed any from before our conceived birth), but this cycle is on track to devastate the population is particular areas all over the globe and there is almost nothing we can do to stop it, infact it is to some extent my opinion that the only way to prevent extinction is a constant effort by humanity worldwide to monitor and be attentive to the necessary conditions to keep our globe in a livable stasis for us. Something we are only just barely beggining to educate ourselves about considering the timescale we are working on, or should I say the timescale that is working against us?

reply to post by Aermacchi


Ice on water won't really cause the sea levels to rise, but ice on land that melts, or slides off of the land will cause the sea level to rise. That's why Greenland and Antarctica are both such a big deal.

alright bro, I can see where you are comming from. I didnt mean to sound pricky about it, but I get tired of this wholeglobal warming issue. People find one article and use it to try n push their agenda, and it really bothers me. So Im sorry if I called you out when I shouldnt have.
I agree however that this planet goes through cycles, and whatever happens to it, is of itsown making. I find it funny that a lot of people out there think that we are that important to where we have an influence on what has been going on for millions of years. Mother nature has been doing her thing from the very beginning, and if she didnt like the way we were acting, she would have wiped us out a long time ago. I think along with all the bad things that we do to this planet, theres also a lot of good things that we do for it. I live in Las Vegas, so I think I should be fine by the 16 ft rise. One good thing, I will be a lot closer to the ocean.

reply to post by Common Good


Elevation - Las Vegas, 2028 Feet above Sea Level

Yea, you're good.

A 16ft rise could very well decimate cities, if not entire states or countries. But really, isn't the best plan when you are wading, to move to higher ground? I'm sure there will be people who will stand to the end by their beliefs that the whole global warming thing is just a bunch of bs to get them to abandon their homes, but honestly, if that's how they feel, I hope they have unhooked their boats from the trailers so they can get out when the water is over their heads.

I've always been a believer in a cyclical earth. Whether there is a human presence or not, things will happen that we cannot control, no matter how much money the world leaders think they can throw at it. I think this may be true for most planets, though not all. I've always considered the earth to be living planet, and long after we are gone, there will still be global warming, and global cooling, as well as massive destructive events, like tsunamis and supervolcanos.

And don't worry, I didn't get the imperssion you were being pricky about it. Actually, the way you worded it, I took it as an innocent question. I've become so accustomed to explaining my views to people that I have no problems with it.