AP PHOTOS: Antarctica's spectacular glaciers melting faster

WSFA ^ | 2-28-15 | LUIS ANDRES HENAO and SETH BORENSTEIN Associated Press

[smokingfrog]

CAPE LEGOUPIL, Antarctica (AP) - From the ground of this extreme northern part of Antarctica, a spectacular white and blinding ice seemingly extends forever. What can't be seen is the battle raging below to reshape Earth.

Water is eating away at the Antarctic ice, melting it where it hits the oceans. As the ice sheets slowly thaw, water pours into the sea, 130 billion tons of ice (118 billion metric tons) per year for the past decade, according to NASA satellite calculations. That's enough ice melt to fill more than 1.3 million Olympic swimming pools. And the melting is accelerating.

In the worst case scenario, Antarctica's melt could push sea levels up 10 feet (3.3 meters) worldwide in a century or two, recurving heavily populated coastlines.

At its current rate, the rise from Antarctica would only lift the world's oceans a barely noticeable one-third of a millimeter a year.

But if all the West Antarctic ice sheet that's connected to water melts unstoppably, as several experts predict, there won't be time to prepare.

[NormsRevenge]

Seth has a new bunkmate on the antarctic oasis express schooner I see..

[TigersEye]

True. About 18,000 years ago sea level was about 135 ft. lower. Land moves up and down too.

[Up Yours Marxists]

These GOREBULL warming scammers continue to spew lies from their mouths. Your comment about volcanic activity is spot on...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3167403/posts

Volcanic Rift Valley Under Antarctica Hotter than Expected

The Thwaites glacier is one of the most rapidly changing in Antarctica. It’s been the focus of considerable attention in recent weeks, after scientists suggested that this sector of the huge West Antarctic Ice Sheet was already on route towards collapse due to warming ocean temperatures. A major collapse of this part of the ice sheet could have dire consequences worldwide, with a global sea level rise of potentially up to 1m. Some models suggest this could take place comparatively rapidly, within a few centuries.

But hidden beneath the kilometres of ice in this rapidly changing part of the continent is a largely unexplored geological feature: the West Antarctic Rift System, a strip of volcanic activity thought to extend for more than 3,000km across the Antarctic continent, provides further heat to melt the ice sheet from below.