Astronomy Picture of the Day 5-27-02

NASA ^ | 5-27-02 | Robert Nemiroff and Jerry Bonnell

[petuniasevan]

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2002 May 27

Antarctic Ice Shelf Vista
Credit & Copyright: Helmut Rott (U. Innsbruck)

Explanation: It's all gone but the mountains. Most of the sprawling landscape of ice that lies between the mountains visible above has now disintegrated. The above picture was taken in Antarctica from the top of Grey Nunatak, one of three Seal Nunatak mountains that border the Larsen B Ice-Shelf. The other two Nunataks are visible in the picture taken in 1994. Over the past several years large chunks of the 200-meter thick Larsen B Ice-Shelf have been breaking off and disintegrating. The cause is thought to be related to the local high temperatures of recent years and, possibly, global warming. Over the past few years, the area that has disintegrated is roughly the size of Luxembourg. As ice-shelves break up, they unblock other ice sheets that fall onto the ocean, raising sea levels everywhere. Scientists are watching the much-larger Ross Ice Shelf, which, if it collapses, could cause global sea levels to rise five meters.

[petuniasevan]

Climate is a dynamic thing. The more data meteorologists and climatologists gather, the more complex the system appears. For instance, it's "warmer" in the Southern Hemisphere now than in recent years, perhaps. In the Northern Hemisphere a lot of record low temperatures have been recorded in the past decade.

"Nunatak" is a Greenland Inuit word for an ice-buried mountain.

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[petuniasevan]

APOD PING!

[trussell]

Absolutely Beautiful.

Thank you for the daily pings. I love getting these everyday.

[kayak]

What a fantastic picture!

[2Trievers]

WOW! Breathtaking! &;-)

[sleavelessinseattle]

I'd hate to miss sailing through a bunch of Icebergs because they all melted before I got there...I've seen shots from the exploratory ships and it looks like Mars up close to those glaciers...I'd love to Ice dive under those big(stable) bergs...follow a Sea Lion through the labyrinth...I wonder if anyone has ever considered doing submarine tours under Ice shelves...Its not going to be that deep and the scenery would change from year to year...I'd pay big bucks to look at those babies...Jacques Cousteau, Inventor of the SCUBA tank, Concert pianist...RIP and THANKS on Memorial day!

[2Trievers]

[leadpenny]

Four or 5 years ago I clipped that pic from, I believe, a Sunday Parade magazine advertisement. Had not seen it before or since - except I caught myself thinking of it just a day or two ago. Excuse me while I get another cup of coffee and try to get this Twilight Zone theme music out of my head.

Oh, and this:

. . . . Ross Ice Shelf, which, if it collapses, could cause global sea levels to rise five meters.

Wouldn't have to drive to Nags Head for a week at the beach.

[2Trievers]

Hi LP ... Isn't it a great pic ... supposedly shot by a diver! Fly your Flag today! Hugs, 2T

[MeekOneGOP]

bump!

[Vigilantcitizen]

Thanks for the ping!

Awesome pic!

[sistergoldenhair]

You find the best photos.
I look forward to seeing them every day.

[aomagrat]

Paging Dirk Pitt.

[sleavelessinseattle]

WOW! Good metaphor for interesting people too...lots below the surface;-) Famous last words on the Titanic...MORE ICE Garcon, AND BE QUICK ABOUT IT, DAMN YOUR EYES!!!

[2Trievers]

Raise your flag today Sleavester! &;-)

[sleavelessinseattle]

I triple dog dare you to put your tongue on that pole!;-D

[2Trievers]

Did Ralphie Parker send you? ... Don't EVER triple dog dare me again, OK? "You'll shoot your eye out..." if you're not careful! &;-)

[Joan912]

Antarctica is awesome! What a great picture! :)

[EdZ]

I read an article in the journal Science a few months ago which said that measurements of the underlying sediments revealed that some of the sediments were covered with ice for the past 12,000 years, making the break up of this ice sheet very unusual.