Posted on 05/04/2014 6:48:36 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
OSLO (Reuters) - Part of East Antarctica is more vulnerable than expected to a thaw that could trigger an unstoppable slide of ice into the ocean and raise world sea levels for thousands of years, a study showed on Sunday.
The Wilkes Basin in East Antarctica, stretching more than 1,000 km (600 miles) inland, has enough ice to raise sea levels by 3 to 4 meters (10-13 feet) if it were to melt as an effect of global warming, the report said.
The Wilkes is vulnerable because it is held in place by a small rim of ice, resting on bedrock below sea level by the coast of the frozen continent. That "ice plug" might melt away in coming centuries if ocean waters warm up.
"East Antarctica's Wilkes Basin is like a bottle on a slant. Once uncorked, it empties out," Matthias Mengel of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, lead author of the study in the journal Nature Climate Change, said in a statement.
Co-author Anders Levermann, also at Potsdam in Germany, told Reuters the main finding was that the ice flow would be irreversible, if set in motion. He said there was still time to limit warming to levels to keep the ice plug in place.
Almost 200 governments have promised to work out a U.N. deal by the end of 2015 to curb increasing emissions of man-made greenhouse gases that a U.N. panel says will cause more droughts, heatwaves, downpours and rising sea levels.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
“The sky is falling” alert.
“Id say something to the effect of how stupid can these people be that write these things, but I fear I already know the answer.”
Ouch! LOL
Ping to #31.
It is already happening!
Worth repeating.
Don’t these people have something useful to do?
At the south pole every direction is north.
First, odd that this has never happened before, even in other warming time periods.
Second, it’s funny that even when we just compare the left’s failed guesses, they were looking at the WRONG pole, telling us the danger was the arctic melting, when it turned out the danger was from the south.
Third, I’d like to see at least one billionaire global warming alarmist put their money where their propaganda is, and buy out “beachfront” property 400 feet above sea level. Seems like a sure long-term bet for them.
Trying to get my head around the concept of “East Antarctica” .....
Climate change is 5 Billion years old. Earth temperature have never been constant. That is why we had ice ages every so many thousand years in regularity followed by global warming.
It is egotistical to think man can change earth’s natural cycles. From orbiting satellites only a couple of hundred miles above no man made objects are visible! Only the great wall of China shows up as a barely discernible thin wiggly line.
How do you tell East from West in Antarctica? I thought it was all just South toward the pole and North away from the pole.
“That “ice plug” might melt away in coming centuries if ocean waters warm up.”
Today students we will learn the meanings of “might” and “if”.
“That “ice plug” might melt away in coming centuries....”
.
They’re worrying about melting ice in centuries to come but don’t give a damn about the fact that this nation is *sshole deep in debt right now and that the next generation may have to live in slavery.
Who gives a crap about the ice.
if,if, if, if, if, if - jibber jabber, jibber jabber
“I would not be surprised”
“if it ever”
“it could take”
“it sounds plausible”
“could contribute”
“at least”
And best of all...
“the biggest uncertainty”
Actually, that’s technically true. Most of the time it’s too cold to snow in Antarctica. If the temp comes up overall, it eventually becomes “warm” enough for increased precipitation.
The increased ice is mainly sea ice.
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