Greenland's Ice Sheet and the Projected Rise in Ocean Levels

ArcticNews, Canada ^ | March 22, 2004 | Joseph Quillan

[abehers]

DISCUSSION of global warming and its impact on ocean level is at times confused or misrepresented, like the suggestion that melting of ice that sits atop the Arctic Ocean will contribute to a rise in sea level -- ice that resides in the ocean will not contribute to a rise in sea level. Another common misconception is to overstate the likelihood that all snow and ice will suddenly melt with projected increases in global temperature. If all snow and ice between the Polar ice caps were to melt, it would have a tremendous impact on sea level, but most scientists seem to agree this is very unlikely. Disagreement over the amount melting, and speed at which it might take place, however, is common. And it is this kind of uncertaintly the fuels debate over the melting of the Greenland ice sheet.

Receding ice in the Arctic Ocean is just one piece of evidence that a global warming trend is underway – The Arctic ice cap has been shrinking at a rate of about three percent per decade for the last 100 years. Recent trends suggest the rate of recession has been increasing. Lack of similar change in the Antarctic ice field is not, as some have suggested, evidence that the Northern Hemisphere somehow misrepresent or disproves this warming trend. A smaller and slower change in the Antarctic ice field is to be expected given that most ice sits atop land and is high in altitude.

The example of Greenland supports the view that a land-locked ice field can be more resistant to change when the ice is very thick. Adiabatic cooling -- cooling that accompanies expansion of air at increasing altitude -- supports maintenance of Greenland's ice sheet. A similar effect will help sustain the Antactic ice field if global warming trends continue. It is even possible that warming could accelerate of ice formation at the South Pole if warmer weather were to bring greater amounts of moisture into the region and the creation of new ice were to further outpace an increase in melting along edge regions farther north. Antarctica is one region where the rate of ice formation could actually accelerate with global warming, but that is something yet to be seen.   Continued . . .

[abehers]

Looks like all the hype about getting flooded out by global warming's not going to happing on my watch. I've got at 10 feet before it hits my back yard . . . I'll be dead and gone in 50 years. In the mean time, I'm just sitting back, sipping a tall cool beer, and enjoying the surf.

[Eala]

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[AntiGuv]

I'm just sitting back, sipping a tall cool beer, and enjoying the surf.

Are you bragging? :p

[ancient_geezer]

Jess da'm!!!

Does this mean I won't be getting that Colorado ocean front property with bikini babes?

Life is so crewl :O{

[tgarr]

Yea, this stuff about Greenland is all over the news agian.

Greenland's Ice Cap Under Threat

Greenland Melt May Swamp LA, Other Cities, Study Says

There's plenty of time to move in 50 years. Besides I live at 2000'.

[facedown]

...ice that resides in the ocean will not contribute to a rise in sea level.

Remember the experiment in high school where you put some water in a glass, add some ice and then mark the water height on the side?

It kills me when people fall for this stuff.

[abehers]

Well come on down. I'll throw a lobster on the barbie.

[AntiGuv]

The Greenland ice cap is not floating on water; it's piled up on dry land.

[LiteKeeper]

YEC INTREP - JUNKSCIENCE ALERT

[TheLion]

Where is global warming when we need it? It has been one of the coldest winters in years and still won't go away!

[tgarr]

How about we all meet at Crawford Point? . . . We can invite the Prez and all all sip a little glacier water.

[abehers]

Yea, that's what the article points out.

It says that Greenland is NOT like ice in the ocean . . .

The other stuff is the kind of junk science you see all the time.

Finally somebody's saying I won't be needing to buy those hipsters. Not that I was worried.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Now, recall that the AVERAGE temperature in Greenland MUST RISE above freezing, and stay above freezing continously! - in order that the Ice cap melt.

(Never mind that the released water would slump into the basin between the mountains now surrounding the field.....)

So, take the AVERAGE summer temperature in Greenland, and figure out how much highr it must become to completely melt the ice cap.....

(Exercise left to the students or homework, return it tommorrow morning....)

Now, find out what must happen to prevent the released water from re-freezing the entier field over the winter, repeat that calculation for the minimum average winter temperature of (for example) Lake Superior, or Lake Michigan, or Hidson Bay...... All of which, of course, freeze over, but don't freeze through the whole lake.

[expatpat]

I've got about 8ft before it reaches the house, but I'm too old to be affected, anyway.

[gg188]

We're DOOMED!!

[abehers]

Most of Greenland is sitting under a mountain of ice. When that mountain starts to shrink it gets warmer and the melting starts to get faster and faster. That's common sense. You don't need a physics degree here.

The point is that it's probably going to 50 to 200 years before my toes start getting wet. By then I'm a gonner anyway. I figure my children can fight over which part of the Ocean bottom they get to inherit. No skin off my bones.

[abehers]

Ha! Crawford Point.

President Bush could use a break. But I'm stickin' to the beer. Thanks. None of the glacier run-off for me.

[tgarr]

Are you sure? W thinks it's a great idea.

[Libertarianize the GOP]

ping

[jpsb]

Cool, guess I don't have to sell my house.