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Antarctic Meltdown Would Flood Washington, D.C.
LiveScience via Yahoo! News ^ | February 5, 2009 | Andrea Thompson

Posted on 02/05/2009 3:45:30 PM PST by Oldeconomybuyer

Washington, D.C., and other coastal U.S. cities could find themselves under several more feet of water than previously predicted if warming temperatures destroy the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, a new study based on a model predicts.

The West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) towers about 6,000 feet (1,800 meters) above sea level over a large section of Antarctica. It holds about 500,000 cubic miles (2.2 million cubic kilometers) of ice, about the same amount of ice contained in the Greenland Ice Sheet.

This vast swath of ice is the anchor for numerous glaciers that drain into the polar sea and is bounded by the Ross and Ronne Ice Shelves. Whether or when this ice sheet might melt is still very uncertain, but even a partial melt would have a bigger impact on some coastal areas than others.

The new research found that sea level rise would not be uniform around the globe, owing to odd gravitational effects and predicted shifts in the planet's rotation.

[snip]

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: District of Columbia
KEYWORDS: climatechange; globalwarming
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
Antarctic Meltdown Would Flood Washington, D.C.

Good reason to pray for a meltdown. Hope it catches our entire government in bed.

41 posted on 02/05/2009 4:11:05 PM PST by pgkdan
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To: Harmless Teddy Bear

Oh, sure, next thing you’ll be telling me a warmer Siberia would be a good thing.

:)


42 posted on 02/05/2009 4:13:37 PM PST by marron
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To: wgflyer

The grease off of Chuck Schumer alone would make the Exxon Valdez spill pale in comparison


43 posted on 02/05/2009 4:14:45 PM PST by digger48
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To: nobama08

“The headline makes it sound like that would be a bad thing.”

Yep. Sounds like a feature, not a bug, to me.


44 posted on 02/05/2009 4:15:17 PM PST by No Truce With Kings (The opinions expressed are mine! Mine! MINE! All Mine!)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

That should save California’s water-starved agriculture, and still not deprive the Delta Smelt.


45 posted on 02/05/2009 4:18:47 PM PST by ApplegateRanch (Islam: a Satanically Transmitted Disease, spread by unprotected intimate contact with the Koranus.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

This sort of thing is perfectly acceptable to me. I will be a half block from the Atlantic when this happens and my lot will be worth much more than it is now.


46 posted on 02/05/2009 4:28:51 PM PST by muawiyah
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To: CedarDave; rdl6989; Little Bill; IrishCatholic; Normandy; According2RecentPollsAirIsGood; ...
 




Beam me to Planet Gore !

47 posted on 02/05/2009 4:29:02 PM PST by steelyourfaith (BO has been POTUS two weeks and I still have to buy my gas and pay my mortgage. What's up with that?)
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To: nobama08

I agree, that was my first thought “And that is bad?”


48 posted on 02/05/2009 4:31:33 PM PST by Aussiebabe
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To: Czar
Is there a downside to this?

Yes, it won't be happening for millions of years. (And unlike Nancy Pelosi, I know the difference between a million and a thousand.)

49 posted on 02/05/2009 4:36:43 PM PST by 3niner (Hoover turned a recession into a depression, FDR turned it into The Great Depression)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Suppose there’s a cave painting somewhere around DC warning of the dangers of Global Cooling sucking up all the water?


50 posted on 02/05/2009 4:40:14 PM PST by OpeEdMunkey
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

>>Washington, D.C., and other coastal U.S. cities could find themselves under several more feet of water than previously predicted if warming temperatures destroy the West Antarctic Ice Sheet<<

Now, THAT is the best news I’ve had all day. Please, please, please let’s have LOTS of global warming. Just make sure the critters are in the House and Senate with no buses or limos to bail them out.


51 posted on 02/05/2009 4:41:01 PM PST by NTHockey (Rules of engagement #1: Take no prisoners.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
Antarctic Meltdown Would Flood Washington, D.C.

Ok, but what's the downside?
52 posted on 02/05/2009 4:43:44 PM PST by Cheburashka (Liberalism: a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
Washington, D.C., and other coastal U.S. cities could find themselves under several more feet of water than previously predicted if warming temperatures destroy the West Antarctic Ice Sheet

Enviro-porn.

53 posted on 02/05/2009 4:44:18 PM PST by hinckley buzzard
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Coastal?


54 posted on 02/05/2009 4:48:45 PM PST by decimon
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

What is the downside?


55 posted on 02/05/2009 4:50:47 PM PST by NoControllingLegalAuthority
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To: Oldeconomybuyer; OKSooner; honolulugal; Killing Time; Beowulf; Mr. Peabody; RW_Whacko; gruffwolf; ..
Image and video hosting by TinyPic

FReepmail me to get on or off

Image and video hosting by TinyPic

Climate Research News

Click on POGW graphic for full GW rundown

GREENIE WATCH

Ping me if you find one I've missed.


More Chicken Little Specials..
56 posted on 02/05/2009 4:55:22 PM PST by xcamel (The urge to save humanity is always a false front for the urge to rule it. - H. L. Mencken)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

All of the D.C. buildings, monuments, museums, etc. should be moved to the Black Hills of South Dakota.


57 posted on 02/05/2009 5:10:38 PM PST by Aroostook25
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To: Aroostook25

“All of the D.C. buildings, monuments, museums, etc. should be moved to the Black Hills of South Dakota.”

Oh, I don’t know, with all the monuments under water, it might be like Atlantis (As long as Arlinton stays above water.) Besides, the Black Hills are beautiful as they are.


58 posted on 02/05/2009 5:14:47 PM PST by gate2wire
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To: gate2wire
Or the Badlands?

I'd rather than the really valuable stuff was as far inland as possible -- to protect from seaborne attacks.

59 posted on 02/05/2009 5:19:06 PM PST by Aroostook25
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To: Aroostook25

Okay, I’ll give you the Badlands, or any place in Ne. :-)


60 posted on 02/05/2009 5:20:53 PM PST by gate2wire
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