West Antarctic Ice Sheet's Collapse Triggers Sea Level Warning (15 foot rise)

NBC News ^ | 5/12/14 | Alan Boyle

[Libloather]

Two teams of scientists say the long-feared collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet has begun, kicking off what they say will be a centuries-long, "unstoppable" process that could raise sea levels by as much as 15 feet.

"There's been a lot of speculation about the stability of marine ice sheets, and many scientists suspected that this kind of behavior is under way," Ian Joughin, a glaciologist at the University of Washington in Seattle, said in a news release about one of the studies published Monday. "This study provides a more qualitative idea of the rates at which the collapse could take place."

The findings from Joughin and his colleagues, appearing in the journal Science, indicate that in some places, Antarctica's Thwaites Glacier is losing tens of feet, or several meters, of ice elevation every year.

[uglybiker]

Does that mean we go back to 49 States?

Obama says we'd still have 56 states.

[Rebelbase]

Nothing to worry about. Some new taxes and restrictive lifestyle legislation will stop it.

[Mike Darancette]

Anandakrishnan said future middle-of-the-road estimates for 2100 may well zero in on the top end of the current IPCC projection, around 3 feet.

So let's say we open a channel into the Qattara Depression from the Mediterranean Sea.

[LambSlave]

When ice melts, it takes up LESS space, not more.

If it is really "sea ice" it would on average have little to no effect on water levels, although it could cause a small decrease. I assume they don't really mean sea ice, they mean ice that is over the Antarctic land mass, otherwise this is beyond stupid.

[SunkenCiv]

> Two teams of scientists say the long-feared collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet has begun, kicking off what they say will be a centuries-long, “unstoppable” process that could raise sea levels by as much as 15 feet.

Thanks Libloather.

[stevio]

That’s the whole point, money.

[SgtBob]

Hehehehehehehehe! You’ve no argument from me ‘bout a good mash.

[Elsie]

So if it falls into the sea it adds to the liquid when it melts.

But; don't forget, that the land UNDER the ice has been greatly depressed because of all the weight above it. It will rebound and cause even WORSE 'flooding'!

Or not...

For when the land goes up THERE, it will SINK elsewhere, thus LOWERING the seafloor; relieving any water level change.

---

DANG this stuff is COMPLICATED!

[Elsie]

Well what about displacement?

This CAN be tested in your kitchen!

[Mr. Jeeves]

Any attempt to lower world air pollution levels that doesn’t go after China and India as Public Enemies #1 and #1a is simply a Marxist attack on Western economies.

[Elsie]

Something along the lines of...

Oh $—t!!!!

[Elsie]

No, that comes from the atmosphere.

Which gets IT's moisture from the seas.

[Elsie]

Have you considered the possibility that ice could cause the Antarctic to capsize?

[GladesGuru]

IIRC, when enough ice builds up, the world rolls and the ice is pitched into the sea.

‘All is for the best in this best of all possible worlds.’

;-)

[Elsie]

When Pangaea gets back together...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzOHq5WbQ8k