Escalating Ice Loss Found in Antarctica

[RamboLiberal]

Source: Washington Post

Climatic changes appear to be destabilizing vast ice sheets of western Antarctica that had previously seemed relatively protected from global warming, researchers reported yesterday, raising the prospect of faster sea-level rise than current estimates.

While the overall loss is a tiny fraction of the miles-deep ice that covers much of Antarctica, scientists said the new finding is important because the continent holds about 90 percent of Earth's ice, and until now, large-scale ice loss there had been limited to the peninsula that juts out toward the tip of South America. In addition, researchers found that the rate of ice loss in the affected areas has accelerated over the past 10 years -- as it has on most glaciers and ice sheets around the world.

"Without doubt, Antarctica as a whole is now losing ice yearly, and each year it's losing more," said Eric Rignot, lead author of a paper published online in the journal Nature Geoscience.

The Antarctic ice sheet is shrinking despite land temperatures for the continent remaining essentially unchanged, except for the fast-warming peninsula.


Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/13/AR2008011302753.html?hpid=topnews

[truthisfreedom]

1. Things are going to continue to change at a rate faster than ANYONE has predicted.

We will see the sea rise dramatically in the next 3 years, dstroying property value along the coasts. The smart people will get out now.

[FarCenter]

9. The smart people will get out while it is beachfront property

About 20 feet to go!

[lapfog_1]

2. That would be "Welcome to Waterworld"

better start evolving gills again. Just like Kevin Costner.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

6. Someone should sink the Exxon Valdez just in case.

It's named "Mediterranean" now, and sails under the Marshall Island flag.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exxon_Valdez

[Mithreal]

3. Get ready for another Katrina type response, glacially slower pace

The earth is getting ready to do some major redecorating.

My local town newspaper that refuses to allow anti-war editorials because it does not consider it a local enough issue still prints climate change denier rants.

[SpiralHawk]

4. "But there's plenty of ice in my cocktail. What's the problem?" - Commander AWOL

"Global climate change is just (smirk) a liberal plot to get us all to act conservatively. But we republicon homelanders know that to act responsibly could cut into our Massive Profits, so screw that shit. As long as the ice holds up in my cocktail, and the profits keep rolling in, I ain't listening any of that fact-based shit. That's for pointy heads. Smirk."

- Commander AWOL BUSH

[Teaser]

5. Great News!

I really can't think of anything happening that would be nicer than this.

That's a lot of prime real estate opening up. And people say the human race lacks foresight!

[Uncle Joe]

7. I would suggest anyone living near the ocean, whether you have a boat or not

to purchase some life preservers for the home.

Thanks for the thread, RamboLiberal.

[Barrett808]

8. More to the point, we need to start planning for millions of climate-change refugees

Both from inside the US and migrating away from disasters in other countries.

[Uncle Joe]

10. I agree. Barrett, otherwise

ours systems will be overloaded.