Glacier Once Stuck to Sea Floor, Breaks Loose

[cal04]

Source: OurAmazingPlanet Staff Writer

An Alaskan glacier has lost its footing with the seafloor and is floating in the ocean, new first-of-their-kind observations show.

The observations have implications for predicting the sea level rise that could accompany global warming and the melting of glaciers around the world.

Glaciers are huge rivers of ice formed when snow and ice accumulate over hundreds and thousands of years. They are found at the Earth's poles and in some mountain ranges. These icy rivers move slowly over time, some eventually dumping ice chunks into the sea, a process known as calving - a leading source of additional water for the world's oceans.

"It's like a big conveyor belt pushing the ice out to the sea," said glaciologist and team member Shad O'Neel of the U.S. Geological Survey in Anchorage, Alaska.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20100716/sc_livescience/glacieroncestucktoseafloorbreaksloose

[Juneboarder]

1. Yet we still debate global warming.

For pete's sake..

[ixion]

2. Indeed..

we're just not that bright, collectively speaking.

[valerief]

3. Ice is just another theory like gravity and global warming. Right?

:sarcasm:

[aquart]

4. Now what?

[slackmaster]

8. ICE BONGS!!!111!!!

[AlbertCat]

11. Ooooooo....I want one!

[defendandprotect]

5. Until we NATIONALIZE oil industry and take back control over our natural

resources, we will have no alteernative energy --

50 years of oil industry propaganda costing tens of billions and spreading lies and

disinformation certainly has worked!!

[Uncle Joe]

6. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, cal.

[Delphinus]

7. From the story:

When glaciers go into retreat mode, as they are now, they accelerate toward the sea and lose a large amount of ice. Since 1980, Columbia Glacier has retreated nearly 12 miles (20 kilometers) and is now moving between 66 and 98 feet (20 and 30 meters) a day, making it one of the fastest receding glaciers in the world. (my bolding)

[tabasco]

9. The idiot right-wing freaks have been forced to acknowledge global warming

But their masters now tell them that it's all natural, so that's what they regurgitate.

TRUTH: Climate change is occurring more rapidly than anytime in the past and is caused by CO2 in the atmosphere.

[AlbertCat]

13. more rapidly than anytime in the past and is caused by CO2 in the atmosphere.

And.... when they point out that we exhale CO2 so it's natural, you may point out that they can tell the difference between natural CO2 and the CO2 from the burning of fossil fuels. (something to do with isotopes I believe)and the majority of it in the air is from burning fossil fuels, not exhaling animals or volcanoes.

Also, a little CO2 makes it so much more water vapor can remain suspended... a lot more... and this is even a worse greenhouse agent that CO2! So, as usual, it's complicated and interdependent and a little leads to a lot worse than expected.

How did Oscar Wilde put it? "The truth is rarely plain and never simple."

[truebrit71]

15. When were those two photos taken?

..that is a staggering amount of loss..

[tabasco]

17. 1941 and 2004 n/t

[Robb]

10. I give it a week before LaRouche talks about dragging it to Arizona. nt

[The Magistrate]

12. Too True, Sir

[Nihil]

18. 1 hr 02 mins! Good call! (n/t)

:rofl:

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

14. Someone needs to harvest all that icy (as in fresh) water

Haul it into a port and make use of it.

Glaciers, icebergs, snowdrifts- all free water, all sitting there waiting to be thawed and drunk by people or used for irrigation in thirsty regions.

[Odin2005]

16. And the Arctic icecap has turned to slush.

:scared:

[lunatica]

19. Oh goody! Now the oil companies have new territory to exploit!

All those new oil deposits being exposed for the taking!