Canadian ice shelves breaking up at record speed

[alp227]

Source: CBC News

Researchers say ice shelves in the Canadian Arctic are breaking up and changing at an unexpectedly fast rate.

They say the region lost almost half its ice shelf extent in the last six years. This summer alone saw the Serson ice shelf almost completely disappear and the Ward Hunt shelf split in half. The ice loss equals about three billion tonnes, or about 500 times the mass of the Great Pyramid of Giza.

“This is our coastline changing,” says Derek Mueller, from Carleton University’s department of geography and environmental studies. “These unique and massive geographical features that we consider to be a part of the map of Canada are disappearing and they won’t come back.”

The researchers say the reason for the change is a combination of warmer temperatures and open water. The ice shelves were formed and sustained in a colder climate. The researchers say their disappearance suggests a possible return to conditions unseen in the Arctic for thousands of years.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/story/2011/09/28/north-ice-shelves.html

[patrice]

1. K&R

[lunatica]

2. Now the US is going to insist they want to drill for oil there

I'm sure Cheney is on it as we speak.

[Bragi]

3. Canada right wing government will happily agree /nt

[raouldukelives]

4. Don't let that stop you from driving F-150's

Flying to Vegas for the weekend or investing in Wall St. Who cares if the children of tomorrow can breathe.

[Delphinus]

5. Almost missed this.

Not good.