5 Billion Ton Calving Near For Greenland's Petermann Glacier - Marine Melt Rate 25X Surface Rate

[hatrack]

An ice island weighing many millions of tonnes is poised to break off the northern hemisphere's largest glacier, say independent scientists travelling aboard a Greenpeace ship. Altogether, 5 billion tonnes of ice is set to crumble from the Petermann Glacier on Greenland's north-west coast, the researchers said.

"Ocean warming currents are circulating around the fjord here and eroding the underbelly of Petermann glacier at an incredible rate, which is 25 times that of the surface melt," Dr Alun Hubbard, a glaciologist at the University Of Wales, said. "There's been a revelation in the last couple of years in the role that warming oceans play in triggering the enhanced acceleration, break-up and thinning of these outlet glaciers."

The breaking-up of the head of a glacier can allow the mass of ice behind to flow downhill and melt more quickly.

Melting glaciers are one measurable indication of the onset of climate change. While a handful of the world's glaciers have grown in recent years, most are melting at rates that have not been observed before due to warmer water and air temperatures.

EDIT

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/global-warming/arctic-glacier-poised-to-split-up-20090715-dl0w.html

[zbdent]

1. how can someone hold the idea that "global warming" is cyclical

if they also believe that the Earth is only 6000 years old? How do you get the cycle?

[endarkenment]

2. Compartments carefully separated from each other.

The catastrophic climate change denial lies are considered completely unrelated to the evolution denial lies which are completely unrelated to the GWOT lies which are completely unrelated to the neoliberal free market lies which are ...