Atheist Nexus

The World’s Largest Coalition of Nontheists and Nontheist Communities!

West Antarctic Ice Shelves Tearing Apart at the Seams

...the floating ice shelves of a critical portion of West Antarctica are steadily losing their grip on adjacent bay walls, potentially amplifying an already accelerating loss of ice to the sea.

...their margins, where they grip onto rocky bay walls or slower ice masses, are fracturing and retreating inland. As that grip continues to loosen, these already-thinning ice shelves will be even less able to hold back grounded ice upstream,...

The shear margins that bound these ice shelves laterally are now heavily rifted, resembling a cracked mirror in satellite imagery until the detached icebergs finally drift out to the open sea. The calving front then retreats along these disintegrating margins. The pattern of marginal rifting and retreat is hypothesized to be a symptom, rather than a trigger, of the recent glacier acceleration in this region, but this pattern could generate additional acceleration. [emphasis mine]

Views: 44

Replies to This Discussion

It amazes me that so many religious people don't care that their killing the Earth they believe god created for them.

Yes! I was thinking the same thing Jonathan.

Sr. Senator from Oklahoma, Jim Inhofe, is the ranking member of the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works said,  said,

"Well actually the Genesis 8:22 that I use in there is that 'as long as the earth remains there will be springtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, day and night.' My point is, God’s still up there. The arrogance of people to think that we, human beings, would be able to change what He is doing in the climate is to me outrageous." 

Perhaps if Inhofe had a little less hubris and arrogance, he would see evidence that exists abundantly. 

The new report on the state of Polar Regions puts this one event into context.

Among the major findings is that global warming is changing the face of Antarctica and the Arctic faster than expected.

...we have a new benchmark. Seven of 12 Antarctic Peninsula ice shelves are either gone or now in severe decline," she adds. "This type of information makes the report all the more important because the changes we expect to see in the next few decades are going to be incredible."

New Report On the State of Polar Regions

"Two social advances to emerge from the recent IPY are a remarkable increase in the number of women and minorities in leadership roles in science compared to 50 years ago along with the "massive" educational effort and increased interest in and public awareness of issues facing polar regions, she adds."

This is not a gender or race issue, it is about a healthy planet with healthy inhabitants. 

Thanks for the link to the new report. You are on top of things Ruth!

NASA's Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) reveals that most Antarctic melting doesn't depend on warm air. The link has a nice computer animation showing currents and ice shelf thickness from space.

Warm Ocean Currents Cause Majority of Ice Loss from Antarctica

 
"We can lose an awful lot of ice to the sea without ever having summers warm enough to make the snow on top of the glaciers melt," said the study's lead author Hamish Pritchard of the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge, United Kingdom. "The oceans can do all the work from below."

I just watched the video. They include a link to download it as well.

That makes perfect sense to me. But then how do we cool ocean water? It seems that reducing heat overall would play a role. 

That's the catch. Most of the excess heat from Climate Change has been going into the ocean.

I think you need to add smarter to the list as well. It's amazing to think that someone like him is a senator.

RSS

Support Nexus

Click to Buy Amazon items and help A|N

Advertisements

Heathen's Guide

Your Ad Here

Helpful Items

 

Search Atheist Nexus:
Translate page:
 
Social Networking Links:
 

Latest Activity

Mathew T. replied to Anthony Jordan's discussion Poll Shows 29% of Americans Believe Armed Revolution May Become Necessary
3 minutes ago
Mathew T. replied to Jessica's discussion Just an interesting observation
13 minutes ago
Mathew T. replied to Jessica's discussion Just an interesting observation
16 minutes ago
Joan Denoo commented on Joan Denoo's album
20 minutes ago
Napoleon Bonaparte posted videos
26 minutes ago
booklover commented on Ruth Anthony-Gardner's group Hang With Friends
59 minutes ago
Napoleon Bonaparte commented on Rick Goodner's video
1 hour ago
Lillie replied to Steph S.'s discussion The Mystery of the "Immaculately" Conceived Baby Anteater in the group Wildlife
2 hours ago
Chris Haughey replied to Joe S.'s discussion Intergroup Intelligentsia - The Thought Police in the group Atheists, Addictions, 12 Step Recovery, and Alternatives
2 hours ago
Dr. Allan H. Clark replied to Dr. Allan H. Clark's discussion Unforessen consequence of Obamacare
3 hours ago
Lillie replied to Dr. Allan H. Clark's discussion Unforessen consequence of Obamacare
3 hours ago
Paul Freer liked Brother Richard's group Life After Christian Fundamentalism
3 hours ago
Joseph P commented on Steph S.'s group Geek & Nerd Haven
3 hours ago
Lillie replied to Steph S.'s discussion 'Crazy ants' a threat in southern U.S. in the group Hang With Friends
3 hours ago
Lillie replied to Steph S.'s discussion 'Crazy ants' a threat in southern U.S. in the group Hang With Friends
3 hours ago
Lillie replied to Steph S.'s discussion 'Crazy ants' a threat in southern U.S. in the group Hang With Friends
3 hours ago
Loren Miller commented on Ruth Anthony-Gardner's group Hang With Friends
3 hours ago
Lillie commented on Steph S.'s group Birding, Birders and all things Birds
3 hours ago
Lillie commented on Ruth Anthony-Gardner's group Hang With Friends
3 hours ago
Steph S. commented on Ruth Anthony-Gardner's group Hang With Friends
4 hours ago

© 2013   Atheist Nexus. All rights reserved. Admin: Brother Richard.

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service