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karadax

(284 posts)
57. Can we be sensible and not alarmist ?
Fri Dec 23, 2016, 01:39 PM
Dec 2016

Snipped from Museum of Natural History:

The simple answer is no. The whole world will never be underwater. But our coastlines would be very different.
If all the ice covering Antarctica, Greenland, and in mountain glaciers around the world were to melt, sea level would rise about 70 meters (230 feet). The ocean would cover all the coastal cities. And land area would shrink significantly. But many cities, such as Denver, would survive.
However, all the ice is not going to melt. The Antarctic ice cap, where most of the ice exists, has survived .

The concern is that portions of the Greenland and West Antarctic ice caps may disappear. We do not know how much or how quickly this could happen, because we do not know exactly how it will happen.
That's because the ice doesn't just melt. Ice actually flows down valleys like rivers of water

. The problem is that we do not completely understand the factors that control how rapidly the ice flows and thus enters the ocean.
One way to approach the problem of not understanding the process is to study how sea level changed in the past. Earth

is nearly as warm now as it was during the last interglacial period, about 125,000 years ago. At that time, sea level was 4 to 6 meters (13-20 feet) higher. It seems that this higher sea level was due to the melting Greenland and West Antarctic ice caps.
Perhaps a similar sea level rise is our future. We don't know. We also don't know how rapidly sea level could rise. Will a 4-meter (13-foot) increase take 200, 500, or even 1,000 years? This is a question that a number of scientists are now trying to answer by studying how ice moves.

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No, I don't understand this. NCTraveler Dec 2016 #1
Stop What TaterBake Dec 2016 #2
What does that have to do with most of Florida being underwater in eighty-three years? nt. NCTraveler Dec 2016 #4
You Know The Answer My Friend TaterBake Dec 2016 #7
So you have nothing to back up your point about "most of Florida". NCTraveler Dec 2016 #8
Put three ice cubes in a glass then fill it within 1/4 inch of the top. liberal N proud Dec 2016 #28
Not one thing to back up the claim. Nt NCTraveler Dec 2016 #32
I guess the only thing you will believe is liberal N proud Dec 2016 #35
You do know that only works with floating ice? Thor_MN Dec 2016 #34
You do realize airplaneman Dec 2016 #42
I wintered over in Antarctica in 1970 rickford66 Dec 2016 #51
That's a good bucket list item to mark off - I'm jealous. n/t. airplaneman Dec 2016 #58
funny rickford66 Dec 2016 #61
It'll make a cool miniscus you can impress your friends with when dionysus Dec 2016 #44
Burning coal causes global warming. yardwork Dec 2016 #36
Burning anything causes global warming. Weed, the TN state parks, incense, a well done steak.... HoneyBadger Dec 2016 #39
Still, no answer. Nt NCTraveler Dec 2016 #43
What? What part of global warming sea level rise is unclear? yardwork Dec 2016 #48
The part where most of Florida... NCTraveler Dec 2016 #55
Wow. You're being very rude. I'm not the OP. yardwork Dec 2016 #60
That is not what I asked. You are being very disingenuous. Very. NCTraveler Dec 2016 #62
Good luck with this. cwydro Dec 2016 #50
The fires, flooding, and sea level changes are all caused by climate change. n/t pnwmom Dec 2016 #59
How Much Of North Carolina Just Burned Traveler? TaterBake Dec 2016 #5
Again, what does that have to do with most of Florida being underwater in just over eighty years? nt NCTraveler Dec 2016 #6
there is someone here arguing otherwise? Someone here is arguing against climate change? DrDan Dec 2016 #3
Including Mara Lago, Drump's house? muntrv Dec 2016 #9
ESPECIALLY Drump's house, I hope. Buns_of_Fire Dec 2016 #31
Some, but far from "most"... TreasonousBastard Dec 2016 #10
And much of Miami was under water in 1920 - want to buy some Florida swampland FarCenter Dec 2016 #15
It's part of their grand plan to cultivate disaster ... Auggie Dec 2016 #11
+1 byronius Dec 2016 #40
I am an optimist. Calista241 Dec 2016 #12
I tend to think the same way NobodyHere Dec 2016 #16
Scientists have been working on this for decades. Yet climate deniers get elected as POTUS NickB79 Dec 2016 #19
What they havent done yet is... Rage4Bacon Dec 2016 #46
some in new Cabinet handmade34 Dec 2016 #56
You don't seem to be grasping the sheer scale of the problem NickB79 Dec 2016 #18
So what you're saying is that it's impossible. Calista241 Dec 2016 #20
Oddly enough, one of the more feasible plans for Carbon elimination I've seen was in Science Fiction Hugin Dec 2016 #45
easier than splitting the C from the O2 waddirum Dec 2016 #47
Ain't nobody got time for dis... Iggo Dec 2016 #13
The high-end projections have a 5-foot sea level rise resulting in only that portion LanternWaste Dec 2016 #14
The highest natural land area in Florida is a little over 200 ft above sea level. haele Dec 2016 #21
I used to watch those beachfront house hunting shows. I can't take applegrove Dec 2016 #17
2100!!!! Oh my. I'll be 131 years old. yeoman6987 Dec 2016 #22
Oh so since you won't be here--you don't care. Kingofalldems Dec 2016 #25
Well, at least the Trump clan will be locked away in their cryogenic freezers by then. (nm) Elwood P Dowd Dec 2016 #26
Venice Italy is in trouble then HoneyBadger Dec 2016 #23
You know how every once in a while, someone hughee99 Dec 2016 #24
The Level Of Rise Is Between 1 and 5 Meters Depending On The Source TaterBake Dec 2016 #37
Greenland would equal about 20 feet; Antarctica about 200 feet in sea level rise hatrack Dec 2016 #38
Thank you o esteemed hatrack. byronius Dec 2016 #41
'Taint me - just that there Google Machine! hatrack Dec 2016 #49
Is now a good time to buy property in Georgia Johnathan146 Dec 2016 #27
if you have not seen this yet, do so, to understand the issue greenman3610 Dec 2016 #29
And nearly no one living on the planet right now will be here. MadamPresident Dec 2016 #30
The level of selfishness is really pretty stunning. Nt NCTraveler Dec 2016 #33
A lot of people may believe they won't be affected, ronnie624 Dec 2016 #53
Yeah but like other things, Republicans will blame it on the democrats lancelyons Dec 2016 #52
No it won't. But welcome to DU anyway. nt LaydeeBug Dec 2016 #54
Can we be sensible and not alarmist ? karadax Dec 2016 #57
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