Environment & Energy

arachadillo

(123 posts)

23. West Anarctica Ice Sheet

Sat Apr 28, 2012, 10:05 PM

Apr 2012

The news story sounds like a variation on a theme that's been around for quite some time.

NASA continues to move its comparative Antarctic Ice Sheet maps around, so finding the exact link can be difficult.

"That scenario is actually a toned down dramatic version of events. Scientists also estimate that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet has lost two-thirds of its total mass since its most recent glacial maximum (the largest ice mass it achieved) some 20,000 years ago. If the West Antarctic Ice Sheet were at its glacial maximum today, and experienced a sudden collapse, the sea level changes to follow might chase populations somewhere past the Appalachian Mountains to avoid the flooding." West Antarctic Ice Sheet

The probability of ice loss in the Arctic and entire circumpolar north still exceeds to probability of ice loss in the Antarctic and Southern Ocean areas, especially with the increased interest in hydrocarbon extraction throughout the area.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

34 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Collapse Of Antarctic Ice Sheet Would Likely Put Washington, D.C. Largely Underwater [View all] MindMover Apr 2012 OP

Every cloud has a silver lining. Downwinder Apr 2012 #1

Not when they're all sharp_stick Apr 2012 #3

The rest of the country has been underwater due to DC DJ13 Apr 2012 #2

Right? Turnabout is fair play after all... truebrit71 Apr 2012 #4

We could get to full employment moving everything Downwinder Apr 2012 #5

For all the snarking, remember the actual RESIDENTS of DC would be absolutely screwed... Scuba Apr 2012 #6

Not just residents of DC, residents of almost all coastal areas. 300k people a year. joshcryer Apr 2012 #16

That's a good place for Washington, D.C. n/t man4allcats Apr 2012 #7

Okay, D.C. is toast. I mean, swamp. Wasn't it built on one to being with, LOL. freshwest Apr 2012 #8

You are getting to the point of my new book.... MindMover Apr 2012 #9

with great chaos comes the opportunity for profit grasswire Apr 2012 #10

With chaos comes opportunity. MindMover Apr 2012 #11

What's the time scale on this? nt bananas Apr 2012 #12

From the abstract: "cannot yet be predicted" joshcryer Apr 2012 #15

Thousands of years. bananas Apr 2012 #19

Source? joshcryer Apr 2012 #20

I added a source before I saw your reply. nt bananas Apr 2012 #21

some discussion from a few years ago bananas Apr 2012 #22

"a few years ago" joshcryer Apr 2012 #26

The article in the OP also says thousands of years bananas Apr 2012 #28

Where does the OP say "thousands of years"? joshcryer Apr 2012 #29

Sorry, I meant the OP of the thread you linked to in post #16 bananas Apr 2012 #31

The judge in the British lawsuit against "An Inconvenient Truth" also said thousands of years bananas Apr 2012 #32

West Anarctica Ice Sheet arachadillo Apr 2012 #23

The vast majority of ice loss in the 500 billion ton number comes from the Antarctic. joshcryer Apr 2012 #30

Here's a helpful graph OKIsItJustMe Apr 2012 #13

Looks like an exponential curve to me... joshcryer Apr 2012 #17

Font issue RobertEarl Apr 2012 #18

Time Frame arachadillo Apr 2012 #24

So that graph is primarily due to the ozone layer repairing itself? nt bananas Apr 2012 #27

Comparative Polar Warming Trends arachadillo Apr 2012 #33

Dear GOP knuckleheads "It's' not nice to food mother nature" n/t kickysnana Apr 2012 #14

Might improve the place, LOL! Odin2005 Apr 2012 #25

The sooner the better. Nihil Apr 2012 #34