Massive Wilkins ice shelf in Antarctic continues to break up
April 28th, 2009 by cdunaganIcebergs have begun to “calve” from the northern section of the
Wilkins ice shelf in the Antarctic, indicating that the massive
chunk of ice has become unstable, the European Space Agency is
reporting today. (Go to ESA
News.)
The demise of an ice bridge that
connected Charcot and Latady Islands has destabilized the front of
the Wilkins ice shelf. The margins of the collapsed ice bridge are
shown in white. (Click on image to enlarge.)
Satellite photo courtesy of ESA
Three weeks ago, a connecting ice bridge collapsed between the Antarctic mainland and Charcot Island. As a result of that collapse, rifts have widened and new cracks have formed.
“The retreat of Wilkins Ice Shelf is the latest and the largest of its kind,” David Vaughan of the British Antarctic Survey said in the new release. “Eight separate ice shelves along the Antarctic Peninsula have shown signs of retreat over the last few decades. There is little doubt that these changes are the result of atmospheric warming on the Antarctic Peninsula, which has been the most rapid in the Southern Hemisphere.”
Dr Angelika Humbert of the Institute of Geophysics at Münster University said the future of the ice remains uncertain.
“We are not sure if a new stable ice front will now form between Latady Island, Petrie Ice Rises and Dorsey Island,” she said. “If the connection to Latady Island is lost, the projected loss of 3,370 square kilometers of ice might be greater — though we have no indication that this will happen in the near future.”
Meanwhile, in another Reuters story, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is quoted as saying tourism must be limited to protect the fragile Antarctic region.
“We have submitted a resolution that would place limits on landings from ships carrying large number of tourists,” she said at a joint session of the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting and the Arctic Council. “We have also proposed new requirements for lifeboats on tour ships to make sure they can keep passengers alive until rescue comes.”
She continued, “With the collapse of an ice bridge that holds in place the Wilkins ice shelf, we are reminded that global warming has already had enormous effects on our planet, and we have no time to lose in tackling this crisis.”
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
April 28th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Interesting.
Some, however, may disagree on the impact or concern:
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25401759-5000117,00.html
http://newsbyus.com/index.php/article/2555
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Global-Warming/Antarctic-ice-growing-not-shrinking-/articleshow/4418558.cms
Global Warming/climate change is so political that the real truth about the pros and cons is all but lost now.
April 28th, 2009 at 11:38 pm
Mother Earth, I’m no climatologist, but I don’t believe there is as much disagreement among credible scientists as it sometimes seems.
Take the first column you list, for example. In it, Andrew Bolt tries to deny global warming by asserting that it is a myth that the polar ice caps are melting. He cites an article in the British Antarctic Survey.
If he had accurately described the article, Bolt would have told us that scientists are finally figuring why ice in portions of the Antarctic are growing, despite global warming. To quote just one part:
“Lead author Professor John Turner of BAS says, ‘Our results show the complexity of climate change across the Earth. While there is increasing evidence that the loss of sea ice in the Arctic has occurred due to human activity, in the Antarctic human influence through the ozone hole has had the reverse effect and resulted in more ice. Although the ozone hole is in many ways holding back the effects of greenhouse gas increases on the Antarctic, this will not last, as we expect ozone levels to recover by the end of the 21st Century. By then there is likely to be around one third less Antarctic sea ice.’”
Just as one cold winter does not negate global warming, what is happening in one location in the world does not describe worldwide trends.
I found an article in The Guardian that explains the Antarctic phenomenon pretty well. The headlines declare:
Scientists solve enigma of Antarctic ‘cooling’
Research ‘kills off’ climate sceptic argument by showing average temperature across the continent has risen over the last 50 years
April 29th, 2009 at 5:26 am
Chris,
That is my point exactly. Anyone kind find someone to agree on thier point of view. Don’t get me wrong, there is “global warming” because as everyone learns in grade school, the earth is a living, breathing thing.
The real debate is whether we, as humans can control the earth, through either intentional or unintentional acts. Having travelled the earths oceans, below and on the surface, I believe humans are a rather insignificant to mother nature. Visit a small sliver of the earth, such as Mt St. Helens, and it very easy to see how powerless humans really are.
Like I said, the arguement is now political. If we really thought this was so important and we could actually do something, then everyone would rally together and solve the problem. However, it is becoming more of a money grab then anything else.
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/van-hollen-climate-bill-could-wait-2009-04-27.html
Anyway, keep reporting this stuff. It is interesting to watch nature in action.
April 29th, 2009 at 8:33 am
I guess we agree then. This issue is too political.
It would serve us all well to seek out reliable science reporting and be careful when reading statements by political commentators, corporate spokesmen and environmental groups.
April 29th, 2009 at 9:02 am
And here’s a story saying “Antarctic Ice Growing, Not Shrinking”.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Global-Warming/Antarctic-ice-growing-not-shrinking-/articleshow/4418558.cms
April 29th, 2009 at 11:30 am
BlueLight,
Please see my comments above, noting in particular the report from the British Antarctic Survey.