Further to news reported in late July, the extent of the
ice loss has proven to be greater than initially recognized.

Canada's Arctic ice shelves break apart, drift away
OTTAWA (AFP)
2008-09-04

Two ice shelves in Canada's far north have lost massive
sections since August while a third ice shelf now is
adrift in the Arctic Ocean, said researchers Wednesday who
blamed climate change.

The entire 50 square-kilometer (19 square-mile) Markham Ice
Shelf off the coast of Ellesmere Island broke away in early
August and is now adrift, while two sections of the nearby
Serson Ice Shelf detached, reducing its mass by 60 percent
or 122 square kilometers (47 square miles).

Ward Hunt Ice Shelf, which halved in July, lost an
additional 22 square kilometers (8.5 square miles).

"These changes are irreversible under the present climate
and indicate that the environmental conditions that have
kept these ice shelves in balance for 4,000 years are no
longer present," said Trent University's polar expert Derek
Mueller.

Canada's summer ice shelf losses now total 214 square
kilometers (82.5 square miles), which is more than three
times the area of Manhattan Island, the researchers said.

Extensive cracks in Ward Hunt, the largest remaining ice
shelf, means it will continue to disintegrate in the coming
years, said Luke Copland, director Ottawa University's
cryospheric research lab.



.

Quote:
Yes, the linked video is a chuckle. Something for everyone.

Back to the ice.

Such a quantity of frozen fresh water presents a prospect
of reduction in salinity in the surrounding ocean. This may
have implications for the operation of what is described
as the Atlantic Heat Conveyer.

.

I certainly had no intentions of belittling the issue. A very serious matter, indeed.

One of the good things about being older is I should beat out the collapse of Social Security and the raising of the ocean levels as the ice flows melt.You poor young dudes have plenty to keep you busy for decades to come. Save up for your ticket to space.You may need it.

Well why don't they just tether the damn things in place with some big chains or something?

Quote:
I didn't take the video as belittling the issue.

We've discussed the ice picture here before and the view
from some quarters is that change happens as part of the
cycle of ebb & flow. Arguements have been made that the
pendulum swings and the ice will be back.

Seeing developments like these in the Arctic and those
occuring in the Antarctic ice shelves have certainly been
capturing my attention.

While I have been influenced by the arguements from
scientists who make out the causes to be climate change
arising from mankind's dredging up of long buried carbon
sources for use to fuel the present lifestyle, I have time
for those who maintain otherwise.

Regardless of the causes, the apparent consequences are
daunting.

.

FWIW, melting of ice caps or ice shelfs does absolutely nothing to raise ocean levels.

The laws of buoyancy say something floats when it displaces an amount of water equal to its mass. So if the ice melts, it fills the displaced water. The ice sticks above the water because it is less dense and takes up more space.

Ocean levels can only be raised by melting of ice on land.

An ice shelf is an extension of a land-based glacier
reaching out over an area of water.

In the case of the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf in the arctic, it
extends off from the coast of Ellesmere Island.

Read more here: The Calving of the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf

Background map courtesy of The National Atlas of Canada 5th Edition.

Ditto for ice shelves in the antarctic, such as Larsen A,B & C.

The speed of the break ups has been very unsettling for
shelf watchers who have acknowledged that earlier models
predicting far slower rates of decline failed to take into
consideration several aspects that are now recognized to
accelerate the progress of collapse.

.

Whether or not it's connected, most of its weight is supported by its buoyancy in the water. Miles of ice can't hang off of a land formation on its own without snapping off. Which is exactly what appears to have happened, some of the submerged ice melted away and could no longer support the shelf.

Quote:
Well, good. Glad that's settled, then.

Everyone back to what you were doing. Next thread, please.

.

I realize this is off topic, and you can try to pedal whatever worry you have to others here. It's my observation that most people have made up their minds about global warming one way or the other, and won't let facts get in the way. You, for example, have heard the arguments, but don't have time for those who don't believe that it's anthropomorphic global warming that is the root of all evil.
On the other side of the argument are people like me. I've read enough that I believe whatever is happening, is part of a natural cycle. I've cited articles to you in the past, so I assume that any new material that doesn't fit your alarmism will be summarily dismissed. By the way, you do realize that the "global temperature" hasn't risen in 10 years and that global warming is "taking a break" (according to alarmists). Are you also aware that the current sunspot cycle has been very quiet, which is an indicator of cold weather for us.

Go ahead, be upset, it apparently makes you feel better. I am not worried, when I think about the global warming mess, I just go burn some gas in my Vette. By the way, if it's fossil fuel, why is there so much of it? And how have wells that were pumped dry begun to produce again? And why do we think there are oil oceans on Titan? Lots of dinosaurs on Titan in the past?

Relax dude. No one is getting out of here alive.

Just goes to prove that nothing is forever.

I drank some kool-aide with ice in it last night.

Quote:
Was it purple?

Quote:
LMFAO!

when the water hits my front door then ill worry about it

Global cooling, ozone layer, global warming, what's next on the fear agenda?

Until I see something resembling a scientific consensus it's hard to believe anything.

Quote:

Haha....funny stuff. Love the name of the website - "albinoblacksheep"

Matthew

Dale D you are spot on!
To think that man can have an impact on the earth great enough to cause catastrophic disaster is really quite self centered. The earth is millions of years old (read: MILLIONS). Man has been on the planet for what amounts to a tiny fraction of time in relation to the age of the earth. Of the time man has been on the earth, weve only become an industrialized civilization in the last couple of hundred years. So that means our time here in the last 200 years or so will basically end the world.....

The planet is going to do what she will, with or without man living on it. The earth has survived millions of years of meteor bombardment, huge amounts of radiation, an ice age etc. etc. Man will be loooong gone and the earth will be here for billions of years more.

I think the time factor is what most people cant get a grasp on. To fathom a million years is hard to do when we as humans, only survive for an average of 85 years or so. Even when the end of the age of man comes, and it will, the time we as humans spent on the earth will still only amount to a "tic" on the clock. Hardly enough to damage the planet enough to cause its demise.

Quote:

The extreme environmentalist movement is nothing but a bunch of alarmist bullshit conceived to further restrict our freedoms, destroy capitalism, prevent activities that they don't like and to promote their Marxist agenda.