A team of researchers from NASA and several other institutions in the U.S. and Europe has found evidence of ice melt accelerating in some western parts of Antarctica. In their paper published in the journal Cryosphere, the group describes the new technology they used to study ice melt in Antarctica and what they found.
As the planet continues to warm, and humans continue to pump greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, scientists are finding more climatic, geographic and biologic changes that are taking place. One of those changes is ice melt in the colder parts of the planet, including Antarctica, of course. In this new effort, the researchers used what they describe as cutting-edge technology to process multiple thousands of images from satellites and used the data to chart ice-sheet motion with more precision than other technologies. The images produced by the new system show ice-sheet movement using colors—from reds to yellows—the lighter the yellow, the faster the ice was seen to move.
The researchers noted that several parts of western Antarctica are experiencing acceleration of ice loss, rather than the consistent ice loss seen on the eastern parts of Antarctica. In practical terms, this means that each year, less ice that melts in the summer is replaced by winter snows, leaving less ice in total—and the pace of this process is speeding up. They note also that this is particularly alarming because prior research has shown that much of the ice in the western part of Antarctica is unstable, which means that large swaths could slip into the sea, causing a dramatic and relatively speedy rise in worldwide ocean levels. If the whole western ice sheet goes, they further note, the world could see ocean levels rise as much as three meters.
Some of the areas identified in the new images are the same parts of western Antarctica that have made headlines in recent years as major calving events have occurred, highlighting changes taking place. An increase in calving, the researchers note, can be problematic, placing large regions of ice at increasing risk of melting.
Explore further:
Stronger winds heat up West Antarctic ice melt
More information:
Alex S. Gardner et al. Increased West Antarctic and unchanged East Antarctic ice discharge over the last 7 years, The Cryosphere (2018). DOI: 10.5194/tc-12-521-2018
Steve Case
Steve Case - Milwaukee, WI
Steve Case
http://www.thecol...this.jpg
gkam
Political prejudice is a terrible basis for making scientific conclusions.
rrwillsj
Reluctant but determined not to be called yellow by the other boys. He sneaks in.
As he gets further inside, his vivid imagination begins to play tricks on him.
He mutters "I ain't afraid of no spooks!" Then he starts to whistle, cause everyone knows, ghosts can't stand whistling.
Frighten of the imaginary spirits hounding him. He rushes forward for the exit. When he suddenly trips over a sunken tombstone and breaks his fool neck!
He was afraid of fantasies. And failed to be afraid of reality!
Zzzzzzzz
This unfortunate idiot is completely lost in delusion. He has taken to fecal regurgitation......
antigoracle
Caliban
goaticle,
I challenge you --for the dozenth time, at least-- to provide a citation or link to ANY peer-reviewed study that supports your implied claim that geothermal activity is anything more than a tiny contributing factor to the accelerating melting of the WAIS --much less a MAJOR driver of the melting.
Now --piss off.
Turgent
The physical attributes of water, ice, and snow supports the argument that Antarctic ice is not melting.
1. The temperatures of Antarctica have been well below freezing for millions of years.
2. The temperature of the ice can assumed to be well below freezing.
3. Snow is a very good insulator.
4. Snow reflects at least all visible light, not absorbing the heat.
5. Ice is a good insulator.
6. Substantial energy is required to heat ice.
7. In order to go through the phase transition of ice to water -0 to +0 a very substantial amount of energy is required.
8. Assume the all Antarctic ice and snow has warmed by 2 C due to GW.
Cont
Turgent
Is there a flaw in this argument?
This sounds AGW Porn.
Da Schneib
Maybe you forgot.
Da Schneib
Nik_2213
tblakely1357
GW is a non-falsifiable theory that showers money upon 'right' thinking scientists by governments who love the idea of a 'scientific' reason to expand their power over the prols.
Turgent
Being that the preponderance of the WAIS is below sea level and ice shrinks as it melts, how much new beach front property will be available?
greenonions1
Well - glad you and the other gem stones in the comment section can clear that up. The scientists who are studying it thought that it was. Maybe you can write them a letter - or give them a call...
https://www.natur...week.com
FieryFly
Caliban
Save your swears, blackety.
Since it appears that you suffer from a severely compromised memory, why don't you see if you can locate any first-person quote from any climate scientist making such a claim?
Can't or won't do it?
Then piss off.
guptm
gkam
rrwillsj
."... he's also a very self-assured man. Arrogant even. I'd wager he imagined that his planning was quite thorough. Even if he did consider the possibility of error he would have dismissed it as impossible. A man like him doesn't make mistakes. ..."
An accurate description of the condone-mongers infesting these comments.
gkam
"WMD!", anyone?
Turgent
Windchaser
If you read the article, you'll see they're talking about West Antarctica, where it definitely has not been well below freezing for millions of years.
It should be pretty obvious that the ocean on these coasts is not below freezing in the summer time. I mean, you can look at the pictures -- see that open water? Not freezing.
The ice flows downhill, into the sea. There, it melts, or it breaks off, is carried away, and melts.
Windchaser
"Antarctica hits record high temperature at balmy 63.5°F"
Hmm. Kinda seems like some parts of Antarctica have *not* been below freezing for all of the last few million years. Either that, or our thermometers are *really* off.
https://www.reute...BN1684I7
Turgent
"And the warmest temperature recorded on the Antarctic plateau, above 2,500 meters (8,202 feet), was -7.0°C (19.4°F) on Dec. 28, 1980, it said." This is an extreme, not the average, and it is still below freezing. Such a temporary extreme is not going to effect that ice.
Please see my first comment. Part of the point I tried to make first comment was that the ice is not really affected by surface temps. In all likelihood it is the same temp at the far point of the ice shelf as it was when it left the land.
antigoracle
A Chicken Little Jackass brays above.
https://phys.org/...ice.html
Caliban
goaticle,
I've already read this article.
If you had, you would know that nowhere does it attribute geothermal heat as the primary --or even a significant-- driver of accelerating melt for the WAIS.
The fact is, your stupidiosity is unabashed. IOW, you are too stupid to even understand that you are stupid.
Try breathing through you nose for a change.
Now, piss off.
gkam
Goaticle, please go back to Stormfront.
Or RT.
Porgie
TechnoCreed
So. Who would make such a simplistic comment other than a simple.
Turgent
My only concern with this article is it cites M. Mann, a rather biased vested interest in promoting AGW and CC.
gkam
Be prepared.
Turgent
Turgent
barakn
Somebody doesn't understand Archimedes' principle. Please check up on it and then come back and apologize for presenting completely made-up numbers.
Turgent
Where is the error? Thanks?
Turgent
While I don't know if this is significant, water reaches is highest density and lowest volume as it goes to 4 C. The change between 0 C and 4 C is .015%, however that is relative to the volume of the oceans.
barakn
So you have floating ice, but somehow only the part that is underwater melts, the above water part remains as ice and remains above the water's surface?
Turgent