Rising sea level is becoming an even greater threat amongst all the problems with climate change. Most of the big ice sheets have very few records because they are so inaccessible but, despite their size,
they are very sensitive to minute changes in temperature and yet they are vital to our lifestyle and civilisation.
Research by D. JANSEN, B. KULESSA, P.R. SAMMONDS, A. LUCKMAN, E.C. KING, N.F. GLASSER has uncovered a disturbing situation.
http://www.igsoc.org:8080/journal/56/198/j10J001.pdf
they are very sensitive to minute changes in temperature and yet they are vital to our lifestyle and civilisation.
Research by D. JANSEN, B. KULESSA, P.R. SAMMONDS, A. LUCKMAN, E.C. KING, N.F. GLASSER has uncovered a disturbing situation.
http://www.igsoc.org:8080/journal/56/198/j10J001.pdf
West Antarctica is a huge ice sheet held in position by a string of islands and as it projects into the Southern Ocean, towards South America, it is vulnerable to the changing temperature of wind and water.
Larsen A and B have already collapsed and now a large crack has appeared in Larsen C. If this crack progresses on its trajectory it would break off an estimated 6400 Sq Km or 12% of the ice sheet or it may take a shorter route and release 9%
The problem appears to be that, In common with many other ice sheets, warmer ocean water is melting the ice from below and detaching the ice from its grounding line making it vulnerable to breaking and also melting from above due to an increase in wind patterns.
These Antarctic ice sheets are vitally important to the rate of sea level rise because, although this ice is already in the water and will not in itself add to the rise, it is holding back the glaciers from the land-ice and past history shows that when this buttressing by the sea ice disappears the land ice speeds up its journey to the sea.
Everyone will be looking at Larsen C, especially as the Pine Island ice sheet is also melting rapid from below and is in terminal decline.
Who knows what else is happening in this hard to reach region?
This video helps explain some of the problems.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMJpqxFaMqk
These Antarctic ice sheets are vitally important to the rate of sea level rise because, although this ice is already in the water and will not in itself add to the rise, it is holding back the glaciers from the land-ice and past history shows that when this buttressing by the sea ice disappears the land ice speeds up its journey to the sea.
Everyone will be looking at Larsen C, especially as the Pine Island ice sheet is also melting rapid from below and is in terminal decline.
Who knows what else is happening in this hard to reach region?
This video helps explain some of the problems.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMJpqxFaMqk
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