Antarctic Ice Shelf Crumbles

Wednesday March 26, 2008, 11:35 am
Last year when Antarctic set a new record for ice extent, it got no media attention. They focused on the north polar regions where the ice set record low levels. This summer when unprecedented anomalous cover continued in the Southern Hemisphere again no coverage. Then this report in the news today. You probably saw it on your favorite network or internet news site (pick one, anyone).

Vast Antarctic Ice Shelf on Verge of Collapse - Latest Sign of Global Warming’s Impact Shocks Scientists
Andrea Thompson Livescience

A vast ice shelf hanging on by a thin strip looks to be the next chunk to break off from the Antarctic Peninsula, the latest sign of global warming’s impact on Earth’s southernmost continent. Scientists are shocked by the rapid change of events. Glaciologist Ted Scambos of the University of Colorado was monitoring satellite images of the Wilkins Ice Shelf and spotted a huge iceberg measuring 25 miles by 1.5 miles (37 square miles) that appeared to have broken away from the shelf. Scambos alerted colleagues at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) that it looked like the entire ice shelf - about 6,180 square miles (about the size of Northern Ireland)- was at risk of collapsing. The region where the Wilkins Ice Shelf lies has experienced unprecedented warming in the past 50 years, with several ice shelves retreating in the past 30 years. Six of these ice shelves have collapsed completely: Prince Gustav Channel, Larsen Inlet, Larsen A, Larsen B, Wordie, Muller and the Jones Ice Shelf. See MSNBC version of this story here.

Icecap Note: Let’s put this in perspective. The account may be misinterpreted by some as the ice cap or a significant (vast) portion is collapsing. In reality it and all the former shelves that collapsed are small and most near the Antarctic peninsula which sticks well out from Antarctica into the currents and winds of the South Atlantic and lies in a tectonically active region with surface and subsurface active volcanic activity. The vast continent has actually cooled since 1979.

image
See full image here

The full Wilkins 6,000 square mile ice shelf is just 0.39% of the current ice sheet (just 0.1% of the extent last September). Only a small portion of it between 1/100th-1/200th of Wilkins has separated so far, like an icicle falling off a snow and ice covered house. And this winter is coming on quickly. In fact the ice is returning so fast, it is running an amazing 60% ahead (4.0 vs 2.5 million square km extent) of last year when it set a new record. The ice extent is already approaching the second highest level for extent since the measurements began by satellite in 1979 and just a few days into the Southern Hemisphere winter and 6 months ahead of the peak. Wilkins like all the others that temporarily broke up will refreeze soon. We are very likely going to exceed last year’s record. Yet the world is left with the false impression Antarctica’s ice sheet is also starting to disappear.

image
See full image here

One Icecap reader points also to a paper (Glasser et al, 2008) identifying some of the other natural processes that can lead to these ice sheet breaks, in this case Larsen B.
http://www.icecap.us/
Mar 25, 2008
Misleading Reports About Antarctica
By Joseph D’Aleo, CCM

Wednesday March 26, 2008, 12:54 pm
YAWN! Well, no comments on this article *wink*

Thursday March 27, 2008, 2:55 pm
Antarctic Ice Shelf Crumbles
A 160 square mile chunk of Antarctica's Wilkens ice shelf is collapsing [ark | more\ark | more2\ark2 | search] in the continent's fast warming southwest Antarctic Peninsula. "Block after block of ice is just tumbling and crumbling into the ocean.. The shelf is not just cracking off and a piece goes drifting away, but totally shattering." Given the Connecticut sized collapsing shelf is permanent floating ice, in itself this will not lead to sea level rise [search]. But loss of ice shelves does make it easier for land ice to melt and otherwise move into the ocean.

Along with Arctic sea and glacial ice melt, this new alarming example of accelerated ice cap melting [ark] presents dramatic visual evidence illustrating the advanced state of global heating. The time for the discussions of small thinking in response to climate change and global ecological crises is long since past. Simply, light bulbs and Priuses, biofuels and carbon trading, are not going to do it. Only a comprehensive program of social change -- things like ending coal use and ancient forest logging, while reducing human population and consumption -- pursued through intense advocacy, awareness building and profound personal and societal revolution, will save us now
YES I DO AGREE
THIS IS MOST UNSETTLING

Thursday March 27, 2008, 3:04 pm
Thanks Terrah, you made my day.

Thursday March 27, 2008, 3:06 pm
Me thinks we have a troll.

Thursday March 27, 2008, 10:35 pm
Thanks Katja, I think we have a Troll too. :)

Thanks Sophia - great information!