West Antarctica warming much faster than expected

[Redfairen]

Source: Christian Science Monitor

West Antarctica is warming almost twice as fast as previously believed, adding to worries of a thaw that would add to sea level rise from San Francisco to Shanghai, a study showed on Sunday.

Annual average temperatures at the Byrd research station in West Antarctica had risen 2.4 degrees Celsius (4.3F) since the 1950s, one of the fastest gains on the planet and three times the global average in a changing climate, it said.

The unexpectedly big increase adds to fears the ice sheet is vulnerable to thawing. West Antarctica holds enough ice to raise world sea levels by at least 3.3 metres (11 feet) if it ever all melted, a process that would take centuries.

"The western part of the ice sheet is experiencing nearly twice as much warming as previously thought," Ohio State University said in a statement of the study led by its geography professor David Bromwich.

Read more: http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2012/1224/West-Antarctica-warming-much-faster-than-expected

[Uncle Joe]

1. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Redfairen.

[cliffordu]

2. Well, fuck. I hope it doesn't affect this guy:

http://www.ericlarsenexplore.com

Who is simply riding a fucking bicycle to South Pole.

[AAO]

3. I love these conclusions:

The unexpectedly big increase adds to fears the ice sheet is vulnerable to thawing. West Antarctica holds enough ice to raise world sea levels by at least 3.3 metres (11 feet) if it ever all melted, a process that would take centuries.


Centuries? We find out every year they underestimated this or that and we are 20 years ahead of this or that. I think it's very possible it would take between 75-150 years. Closer to 75. Where do I get my facts, you may ask? Same place I get most of my facts - I pull them outa my arse!

[rickford66]

4. been there

I Wintered Over 1969-1970 at McMurdo. We had some permanent ice breaking up back then. Very unusual. I also spent several weeks at Byrd Station where ice cores were being drilled to sample the ancient atmosphere. So I guess me and the others in the Navy at that time aided and supported the gathering of data used today by climate scientists. A dozen or so of us were the first and maybe the only personnel to get orders to Winter Over. It was a volunteer duty station and most of us expected to be sent to Vietnam.

[xtraxritical]

6. You also added to the problem - the military is a GROSS polluter and nobody uses more oil than them.

[rickford66]

7. oh really ?

You think I wanted to be in the military? At least I was doing peaceable duty where early climate change data, among other scientific data, was being gathered. You think I didn't see the waste? The nuclear power plant down there experienced a number of problems and was later dismantled and the radioactive soil was brought back here someplace. The sewage that wasn't burned or bagged was dumped in the sea. I saw a small plane out on the ice, dynamited to sink it to get rid of it. I added to the problem? You drive or ride in fossil fuel vehicles? What have you done to counteract the mess? My wife and I built a solar home over thirty years ago. Built from local lumber. We recycled years before it was the norm. I drove a number of small fuel efficient cars. We fought the building of a local garbage incinerator. We're fighting the fracking battle now. YOU also added to the problem sir.

[xtraxritical]

8. Alright, I'm sorry. I was just pointing out the military as a large polluter, bad wording, sorry.

[XemaSab]

5. .