Antarctica's continental shelf sits at a depth of about 400 meters.

[phantom power]

I learned this from a recent article in American Scientist, about climate change and the Antarctic Peninsula (which I recommend highly).

That's about 200 meters deeper than any other continental shelf. How is that? Because the weight of the ice pushed the entire continent down 200 meters.

I wonder what happens when an entire continent experiences a hydrostatic rebound of 200 meters?

[exothermic]

1. ah, that depends on the rebound velocity!

;-)

[phantom power]

2. Indeed...

If Antarctica loses its ice, I feel pretty sure it would be nearly instantaneous, geologically speaking. A thousand years, or less. And, obviously, it would not need to be all of it. 5 or 10 percent would be plenty.

[Enthusiast]

3. Geologists say the Great lakes region

Is still rebounding from the weight of glacial ice. The accounts for the common small earthquakes in surrounding states.

[tom_paine]

4. By the time that happens, the shit will have already hit the fan long before...

This is just speculation based on personal study, but I am no climatologist.

However, from what I have read it would seem that the melting of the East Antarctica Ice Shelf is coming at the "very end" and may even be centuries away from fully melting, the dreaded faster-than-expected notwithstanding.

One would have to assume there is going to be a certain amount of delay between the melting of the first half and even the later on second half of the EA Ice Shelf and this rebounding of the undersea shelf to it's original height.

In any case, it is my opinion that by the time this shelf begins rising, the effects of climate change and warming on the Earth' surface will be havoc and have been so for decades.

There is still the possibility, however small, that global warming will not be as rapid or severe at it now appears and those we term "deniers" are in fact partially or fully correct.

Not very likely. At this point, given the evidence, the new discoveries of global positive feedback loops, the rapid melting and this most recent fracturing of the Wilkins Ice Shelf a fully 10-20 years faster than expected, I would personally guess we are down in the 1 in 50 or 1 in 100 range for the deniers being partially or fully correct.

[jpak]

5. The cities of The Old Ones will emerge

and they will once again rule the Earth...

:evilgrin:

[phantom power]

7. I used to assume the return of the Old Ones would be the worst possible outcome.

These days, I've decided to keep my options open.

[DCKit]

6. Greenland as well. Boing, boing, boing. n/t