GREENLAND GLACIERS: WHAT LIES BENEATH—Researchers learning more about how water beneath glaciers …

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/greenmelt.htm

{This news release accompanies the press conference, "Greenland Glaciers: What Lies Beneath," to be given Wednesday, December 16, 2009, at 9:00 a.m. PT (12:00 NOON ET) at the American Geophysical Union Meeting in San Francisco (Press conference room, MW 3012).}

GREENLAND GLACIERS: WHAT LIES BENEATH

Researchers learning more about how water beneath glaciers contributes to ice loss

San Francisco -- Scientists who study the melting of Greenland’s glaciers are discovering that water flowing beneath the ice plays a much more complex role than they previously imagined.

Researchers previously thought that meltwater simply lubricated ice against the bedrock, speeding the flow of glaciers out to sea.

Now, new studies have revealed that the effect of meltwater on acceleration and ice loss -- through fast-moving outlet glaciers that connect the inland ice sheet to the ocean -- is much more complex. This is because a kind of plumbing system evolves over time at the base of the ice, expanding and shrinking with the volume of meltwater.

…

“We’ve come to realize that sub-glacial meltwater is not responsible for the big accelerations that we’ve seen for the last ten years,” Howat said. “Changes in the glacial fronts, where the ice meets the ocean, are the real key.”

“That doesn’t mean that meltwater is not important,” he continued. “It plays a role along these glacial fronts -- it’s just a very complex role, one that makes it hard for us to predict the future.”

…

[Gregorian]

1. Thanks. This addresses a post I made yesterday about the complex thermocynamics of it.

I'm surprised, and unhappy to be correct about this. I don't like the idea that we may see further acceleration of melting. But I'm afraid that's just what we're about to witness.

[pscot]

2. What we're seeing already

seems to be happening faster than can be explained by the relatively small temperature changes that have occured so far. I don't think we have it all figured out by any means. I think our situation may be worse than we know.

[Gregorian]

3. Look at this. I'm officially blown away.

As pessimistic as I've been, I now see that even I am not fully up to speed.

We have so many people using so much fuel that we're doing more than all of the volcanic emissions by far.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=115&topic_id=222456&mesg_id=222474

[pscot]

4. The deniers

and in fact most of us, simply don't understand the scale of what we're doing to the environment. The individual daily actions of 6 billion of us compound to create stupendous effects. There's just no way to stop this train.