Ice Loss in Antartica Nearly Matches That of Greenland

Via Biopact -- Ice loss in Antarctica increased by 75 percent in the last 10 years due to a speed-up in the flow of its glaciers and is now nearly as great as that observed in Greenland, according to a new, comprehensive study by UC Irvine and NASA scientists.

. . .  the losses, which were primarily concentrated in West Antarctica’s Pine Island Bay sector and the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, are caused by ongoing and past acceleration of glaciers into the sea. This is mostly a result of warmer ocean waters, which bathe the buttressing floating sections of glaciers, causing them to thin or collapse.

. . .  the increased contribution of Antarctica to global sea level rise indicated by the study warrants closer monitoring.  . . . more

Comments

[bigTom]

While disturbing in its own right, this is not a reason to panic. Total contribution to sea level rise from Antarctica, and Greenland is estimated to be 1mm per year. Total sea level rise is now something like 4-5mm, so the contribution from the ice is not catastrophic. Ice loss would have to increase by a factor of five (not unlikely) before we reach the 1M/century rate. The bulk of sea level rise is still caused by thermal expansion, as the oceans gradually warm.

[Simon D]

The result is alarming not because of the amount of ice that melted last year, but because it may - may - indicate that ice loss is accelerating.

[Al Fin]

Recent discoveries of volcanic activity under the Antarctic Peninsula suggest another possible reason for melting on that promontory.

There are huge regions in the bulk of Antarctica where ice is accumulating at an unprecedented pace. You win some, you lose some.
;-)

[wind turbine electricity]

Very scary thought and situation.