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happyslug

(14,779 posts)
8. There are Volcanos in Antarctica and there are a factor
Mon Apr 30, 2012, 04:28 PM
Apr 2012

Volcanoes is the best explanation for seeing "Boiling water" in Antarctica mentioned in the Article, but as I pointed out the volcanoes are at best a minor addition to the warming of Antarctica.

The real problem is the movement of heat from the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Ocean to the Southern Ocean and then to the Antarctic ice Sheets (via the Surrounding Ice Shelves). The big problem is the increase in water temperature from near freezing to above freezing. The change from solid to liquid takes a good bit of heat, more then just dropping the temperature below the point where something change from solid to liquid.

On the other hand we are NOT talking about temperature of the water being that much higher then the freezing point of water. 33 degree is enough, the problem is to hold temperature at 33 for any length of time requires even more heat input. Up till recently, no such long term temperature increase was noted in the Southern Ocean. That has changed and that is the main concern when it comes to the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.

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