Bach, Wilkins, George VI, Stange Among Ant. Peninsula Shelves Now In Retreat As Warming Heads South

[hatrack]

EDIT

It's important, say the researchers, because as the ice shelves disappear, they uncork glaciers along the coast, which then pour more ice from the interior into the sea. That, in turn, contributes to sea levels rising, which threatens coasts worldwide. "We have seen that the (disappearing ice shelves) effect has migrated south," said USGS's Jane Ferrigno, whose team included members of the British Antarctic Survey the Scott Polar Research Institute and Germany's Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy.

"The most noticeable and dramatic changes that can be seen on the Palmer Land area map are the retreat of the George VI, Wilkins, Bach and northern Stange Ice Shelves."

The Wilkin's Ice Shelf made news last year when a long, tenuous remaining bridge of ice connecting Charcot Island to the mainland finally gave way after shrinking for decades. "That had been in place since ever since people have been going down there," Ferrigno told Discovery News. "Once that ice bridge was broken it makes the whole ice shelf vulnerable."

What's more, considering that the ice shelf flows in a direction that does not add ice to this area, there is little chance of the shelf recovering, she said. The cause of the trend is not mysterious, says Antarctic ice researcher Eric Rignot of the University of California at Irvine. "It's something that's very consistent with with the changing air temperatures," said Rignot.

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http://news.discovery.com/earth/antarctica-peninsula-ice-melt-warming.html

[OKIsItJustMe]

1. See also

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=115&topic_id=232420&mesg_id=232420

[Nihil]

2. Nicely understated ...

> The cause of the trend is not mysterious, says Antarctic ice researcher
> Eric Rignot of the University of California at Irvine. "It's something
> that's very consistent with with the changing air temperatures"

It's that old lose-lose science scenario again: if scientists shout about
a problem they are accused of panic-mongering but if they simply present
it in their normal calm, objective manner they are ignored.

:-(