Antarctic thaw quickens, trillions of tonnes of ice raise sea levels

[webfact]

Antarctic thaw quickens, trillions of tonnes of ice raise sea levels

By Alister Doyle Environment Correspondent

 

FILE PHOTO: A glacier is seen in Half Moon Bay, Antarctica, February 18, 2018. REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini/File Photo

 

OSLO (Reuters) - An accelerating thaw of Antarctica has pushed up world sea levels by almost a centimetre since the early 1990s in a risk for coasts from Pacific islands to Florida, an international team of scientists said on Thursday.

 

Antarctica has enough ice to raise seas by 58 metres (190 ft) if it ever all melted, dwarfing frozen stores in places from Greenland to the Himalayas and making its future the biggest uncertainty in understanding global warming and ocean levels.

 

The frozen continent lost almost three trillion tonnes of ice between 1992 and 2017, the 84 scientists said in what they called the most complete overview of Antarctic ice to date.

 

For a graphic of changing Antarctic, click

 

The thaw, tracked by satellite data and other measurements, contributed 0.76 cm to sea level rise since 1992, they wrote in the journal Nature.

 

And the ice losses quickened to 219 billion tonnes a year since 2012, from 76 billion previously. "The sharp increase ... is a big surprise," professor Andrew Shepherd of the University of Leeds and a leader of the report, told Reuters.

 

Most ice was being lost from West Antarctica and the Antarctic Peninsula, where warmer ocean water is melting floating ice shelves at the end of glaciers, allowing ice pent up on land to slide faster towards the sea, the study said.

 

A single millimetre of global sea level rise is equivalent to 360 billion tonnes of melted ice, or an imaginary gigantic ice cube with sides about seven kilometres (4.35 miles) long.

 

Overall, world sea levels have risen about 20 cm in the past century, driven mainly by a natural expansion of water already in the oceans as it warms along with a thaw of glaciers form the Andes to the Alps.

 

And a major U.N. assessment in 2014 said seas could rise this century by between about 30 cm and almost a metre.

 

Shepherd said Antarctica alone is now on track to raise world sea levels by about 15 cm by 2100, above most past estimates.

 

Such a rise alone sounds little but would make coastal floods during storms at high tides more damaging, he said. Sea level rise is a threat to cities from New York to Shanghai as well as low-lying nations from the Pacific Ocean to the Netherlands.

 

"We're watching these reports closely," said Michiel van den Broeke, professor of Polar Meteorology at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, saying they were the guide for defending the Dutch coast.

 

Under the 2015 Paris climate agreement, almost 200 governments set a goal of phasing out fossil fuels this century to limit warming. U.S. President Donald Trump plans to pull out of the pact and to focus instead on U.S. jobs and coal.

 

Chris Rapley, a professor of climate science at University College London who was not involved in the study, wrote in a comment that he had suggested in 2005 that a "slumbering giant (of ice in Antarctica) seemed to be awakening. This paper suggests it is stretching its limbs."

 

(Reporting By Alister Doyle; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-06-14

[Damrongsak]

Dang, thanks for the reminder.  My house is about 220 Ft. above seal level, but the yard slopes down to a little creek out back.   Should I have dock pilings and sand put in now and start a marina or what?

[kannot]

3 minutes ago, Damrongsak said:

Dang, thanks for the reminder.  My house is about 220 Ft. above seal level, but the yard slopes down to a little creek out back.   Should I have dock pilings and sand put in now and start a marina or what?

nah youll just need some of these when out walking

[tropo]

27 minutes ago, webfact said:

0.76 cm to sea level rise since 1992,

 

28 minutes ago, webfact said:

Overall, world sea levels have risen about 20 cm in the past century

Seriously?

 

They claim 0.76 cm rise in the last 26 years, yet 20 cm over the last 100 years, so 19.24 cm from 1918 until 1992.

 

 They're attributing the 0.76 cm rise to global warming when virtually all of the rise was between 1918 and 1992. 

 

30 minutes ago, webfact said:

And a major U.N. assessment in 2014 said seas could rise this century by between about 30 cm and almost a metre.

So there was a 0.76 cm rise in the last 26 years or 0.029 cm per year, but it's going to speed up from this year to between 0.3 cm and 1 cm per year until 2118.

 

This is pseudo-science at its finest.

[canuckamuck]

I/2 an inch in 30 years. Run for the hills!!

 

 

You would expect a little sea level rise at the end of an inter glacial period wouldn't you? The sea level has gone up and down like 300 feet in days gone by. 

[edwinchester]

2 hours ago, tropo said:

 

Seriously?

 

They claim 0.76 cm rise in the last 26 years, yet 20 cm over the last 100 years, so 19.24 cm from 1918 until 1992.

 

 They're attributing the 0.76 cm rise to global warming when virtually all of the rise was between 1918 and 1992. 

 

So there was a 0.76 cm rise in the last 26 years or 0.029 cm per year, but it's going to speed up from this year to between 0.3 cm and 1 cm per year until 2118.

 

This is pseudo-science at its finest.

Climate change has increased sea level by 20 cm over the last century. Since 1992 the melting of the Antarctic ice has increased that figure an extra 0.76 cm. 

[soalbundy]

Peckham on sea

[champers]

9 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

Peckham on sea

The Nelson Mandela Bayview Condominium.

Places such as Doncaster and Rotherham will be completely submerged; so not all bad news.

[Jai Dee]

Several off-topic troll and argumentative posts have been removed from this thread.

[rudi49jr]

2 minutes ago, RickBradford said:

I'm still waiting for an answer to the questions I asked you.

 

Do you truly believe that there are large numbers of people out there who hate their own children and grandchildren so much that they "don't give a damn" about their futures?

 

And what motivates this hatred of their own offspring?

Ok, I will take you up on that. Many people seem to have absolutely no idea what they're talking about when it comes to climate change. Like I said, 99% of climate researchers are 99% sure that we are destroying the planet that we live on. I'm no expert on that, but it seems to me that it's at least somewhat ignorant to dismiss what these people have to say. See where I'm going with that?

[overherebc]

3 hours ago, Damrongsak said:

Dang, thanks for the reminder.  My house is about 220 Ft. above seal level, but the yard slopes down to a little creek out back.   Should I have dock pilings and sand put in now and start a marina or what?

At least get the foundations in.

You might have problems getting the correct colour and type of sand mind you. I'm assuming the sewage pipe is already there so that will be less expense for you.

 

[kannot]

9 minutes ago, rudi49jr said:

Ok, I will take you up on that. Many people seem to have absolutely no idea what they're talking about when it comes to climate change. Like I said, 99% of climate researchers are 99% sure that we are destroying the planet that we live on. I'm no expert on that, but it seems to me that it's at least somewhat ignorant to dismiss what these people have to say. See where I'm going with that?

u could say the same with religions though....see where ive gone with that

[jumbo]

for the needed, I have few houses in Ayutthaya for rent and sale

Buy/Rent now as soon they could be sea view property.. and prices will increase

 

 

[canuckamuck]

In the future the oceans are certain to breach shorelines and cause great damage to expensive footwear unless science can find a way to build barriers over 3 inches high.

[kannot]

6 minutes ago, jumbo said:

for the needed, I have few houses in Ayutthaya for rent and sale

Buy/Rent now as soon they could be sea view property.. and prices will increase

 

 

yeah but i heard the asteroid is coming soon and so all  places  will be destroyed..............ive dug a big  hole in my  land and can rent you 2 metres  square for a small fee

[stevenl]

3 hours ago, tropo said:

 

Seriously?

 

They claim 0.76 cm rise in the last 26 years, yet 20 cm over the last 100 years, so 19.24 cm from 1918 until 1992.

 

 They're attributing the 0.76 cm rise to global warming when virtually all of the rise was between 1918 and 1992. 

 

So there was a 0.76 cm rise in the last 26 years or 0.029 cm per year, but it's going to speed up from this year to between 0.3 cm and 1 cm per year until 2118.

 

This is pseudo-science at its finest.

No, they're saying an additional .76 cm rise.

[GreasyFingers]

3 hours ago, Damrongsak said:

Dang, thanks for the reminder.  My house is about 220 Ft. above seal level, but the yard slopes down to a little creek out back.   Should I have dock pilings and sand put in now and start a marina or what?

No need to rush into it. These sort of figures were first bandied about in 1980 and by 2015 the seas would be at least 0.5 metres higher. This does not apply to Australia because the land is actually rising faster than any sea change.

[bert bloggs]

So the world is doing what the world has always done ,change , so when is the next ice age?

[RPCVguy]

The rate of melting is increasing, sea level rise will be greater than previously estimated, and I still think the drop in grain yields from mid-range warming projections will outpace the human misery/ migration/ war threats compared to storm damage along the coasts. Grains are the primary bulk source of calories and even US corn will suffer by mid century.

For a better set of reporters to explain the issues, I find that Inside Climate News is hiring the science savvy journalists the corporate media is letting go. Here is their take on this story.
 

Quote

"The scientists found that the rate of ice loss over the past five years had tripled compared to the previous two decades, suggesting an additional 6 inches of sea level rise from Antarctica alone by 2100, on top of the 2 feet already projected from all sources, including Greenland."
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/13062018/antarctica-ice-loss-accelerating-tripled-sea-level-rise-climate-change-nature-study

 

[Artisi]

1 minute ago, bert bloggs said:

So the world is doing what the world has always done ,change , so when is the next ice age?

it will probably follow the current gradual rise in temp. - put a time on it, ask the experts - all they will offer is conflicting stories, confusion, guess work,  and crystal ball gazing, but I can assure you, we wont be worried about it.      

[stevenl]

5 minutes ago, Artisi said:

it will probably follow the current gradual rise in temp. - put a time on it, ask the experts - all they will offer is conflicting stories, confusion, guess work,  and crystal ball gazing, but I can assure you, we wont be worried about it.      

Not very smart then, to not be worried.

[ballpoint]

10 minutes ago, GreasyFingers said:

No need to rush into it. These sort of figures were first bandied about in 1980 and by 2015 the seas would be at least 0.5 metres higher. This does not apply to Australia because the land is actually rising faster than any sea change.

I don't know where the "Australia is rising faster than sea change" comes from, as, over all, Australia is eroding, and there is serious concern about the effects of sea level rise on the coastal cities, where the vast majority of the population live:

 

https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/climate-change/new-maps-show-the-risk-of-sea-level-rises-to-australian-cities/news-story/2cd13d732b102365c9c708c4a223961f

 

There was also a report released earlier this year, looking at the effects of the last great sea level rise on the aboriginal population, which puts the current situation into some perspective:

 

"At the height of the last ice age some 21,000 years ago, not only were the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets larger than they are today, but three-kilometre-high ice sheets covered large parts of North America and northern Europe.

This sucked vast amounts of water out of our planet's oceans. The practical upshot was the sea level was about 125 metres lower, making the shape of the world's coastlines distinctly different to today...

… Then between 18,000 and 8,000 years ago, global climate warmed, leading to rapid melting of the ice sheets, and seeing sea levels in the Australian region rising from 125 metres below to two metres above modern sea levels."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-16/rising-sea-levels-could-shrink-australia-coastal-exodus/9333400

 

[Rimbuman]

8 minutes ago, ballpoint said:

I don't know where the "Australia is rising faster than sea change" comes from, as, over all, Australia is eroding, and there is serious concern about the effects of sea level rise on the coastal cities, where the vast majority of the population live:

 

https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/climate-change/new-maps-show-the-risk-of-sea-level-rises-to-australian-cities/news-story/2cd13d732b102365c9c708c4a223961f

 

There was also a report released earlier this year, looking at the effects of the last great sea level rise on the aboriginal population, which puts the current situation into some perspective:

 

"At the height of the last ice age some 21,000 years ago, not only were the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets larger than they are today, but three-kilometre-high ice sheets covered large parts of North America and northern Europe.

This sucked vast amounts of water out of our planet's oceans. The practical upshot was the sea level was about 125 metres lower, making the shape of the world's coastlines distinctly different to today...

… Then between 18,000 and 8,000 years ago, global climate warmed, leading to rapid melting of the ice sheets, and seeing sea levels in the Australian region rising from 125 metres below to two metres above modern sea levels."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-16/rising-sea-levels-could-shrink-australia-coastal-exodus/9333400

 

Cool.

[GreasyFingers]

13 minutes ago, ballpoint said:

I don't know where the "Australia is rising faster than sea change" comes from,

It comes from the last Ice Age you quote. During that time the land was compressed and is still returning (rising) to its natural level.

[ballpoint]

20 minutes ago, GreasyFingers said:

It comes from the last Ice Age you quote. During that time the land was compressed and is still returning (rising) to its natural level.

Australia wasn't covered in ice during the "last" ice age (though, in reality, it never ended, as there is still ice on the polar caps and Greenland.  We are currently in an interstadial - a warmer period during a glaciation.  The ice age will end if / when the world is completely free of ice caps).  Much of northern America and Europe are still rebounding from the loss of weight as the ice melted, but Australia, having been free of ice, and tectonically inactive, is over-all eroding.

 

This map shows the extent of the previous glacial maximum, with ice sheets being shown in grey:

 

Edited June 14, 2018 by ballpoint

[dick dasterdly]

47 minutes ago, Artisi said:

it will probably follow the current gradual rise in temp. - put a time on it, ask the experts - all they will offer is conflicting stories, confusion, guess work,  and crystal ball gazing, but I can assure you, we wont be worried about it.      

 

41 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Not very smart then, to not be worried.

Sadly, I suspect most of us aren't very worried - as we won't be alive when/if it becomes a serious problem.

 

Plus, those with children assume that future generations will find a way in the future to deal with the problems caused by mankind.

[CGW]

4 hours ago, tropo said:

This is pseudo-science at its finest.

Its also yet another "justifiable" reason to increase taxes! wait for it..............

Some would say its become a great way to make money, keep the sheeple scared...........

[RickBradford]

1 hour ago, rudi49jr said:

Ok, I will take you up on that. Many people seem to have absolutely no idea what they're talking about when it comes to climate change. Like I said, 99% of climate researchers are 99% sure that we are destroying the planet that we live on. I'm no expert on that, but it seems to me that it's at least somewhat ignorant to dismiss what these people have to say. See where I'm going with that?

No, I don't .

 

Saying that people are "somewhat ignorant" is on a completely different level to saying that "they don't give a damn" about their children's future. One is a matter of lack of comprehension and understanding, the other a matter of basic human evil. Not even close. 

 

As for those absurd percentages you quote that we are "destroying the planet we live on", they have no basis whatever in reality. That is not what the majority of scientists are saying, as you would find out with a minimum amount of research. What was that about "somewhat ignorant"?

[dick dasterdly]

22 minutes ago, RickBradford said:

No, I don't .

 

Saying that people are "somewhat ignorant" is on a completely different level to saying that "they don't give a damn" about their children's future. One is a matter of lack of comprehension and understanding, the other a matter of basic human evil. Not even close. 

 

As for those absurd percentages you quote that we are "destroying the planet we live on", they have no basis whatever in reality. That is not what the majority of scientists are saying, as you would find out with a minimum amount of research. What was that about "somewhat ignorant"?

We all have a different definition of "evil".  Personally, destroying our planet for greed is very close to evil 'in my book'.

 

But of course, it depends on whether one thinks destroying the habitat of other animals to make some people wealthy/deal with the ever growing human population is acceptable.

 

I find it hard to believe that you genuinely think that we are not "destroying the planet we live on".

[connda]

Oh lions and tigers and bears oh my!!! 

Think on the bright side.  Ships and now sail between the Atlantic to the Pacific via northern routes.