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Giant Antarctic ice chunk collapses

Posted at 4:12 PM on 25 Mar 2008

A 160-square-mile chunk of ice -- that's seven times the size of Manhattan -- has collapsed off of the Wilkins ice shelf in Antarctica. The entire ice shelf, which is approximately the size of Connecticut, is "hanging by a thread," says climate scientist David Vaughan: "We'll know in the next few days or weeks what its fate will be." Scientists are not concerned that the ice breakage will have an immediate effect on sea-level rise, but, says researcher Sarah Das, such collapses are "more indicative of a tipping point or trigger in the climate system." Which is so not what we need right now.

sources: Associated Press, New Scientist, LiveScience

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Comments: (5 comments)

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Coulod be worse...

...there have been collapses in recent years that were much larger tan this one.

by Tasermons Partner at 5:05 PM on 25 Mar 2008

Where's My Cut

Oh, yeah, ok, that Antartic ice is all melting and everything and it's all CO2 and man is to blame.

There.

Now can I have my cut of the 300 million that Al Gore is supposely throwing around.

by jabailo at 9:15 AM on 26 Mar 2008

He didn't

Al Gore didn't make personal profit from his the movie or book, "An Inconvenient Truth".

And you CAN get your cut of a new income. Why don't you go create a business that caters to the coming carbon regulations and hire some green collar employees -- and make a profit?

by christophersj at 9:30 AM on 26 Mar 2008

No effect

Scientists are not concerned that the ice breakage will have an immediate effect on sea-level rise

Of course it won't have an immediate effect--it won't have any effect on sea-level rise. It's already floating on water!

It's this twisting that makes me irritated. It's not so obvious here, but some articles I've read managed to put "this won't affect sea-levels" and "this could cause sea-level rise" practically in the same sentence.It's this kind of thing that damages credibility.

Yes, it could trigger some more major collapses, the loss of ice is perilous for the local wildlife, and this could lead to more serious melting, i.e. continental ice. So why not focus on that?

If I share initials with 'Global Warming', is that a sign?

by tico89 at 10:45 AM on 26 Mar 2008

Indirectly...

it won't have any effect on sea-level rise.

The ice reflects the sun's rays back into the atmosphere more than water does. Decrease in ice coverage will allow more sunlight to penetrate the water, and thus warm it up faster.

by Tasermons Partner at 1:10 PM on 26 Mar 2008

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