Environment

Ice shelf about to break off Antarctic coast

by Barbara McPherson | April 4, 2009 at 08:29 am

412 views | 44 Recommendations | 12 comments

A warning came today from the European Space Agency in Paris that a major ice shelf is in imminent risk of breaking away from the Antarctic continent. The Wilkins Ice Shelf has been shrinking, probably due to global warming. February 2008 saw a chunk of 425 square kilometres break off, followed by a 160 square kilometre chunk in May 2008. It is now only connected to the Antarctic continent by an ice bridge that is in fragile condition.

PARIS - The European Space Agency is warning that a massive ice shelf anchored to the Antarctic coast by a narrow and quickly deteriorating ice bridge could break away soon

Scientist are examining whether global warming is behind the shelf's breakup, the statement said. Average temperatures in the Antarctic peninsula have risen by 2.5 degrees Celsius over the past half century, the statement said - higher than the average global rise.

ESA "Webcam From Space"

Warnings have been coming about the breakup of the massive ice sheets surrounding the Antarctic continent.
Environmental Alert: The Antarctic Ice Shelf is Coming Apart

1 See all footage | View Slideshow

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Amy Judd

at 08:54 on April 4th, 2009

If it breaks off, will that cause sea levels to rise?

Barbara McPherson

at 08:58 on April 4th, 2009

The short answer is yes. You can test it yourself by filling a water glass -- use water we don't want to waste anything else. Now start floating ice cubes in that already full glass. There are other factors at work at well, tho. As the air warms up, more evaporation occurs so that takes up water from the oceans into the atmosphere.

Uwe Paschen

at 08:58 on April 4th, 2009

Hum, more bad news.

JeffHuang

at 11:50 on April 4th, 2009

Al Gore said something about this in his documentary. Definitely not good news.

M.Gray (not verified)

at 21:52 on April 4th, 2009

Well now, looks like the Earth needs to make new ice. The Earth clearly has warming and cooling stages but were def. not helping with the dramatic fluctuations, which we are seeing right now. I would like to see someone look into the recent volcanic activity as well. Maybe Natural Earth Climate Change , Volcanic Activity and Pollution are all working together in melting these ice caps, If I can remember correctly thats called (SYNERGISM)(I think) !!! Hope you can swim!!!

Danielle99 (not verified)

at 17:21 on April 5th, 2009

I hope all who look into the recent and long term issues with the environment open their eyes up to what the real situation is rather than relying on a dvd or their own personal opinions. Scientists have all along claimed that major environmental change takes a very long time to happen. It would seem that this is not the case. To all who are actually investigating changes to the environment, it's all hypothesis and no tangible proof to anything which means that if you look at the human history of money making and fear mongering, the global environmental changes fit right into it. The real answers have always been closer to all of us than we think.....prophecy. Get your heads out of the sand and wake up.

Shawnski (not verified)

at 17:28 on April 5th, 2009

I watched a BBC program recently called Global Dimming. It's worth watching since human history shows that we always think we know what's going on with the data we have uncovered, but there are more dynamics to such intricate and delicate things as the environment and global warming. Check it out.

Roadapples (not verified)

at 17:33 on April 5th, 2009

watch a show called Global Dimming. it has some interesting information that is not being shared.

rusty shackleford (not verified)

at 23:02 on April 28th, 2009

when the ice shelf breaks off the sea levels will not rise. the ice shelfs are already floating on the sea they are just anchored to the coast of antarctica. so its not even an issue of sea levels. it's more of an indicator of the changing conditions

Barbara McPherson

at 07:30 on April 29th, 2009

Thanks for your comments. I guess I gave too short an answer. It's true that much of the ice is floating whether attached to land or not. The problem arises with sea levels when that loose ice floats into warmer climes. As the ice shelf melts, it adds to the ocean's volume and pushes levels up.

Danielle99 (not verified)

at 10:40 on May 10th, 2009

To correct the issue of sea level rise, it is true that the ice shelves are already in the ocean hence would not necessarily raise sea levels that much with their breaking apart and then melting. It's what the ice shelves are preventing: the flow of glaciers from the land into the ocean and subsequent melting which will add to the sea levels since they were not in the water or enveloping volume to begin with. That is what the concern is. With the ice shelves breaking away so quickly and the melting of the ice on Greenland and Antarctica, the melt water is flowing down into the glaciers and acting as a lubricant (so the theory goes) which is causing the glaciers to flow faster towards the ocean. The ice shelves were helping to prevent the glaciers from breaking off and entering the oceans, but with their disappearance there is nothing to stop the glaciers accelerated flow into the ocean.