Ice bridge collapses, leaving Wilkins Ice Shelf vulnerable

[Ladywriter 7,783]

Jeremy Hance

mongabay.com

April 05, 2009

As though commenting on world leader's lack of progress in combating climate change at the G20 conference last week, an ice bridge connecting the Wilkins Ice Shelf to the Antarctic continent broke off over the weekend. Long expected by scientists, the break is perhaps the beginning of the Wilkins Ice Shelf completely coming loose from Antarctica.

Splitting at its thinnest point of 500 meters the 25-mile-long ice bridge connected the Wilkins Ice Shelf to Charcot and Latardy islands. The Wilkins Ice Shelf has become famous for being the largest of ten Antarctic ice shelves to have collapsed or shrunk recently, most likely due to rising temperatures in the Antarctic. In the past 50 years, Antarctic temperature have risen approximately 3 degrees Celsius (5 degrees Fahrenheit), which is about three times the global surface temperature increase.

Scientists worry that the loss of the ice bridge may allow water currents to melt the Wilkins Ice Shelf far faster, eventually leaving the ice shelf a disintegrating island.

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[DeathscytheX 9,732]

The ice shelf will not cause a rise in sea level because it is already in the water. I find it disturbing that they will only go as far as to say that. If these shelves that are in the water were to melt, it would lower the sea levels, which could screw shit up just as well. Its like filling up a glass with ice and pouring water in it. Once they all melt, the water level a little over half of what it use to be because water expands when frozen.

The implications on coast line industries would be catastrophic. Big ports would no longer exist, fishing in poor countries would be severely affected, and beach city tourism would be nonexistent.

[Kite 3,263]

i know this is a stupid question, but why cant we use liquid nitrogen to freeze a shit load of water into ice bergs again?

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

The cost and scale of a project to liquefy that much Nitrogen and then safely spray it into the ocean would be astronomical and would bankrupt the world probably. Plus the after effects of overdosing the ocean with nitrogen could be disastrous.

[Ladywriter 7,783]

the ice bridge collapse doesn't mess w sea level but a land glacier melting into the ocean will

also a refreeze is unlikely to work as the temp in that area is now too warm