A
new study from a team of British scientists collaborating from Oxford
and Cambridge Universities has found that global warming related changes
to aspects of Antarctic glaciers known as grounding lines are speeding
ice sheet disintegration, which in is forecast to bring significant
global sea level rise.
Noting that in 2004, Antarctica’s Pine
Island Glacier was already melting 25% faster than 30 years previously,
the researchers state that this glacier likely passed a tipping point in
1996. If the same happens to neighboring Thwaite’s Glacier, the world
could easily be facing increased sea levels of 52 centimeters.
Lead
author Dr. Richard Katz of Oxford University's Department of Earth
Sciences cautioned of a further disintegration, that of the entire
Western Antarctic shelf, as he stated, “The volume of ice locked up in
the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is equivalent to a sea level rise of around
3.3 meters.
Our model shows how instability in the grounding
line, caused by gradual climatic changes, has the potential to reach a
'tipping point' where disintegration of the ice sheet could occur.
He
concluded by saying, “We should be concerned about tipping points in
West Antarctica and we should do a lot more work to investigate.”
Dr.
Katz and all collaborating scientists at Oxford and Cambridge
Universities, we appreciate your insights into the impact of global
warming on the ice sheets of the Antarctic. May humanity realize now the
growing urgency of our situation and adopt lifestyles that save our
planet. Concerned for the welfare of all beings,
Supreme Master
Ching Hai once again spoke of the the crisis of our warming Earth as
well as the way to avert it during an August 2008 videoconference with
our Association members in Canada.
Supreme Master Ching Hai:
The time of disappearing of the ice means also the spelling of trouble
for our planet. Of course it would be better if we already saved the
planet before the ice melted.
But as it is, we can only do the
best we can and trying to inform everybody to save themselves by being
vegan. If the ice melts quicker, then, of course, we have shorter time
to save the planet.
But nevertheless because people are joining the vegan diet, we still can manage to save the world.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100116103350.htm http://news.mongabay.com/2010/0114-hance_antglacier.html