Worlds Largest Slushie. Cryosat satellite finds Antartica ice losses have doubled since previous stu - Polidicks

[URL]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-27465050[/URL] [img]http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/74946000/jpg/_74946794_map624b.jpg[/img] Map showing the areas of change, with greatest loss being red/black. [quote=Article][B]Antarctica is now losing about 160 billion tonnes of ice a year to the ocean - twice as much as when the continent was last surveyed.[/B][/quote][quote]The new study incorporates three years of measurements from 2010 to 2013, and updates a synthesis of observations made by other satellites over the period 2005 to 2010.[/quote] [quote]In the three sectors, this equates to losses of 134 billion tonnes, 3 billion tonnes, and 23 billion tonnes of ice per year, respectively.[/quote] So yeah, things are starting get pretty bad, especially since a lot of climate scientists involved in this sort of research are saying that it's pretty possible that the melting could be irreversible.

We all knew it was coming, it's just a matter of whether the coming decades of change will be severe or catastrophic. And still, some folks'll still pray to the Almighty Dollar as opposed to the Woodise Lord. I wonder if this'll moisten up the Sahara a little, though? I imagine if Egypt suffers flooding, the Qattara Depression is probably gonna fill up a little, lending a hand or two to the notion of a Saharan Sea like what folks theorised in the 19th and 20th centuries. Even in the face of the rising tides, we can still make the most of it by making those fantastical super-science geo-engineering projects of yesteryear a reality.

It's been a good run, humanity. Anyone up for a drink?

[QUOTE=Lizzrd;44850126]It's been a good run, humanity. Anyone up for a drink?[/QUOTE]its not the end of the species, we'll just adapt and survive like we always have, how else do you think we've made it as far as we did

[QUOTE=Killer900;44850193]its not the end of the species, we'll just adapt and survive like we always have, how else do you think we've made it as far as we did[/QUOTE] It'll be brutal to say the least, the coast line of Australia would be pretty much totally underwater.

what's up with all the blue bits

I think they said it would be a two and a half meter increase in depth over ~100 years? That would pretty much ruin every beach that wasn't artificially rebuilt. Though a lot of beaches are rebuilt because of erosion anyway, so they would probably just build them up as time went on. Saychelles are fucked though.

This is really bad. Like really bad.

[QUOTE=Eltro102;44850276]what's up with all the blue bits[/QUOTE] That's the areas where there was increased thickness of the ice, it mentions in the article that it's mostly but not all due to some really high snowfall in the last year or two. [quote]The East had been gaining ice in the previous study period, boosted by some exceptional snowfall, but it is now seen as broadly static in the new survey.[/quote]

Ok boohoo waters rising. Move inland or build floating cities. This was going to happen anyway. We have time to prepare. Hopefully by then we'll be colonizing planets.

[QUOTE=Squad1993;44850333]Ok boohoo waters rising. Move inland or build floating cities. This was going to happen anyway. We have time to prepare. Hopefully by then we'll be colonizing planets.[/QUOTE] Yeah I'm sure 200 years will be enough to move 44% of our population off the coastline around the world and into safer areas, as well as places to house them, new infrastructure for almost entire nations and that's not including countries that will literally just be totally under water or lose a massive portion of their land like the Netherlands and Denmark. [url]http://www.oceansatlas.org/servlet/CDSServlet?status=ND0xODc3JjY9ZW4mMzM9KiYzNz1rb3M~[/url]

[QUOTE=Squad1993;44850333]Ok boohoo waters rising. Move inland or build floating cities. This was going to happen anyway. We have time to prepare. Hopefully by then we'll be colonizing planets.[/QUOTE] i will assume you are joking. Are you?

So, the sea levels rise, droughts happen, many people starved or are displaced. It's a big issue for sure, but why do I keep hearing rumours of extinction? There must be more to it. Is there some bacteria essential to the food chain that needs the global temperature just so? Will the air combust if it gets too hot?

[QUOTE=Krinkels;44850379]So, the sea levels rise, droughts happen, many people starved or are displaced. It's a big issue for sure, but why do I keep hearing rumours of extinction? There must be more to it. Is there some bacteria essential to the food chain that needs the global temperature just so? Will the air combust if it gets too hot?[/QUOTE] There's a good chance that some really nasty shit can happen in our oceans cause of this, as well as a shit load of other stuff, a lot of shelled stuff in the ocean is starting to have a hard time forming shells cause the waters getting more acidic and it's possible there'll be an increase anoxic zones. Plus the garbage patches of the oceans turn out to be shit hot breeding grounds for harmful bacteria, so there's that added kick in the teeth too.

[QUOTE=Krinkels;44850379]So, the sea levels rise, droughts happen, many people starved or are displaced. It's a big issue for sure, but why do I keep hearing rumours of extinction? There must be more to it. Is there some bacteria essential to the food chain that needs the global temperature just so? Will the air combust if it gets too hot?[/QUOTE] People are just freaking their shit. Although man has undeniable responsibility in global warming I think our impact is overstated and most of the current climate changes are mostly natural. I mean it's been a really long time since the last ice age, global climate can't stay the same forever.

[QUOTE=Squad1993;44850333]Ok boohoo waters rising. Move inland or build floating cities. This was going to happen anyway. We have time to prepare. Hopefully by then we'll be colonizing planets.[/QUOTE] It doesn't help that a part of the voting world does not believe sea level rise is real, or anthropogenic climate change for that matter. Hell, North Carolina lawmakers passed a bill banning state agencies from reporting that sea-level rise is accelerating. We won't do anything until high tide is up to the ankles of the resort managers. [editline]19th May 2014[/editline] [QUOTE=Krinkels;44850379]So, the sea levels rise, droughts happen, many people starved or are displaced. It's a big issue for sure, but why do I keep hearing rumours of extinction? There must be more to it. Is there some bacteria essential to the food chain that needs the global temperature just so? Will the air combust if it gets too hot?[/QUOTE] 2.5 meter rise will put some deep coral reefs 2.5 meters under the habitable zone and the already hurting reefs will suffer immensely. Reefs are important for pretty much the entire ocean food web.

[QUOTE=OvB;44850280]I think they said it would be a two and a half meter increase in depth over ~100 years? That would pretty much ruin every beach that wasn't artificially rebuilt. Though a lot of beaches are rebuilt because of erosion anyway, so they would probably just build them up as time went on. Saychelles are fucked though.[/QUOTE] Maybe I'm just missing some information but I still find that hard to believe. Current rate of sea level rise is ~3.2mm per year. Over 100 years, that's just over a foot of total rise. You'd have to have an 800% increase in sea level rise starting [I]instantly[/I] to get a 2.5m rise in the next century. I'm not dismissing the issue, mind, but some of these predictions just don't add up.

[QUOTE=JeanLuc761;44850637]Maybe I'm just missing some information but I still find that hard to believe. Current rate of sea level rise is ~3.2mm per year. Over 100 years, that's just over a foot of total rise. You'd have to have an 800% increase in sea level rise starting [I]instantly[/I] to get a 2.5m rise in the next century. I'm not dismissing the issue, mind, but some of these predictions just don't add up.[/QUOTE] runaway effect could hit that mark, increased heat means more water vapour in the atmosphere - which is really, really good at being a greenhouse gas also, most rise so far has been just the thermal expansion of water - once the ice melts more that's going increase

[QUOTE=Eltro102;44850644]runaway effect could hit that mark, increased heat means more water vapour in the atmosphere - which is really, really good at being a greenhouse gas also, most rise so far has been just the thermal expansion of water - once the ice melts more that's going increase[/QUOTE] That's fair, and I've got some research to do then. I just hear some of these numbers sometimes and I really have to question what they're saying.

[QUOTE=Ganerumo;44850409]People are just freaking their shit. Although man has undeniable responsibility in global warming I think our impact is overstated and most of the current climate changes are mostly natural. I mean it's been a really long time since the last ice age, global climate can't stay the same forever.[/QUOTE] Thanks for your expert scientific analysis. I'll make sure to relay "Things just get cold sometimes, cool yr. jets peeps" to President Obama.

[QUOTE=JeanLuc761;44850672]That's fair, and I've got some research to do then. I just hear some of these numbers sometimes and I really have to question what they're saying.[/QUOTE] Well if ice loss in the 2010-2013 study period has doubled since the 2005-2010 period I could imagine we should expect an increase in the rate of change in sea level, and that the rate will only increase faster down the road since it contributes to more loss as it loses..

Hey, at least we'll get a new continent to live on

[QUOTE=Killer900;44850193]its not the end of the species, we'll just adapt and survive like we always have, how else do you think we've made it as far as we did[/QUOTE] Yeah but fuck coastal cities. They're going under.

[QUOTE=bravehat;44850366]Yeah I'm sure 200 years will be enough to move 44% of our population off the coastline around the world and into safer areas, as well as places to house them, new infrastructure for almost entire nations and that's not including countries that will literally just be totally under water or lose a massive portion of their land like the Netherlands and Denmark. [url]http://www.oceansatlas.org/servlet/CDSServlet?status=ND0xODc3JjY9ZW4mMzM9KiYzNz1rb3M~[/url][/QUOTE] to be honest humans have managed more in less time in 200 years i think its more likely than not that humans would have found out a way to mitigate the effects of it and found a way to innovate their way out of the problems they've created. most likely there will be still at least several billion people living better than we do today the only problem of course is that a lot of people and wildlife will die in the process, many cities abandoned or ruined, historical areas and artefacts lost, plus some countries might collapse entirely

[url=http://floodmap.net/]Look at this site[/url] and set the water to 67m since that is probably how much the sea will rise when all ice melts. Use right click to see elevation. There are bugs though and it's not very accurate, but it still gives some idea how it will look. But all ice will melt in few thousand years at this rate and then you have post-glacial rebound

[QUOTE=LVL FACTORY;44858340][url=http://floodmap.net/]Look at this site[/url] and set the water to 67m since that is probably how much the sea will rise when all ice melts. Use right click to see elevation. There are bugs though and it's not very accurate, but it still gives some idea how it will look. But all ice will melt in few thousand years at this rate and then you have post-glacial rebound[/QUOTE] [IMG]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/29209413/ShareX/2014-05-20_18-42-28.png[/IMG] :(

[QUOTE=bravehat;44850211]It'll be brutal to say the least, the coast line of Australia would be pretty much totally underwater.[/QUOTE] Most of us are above 5m, this is only going to raise the water level by a few metres.

[QUOTE=mchapra;44858382][IMG]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/29209413/ShareX/2014-05-20_18-42-28.png[/IMG] :([/QUOTE] My state of Florida appears to be [B]fucked [/B]; it gets pretty screwed up looking even at 5m

apparently I am gonna be fine so bring it on nature

At least the wall building industry will have a lot of business in coastal regions.