This is neither politics, religion or philosophy, but I do urge you to go have a look at the NASA video that accompanies this article.  The graphics particularly are awesome, shot from space.  It impressed the hell out of me.

http://www.care2.com/causes/massive-gran...ctica.html

Alison

This post was last modified: 07-28-2012 02:49 PM by Alison.

I sort of thought it was a joke at first, like I was going to see a little stream that was a "baby" grand canyon

Neat article.

I sort of thought it was a joke at first, like I was going to see a little stream that was a "baby" grand canyon

Neat article.

Coming soon to a coastline near you: Sea Level Rise!

When that baby goes and starts to melt, it's going to be interesting.  There was an article on the local news last night, residents on some areas of the coast which have been hit by increasingly high King Tides have begun what they called "Planned Retreats" from the coast.  It's been those smaller communities dotted up and down the east coast that have been making those moves, with local councils buying back houses from the worst hit and relocating them to land further away.  It will be interesting in a few years time to see if the councils are so eager to still do buybacks, when EVERYBODY has to retreat.  

And of course, all the coastal capitals will have trouble: probably they'll start building dykes and seawalls as protection, rather than up sticks and move everything.  So many people seem to want Sea Views, but nobody seems really happy about it when it's 360 degrees of Sea View...

Alison (very happy that she lives in inland, highland Canberra)

This post was last modified: 07-29-2012 02:56 AM by Alison.

LOL, Vernu just read this over my shoulder and said "You do know that icebergs floating in the ocean don't increase the sea level at all, since they displace the same amount of water?"

Of course I know that, but what I meant by the above comment was more along the lines of: the land-bound glacier that is giving birth to this monstrous great ice-berg is melting, leading to increased break-aways, with winter freezes  re-freezing less and less.  And THAT is what is leading to sea level rise.  

Just to clarify.  
Alison

This post was last modified: 07-29-2012 03:09 AM by Alison.

LOL, Vernu just read this over my shoulder and said "You do know that icebergs floating in the ocean don't increase the sea level at all, since they displace the same amount of water?"

Of course I know that, but what I meant by the above comment was more along the lines of: the land-bound glacier that is giving birth to this monstrous great ice-berg is melting, leading to increased break-aways, with winter freezes  re-freezing less and less.  And THAT is what is leading to sea level rise.  

Just to clarify.  
Alison

and also melting icebergs that are on land.

This post was last modified: 07-29-2012 03:25 AM by sg1008.

LOL, Vernu just read this over my shoulder and said "You do know that icebergs floating in the ocean don't increase the sea level at all, since they displace the same amount of water?"

I dont understand comments like that.  No, something that is already in the water does not increase its volume.  But there is no reason for the volume to be conserved when ice falls into the water.  

Also, when floating ice sheets in bays like the Larsen shelves in Antarctica collapse, since they are the structures that hold back the flow of ice from the land, there will be an increase in sealevel rise following.

What I find truly nightmarish is what will happen AFTER all the glaciers of the world are gone.  Given that so many of the world's rivers rely on springtime meltwater, and so many people depend upon the rivers.  

I'll give it about 70 years before they disappear completely, and thank my good fortune that I'll be dead before then...  
Alison

This post was last modified: 07-29-2012 04:23 AM by Alison.

Here's some more of the ice canyon, and possible run-on effects.

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/1128-04.htm

I plan to live near enough to the coast to benefit from desalinization plants.  There is just nothing about this new climate that can be relied upon, and when the rains move there's no telling where they will go, if anywhere.  Maybe I should move to the atacama.  It's a nice coastal desert, which may escape the sudden flux I'm willing to bet the coastal cities having in the next few centuries.  Or the cities on the new coast, wherever that will be.  This new coast will have people coming at it from both directions.  I doubt it will be pretty.

My prediction for the coming Big Dry?  Which will include killing heat waves, massive storms, bushfires and starvation, remember.  I foresee massive migrations in the Northern Hemisphere to Canada, Alaska, Siberia and Greenland.  And in the Southern Hemisphere we of course have the defrosting Antarctica.  New Zealand has high land that should remain liveable, likewise Australia's southern states (Tasmania, Victoria) and highland areas (Snowy Mountains, ACT, Blue Mountains, Brindabellas.)  South America has the Andes mountain range.

But for those people with little resources to move, well, nasty will not begin to describe it.

Alison

It be the great equalizer, not in terms of individuals, but in terms of states and territories.  All the world will be the new Africa, especially if the fight against sex and secularism continues here in America.

The United States of America is already seeing the beginnings of Dustbowl USA.  They will be amongst the first wave of Global Warming immigrants, to Alaska and Canada.
Alison

This post was last modified: 07-29-2012 06:17 AM by Alison.

Holy Crap!

- My reaction basically.

Let's try to see them deny global warming now.

Hi guys. If you have some good story about the Grand Canyon and you would like to share it with others you can PM me and we will post it on www.grandcanyon-nationalpark.org

spamity spam, wonderful spam!