Two Giant Ice Islands Have Broken Off of Greenland

by Robert Wilkinson

A massive ice island two times the size of Manhattan is breaking off Greenland at a faster pace than the scientists ever could have thought. Given what happened last year, this is not a good development....

Not to be an alarmist, but I do believe in keeping my readers abreast of global developments that might affect us! Thanks to a story from msnbc.com, we find new photos of Northern Greenland show an "astonishing" rate of breakup. One climate scientist says he was "completely unprepared for the gob-smacking scale of the breakup, which rendered me speechless."

This breakup follows one a year ago where an ice island FOUR times the size of Manhattan broke off. This year, when the scientists returned in July, "... they found the ice had been melting so quickly — at an unexpected 16-and-a-half feet in two years — that some of the masts stuck into the glacier were no longer in position."

From the article:

Writing in the Annals of Glaciology journal, published on Aug. 22, the researchers said Greenland's glaciers had collectively lost 592.6 square miles of ice between 2000 and 2010.

The August 2010 "calving" event saw the creation of an ice island of 112 square miles, causing the Petermann Glacier to retreat by about 8 miles....

Twice as many glaciers are retreating as the number that are advancing, and the area of ice lost was nine times the amount gained, the researchers found....

Perhaps the bottom line was best expressed by a member of Congress last year:

At the Congressional hearing in August 2010, the then chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, Rep. Edward Markey, said the melting of the Greenland ice sheet was "but one harbinger of the many changes to come."

"Scientists, skeptical by both nature and training, always urge a dose of caution when looking at any one event as evidence of climate change," he said in his opening statement. "This level of professional skepticism is what makes the overwhelming scientific consensus that climate change is real and caused by man all the more powerful."

Markey listed extreme weather events, such as a record-breaking heatwave and drought in Russia, extreme floods in Asia, record-breaking temperatures on the Eastern Seaboard of the United States and "mega storms and floods" in many parts of the country.

"Take a step back from these individual pieces and we see a mosaic that could not be clearer. Our world is becoming less hospitable with every passing year," he added.

Apart from all the rumors and speculation about 2012 and "the end of the Age," as well as the other rumblings in all the different groups awaiting some kind of big shift, whatever else may happen we can be sure that the oceans are rising and that Greenland is "melting, melting, melting..."

This affects the entire world. Those who adapt to coming by learning to "think in the future" will do as well as can be expected. Those who cling to outmoded ideas and/or fears will need to learn how to swim. Beachfront property owners, along with just about everyone near a waterfront, may need to think about installing house stilts with "ground floor" boat docks.

Just think - new jobs for a new era! Stilts for houses, water taxis, and off-shore bed and breakfast facilities!!

© Copyright 2011 Robert Wilkinson

Comments

[Debbie Eastick]

Not sure if anyone on here interested in asteroids, but reading this the first thing that came to mind was, sounds like Sedna influence so i checked out where she is and voila 24 taurus, the sabian of which is;

Taurus 24 A mounted Indian with scalp locks

quite appropriate for an asteroid named after a first nation goddess eh?

[Micheline]

That is a really positive way to look at it. I am starting to worry if Japan is going to go under water as well at this rate. Sheesh. but I was thinking a while ago. If had to, I think I would just forget about making myself a real house and do a "Noahs Arc" hahaha, no I am not kidding. I would build a huge boat and live in that instead
Thanks for the update. I am glad to be aware.

[Eva]

Thank you, Robert. I sometimes don't want to look to close, thinking of my small nephew and niece's future it is so worrisome. Better to look at it. And why not with some humor :-)