Scientists are watching, but not alarmed by, a growing crack at the edge of a key floating ice shelf in Antarctica. The long-watched rift in the Larsen C ice shelf grew 11 miles in the last few weeks. The crack is now about 60 miles long and about 300 feet wide. If it grows another dozen miles, a Delaware-sized iceberg could break off and float away.
Melting Sea Ice
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Scientists Warn of Rising Oceans From Polar Melt — The New York Times
A large section of the mighty West Antarctica ice sheet has begun falling apart and its continued melting now appears to be unstoppable. If the findings hold up, they suggest that the melting could destabilize neighboring parts of the ice sheet and a rise in sea level of 10 feet or more may be unavoidable in coming centuries.
US Navy predicts summer ice free Arctic by 2016 — The Guardian
An ongoing US Department of Energy-backed research project led by a US Navy scientist predicts that the Arctic could lose its summer sea ice cover as early as 2016 – 84 years ahead of conventional model projections.
Record loss of Arctic ice may trigger extreme weather – LA Times
Arctic sea ice is shrinking at a rate much faster than scientists ever predicted and its collapse, due to global warming, may well cause extreme weather this winter in North America and Europe, according to climate scientists.
Report sees sharper sea rise from Arctic melt – Associated Press
The ice of Greenland and the rest of the Arctic is melting faster than expected and could help raise global sea levels by as much as 5 feet this century, dramatically higher than earlier projections, an authoritative international assessment says.
Winter Sea Ice Hits Historic Low – Center for Biological Diversity
The National Snow and Ice Data Center is reporting that Arctic sea ice appears to have reached its winter maximum for the year, which has tied 2006 for the lowest in the satellite record.
Disaster at the Top of the World – The New York Times
Globally, 2010 is on track to be the warmest year on record. In regions around the world, indications abound that earth’s climate is quickly changing.
On Thin Ice – Summer Arctic Ice Melting – The Economist
For the past three years, the vast cap of shining-white ice covering the Arctic has melted away in summer to an area that would have been unbelievable just a decade ago.
Climate Change Speeds Up Since Kyoto in 1997: Associated Press article and response from Jim Warren
How climate change has accelerated beyond some of the grimmest warnings made in 1997. NC WARN Executive Director Jim Warren responds in a letter to The News & Observer.
“Urgency Denial” Must End – Winston-Salem Journal Oped by Jim Warren
By Jim Warren. Severe climate changes are occurring at an accelerating rate. Our planet is in crisis, according to the world’s top scientists, and corrective measures that are proven, feasible and economically beneficial — mainly energy efficiency — need to be implemented now.