Globale Klimaveränderung

[Schneemann]

Another Large Ice Crack Is Forming in Antarctica

If the Larsen C ice shelf breaks off, sea levels could rise four inches

Earlier this month, an iceberg the size of Delaware broke off one of Antarctica’s largest ice shelves, Larsen C. The iceberg was estimated to be 5,000 square kilometers in size and 1.12 trillion tons in weight.

The initial crack that led to the iceberg breaking off began nearly four years ago. In that time frame, the crack grew over 120 miles in length. Shortly after the iceberg broke off, scientists noticed a new rift forming in the ice shelves that scientists with Project MIDAS, a U.K.-based Antarctic research project, fear “may result in further ice shelf area loss.” The scientists continue, “Although this new rift will probably turn toward the shelf edge, there is a risk that it will continue on to Bawden Ice Rise, a crucial point of stabilization for Larsen C Ice Shelf.” At 46,500 square kilometers, Larsen C is Antarctica’s fourth largest ice shelf. [...]

Global implications of erratic weather patterns and sea levels rising are becoming increasingly imminent. Scientists have noted that the Arctic is unraveling due to climate change, and Antarctica is beginning to experience similar changes, surpassing the threshold of naturally occurring environmental changes on the continent. [...] Antarctica’s ice sheets hold 60 percent of the freshwater on Earth.

http://observer.com/2017/07/antarctica-g...ice-crack/

Schneemann.