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Ice shelf collapses in Antarctica

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Another large plate of ice has broken off the rapidly disintegrating Wilkins Ice Shelf in the Antarctic Peninsula, the above satellite images show.

While the ice shelf, located directly below South America, shrank significantly in previous months (see March images), this is the first documented occurrence of an ice shelf collapsing during the Southern Hemisphere's winter.

The European Space Agency's Envisat satellite revealed that approximately 62 square miles (160 square kilometers) of ice detached from the ice shelf between May 30 and May 31. This most recent loss narrowed the strip to a width of 1.7 miles (2.7 kilometers).

The Wilkins Ice Shelf connects the islands of Charcot and Latady and protects many miles of Antarctica's ice shelves from additional collapse.

A trend of "extraordinary warming" over the past 50 years in Antarctica has caused the loss of several ice shelves, Matthias Braun of Bonn University, and Angelika Humbert of Münster University, said in a statement.

The researchers also warned that the last strip of ice on Wilkins would disappear soon.

"The remaining plate has an arched fracture at its narrowest position," they said, "making it very likely that the connection will break completely in the coming days."
jefftego

67 responses // Ice shelf collapses in Antarctica

  • this is sad. and it happened during winter? the world is going to hell in a handbasket.
    April_5210
  • yes, and noone will really care until it all falls in. We will spew out another 70 million plus tons of Co2 and other gases today and tomorrow and tomorrow and this will fade into oblivion eventually as people turn to other mundane "stuff" to keep themselves amused to pass the time. We are quickly heading for the time when we will need to put new plans for our survival into action and we aren't even close to making them yet. For all of our supposed intelligence, humans are indeed the smartest dumb species on this planet.
    JanforGore
  • This is so sad. I do not understand how anyone can deny that global warming is here.
    shroomfairy
    1 response to this
  • What creeps me out the most is that the leaders of all the countries bordering the Arctic Circle, which is also melting, are racing to see - not how to slow or fix this - but who can claim the most profit out of this world catastrophe.

    This is it in a nutshell: Nero is fiddling while Rome burns and they're fighting over who gets to sell the marshmallows.
    recommended by  jubal, Vierotchka
    roooth
    1 response to this
  • Ahh. Here is the great paradox of the last year. No serious scientist doubts that climate change is happening, that greenhouse gases have a significant and predictable effect on the global atmosphere. But most of them are still conceited eggheads who love to discuss for hours on end the finer points, They desire nothing more than to show up the competition, proving how wise they are and how idiotic the competitors are.

    The kind-hearted of us will pity those who get confused and thank that global warming isn't real when the discussion is really next year ten years from now, 50 years, or even is there an ice age around the corner for totally different reasons.

    The more suspicious will suspect that some will take full advantage and then die.

    After me the deluge....
    CaptSutter
  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnRPZOUVhJ4
    Tears a hole in the ionosphere and boils the Antarctic!
    BretByron
  • watch this comment being used here, here and here
    I believe the earth is now purging itself of it's disease....humans. Like any living organism that becomes sick it will try to heal itself. We have waited far to long to try and reverse the damage. No matter what we do, we can't stop the momentum.
    Revolution9562
    5 responses to this
  • I bet thats good iceberg surfing.
    BaggyBagBaggy
  • revolution I agree...that's the disease.
    CarolynGillis
  • man, considering how little is done in the government to address this, you'd think global warming was rocket science.
    stephenthomson
  • I say good-bye.
    ipodrulz
  • Boy, that is one huge ice sheet that busted loose. How can any one say different about global warming. What great ( terrrible) example to those who would argue.This isn't the first I've heard of. One has impacted the penquins and their migration negatively. I wonder how the Antartic and the Artic have shrunken over all, in the past ten years? I've seen the dramatic changes in the worlds' glaciers.
    cibalin
  • I can't wait for bush to leave office so we can have some real progress in the fight against climate change.
    electricsquiral
    1 response to this
  • stephen hear hear?/??

    nothing is going to happen with the current political structure. Nothing can happen, Obama may speak about CHANGE but he wont do anything.

    In my opinion which most you hate things will not be fixed anytime soon if ever. Climate CHANGE may be a big problem, but nothing any of our candiates say is going to CHANGE anything. Even if america CHANGEs none of the other countries are gonna do shit.
    clayjj05
    2 responses to this
  • well certainly not with THAT attitude.
    stephenthomson
    1 response to this
  • Fatalism never helped anyone.
    recommended by  Chique
    current89
  • watch this comment being used here, here, here, here, here and here
    People as a whole won't do what is necessary to stop Global Warming until New York City is underwater permanently.
    beck7422
    2 responses to this
  • I'm sure this isn't as surprising to some people than others. It was bound to happen, and it won't stop by clicking the "easy" button either.
    Amber_Doll2011
  • SCARY SCARY SCARY!
    CFriedman
  • and people refuse to believe that this world is messed up. there is a big problem and i wish that people would open heir eyes more!
    cerci_girl
  • Not Good news at all. Although there have been reports that this is simple the rotation of the earths life cycle and things will get better after they get alot worse!!
    mellowmuppet
    1 response to this
  • Meanwhile, Republicans in the Senate do everything they can think of to ensure U.S. inaction on climate change.
    recommended by  Vierotchka
    nelsonjs
  • Cosmic.
    arturogarza
  • Isn't it generally understood by scientists that the earth would be warming whether we humans were contributing to it or not? This isn't the first time that the earth has warmed up. The earth is more intelligent than we generally give credit.

    Ya know... somewhere deep within me, I'm starting to feel more and more... that the challenging times we obviously have ahead of us is going to be good for human evolution. Some of us may enjoy the age old cliche that "we are one", but NOW is the time to realize that those words are the truth. If we humans were to realize that truth, that all beings in essence are one, it would be the end of this "human ego dominated" era that we are witnessing.
    iameam
    3 responses to this
  • oops...sorry I left the door open. What can I say, I was born in a barn.
    Audiogeek
  • Mother nature will take it back. We (humans) have destroyed HER turf...She is just reacting to what we have done.
    prof_deviant
  • And of course the government won't care, there's no oil on an ice shelf.
    egarlow
    1 response to this
  • Something I notice is that people tend to focus on one aspect of global warming, that's the rising of the sea level that will displace millions of people world wide. However, many people don't talk about the other issues that will compound the sudden decrease in living space. I speak of harsher environments for growing crops. Global warming is drastically changing and will continue to drastically change weather patterns. Places that once received enough water for crops could very well become desert like, and fresh water could become a resource more scarce than oil. If or when this happens, we could easily have a global population decrease much like if there was a plague.
    Varex_Sythe
  • I hope everyone knows how to swim!!!
    realitybytes
  • I think people should do a bit of research on this global warming issue because there is NO CONCLUSIVE research prooving that our CO2 emissions are causing a substantial warming effect. CO2 only accounts for a very tiny itsy bitsy percentage of our atmosphere. Picture a football field. The amount of CO2 would only account for the width of the goal line (a couple cm wide). Also note that the concentration increase in CO2 is minimal within that small percentage in the first place.

    Beware when "science" mixes with politics & mass media. don't believe the hype.find out for yourself.
    WizKid
  • Between the flooding in the mid-west and the melting of the polar ice caps, I think we are going to need a real Noah's Ark.
    samanthadian
  • People that say "There is no conclusive evidence.." are irresponsible at best. This is like owning a house without insurance. Know matter how good things may seem you always have to prepare for the worse.
    menmykoko
    1 response to this
  • oh no!!! the ice is falling the ice is falling....
    shit
    Meaghan1126
  • NO it is NOT generally understood that the Earth would be warming:(

    It is generally understood that pumping more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere is the cause of
    Global Warming...

    And it is NOT the Sun either.

    If you want to try an experiment just ask yourself why Venus average temperature is the melting point of Lead?

    The answer is that it's atmosphere is mostly Carbon Dioxide and it is 40 x the air pressure of Earth.

    So, we are on the road to that if we are not more careful.
    PatrickEdwardMurray
  • How many of change our tires before we need to? how many of us get gas before our tank is low? Who goes grocery shopping when they still have food in the fridge? Who spends money after it's in the bank?

    We're human. When it's a "real" problem. We'll figure something out. Always have. Right?

    ?
    AkiraChevelle
  • Let me say this: humanity will destroy itself not due to gays or sodomy or anything like that, but due to the collective destruction we are doing to our delicate living environment as a result of overpopulation. It is like poking a hole in the foundation of your house. And remember, the earth could not care less if we humans are on it or not, it is us humans that have to care about the house we live in. Destroy nature and you destroy yourself.
    lucky2bme
  • too little too late, so sad
    jaxgrfx
  • If only George Bush wasn't elected.
    RE34890
    1 response to this