The European Tribune is a forum for thoughtful dialogue of European and international issues. You are invited to post comments and your own articles.
Please REGISTER to post.
A lot of the climate models seem to have modelled the ice sheets as ice cubes when they behave more like a drop of honey.
Lately I have been reading articles in Science News and elsewhere about glacial lakes melting holes through very thick glaciers and disappearing through said holes. It appears that this additional water further lubricates the interface between the ice and the rock below, increasing the rate of glacier flow. Such processes have been observed both in Greenland and West Antarctica. I believe that the melting of the two ice sheets would product an increase of about 70 meters in sea level.
I recall an article arguing that the break-up of the North American Ice Sheet at the end of the last ice age had occured quite rapidly and that the influx of fresh water had temporarily disrupted the Gulf Stream and that this accounted for an unexplained episode of re-glaciation in Western Europe. Non-linear processes can proceed quite rapidly. This is what makes me worry that it may be later than we think. "It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
by gmoke - Nov 30
by gmoke - Nov 24
by gmoke - Nov 7
by gmoke - Nov 11
by Oui - Jan 14
by Oui - Jan 13
by gmoke - Jan 137 comments
by Oui - Jan 12
by Oui - Jan 121 comment
by Oui - Jan 11
by Oui - Jan 112 comments
by Oui - Jan 10
by Oui - Jan 101 comment
by Oui - Jan 9
by Oui - Jan 8
by Oui - Jan 83 comments
by Oui - Jan 78 comments
by Oui - Jan 69 comments
by Oui - Jan 61 comment
by Oui - Jan 6
by Oui - Jan 5