Apr 22 2009
Revealed: Antarctic ice growing, not shrinking
More information suggesting that global warming may not be occuring….
Greg Roberts April 18, 2009 The Australian. Link here
ICE is expanding in much of Antarctica, contrary to the widespread public belief that global warming is melting the continental ice cap.
The results of ice-core drilling and sea ice monitoring indicate there is no large-scale melting of ice over most of Antarctica, although experts are concerned at ice losses on the continent’s western coast.
Antarctica has 90 per cent of the Earth’s ice and 80 per cent of its fresh water. Extensive melting of Antarctic ice sheets would be required to raise sea levels substantially, and ice is melting in parts of west Antarctica. The destabilisation of the Wilkins ice shelf generated international headlines this month.
However, the picture is very different in east Antarctica, which includes the territory claimed by Australia.
East Antarctica is four times the size of west Antarctica and parts of it are cooling. The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research report prepared for last week’s meeting of Antarctic Treaty nations in Washington noted the South Pole had shown “significant cooling in recent decades”.
Australian Antarctic Division glaciology program head Ian Allison said sea ice losses in west Antarctica over the past 30 years had been more than offset by increases in the Ross Sea region, just one sector of east Antarctica.
“Sea ice conditions have remained stable in Antarctica generally,” Dr Allison said.
The melting of sea ice — fast ice and pack ice — does not cause sea levels to rise because the ice is in the water. Sea levels may rise with losses from freshwater ice sheets on the polar caps. In Antarctica, these losses are in the form of icebergs calved from ice shelves formed by glacial movements on the mainland.
Last week, federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett said experts predicted sea level rises of up to 6m from Antarctic melting by 2100, but the worst case scenario foreshadowed by the SCAR report was a 1.25m rise.
Mr Garrett insisted global warming was causing ice losses throughout Antarctica. “I don’t think there’s any doubt it is contributing to what we’ve seen both on the Wilkins shelf and more generally in Antarctica,” he said.
Dr Allison said there was not any evidence of significant change in the mass of ice shelves in east Antarctica nor any indication that its ice cap was melting. “The only significant calvings in Antarctica have been in the west,” he said. And he cautioned that calvings of the magnitude seen recently in west Antarctica might not be unusual.
“Ice shelves in general have episodic carvings and there can be large icebergs breaking off — I’m talking 100km or 200km long — every 10 or 20 or 50 years.”
Ice core drilling in the fast ice off Australia’s Davis Station in East Antarctica by the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Co-Operative Research Centre shows that last year, the ice had a maximum thickness of 1.89m, its densest in 10 years. The average thickness of the ice at Davis since the 1950s is 1.67m.
A paper to be published soon by the British Antarctic Survey in the journal Geophysical Research Letters is expected to confirm that over the past 30 years, the area of sea ice around the continent has expanded.
Friends, I would like to request a truce on the personal attacks please. The ill health of my good family friend Richard Pratt (who I’m sure you all know of) has made me realise how important friends are. Sorry for any pain that I have caused to any of you in the past. Life is too short!
A very interesting article. I look forward to reading this paper from the British Antarctic Survey. Sounds like a made up name but it has appeared in a newspaper so we must give it credit for now.
Iamasmartman, You attack everyone and now want a truce. Do you not see any irony in your behaviour considering that everyone else in this world suffers family issues and still puts up with your rubbish? Suddenly you have a family issue and you request a truce. Since I don’t play your little games I am not concerned but I doubt some of the other contributors will be so kind.
Your first mistake IASM was to begin with ‘Friends’. And exactly what does an Asian fish and chip shop owner have in common with a billionaire cardboard box manufacturer? Hangon, Kevin Rudd is on the other line…….
Back now, he just wanted some advice on immigration. I said he should send you home immediately, and hand the keys to the fish and chips shop over to Jethro as compensation for the taunts you have regularly given him.
Seriously though, when Kevin Rudds scientific adviser (perhaps you know him IASM?) said global warming was a myth about 6mths ago, backed it up with conclusive proof, all Kevin did was sack him.
Now the front page of the news today has a golden guru idea from the 2020 summit as the most important news in the country! Old guys going around telling young guys what to do….already happens all the time! 20yrs experience can be one years bad experience repeated 20 times. I spend countless hours repairing the effects of experience.
PS The only pain you have caused me IASM is when I need to push out a particularly nutty version of yourself into the porcelin (spelling?) bowl every now and then.
This is an interesting story. Another conspiracy theory in the making perhaps.
As for Iamasmartmum. Yesterday you infer I am some sort of poof and today you want us to go easy on you. Stick your sorry in your rectum you complete moron. I agree totally with Marteen’s last paragraph!
Marteen thanks to your commentary I just embarrassed myself at the Qantas club by giggling too loud & letting out a fart. I can picture Ruddy on the other end of the line chatting & giggling away with you. (I love the Ruddy segment on Rove for those cool enough to know it.)
IASM just became more boring that Rob
I cannot believe what I’m hearing from you guys….my supposed on-line pals!! making a joke of my situation!!
Julie, are you on-line tonight? I’d really appreciate a chat at the moment.
On-line pals! Stop it IASM, you are killing me! We arent making a joke, you are the joke.
For someone with so many close friends, I struggle to see how a chat with Julie will ease your depression? You neither know, or have met her. Why dont you call the head of the NSW racing board to have a heart-to-heart?
Megaman, it has always been my goal to make someone laugh to the point of farting….you have made my day! I am now returning the favour and laughing my own guts out in the office. Everything is coming up Millhouse!
IASM, Sorry is was not there for you in your time of need.
Let me know your email so we can talk more when you have a chance.
Julie, thanks for your kind thoughts. I won’t share my email on this site but call me anytime to chat(02) 9332 3300 . Thanks again.