Impossible to write climate stories these days with out using the words “surprising” and “not expecting”.
One of the key differences between Greenland in the north, and Antarctica in the south, has been that Greenland, because of its geography and smaller size, has been more subject to warming enough on the surface to create significant meltwater, that collects in lakes, visible in broad areas during the summer. This surface melt has a number of significant effects on ice dynamics, as Jason Box spells out in this 2014 video.
Up until now, this kind of surface dynamic has not been documented on the gigantic, and not-so-long-ago-thought-invulnerable East Antarctic ice sheet. Projections of Antarctic melt focused mainly on the dynamic of ocean waters eating away and undermining the ice edges.
The fact that we are seeing these is an unscheduled wake up call.
It’s impossible to READ climate stories these days without thinking—-“S**T, more bad news” At this point none of it should be “surprising” or “not expected”—-it’s merely the natural progression of AGW, i.e. where one ends up if they start asking “IF this happens, THEN what are the likely results?”.
It doesn’t take “proof” or extended “scientific studies” or carefully constructed “models” and “projections” and “peer review” and endless debate. All it takes is enough math and science understanding to connect up the dots.
Warmer temps in Antarctica means melting ice means lakes means “lubing” of ice sheet flow and breaking off of ice shelves which leads to……etc etc. etc. The web of interactions may not be completely understood, but we DO know enough to see where it leads, and there is almost NO good news these days.
It’s unfortunate that so many scientists are afraid they will be labelled “doomers” like McPherson (or are in a state of denial). This news calls for a “S**T” or “If this keeps up, we’re F**Ked” rather than what IMO is really a dishonest “surprising” or “not expected”.
I have to laugh at the rather dispassionate “Up until now, this kind of surface dynamic has not been documented on the gigantic, and not-so-long-ago-thought-invulnerable East Antarctic ice sheet”. It has to be DOCUMENTED before anyone will believe that it’s possible and something to worry about? And can anyone cite ONE thing related to AGW that merits the use of the word INVULNERABLE? The WHOLE PLANET (that took 4,500,000,000 years to evolve) is coming apart at the seams physically, chemically, and biologically over a time span of only 100’s of years—-that’s our “unscheduled wake up call”, and, unfortunately, about all any of us can do about it is say “S**T”
Once again James Balog and Extreme Ice are well worth watching, stick it to the end and discover what happens to those lakes that form atop the Greenland Ice cap.
Very brave people daring what the Moranos, Pat Michaelses, Richard Lindzens, Lamar Smiths, Ronald Rotundas of the world would never. We don’t need more data, and as is clear satellites are not the best data we have for that is provided by boots on the ground.
Balog is even more incredible when you know that he has had major knee surgery.